Zune 4 / 8 won't include video out functionality

While we recently heard that the new Zunes would boast DVD quality video outputs, that will apparently not include the Zune 4 and Zune 8. Zune Insider now has it that only the flagship Zune 80 will boast outputs of 720x480 at 30fps or 720x576 at 25fps without transcoding, and the two flash-based siblings will be going sans TV out altogether. Tough break, but at least you've got one more tidbit to base your purchasing decision on, eh?

[Via Zune Online]

[nate @ Oct 8th 2007 8:50PM]

a shame, but you couldn't fit many dvd quality movies on a 4/8gb player anyways

[James Ollier @ Oct 8th 2007 9:17PM]

What?! You could fit 10 movies on an 8 Gig or every episode of Family Guy on the 4 Gig!!

[mark @ Oct 8th 2007 9:33PM]

@ James

That is nate's point, why would you want to fil your entire flash drive with 1 season of a tv show? We all love Family Guy so why not buy the 80 gig and put all seasons on it.

[Cleverboy @ Oct 8th 2007 10:06PM]

@mark
Actually, James' point isn't that you WOULD, but a demonstration of what you COULD. Rather than putting a whole season, a few TV episodes would do, if you're on the road and need some portable entertainment for the kids. When I was helping my sister take my neice to a hospital in Cincinatti, we watched video episodes of Lost off my iPod in the hotel. Regardless of the amount of shows, useful is useful.

[Odd TSi @ Oct 8th 2007 10:45PM]

James: What video codec are you using that gives DVD-quality movies under 800MB? I ask that sarcastically because I know one doesn't exist. A TRUE DVD-quality movie will require 1.5-2GB (depending on the length, obviously)

[Thomas E. Miller @ Oct 9th 2007 8:13AM]

How about video in?

http://www.createthefuturecontest.com/pages/view/entriesdetail.html?entryID=365

[Sean @ Oct 8th 2007 8:52PM]

Now all those apple haters cant stop hating apple for crippling devices when Microsoft turns around and does the same thing.

[Reid Conti @ Oct 8th 2007 10:05PM]

I'm no Microsoft fan, but I'm not sure it's fair to call the Zune nano "crippled." Perhaps it uses completely different decoder hardware and including 720p video out would result in a price/battery life penalty, hmm?

[Jeremy W @ Oct 8th 2007 11:29PM]

720x576 is nowhere near 720p resolution, which is 1280x720.

[Neal @ Oct 9th 2007 10:16AM]

Reality check - DVD is not 720p, it's 520p, which is higher than analog TV resolution, but not HD.

[bob e @ Oct 8th 2007 9:01PM]

I love the Zune but could you please get rid of those blue at&t ads with that homely chick.

Honestly she depresses me. Tell at&t we want hot chicks...

The Zune 80 vs iPod classic.... Zune Rulz!!!

[GoreTEX @ Oct 8th 2007 9:03PM]

Dude, you need FireFox with AdBlock and NoScript (and Flash block if you want)... i havent seen an ad in years.

[michael @ Oct 8th 2007 11:32PM]

I agree, along the lines of GoreTEX.

You can also get the "IE7 Pro" add-on, which includes an option to block ads with AdBlock. Of course IE7 practically has everything you'll ever need for IE7.

And if you use Opera, you could probably find something for that, if it's not included already.

Just keeping other people's options open.

[bob e @ Oct 9th 2007 7:42AM]

@michael,

Thanks for the tips on "IE7 Pro"! It works great, no more AT@T ads!

Thanks

[Gian Constantine @ Oct 9th 2007 11:15AM]

Or, you could just buy a Mac. No ad problems, no malware problems, no adware problems, no viruses, ever. I bought a new iMac for $1200 about two months ago, to replace an aged PC. I have never looked back. Microsoft has burned its bridge a hundred times over with me by publishing crap software and causing more pain than anyone should bear. (I'm exaggerating, but I still think MS sucks.)

Gian

[finnith @ Oct 8th 2007 9:03PM]

I've got $350.....and no idea what to do with it

I understand Engadget isn't the right place for this

But the choices are
Buy some more games
or replace my 2gig 1gen Nano with the Zune 80

I'm leaning towards the games (CoD4 perhaps)

[Lyanto @ Oct 8th 2007 9:25PM]

Well you can't pirate hardware so the choice should be fairly obvious =D

Though if you're replacing your nano, maybe just getting a Zune 8 would be fine and use the rest for games?

[bob @ Oct 8th 2007 9:29PM]

Suze would tell you to put it into a savings account or buy some bonds or stocks or something.

[Kieran Egan @ Oct 8th 2007 9:49PM]

It all depends on what you do more often. If you use your Ipod a lot, I would get the Zune 80, but if it doesn't get much use, go with the games.

[enzo @ Oct 9th 2007 12:51AM]

The most obvious and best choice is to give it to me.

[finnith @ Oct 9th 2007 3:49PM]

I'm thinking I'll wait until the inevitable price drop to buy a Zune 80 because

games like CoD4 are unlikely to be played unless people come over to my house and I just bought a 360 Elite so I doubt It would be smart to spend another $250 when I could wait for a sale during Christmas for another item.

Looks like the Orange Box, Halo 3 and Mass Effect (not to mention school) will keep me busy for the time being.

Maybe if I run out of space on my iPod I'll give it to someone else and buy the Zune 80.

[Mr. B @ Oct 8th 2007 9:24PM]

It certainly would have been better if Microsoft had been more detailed in their announcements with regard to specs and capabilities. This and the lack of new video codecs on the 'Zune 30' woudln't be seen as dissapointments had they been more up-front.

[Michael @ Oct 8th 2007 9:27PM]

I think they are making it up as they go.

[steve @ Oct 8th 2007 9:30PM]

The zune 30 is getting a complete software revamp, including new codecs, and we already knew that the zune 30 couldn't do 480p out.

[Sir.Byrd @ Oct 8th 2007 9:27PM]

It doesn't matter as long as it plays Doom.

[jhoeforth @ Oct 8th 2007 9:32PM]

I'd totally get Zune 80! Already excited about it.

I wonder when it'll be available in Asia.

[Kieran Egan @ Oct 8th 2007 9:52PM]

This isn't the place for surveys (especially useless ones like you made)

[Tony @ Oct 8th 2007 10:05PM]

Man, seriously...who gives a shit about this piece of garbage.

[SteveMB @ Oct 8th 2007 10:17PM]

They're not talking about the iPod...

[Arnie @ Oct 8th 2007 10:40PM]

Apparently you do or I wonder why you would even bother posting!!
As for me I am excited at the 80 and could see myself buying that.I have seen the screen on the zune and its beautiful to see the least and this ups the size and capacity so I think its worth the price they are asking. Dont really care about WiFi syncing tbh.

[holycow @ Oct 8th 2007 10:13PM]

how many people ACTUALLY use the tv out.. i have a PSP slim and an iPod.. never used TV out!
I am actually gonna go buy a Zune 8 as soon as it comes out!

[Reader @ Oct 8th 2007 10:31PM]

I don't on my Gigabeat, but that's because it only allows shit quality movies. If I could do 480p hell yes I would put a crap load of dvds on it.

So tempted to replace my 30g gigabeat with the 80gb or 8gb zune...

[Rod Munch @ Oct 8th 2007 11:57PM]

I use the tv out on my zen vision: m all the time.

[jim @ Oct 8th 2007 10:22PM]

How do people get excited about Zunes? They are soooo ugly.

[Le Master @ Oct 8th 2007 10:26PM]

If you think the iPod nano is better looking than the Zune flash then you're whacked.

[jim @ Oct 8th 2007 10:28PM]

The Zune flash is crappy looking knock-off of the last gen nano. So your whack.

[LordFarkward @ Oct 8th 2007 10:37PM]

the ideology of "i have the best taste and you suck if you don't agree with me" coming from both of you shows that you're both whacked. badly whacked.

[Le Master @ Oct 8th 2007 10:39PM]

Why? Because it has a screen and buttons to navigate? Get real.

The Zune looks great. It's slim, has a big screen, and is just aesthetically pleasing.

[jim @ Oct 8th 2007 10:41PM]

I never said that I even thought the nano looked good. That was just your presumption based on market share. if that makes me "whack" for not liking how the zune looks, the so be it.

[Tito @ Oct 8th 2007 10:51PM]

I know you are but what am I?
Yeah. I said it.

[ericdano @ Oct 8th 2007 11:22PM]

Funny, I believe all the iPods except for the shuffle can do video out to a TV or whatever.......

Zune......it's DOA

[Michael @ Oct 9th 2007 1:16AM]

partly wrong.
the new 3rd gen can only do TV out if you connect it using a $50 cable from Apple.
Talk about crippling a player...

[iRobot @ Oct 9th 2007 5:29AM]

You can use a $10 RCA cables from Target. Just switch the Yellow-Video and the Right-Audio. Newsflash, all US companies cripple their music players. If you want one UN-crippled, order one from Korea. Or Japan. Just don't get upset when it falls apart in a year. Or you realize just how annoying the software is to use.

That's the price you pay for "ease of uses".

[Marshall @ Oct 8th 2007 11:24PM]

What they really need is digital audio out for non-DRM files. A little 5.1 action, turn this into a real video jukebox, and you're holding the future in your hands. Too bad the MPAA would never let digital anything out of a device, even if it was your own content.

[Terry Thomas @ Oct 8th 2007 11:36PM]

But will it run "Flight Simulator?"

[Sean @ Oct 9th 2007 12:21AM]

With the way ACES optimizes code, good luck.

[luigi @ Oct 8th 2007 11:43PM]

I just bought an iPod Classic 80gb, I saw the Zune 80 and became pretty impressive with the big screen and now I want a Zune 80, but the fact that is from Microsoft is stopping me from doing it. You know what Im talking about?

[John @ Oct 9th 2007 12:43AM]

I would only let A) the windows only support or B) the fact that it will only be released in the US (as far as we know) stop you. I swear, half the people who complain about the Zune or the Zune's computer software also say that they would never buy one, so it's hard to imagine where they're getting such detailed accounts of the experience from.

[Michael @ Oct 9th 2007 1:29AM]

I never really understand this rationalization. What makes Microsoft bad?
They're just like any other company, trying to make a profit. Also note that the Zune division is pretty isolated from the software division of Microsoft that everyone seems to hate. It mainly consists of Xbox designers/coders

[Ian @ Oct 9th 2007 12:29AM]

If the 8 gig had included video-out, it would have been EXACTLY what I have been looking for. That's really unfortunate.