Zune survey points to video downloads
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted February 25th 2008 6:06PM
posted February 25th 2008 6:06PM
[Thanks, Ducttape38]
posted February 25th 2008 6:06PM
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15 since the first day the 30 and 80 came out! lol
maybe, instead of a zune XXL, they could be pointing at a phone. As you know, microsoft =bought danger, maker of the Sidekick. The sidekick's screen is relatively large. In conclusion, they could be making a side kick like phone that ties in with the zune and maybe xbox live.
*Ahem*
Maker of the Sidekick's firm/software.
That's obviously what I meant. I'm not stupid. (please don't counter message on the fact of my username and the previous statement.)
I'm surprised the Zune doesn't already have movie purchasing and renting... Especially now that Apple offers both.
I mean, it's common sense that it's coming.
I believe Microsoft will be number 2 to Apple in the digital media market... If for no other reason then the fact that they're going to provide an all-in-one digital content experience. You know... Music purchasing/renting & movie purchasing/renting all for their Zune and X-Box.
Sony will (someday) be number 3. Between their Walkmans, PSP, Mylo and PS3.
The markets gonna come down to Apple, Microsoft and Sony. With 3 different DRM schemes and 3 different inoperable ecosystems...
The war may not be between Blu-ray and HD-DVD for movies anymore.
Its gonna be Blu-ray versus FairPlay DRM, Zune DRM and Sony's MagicGate DRM.
Then the wars gonna be FairPlay DRM vs Zune DRM vs MagicGate/OpenMG DRM.
The format wars, just turned into the DRM wars! And although DRM left the music scene, movies are another story.
I ain't holding my breathe.
Zune Store offers DRM-free tracks that are pretty high-quality without watermarks.
And iTunes has that "Pro" option to get DRM-free.
Additionally, even though Microsoft is a bit behind Apple when it comes to releasing features, I have found that they are always just that little bit better than Apple's implementation. For example, iTunes Plus vs. MP3, MP3 is more common, more trustable down the road. Or iPod games vs. XNA for Zune. XNA for Zune wins because anyone can program it. Zune Marketplace vs. iTunes Music Store. As a music store, Zune wins because of Zune Pass and its overall interface, they just need to add video, which is obviously coming soon.
My point is, first isn't necessarily best.
I really hope they include movies on the marketplace. They need to add movies and tv shows from marketplace, and on the Xbox you should be able to sync your content to a Zune. Also, the same goes for the games. I can't wait for some movies and TV shows!
Yeah, I agree.
In fact, I think they should merge together the Xbox Live Marketplace store and the Zune Marketplace store into one.
That would be cooler.
You can see how Microsoft's media empire is evolving and DOMINATING!!!! First, get them hooked with the simple, straightfoward Plays For Sure platform for music. Then combine send that the new home media center, XBOX360 with its "Red Rings of Death" service plan. Finally, as the MS home digital experience is cooking (literally), get them to drop a couple of hundi's on that format of the future, HD-DVD!!!
That's it. Decaf for you from now on.
until you learn what "literally" means, i forbid you from using it. furthermore, three exclamation points is excessive, four is just a crime against punctuation.
Leave the troll alone, guys.
If so few people bought the Zune30, there probably would not be a Zune80 or a ZuneFlash.
And, having owned both an iPod and a Zune, I can tell you that the only thing the former has over the latter is appearance (and even that is debatable).
Oddly, it was the doubleshot plastic and weird colour combos that attracted me to the Zune - I know everyone hates it, but I really like the chocolate-mint one.
Then again, I liked the orange iMacs which I'm told everyone hated. :)
I don't know ANYONE that says the current iPod Classic looks better than the Zune 80. That is apart from raving Apple Fanboys.
Quite honestly, everybody I see keeps mistaking my Zune 80 for an iPhone, people are really ignorant.
@Jeff Lewis
no way, he's thinking different, just like everyone else.
also, because steve jobs told him so
I love people who bash the Zune that've never used it. It's obvious, considering how it's just a better device... not to mention better support from Microsoft. I think I'm going to wirelessly sync my Zune to my PC (thanks to the 2.0 update for 1.0 Zunes) and then change my wallpaper, just because I can.
Some of you seem to think that its easy to get movies and TV shows available on a new device and format. Its not. Just because MS has movies and music available on the 360 doesn't automatically mean they can be transferred easily to another device. There's a lot of contracts to make with the providers, a lot of assurances the media will remain secure (it doesn't get much more secure than a 360), and a lot of talk over the distribution of funds for the access to that media.
Apple spent quite a lot of time working out the specifics for movie and TV show downloads, and only recently they got involved in movie rentals. This isn't easy to do, and as it took Apple years to accomplish, it will also take Microsoft years to get going as well. Remember, the Zune is on its second year.
Imagine the work they would have to do to get TV shows on the subscription service. Now that would be an impressive feat!
I didnt mean to say Music available on the 360.
I wish there was this question on the survey:
"Would you like the Zune software to automatically convert songs before syncing?"
Playing lossless music on the Zune kills the battery life, as there is an extra need to read from the HD. Im just too lazy to convert my songs every time i get a new CD, and i keep my music in lossless.
I didnt mean to say Music available on the 360.
I wish there was this question on the survey:
"Would you like the Zune software to automatically convert songs before syncing?"
Playing lossless music on the Zune kills the battery life, as there is an extra need to read from the HD. Im just too lazy to convert my songs every time i get a new CD, and i keep my music in lossless.
Microsoft, listen to me. Make Zune compatible with Macs! Holy hell Billy G, not everyone who shunned Windows likes iPods.
judging from the comments from the obvious mac users in this thread: if you were microsoft, would YOU code zune software for the mac?
I would be sensible about it and do it anyway. Obviously having a Zune on Mac would sell. Maybe it wouldn't sell like crazy, but I do believe it would have a solid user-base. I know I'd buy one. The only problem is, the music I've purchased from iTunes (gift cards people, I hate DRM), I couldn't use. That's the only thing that bothers me.
solid user base? have you heard what steve jobs has been saying about the zune? these people treat him like a god. what makes you think his legion will go and buy one?
and if your friends bought you itunes gift cards, get new friends. just sayin.
Surely not everyone who owns a Mac worships the ground Stevie J walks on. I know I don't. Regardless, I want to see MS release the Zune on Mac. I believe they'll capture more market share than they think.
to quote someone earlier in this thread
"LOL... all 200 users... LOL"
It's ridiculous that they don't have a wide all touch interface. They seriously need to slap a WVGA display on it, and make it sync SEAMLESSLY via bluetooth and/or wifi over the internet even with files on the desktop/laptop.
Anyway, why carry multiple devices .. the ultimate device would be the DS Lite form factor with a wide WVGA display on the outside (so the whole device will have a total of three screens - one on the outside and two inside that are revealed when you open it). The top inside primary display (the non touch one) should be wide too (the bottom one that you write on can be kept the same size).
Such a device can function as a phone, PDA, web browser, mp3 player, GPS, and gaming device.
Of course it should be thinner than the current DS (after all tech advances right?).
I would be all for Video Downloads if they are in HD and I can view them on my computer. If they are the same quality as Itunes downloads then no thank you..
I'd actually like to praise Engadget about being more unbias in the Apple vs. Microsoft area. I actually stopped reading ExtremeT__h because every editorial sounded like an Apple fanboy rant. Giz___ is started to push me away slowly too with their contstant bashing of Microsoft. I know they probably do it to generate more comments (and clicks) but, it's childish. Thank you Engadget for being the grown-ups gadget blog!
That being said, I gave someone a ride home last night and they were trying to find a song on my Zune 80gb. Their exact words, "Wow! This is MUCH nicer than my iPod! ...and you can customize the background? Wow!"
seconded. It is very nice to see engadget moving away from its former pro-apple bias.
In relation to Gizmodo, Brian Lam really is an Apple fanboy and Microsoft hater, and he will ban you from Gizmodo if you mention it.
Downloadable videos would be cool.
really ! we didn't know !
The Zune 30 using the older 1.4 firmware and 1.3 (WMP-based) software offered one of the smoothest owner experiences around. And certainly superior to the equivalent iPod/iTunes.
The 2.x firmware/software however is an entirely different story. Buggy, slow, and lacking critical functionality.
Unfortunate for zune 4, 8, 80 owners... they are stuck with 2.x. Zune 30 owners have a choice.
Any Zune 30 owner who longs for the 1.x firmware/software can get it and the instructions to downgrade:
http://www.zunited.net/index.php?topic=744.0
Stay tuned there for how to get podcast and Media Center support for the 1.x software/firmware.
I don't know what you're talking about. The new firmware is awesome, I haven't noticed any bugs.
to Abuzar:
Glad to hear that the new 2.x firmware and software are working well for you. Some of the rest of us aren't so lucky. I use my Zune 30 as an eBook reader (the large portrait oriented screen is awesome). However the new 2.x firmware sorts photos (the method for ebooks on the Zune) by "date taken" and not "filename". That makes ebooks impossible.
There are other bugs as well... but not everyone has bumped into all of them. For those of us who do, it is nice to have the option to downgrade.
I can see how that would be a problem.
I use my Windows Mobile phone and mobipocket, it works great for ebooks.
hmm from what you said it sounds like the problem isn't with the new firmware but with not having ebooks support built in. on a side note, just about everyone I've talked to(including myself) has found the new software to be MUCH faster than the old software. perhaps your graphics card isn't powerful enough to handle it? If so you can always turn off the fancy animation stuff to make it faster.
About eBooks, you CAN sort by watched folder, its an option on the twist interface's "horizontal menu".
The whole "huh huh...all the 5 people who own Zunes" is really beyond idiotic now...it's all because imbeciles are behind a keyboard that allows them to have an e-persona who will say shit they will not say in person. Grow the f up. What do you gain from your constant iPod > Zune rambles? Does your e-penis get bigger every time you fap to the thought of your iPod? Fools.
I use iTunes and I love it. I have no interest in Zune because I have so much invested in iTunes and iPhone, iPod etc. Regardless, I can't say that I wouldn't like Zune because I haven't really checked it out. The fact is, Apple created the market pretty much single handedly and MS wants to cash in on that. So what. That's what competition is about. I welcome it. If iTunes/iPod doesn't have competition Apple will likely let it stagnate and that's not good for anyone.
When people talk about using solutions with multiple programs all I can think is that they must be masochists. Give me a one point solution so I have time to enjoy my music instead of doing head stands and backflips. Do yourself a favor and go with iTunes or Zune.
Yeah, about 2 years late Microsoft. You had the MP3 player with the biggest screen, but no way to buy videos for it.