ZUNE and your X360 - ZUNE HD Now in 64GB - Latest Update Now Supports AVI/XviD

If the $150 4GB Zune gets solid reviews and I have the chance to use it myself, I'll pick it up. I lost my old 30GB Zune a couple months ago somehow, and my 2GB PSP just isn't cutting it. I like the Zune software and I don't feel like redoing my entire library through iTunes.

Are these supposed to come out within the next few weeks?
 
Here's some comparison info on the new Zunes vs the new iPods:
zunevipod.jpg
zunevnano2.jpg
Click to expand...
http://www.zuneboards.com/content/view/126/1/
 
one thing I want to see hands on before i decide to get the model, aside from everything else (since I'm happy with everything else), is how the glass feels or how strong it stands...
 
Looks great to me. It's barely thicker, and it's better in your pocket than the new nano since it's size goes vertically rather than horizontally. Everything seems like it will be a lot better than the iPod, and everything's the same price.

Have there been any reports on whether the Zune pad is a piece of shit or not? It seems interesting, so I hope they will have a setup at the store so I can try it.

The only thing that will stop me from getting this is if I can track down an iPhone for $300. I don't think I'm going to be able to find a 4GB, though, and I'm not paying $100 more for 4GB more of space.
 
I recently ordered one of these off of the Woot.com deal and I"m pretty pumped to get it. Syncing with Vista Media Center is a big plus as it'll (hopefully) be a painless way to catch up on the massive amounts of tv I record.

Plus my old iRiver HP-120, trusty and reliable as it is, desperately needed an upgrade.
 
Got my Zune from the woot deal yesterday and I'm impressed by the hardware, not as clunky as I thought it would be.

Anyone have any suggestions for getting the album art not to look like garbage though? That's probably my biggest gripe along with the lack of a sleep timer. Thanks.
 
Got my two Zunes finally from the woot deal. They look brand new and pristine. I have a feeling these are really just overstocked new zunes they relabeled refurbished. They have version 1.0 of the firmware which is too old if they were really refurbished.

Can anyone point me to where I should start for any hacks/mods or must haves for Zune owners?
 
[quote name='Mojimbo']Got my Zune from the woot deal yesterday and I'm impressed by the hardware, not as clunky as I thought it would be.

Anyone have any suggestions for getting the album art not to look like garbage though? That's probably my biggest gripe along with the lack of a sleep timer. Thanks.[/quote]
Tag with MediaMonkey first, it looks 10x better than letting the Zune program do it.
 
[quote name='Marvulus']Tag with MediaMonkey first, it looks 10x better than letting the Zune program do it.[/QUOTE]

That Zune software is so shitty, it's unbelievable that shit made it past quality testing.

I have a touch decision on my hands now.

Creative Zen 16 GB Flash or 80 GB Zune 2?
 
just saw that chart comparing zunes and ipods at the top and the most interesting point was the pc/mac one imo...zune: yes/no but apple: yes/yes which is probably why apple has a more supported fanbase (besides the fact they've been doing this for years..)

i have to agree with everyone else too - can't wait for zune 2 first hand impressions..
 
[quote name='Foo228']just saw that chart comparing zunes and ipods at the top and the most interesting point was the pc/mac one imo...zune: yes/no but apple: yes/yes which is probably why apple has a more supported fanbase (besides the fact they've been doing this for years..)

i have to agree with everyone else too - can't wait for zune 2 first hand impressions..[/quote]

Actually, first gen iPods were Mac only. I got a 1.5 gen iPod (the first one with the touch wheel instead of a spinning wheel) and had to flash the firmware for it to work wiith PC. They sold 2 SKUs for iPods--one was strictly PC and the other was strictly Mac. You could flash between the two, thouguh. So, it's not so strange that the younger Zune has a less robust feature set/compatibility. It sounds like things will change pretty substantially with the new firmware update, though. But to be honest, I don't see MS making zunes Mac compatible. Apple still has a pretty small portion of the overall home computer market, whereas Apple HAD to make their MP3 player compatible with PC's to reach a mass audience.

You've got to give it to MS, though. It's a masterstroke allowing Zune 1 gen owners to upgrade to the gen 2 firmware. That's pure genius. Apple wants to make these high-cost media players 'consumable' with a 2-year life span, and that's just not how often regular schmos upgrade their mp3 player. This will aid in customer retention if they keep this policy up and keep adding new features and improved functionality. I really want to be able to d/l something on my 360 and watch it on my Zune.

As a related aside, Mac fans strike me as similar to Nintendo's hardcore fans. They have an emotional bond with the company that transcends logic.
 
Today's www.woot.com is refurbished zunes for $99 again. This time choose white, black, or brown.

I am more convinced now than ever that this is just a ploy by Microsoft to saturate the market. I am really skeptical that these are refurbs for that reason.
 
Buy.com has new ones for $105 shipped (theres a 5% coupon floating around somewhere as well).

I'm reading the details of my PRP at Best Buy. It doesnt say anything about being able to get a gift card for the value that I paid. Anyone know if i just have to request it at the CS desk? I'd rather just let the battery drain and say its broken, get the value that I paid to put towards the 80 gig.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']Today's www.woot.com is refurbished zunes for $99 again. This time choose white, black, or brown.

I am more convinced now than ever that this is just a ploy by Microsoft to saturate the market. I am really skeptical that these are refurbs for that reason.[/quote]

They're real refurbs. In other forums people are reporting that some are arriving with defects (DOA, dead headphone jack, etc.)and scratches.
 
For the record, I got a refurb model Zune from Woot a few days ago (separate deal) and it showed up prsitine, no defects and runs great. I love it and I'm looking forward to the firmware update that introduces WiFi syncing and podcast support.

What's the best program to transcode videos to play on this thing? Any thoughts?
 
I snagged the buy.com zune with google checkout which brought the final price to $89.99 and free shipping. I've been waiting for several months to pick one up. Can't beat this price for a new one.
 
I don't think this has been posted, so, the first gen Zunes are all $170 on Amazon now, as compared to the white one being the only $170 one.
Links:
Black: http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Black/dp/B000EPLP3C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-1
White: http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-White/dp/B000FMZE7W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Red: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OK0YWK/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Pink: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OK0CIQ/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Brown ($139.99 when ordered from Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0QDCC/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2

Now I am tempted to get the Red Zune as opposed to waiting for the 80 GB one, because before $50 for 50 more GB wasn't bad, but now... I am not so sure.
 
Just picked up the Altec Lansing speaker/dock for this thing and LOVE it. Sound quality is better than I expected and I like that it charges while it plays. Can't wait for the new firmware!
 
Heads-up for those interested in a White Zune...Costco online has it on sale right now for $150 new. I was able to price match this to Sears (YMMV) and got it with a $29 case (PM'd to Compusa for $9) for $166 OTD.

This is the lowest price you can get one (BNIB, not refurb) from any B&M right now...needless to say, I was very happy. :)
 
How much life should I be able to get out of a single charge for my 30 GB zune? I've read 14 hours of song time, but I'm estimating 5. And the thing loses charge when it's turned off almost as fast as a PSP in standby mode. Am I not turning it off right? Manual say to hold Play/Pause for 3 seconds to turn it off, and that's what I'm doing.

MjC
 
[quote name='MCalvert1']How much life should I be able to get out of a single charge for my 30 GB zune? I've read 14 hours of song time, but I'm estimating 5. And the thing loses charge when it's turned off almost as fast as a PSP in standby mode. Am I not turning it off right? Manual say to hold Play/Pause for 3 seconds to turn it off, and that's what I'm doing.

MjC[/quote]

Turn off the Wireless standby functon and The battery last longer. I have a 6 hour class, and im listening to it all morning, all during calss, all afternoon and lasts a couple more hours into the evening till going black.

Usage of the Video function usually depletes the battery, giving you only 4 hours of life for Video.

However, if you wait for the new zunes, the zune80 has 30 hrs of battery life, so that should make you happy.
 
[quote name='joe2187']Turn off the Wireless standby functon and The battery last longer. I have a 6 hour class, and im listening to it all morning, all during calss, all afternoon and lasts a couple more hours into the evening till going black.

Usage of the Video function usually depletes the battery, giving you only 4 hours of life for Video.

However, if you wait for the new zunes, the zune80 has 30 hrs of battery life, so that should make you happy.[/QUOTE]

Wireless is off, I don't use any videos. I don't really mind the battery life I'm getting, I just want to be sure I'm not leaving the thing on unintentionally and shortening the overall life of the battery.

I use it about 1-1.5 hours a day and I last charged it on sunday. So I'm probably more like in the 4 hour range for listening time.

MjC
 
[quote name='MCalvert1']How much life should I be able to get out of a single charge for my 30 GB zune? I've read 14 hours of song time, but I'm estimating 5. And the thing loses charge when it's turned off almost as fast as a PSP in standby mode. Am I not turning it off right? Manual say to hold Play/Pause for 3 seconds to turn it off, and that's what I'm doing.

MjC[/QUOTE]

Holding play/pause actually doesn't turn the Zune off, it just puts it into a sleep mode. To actually turn it off you have to hold the back button and down on the circle/d-pad/whatever you call it. Is your firmware up to date? I think one of the FW updates was supposed to help reduce the drain on the battery while it was in its standby mode.
 
[quote name='mrcheapo11']I don't think this has been posted, so, the first gen Zunes are all $170 on Amazon now, as compared to the white one being the only $170 one.
Links:
Black: http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Black/dp/B000EPLP3C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-1
White: http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-White/dp/B000FMZE7W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Red: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OK0YWK/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Pink: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OK0CIQ/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2
Brown ($139.99 when ordered from Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0QDCC/sr=8-2/qid=1192999820/ref=noref/103-0885635-0950259?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1192999820&sr=8-2

Now I am tempted to get the Red Zune as opposed to waiting for the 80 GB one, because before $50 for 50 more GB wasn't bad, but now... I am not so sure.[/quote]

As of right now, all prices on Amazon are $149.99 for the 30 GB, except for the Brown, which is $129.99... must get... now!
 
I was charging my Halo 3 Zune (I'm such a nerd...) about a week ago, and when I unplugged it from the charger, I looked at my screen, and it was shattered. I called the customer service and they insisted that I had dropped it. Any advice on what I should do?
 
[quote name='MasterSprtn117']I was charging my Halo 3 Zune (I'm such a nerd...) about a week ago, and when I unplugged it from the charger, I looked at my screen, and it was shattered. I called the customer service and they insisted that I had dropped it. Any advice on what I should do?[/quote]

Well I don't see how else it would have been broken without someone dropping it. I think you are assed out on this, unless they offer to repair units for a fee.
 
Ugh, that sucks. There are a couple other people this has happened to on the internet. Supposedly if your battery is bad (I had horrible battery time while listening to music sometimes), it would expand and cause the screen to crack.
 
[quote name='MasterSprtn117']Ugh, that sucks. There are a couple other people this has happened to on the internet. Supposedly if your battery is bad (I had horrible battery time while listening to music sometimes), it would expand and cause the screen to crack.[/quote]

Never happened with me. Just talk with the service center and keep insisting that they honor the warranty. The Random Cracked Screen is a common problem, Talk to a Manager when you call and you can usually get some help, send you a new one (Or a refurb) but either way they gotta honor the warranty...Unless it actually was your fault, therefore VOID!
 
I heard speculation that random battery problems caused some screens to break. Like the battery expanded or something--inside the zune--and caused the screen to crack from behind. It sounds like this might have happened to you. Was the Zune hot maybe?

You need a CSI guy to tell you if the screen was broken from inside or outside the Zune!
 
Yes, the Zune was quite hot when it happened. Hm, I'll go call the service center again tomorrow. Hopefully it's still in warranty...which it probably should be.
 
Interesting...

Amazon has the brown zune (brown only) brand new for $89.99. With the new firmware coming out, that's a heck of a deal.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0QDCC/ref=nosim/cheapassgam08-20_rd_i=B000IXQPJO

Again, this is not a refurb.

As an aside--I saw the new firmware in action last night in Seattle at a Zune preview event and it was pretty awesome. The new UI is much improved. It's my understanding that not only can you sync wirelessly (great for podcasts), you can stream your music wirelessly over your home theater using your 360. I don't know all the details, but if that works, it would be awesome. I'm interested in how they're going to build in WEP through the PC interface.

They were closed-lipped about any Zune Marketplace/360 Marketplace convergance. :(
 
[quote name='Buster Rod G']Holding play/pause actually doesn't turn the Zune off, it just puts it into a sleep mode. To actually turn it off you have to hold the back button and down on the circle/d-pad/whatever you call it. Is your firmware up to date? I think one of the FW updates was supposed to help reduce the drain on the battery while it was in its standby mode.[/QUOTE]


That's it. That's the info I was looking for. It seems really awkward, but it works. If I'm playing a song, it drops the volume all the way, and from the main menu, I'm still scrolling through the options. Why not just hold "
 
[quote name='Cursor']Interesting...

Amazon has the brown zune (brown only) brand new for $89.99. With the new firmware coming out, that's a heck of a deal.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H0QDCC/ref=nosim/cheapassgam08-20_rd_i=B000IXQPJO

Again, this is not a refurb.

As an aside--I saw the new firmware in action last night in Seattle at a Zune preview event and it was pretty awesome. The new UI is much improved. It's my understanding that not only can you sync wirelessly (great for podcasts), you can stream your music wirelessly over your home theater using your 360. I don't know all the details, but if that works, it would be awesome. I'm interested in how they're going to build in WEP through the PC interface.

They were closed-lipped about any Zune Marketplace/360 Marketplace convergance. :([/QUOTE]

Sold out already. "Ships from and sold by BlueProton" @ $129.99

I have another on order from Buy.com for $99 for a Christmas gift, but I'd gladly switch to Amazon. Especially if it ships right away instead of waiting until mid-late November.

MjC
 
[quote name='RawisJericho']Can you put music that is downloaded off p2p on the Zune or does it have to be downloaded from the marketplace?[/QUOTE]

It will take AAC, WMA, or MP3's from anywhere.
 
I went ahead and ordered me a brown one today. $140 shipped is a steal for a 30 GB MP3 player considering a 4GB iPod nano is like what $150. Anyway I got a quick question, in my music collection I got wma files and mp3 files. Surprisingly my older mp3 player (piece of garbage 2gb phillips one) will not accept the wma files for some reason (they are cd rips and they were working like a year before), but windows media player will play them perfectly. Will Zune accept them since WMP does accept them fine, or should I go about to convert them to mp3 so they will work so I have my music before I get my Zune.

Thanks
 
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