Zune Marketplace to get MTV, VH1, and CMT content?

A tenacious Zune user has recently stumbled across some potentially eyebrow-raising information while dipping into the device's desktop software files. It seems that embedded in an innocent looking ZuneMarketPlace.dll file is some internal code that suggests a new content partnership with MTV, VH1, and CMT for the Zune Marketplace. We know that Zune software has its roots in Windows Media Player, and Microsoft and MTV are pretty tight with their Urge integration in WMP11 -- but that doesn't necessarily mean this is holdover code. The found strings are very specific about mentioning "VH1 on Zune" and the like, so that's clearly cause for speculation. Too bad they didn't find anything about Lionsgate or some other movie studios though, this thing is way overdue for some video content.

[Ismael @ Jun 18th 2007 4:47PM]

Cool

[emo_boy @ Jun 18th 2007 4:55PM]

Pretty sure VH1 and CMT are both a part of Urge (in addition to MTV). This probably means nothing.

[pencap23 @ Jun 18th 2007 4:55PM]

In all honesty, I think it is pathetic that Microsoft has yet to offer any video content for the Zune. Not everyone wants to take the time to *buy* or download a DVD to Zune converter and do it all themselves.

Even with VH1 or Mtv content, that is still pathetic. I'm sorry, but the last thing I want to watch on my Zune is Next, or My Sweet Sixteen. I love the 80's is good though...but still, thats all VH1 has going for it in mind opinion.

[umdsasha @ Jun 18th 2007 4:57PM]

Slow news days, Engadget?

[mikey @ Jun 18th 2007 5:14PM]

slow work day, umdsasha?

[Tony @ Jun 18th 2007 5:23PM]

yay. This is sure to make all 10 Zune users worldwide happy.

[michael @ Jun 18th 2007 5:45PM]

There's a million of us, dude.

And since Zunes are somewhat more durable than iPods, those million are probaly the real thing.

[Brian @ Jun 18th 2007 6:08PM]

I wonder how many of those million are Microsoft employees

[Woody56292 @ Jun 18th 2007 6:15PM]

what's an ipod?

lol j/k.

Seriously though, zune is a great device, and alot of us bought 1. You should really look into the device and see what is has to offer, I know alot of my friends are switching from their ipod videos this christmas.

[Zeus the God @ Jun 18th 2007 9:55PM]

Yeah, thats the thing, Woody, us 1 million have 1 Zune. Not 10 like every iPod user, so really, if you were to compare the two as far as actual owners are concerned. I'm sure they wouldn't be too far off. :P

[knox07 @ Jun 20th 2007 3:23PM]

i bought a zune... just sold it on ebay to some unlucky costumer... back to my ipod. im so happy with it. zunes are for queers

[Jaxim @ Jun 18th 2007 5:34PM]

It would be nice if Microsoft products are more integrated. Why can't I download a recorded TV program to my Zune which was recorded by Media Center? Why use a separate Zune software when Windows Media Player should be the software used to sync your Zune to your media?

[Mac Dub @ Jun 18th 2007 6:16PM]

I agree Jaxim. Why, when Microsoft has such a massive network of devices, wouldn't they do everything they can to link them all together? As an Apple fan I was dreading the Zune blasting onto the scene and wiping out the competition with their "Uber Integration". Well? Where is it? Sansa's doing a better job at eating away that market share than the Zune could even dream of right now.

M$ better get a move on, or it might me too little too late.

[John @ Jun 18th 2007 6:23PM]

What? There are Zune users? And Tenacious Zune Users?

[sean @ Jun 18th 2007 6:33PM]

What?
There are people who think they're the height of wit by making disparaging comments about the Zune?

[Constable Odo @ Jun 18th 2007 7:51PM]

Someone said there are a million Zune users. I definitely heard that Microsoft SOLD a million Zunes. But I also heard a rumor that Bill Gates personally BOUGHT 999,900 Zunes for himself to boost sales figures and then buried them on his property. This rumor has yet to be proven.

Still, have any of you honestly ever seen a person using a Zune. A million distributed throughout the entire US would be like a dozen people owning one in every large city.

I heard there was a company that was going to produce fake iPod skins for Zune users but they decided they could make a couple of million bucks in one week selling "I love my iPhone" stickers for $5 apiece.

A Zune, some country music, a pair of sod-kickers and a ten-gallon hat is my type of life-style. Ya-hoo.

[Byrongman @ Jun 18th 2007 7:23PM]

I'm sure this is a bombshell to all the Apple fanboys out there.

Microsoft might, just might, be planning to improve the Zune. That would shocking, especially considering that they said they were going to dominate the market out of the starting gate.

Oh wait, they said they had a modest launch goal and were adapting a long term strategy.

[MrWhite @ Jun 18th 2007 7:25PM]

I still say, the only people who bought a Zune are the poeple who hate Apple with a passion and don't buy their products. Probably the same reason I buy Macs and own an iPod. :p

[Robert @ Jun 18th 2007 9:19PM]

Ok, So Back when the Zune Came out (november) i got one. (i was a Microsoft FAN-BOY TO THE XTREME)then over time it grew on me how much it sucked and copied the iPod, then i saw that it was larger in size than the 80gb iPod. And then vista came out so i got that the FIRST DAY (ULTIMATE limited edtion #967) now after using it for a long time i HATE IT sooo much That i threw my zune away (ebay, im not insane) and got the 80gb iPod video, and now im what most ppl call An Apple Fanboy. On Monday (today) i got my MacBook PRO (2.4ghz, 4gbRAM, 200GB HDD) its sooooo much better than my PC, it has not crashed once. I now Am Getting the iPhone! so dont worry about the "die Hard Microsoft Fanboys" they will soon become apple fanboys like me...

Zune battery sucks my 80bg ipod lasts longer. about 19hrs on my MP3's
Zune Screen is not as Bright as my 80gb iPod

Zune Does not scratch ipod does (with the hard case for my ipod its still smaller than the zune)
Zune has a larger screen

[Zeus the God @ Jun 18th 2007 10:07PM]

Yeah, but Robert, the Zune doesn't suck, and just like XP when it came out, Vista will have some "growing pains".

The Zune is better than it's EQUIVALENT iPod. The 30 gigger. The 80GB is a lot more expensive, and besides, what you said about the 80GB iPod being smaller than a Zune WITH a hard case is total bullshit, because the Zune isn't much bigger at all. The hard case would, in fact, make it larger than the Zune. So you are either lying, or don't know what you are talking about.

[Robert @ Jun 19th 2007 6:36PM]

give me your email and i will send you the photo side by side u fool!!!

[lt.milo @ Jun 19th 2007 3:39PM]

It is strange that you would say that, considering I am syncing my zune via parallels to my imac as we speak.

[msjgriffiths @ Jun 18th 2007 7:27PM]

Er, no.

URGE is done by Viacom - who owns MTV, VH1, and CMT - and is - as far as I can tell - identical in every way to the Zune Marketplace, down to song selection and interface. The Zune Marketplace simply has a different CSS stylesheet (seriously) and a different Editorial staff (different featured content).

This is no doubt just a relic.

How did it get there?

Global Search & Replace.

In order to avoid screwing up and referring to "URGE" when they mean "Zune," Microsoft programmers - who, after all, created URGE - would do a Search & Replace across all Project files.

Honestly, this is pretty specious to be posting.

[truthillusive @ Jun 19th 2007 10:06AM]

Actually, um, no. Microsoft did not develop URGE. That was completely developed in-house by MTV Software guys. Microsoft provided the API and plug-ins for WMP. And, yes, the striking similarities of Zune to URGE should give you a clue as to Zune's true underbelly.

[Dave @ Jun 18th 2007 8:09PM]

Oh, that will help it not suck LOL

[Zeus the God @ Jun 18th 2007 10:02PM]

LOL, dude! YOU ARE SO HILARIOUS.

Jesus, when the Hell will you guys learn that people have an opinion. The Zune is better (technically) to its equivalent iPod. So, uh... The size is the only problem... Wait, not its not, because unless your pockets are the size of a deck of cards that have been cut in half, you shouldn't have any problems. Besides, nowadays (unless you are emo) you have baggy ass clothes (or normal sized clothing), so it doesn't matter.

Just get a grip. Zune has the 30Gb iPod beat. Easy. Remember the size of the first few generations of iPod? Same size as a Zune, but with less features (thats to be expected). Once Microsoft rolls out the next set of Zunes, then those will probably be the same size or smaller than the iPod video. I just want to hear the complaining you guys make when you realize the new iPod video will be larger than this iPod video.

[Dave @ Jun 19th 2007 2:38AM]

I really hope you copied and pasted that.

[knox07 @ Jun 20th 2007 3:31PM]

i think zues the god should probably be shot...no seriously

[nastynards @ Jun 18th 2007 11:12PM]

i own a zune and a 80gb ipod with clear hardcase and its still thinner then the zune

scrolling on the zune is a hassle
and
radio reception is s*it

[Das @ Jun 18th 2007 11:23PM]

I'll tell ya, I find radio reception pretty bad on most iPods too.

[Zeus the God @ Jun 19th 2007 12:15AM]

Ummm... Blind iPod fanboy? Yeah, that describes you perfectly. No way in Hell is an 80GB iPod with a hard case thinner than a Zune, not unless its cellophane.

Scrolling on the Zune is ten times easier than on an iPod, because unlike the iPod, you just hold a button. Not twirl your thumb around it like a retard.

Radio reception is shit? Its now obvious you have never held, used, or even seen a Zune in real life. Radio reception is fantastic. I use it fairly often as I don't have much new music right now. It is better than most of the after market radio receivers for iPods, actually.

Get a grip dude, you don't even know what the fuck you are talking about.

[Robert @ Jun 19th 2007 7:30PM]

radio is CRAP, in MIAMI Fl, dude if your radio works its cuz ur close to the station. i live 4 miles from one stations tower and i get that one but the station that is 24 miles away i dont get at all....

[nastynards @ Jun 19th 2007 8:05PM]

dude fuckin
i live in cali
about 1.5 hours from SF
there is a bomb station called KFOG
u cant get that shit in a car in Santa Rosa
where i live
but with my radio remote for ipod
i get it clear as day

zune:
i cant get the fuckin station thats 2 miles up the road

[Jeff @ Jun 19th 2007 12:36PM]

What I don't understand is why all of the other MP3 players out there which have sold less well than the Zune aren't constantly bashed at least as often as the Zune, if not more so.

[wetworker @ Jun 19th 2007 1:08PM]

wow such hate for the zune.
The zune rocks, all the way from Toronto Canada, I had to buy mine online, it’s not available in Canada as yet, I’ve never had any problems with software or hardware and the new firmsware updates have been getting better and better.
The people who are bashing the zune just have issues with MS , as for the size, I love the size, shit it has a bigger screen duh!
Navigation is better that the ipod, I had one.
Battery life is sweet.
Can’t wait for zune2… check out zuneboards.com for hacks and other zune goodies.

[ace @ Jun 19th 2007 1:09PM]

I agree about the videos being long overdue. Zune is an excellent platform and would love to see it evolved into something better that near-sighted Steve Jobs never thought to take his iPood....

[Anthony Medica IV @ Jun 19th 2007 2:56PM]

The "OMG THARS ONLY 1 ZUNE USAR!" jokes are getting stale. I've seen 17 Zune users in the past week. It probably doesn't hurt that I live in Washington, but I can definitely say that a lot of people I know are buying one after there ipod breaks down or gets old.

I can understand the legit complaints about wifi sharing, and the lack of Windows Media Center integration. I can't understand for the life of me, the sheer vitriol towards an inanimate device. It's an mp3 player. It does exactly what it says. It looks nice, and it's got a big screen for video. End of story. Microsoft isn't an evil empire, and you all aren't crusaders for some great rebellion. Apple is another large corporation just like Microsoft, and they've crushed plenty of small businesses in order to protect their trademarks and intellectual property.

[The_Red_Monkey @ Jun 19th 2007 4:48PM]

I owned an iPod and now use a Zune while the iPod rots under the seat of my truck. The Zune interface is superior to the iPod but the iTunes store kills the Marketplace. iPod created the market and the Zune innovated it. I love my Zune, even if it is the size of a brick. My iPod crashed and locked up all the time and I have never had that issue with my Zune. The large screen is vibrant and brighter than an iPod, I just did a side by side with a coworker. The iPod is on its 5.5th generation and the Zune is 1.0. Think what 2.0 will look like.

I think Apple should take note and update their interface from that totally 1990's display.

I agree the Zune has its faults; size, marketplace content. But what did Apple have when it started?

[nastynards @ Jun 19th 2007 8:03PM]

imagine it if it were the other way around
zune took the ipod and looked at it so they knew
they had the best mp3 and made theres

this whole thing would be people bashin the ipod and some people protecting the ipod if zune came out first and u know it

just like every thing else
playstation is on their third
xbox on their second

xbox has ps3 beat in everything
the original had ps2 beat especially since ps2 was the best so xbox made theres do everything the ps2 did and more

so just face it
if it werent for ipod
zune would be nowhere

[nastynards @ Jun 19th 2007 7:54PM]

because
the zune was supposed to be an iPod killer
durring x-mas
zune held a whopping 6% of sales
sansa 10%
ipod 48%
creative 4%
the remaining was like sony and other shit

some iPod killer
when MS "we expect over one million sold in release month"
after xmas there was about 400,000 sold

gates was said to have bought the remaining 600,000 and put them at his property
3 months after release

i love my zune
but
its not the best

[knox07 @ Jun 20th 2007 3:38PM]

....good one. to bad you are probably just a skinny little bitch that gets made fun of at school because you look funny...oh well