Workaround found for three-play rule on Zune
Finding yourself unhealthily frustrated by that annoying "three-play rule" still included in the latest firmware update for the Zune? Fret not, as a solution easier than easy has been discovered. Apparently, users can simply accept a shared track, go into Windows and switch the genre to "Podcast," and play the tune over as many times as they'd like. Granted, any files which this trick is used for will show up in the Podcast section, but hey, you can't get everything, right?
[Thanks, Michael, image courtesy of Zune]
[Thanks, Michael, image courtesy of Zune]
























I really can't everything.
I can't everything, too. I tried hard. Engadget, can you everything?
sounds good to me. (^_^)
I just use Tunebite. Still, this is easier. Sucks the record labels forced the whole 3-play thing but the wifi in general is a nice feature on my Zune.
This is a much better work around than having to rename it to be a jpg.
I dont think Ill really use this. When I receive a song, I use it to listen. If I like it I will go home and download it.
Illegally, I trust.
Removing the DRM is just as illegal, but In fact, I try to buy my music when possible. (although, I do hate giving my money to the RIAA)
you all are hilarious, either you're blind or just have horrible memories. engadget makes grammatical errors all the time. do you feel original when you FINALLY notice it after reading hundreds of posts. or maybe you feel original after posting the same exact thing that one, two, three or even four people have before you. i know doing things that other people do makes me feel original and funny.
also - yes, the analog loophole is by far the best weapon and self-reliant method to circumvent DRM.
good day, sirs and ladies.
Yay!
The Zune is the BEST!!
Hey Apple loyalist here, ipod user. Can't Zune users do what we have done with itunes DRMed files and use some sort of method or program to strip the file of the drm and just use it how they please.
You've gotta admit it's kind of amusing that changing the genre to something named after your competitor's product is the workaround for a stupid Zune limitation.
Although, maybe it's inappropriate for an iPod user to call it a Zune "limitation" when we poor iPod users can't "squirt" at all, with or without a 3-play limitation.
hahaha the Podcast ain't named after the iPod!!! I can't believe you're such an idiot!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_podcasting
boolean22, YOU are the idiot
looking at another more relevant article on the same website that you mentioned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
"The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the words "iPod" and "broadcast""
Man, it's poetic justice when a gomer who feels the need to insult others for no real reason, ends up insulting themselves.
For the record, no, I didn't look it up, I just always assumed that's where Podcasting came from. So boolean22 could have been right. Could have.
I can has everything.
more Anti-Zune Propaganda
Cool workaround, anyone can do this, which makes it all the better. Sadly it'll only last until the next update, but I'm surprised there aren't more workarounds such as a firmware mod.
No matter how many updates Microsoft issue, There's always someone out there sniffing to find a way to break it or find a workaround.It must be very frustrating to know this in advance, Unless you planned it to happen.
Actually I think they got it wrong. You tag the song "podcast" BEFORE you send it to the other person.
you cant send a podcast zune to zune.
yeah you can. audio, not video.
I didn't know there were more than three Zune's in the public domain?! LOL
Wow, I haven't heard that one before.
Wow, someone told this exact same joke every other time Engadget posts about the Zune. You should sue alll of those previous posters for pre-emptively making you look lke a massive tool.
Sean, you're the TOOL, w**ker! It's called DEMOCRACY but undoubtedly if you're American you will not understand the meaning of this word as anyone who dares to disagree with you is a "tool". You prick!
Thank you for enlightening me, us, the world.
http://www.voyages-marrakech.com
Its unbelievably pathetic those iPod fanboys defend iPods' shorcomings.
small screen? we have same resolution! BS, same resolution, why people buy bigger TV rather than enjoy tiny bitty 18" TV?
FM radio? its not necessary! who the hell are you to say if something is necessary? you buy an iPod to get away from radio? BS, how about don't listen to it? which has nothing to do with that stupid iRetard.
stop those bs. iPod is inferior to ZUNE. 95% of the people use it means exactly what 95% of people represent. Stupidity.
1) What is a 'Zune?'
2) Why does every mention of "Zune" on Engadget become a vitriol- and spittle-fest for the "iPod?"
Very puzzling, overall........
oh yeah but if you get an ipod you are locked to itunes... you can buy locked music... you can transfer the music only to the ipod itself and not back onto the computer... you can get it overpriced... you can freeze up your computer every time you connect it... you dont have to transfer music wirelessly at all because it doesnt have the feature to hassle with in the first place... oh and you dont have to shop around or be original... you can go to walmart buy it and your set for life... i
If memory servers, the Zune was available at Walmart before the iPod was. Can you blame the #1 retailer in the world wanting to sell all available, in-demand items? I am referring to both the iPod and Zune here.
I would like to know if there are any reliable statistics of Zune/iPod sales this holiday season, would be very interesting to see. Working in the tech industry, even as an Apple tech in a Windows dominated industry, most of my peers have iPods. Only one Zune'r that I can think of.
im one of the few obscure mp3 owners, who dont refer to everything being an ipod. i refuse to give buy an apple ipod, when they charge to have an fm radio in the system. when every other manufacture has one in their. that goes to show how they like to nickle and dime you. shit look at the wii, and what "Accessories" they have for that crap, i know the chinese must be rolling on 20's with all the plastic crap they have been churning out, well the crap thats not trying to poison kids...
Zune might be good...but I need more space...!
80 Gigas is not enough and I don't want that bulky Archos...so iPod classic 160 GB is my choice...
"I don't care if you have a watch on each wrist, you can NEVER have enough time telling apparatuses around you."
If you're in any remotely respectable business, walking around like a door to door salesman with a coat full of electronics isn't going to do you much good. So yes, people can have enough, maybe you can not get away from carrying your nano, touch, classic, 5th gen and shuffle on you at all times with 2 stop watches and an arm of wrist watches, but that's not the norm for the general masses.
"It's like saying you have too much money or gas in your car."
Actually it isn't, people dress or equip themselves with the tools they need for the day, they don't wear tinfoil hats and carry 3 backpacks worth of survival gear.
As for your ZunePR comment I guess I get more chuckles out of the fanboys, just because I have a device it doesn't mean I'm worshipping the thing. I also have creative players, I've had a nano and a few promotional garbage players thrown my way. Does that mean I'm a fanboy for those companies as well? No it doesn't, all it means is you're throwing out assumptions to go "look look a fanboy don't trust him he's evil" maybe if you had your cup of stfu in the morning we'd avoid this.
As for the the other one.
"EQ I sure as hell use it,"
I don't expect much from portable players, I do well enough with the lame options and pre-set eq's on most players because I'm not expecting audiophile quality out of a handheld device.
"the on-the-go playlists...... the smart playlists....... the star ratings......."
I have playlists, I don't use them really, not on my system and not on my player because I don't feel the need to drum up a series of tracks I might not be in the mood for.
"come on how the hell can you manage your music library without these????"
Album and artist listings do well enough, dragging and dropping my folders into place also works as well to organize things. Something that most of my friends wish that apple would allow for them.
"And what about the battery life cnet rates the ipod classic 80gb 45 hours which is 15 MORE then apple claimed and the zune has what 20?"
No idea, I don't milk my players to the bottom in hopes that I can find out the peak battery life, instead I just use them charge them at my next destination and move on. I prefer to know I have full power instead of budgeting my playtime.
"And another thing you left out is the iTunes factor show me a better music organizer......."
A better organizer would be them allowing you to sort it via pre-existing folders on your hard-drive. Until anyone does that in a commercial unit all of them can be rated as god-awful. If I have my entire library catagorized with music collected from over a decade I want it to stay that way on my player, something that only the lower end players let me get away with.
You can share whole albums too. NOT great for all your stuff but if you have a local band and want to spread the latest "release" tracks you can bundle them up with mp3 wrapper. it becomes a solid and playble MP3 file BUT all the individul files and there details are RETAINED inside this wrapped formatting. the user can transfer this podcast listen to it share it (as the band intended) and when they get home they can "unwrap it" restoring all the original files and original ID3 information and reupload to the zune music side.
ALSO make your audiobooks podcasts. Doing this gives you the MANDATORY "auto bookmark" and "resume" feature in podcasts side :-) awesome.
I just wish I could share VIDEO. I have lots of little videos that I want to be able to share (as mentioned with family I bought 4 zunes and hope to fine 2 more for all the family)
I LOVE the zune hardware and the zune GUI. I even made "zune skin" for my zodiac (pocket tunes)
I HATE the software. I hate the software so much I kid you not I came close to RETURNING the zunes just to not have to install .net framework and windows update (FORCED mandatory updates) Grrrrr
THE ONLY reason I did not toss one of them threw a wall is I REALLY do love the hardware (I like the zune 30's style much better than the new zune 80's) and I am hopeful that they will be hacked so I will not have to use the zune software forever. Its really annoying in extreme.
Get rid of the "share" limits
Let me share EVERYTHING video etc..
ADD USB Mass Storage (for content upload as well)
Allow FOLDER browsing instead of "album artists etc.."
Add Album Art support for podcasts etc..
Do that and I will be in heaven and a live long supporter Microsoft.
ALSO add STANDARD mp4 support at the minimum like the ipod has (DIVX would be nice!!). AS it stands video on the zune is less than worthless sine it does not support any video formats except its own special custom format. Worthless.
you make it you !????????
should be
your hacks makes it yours !
Sounds almost as bad as: "Ovi: Comes With Music."
My Sony Ericsson cellphone does most of that....
... and it has a camera..
The Zune has had an equalizer since launch, I believe. And yes, once you resubscribe to the marketplace all your old songs come back (They are never deleted, just unplayable). That only affects tracks downloaded through the marketplace. Tracks bought from the Marketplace are bought good as good, with full sync/burn/copy/whathaveyou rights.
It's just amazing how a simple article about a work-around for the 3 play rule turns into a battle between ipod and zune owners. The whole feud to me is becoming so cliche. The only comments that should even be here are ones that actually have something to do with the article and I'm pretty sure (considering I read it) that this article has nothing to do with if the zune has a clock or if the ipod can share songs!!
To be honest both mp3 players do what they're supposed to do play music, videos, and pictures. Anything else that it does is extra and you're lucky it does that!!