For folks with Zune HD over 4 months......

NIVO

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 19, 2004
Messages
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now that you have had your zune hd for around 4 months or so, what are your lasting impressions up to this point? Still excited about it as the day you bought it? Still holding up well? Updates are still forthcoming? Is battery life just as good? thx for your time.
 
I like my zune HD. I really enjoy the video pod-casts and normal pod-casts. I really like the fact that I have a radio so if I want to hear news or just radio I can. I like the interface and how smooth it is. I am no MS fan boy but I dislike apple.

KM
 
I still use mine (got it 2 days after release or so). I take it to work and listen to music while working. I also take it in the car so I can listen while driving. Battery life is still really good. I don't really care about apps (save that for a phone), I just wanted something that does music well. If all you want to do is listen to music, it is a nice device. I also like the zune software more than itunes as well.
 
I still use mine (got it 2 days after release or so). I take it to work and listen to music while working. I also take it in the car so I can listen while driving. Battery life is still really good. I don't really care about apps (save that for a phone), I just wanted something that does music well. If all you want to do is listen to music, it is a nice device. I also like the zune software more than itunes as well.

So true. What I like about my Zune HD
- it is 32 gb and solid state so working out with it is awesome.
- sound quality is great
- software is easy to use
- battery life is amazing

I really like the Zune pass. Its $15/month and I can listen to just about anything I want to. I believe the Zune device is pretty much useless without the Zune Pass (for me anyways).

Its an amazing media player.
 
So true. What I like about my Zune HD
- it is 32 gb and solid state so working out with it is awesome.
- sound quality is great
- software is easy to use
- battery life is amazing

I really like the Zune pass. Its $15/month and I can listen to just about anything I want to. I believe the Zune device is pretty much useless without the Zune Pass (for me anyways).

Its an amazing media player.

+1. Got on launch day. I think its the best media player on the market ESPECIALLY if you have a Zune Pass. Have the 32GB Silver and will pick up a 64GB version sometime this year probably. I like having a standalone music player for the car.
 
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Absolutely love my 32g. Amazing battery life, love the interface, sound quality, Zune software. I have NOTHING bad to say about it. Had mine since late January.
 
thx for the replies folks. Im curious what phones/cans you may be using with it as well. Amped? Unamped? I am looking to grab a 64gb here real soon, so appreciate all the info and replies.
 
Absolutely love my 32g. Amazing battery life, love the interface, sound quality, Zune software. I have NOTHING bad to say about it. Had mine since late January.

Hah! Got my 32 gb for Christmas!

I use all sort of cans for my Zune, but mainly IEMS.

Use some cheap JBuds for the gym.

Use some Etys for night listening.

When I really want to zone out (like reading or getting some work done, or airplane ride), I use my custom made Ultimate Ears 11pros.

I have used AKG 702 for kicks, but not really portable.

My go to IEMs are the Etymotics.
 
The display on mine exhibits some spotting in dark or black areas. It's a pretty annoying issue, actually. I would guess mine is eight months old now.

Overall my experience with it has been mixed. The hardware is great, though the Zune software has been anything but enjoyable.
 
So what issues are you having with the software? If you don't use Zune Pass I can understand. With Zune Pass the software is a COMLETELY different animal.

Also take a look at this: http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Video-MP...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1279511469&sr=8-2

Look at the customer stastifaction of this device, it rirvals the iPod in that area on Amazon. For a device that gets hounded on it seems to delight its owners pretty well.
 
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Assorted issues with Zune improperly rewriting tags (even though the option to fix tags is disabled), not updating free space when removing media from the device and, recently, not recognizing the Zune itself. So far I've had to reset the Zune twice due to issues with the Zune software. I'm also fairly unhappy with having had to rewrite all the tags in my lossy library with ID3v2.3 tags (iTunes supports ID3v2.4, so that's what I wrote them as), but at least Windows can access metadata with ID3v2.3 tags.
 
Hmmm, rough experience. Yes I don't think the software is a great choice without Zune Pass (of course necessary to sync the device unfortunately) but I don't recall it overwriting my tags for stuff outside the subscription content.
 
I got mine on launch. Use it daily in the car, and when I go to the pool, beach and gym. Zune Pass basically makes the device what it is, without it I don't really see the "it" factor. I prefer my Zune over an iPod anyday, simply because of the Zune Pass service. And now that they are rolling out Windows 7 Series Phones with Zune integration, I'm pretty sure you would be able to use your existing service and have a couple devices with all your songs...kinda neat.
My car is close enough to the house that usually I can pickup wifi from the house and do updates OTA while in the car :).
 
Got mines last year, and I still use it because of the zune pass. The only thing I don't like about it is the inability to control it from my car (I can listen to it via aux or fm radio though) and I love the wireless sync - good when you misplaced your proprietary cable.
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
The only thing I don't like about it is the inability to control it from my car (I can listen to it via aux or fm radio though)

Huh? Don't understand. I just use a hold holder mount and run the cables into the power and aux jack in my car. Works reasonably well and its easy to control the Zune that way. And the cables I just have tucked in on the side of the passenger seat. Works pretty well overall though the Zune screen is hard to if sunlight is beaming onto the screen.
 
I just bought a Zune Original 16GB (custom engraving and all) for my wonderful and supportive girlfriend of 3 years. Combined with the Zune Pass, she absolutely loves it, with exception to missing out on only a few of her favorable artists. Even if I bought those albums (CD only, yo!) outright, I'm still saving immensely on music costs. There are irrefutable bugs in the Zune software, granted, but MS seems to be doing many, many things right these days, and it's a platform they will pour support into with the advent of Phone 7. The interface is intuitive, snappy, and the battery life is good, so far. It's a feather next to my iPhone, but that's to be assumed; it's smaller and there's no Bluetooth or 3G hardware in the thing. Will it remain relatively niche? Maybe, but I'm happy to use it. :)

She even catches me playing with it over my Zune 120 when she wants to go workout! :D
 
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Huh? Don't understand. I just use a hold holder mount and run the cables into the power and aux jack in my car. Works reasonably well and its easy to control the Zune that way. And the cables I just have tucked in on the side of the passenger seat. Works pretty well overall though the Zune screen is hard to if sunlight is beaming onto the screen.
I'm used to controlling my iPod touch via my steering wheel controls, or stereo controls. I don't like to fiddle with my zune to change the song, all the wile trying to keep my eyes on the road, and shift at the same time.

I guess I'm picky in the songs I want to hear at the moment, because I usually go all over my playlist when I'm driving.
 
I'm used to controlling my iPod touch via my steering wheel controls, or stereo controls. I don't like to fiddle with my zune to change the song, all the wile trying to keep my eyes on the road, and shift at the same time.

I guess I'm picky in the songs I want to hear at the moment, because I usually go all over my playlist when I'm driving.

Thanks for the clarification, yeah the iPod has FAR better 3rd party support. As in the Zune has pretty much none unfortunately.
 
I'm used to controlling my iPod touch via my steering wheel controls, or stereo controls. I don't like to fiddle with my zune to change the song, all the wile trying to keep my eyes on the road, and shift at the same time.

I guess I'm picky in the songs I want to hear at the moment, because I usually go all over my playlist when I'm driving.

Definitely an area of lacking support. I'd like to see more car integration but I do not see that happening ever.
 
I have a customized black Zune HD 32 GB with my name and date of purchase engraved in the back of it.

It's pretty sweet and I love the smoothness/responsiveness of the interface, but I have a couple complaints about the video playback, which is mostly what I use it for (gonna get technical here):

- The specifications state that it can play H.264 baseline profile + bframes. However, bframes is only available at main profile or higher. Even encoding videos at main profile and switching off the other features (CABAC, weightp), the Zune HD software will still reject it and attempt to transcode it to WMV. I think it just naively looks for baseline profile videos only. So I'm pretty much stuck with the bare minimum of video features, when it could (allegedly) receive a vast compression improvement with bframes.

- The conversion from the YV12 colorspace to RGB is screwed up. This is easily identified when you see red colors (bright reds stand out the most). You'll notice that reds are aliased, or jagged looking. Almost looks low resolution compared to the rest of the picture. It's pretty distracting because it also affects other colors with a lot of red in them, like brown.

As somewhat of a videophile, these are pretty major bummers because the OLED screen is otherwise fantastic for watching videos.
 
I bought a 32GB Zune HD a couple weeks after it launched. I would have got it at launch, but I had a hard time finding them, and could only find the 16GB model in stores, so I had to order mine online. Anyway, mine is still holding up great, and I use it pretty much every day. I load it up with podcasts and play it while I work, and when we go on somewhat long drives (anything over 30 minutes usually), I use it for music, since my car as an AUX IN jack.

I love the interface, the features (FM/HD radio, wireless sync, etc), and the design. I also like that if I have to I can use it to get on the internet and check an email (assuming I'm near wifi). My only complaint is very small app library. It's not a deal-breaker for me though because this is my primary music device. Still, if I were to end up getting a Windows Phone 7 device the Zune HD could be getting used less. We'll see though.
 

Translated:

"I'm just too god damned picky for my own good." :D :p

I know what you mean but, really, if you'd added that those complaints are primarily when you're using the Zune HD on a dock and outputting the signal to a real big screen/etc then I might lend some credence to it. I can see not being satisfied - and I know you didn't say it outright but you're pointing out something you're not happy with about the Zune HD so so so so... - but it's a 3.5" screen, come on. :cool:

Just picking on you, as usual. I had a Zune HD myself but got rid of it after 3 days, it just wasn't enough for me. It IS a fantastic device, it looks great, it sounds great, the videos work nicely (HandBrake ftw!!!), and I liked it, but it just wasn't enough overall. Besides, I sold it and made $50 profit so I'm cool with it. ;)

I'm hoping that a "Zune Phone" of some kind - even if that means it's a Windows Phone 7 device - makes it out soon. This waiting on Windows Phone 7 situation is getting pretty stale, really. I wish someone would make a device that did everything Windows Phone 7 offers except the phone related stuff, if that makes any sense. I appreciate that the "Smartphone Age" is upon us, but dammit I already have phone service, it's prepaid, and I'm not about to get stuck onto contracts... BLEH. Gimme a non-phone version of Windows "Phone" 7 dammit... Windows Mobile 7 or whatever.

/me wonders if some XDA-Developer genius can rip the phone crap outta Windows Phone 7 if necessary and port it over to the Dell Streak... I'm not a big fan of Android so far...

Microsoft... come on, fellas, pick up the pace. I wanted a Dell Streak but the idiots chose Android over Windows Phone 7 (although there's a rumor floating around recently that says Dell will be making some kind of device for Windows Phone 7 later on) so that pissed me off to know end already.

You're on a roll, you crazy folks up in Redmond, don't blow it. :p
 
Yeah, I bought my Zune HD 32 as a music player primarily for the car and its works perfectly for that purpose.

Windows 7 Phone is going to do just fine I think. I've not gotten a chance to work with the development tools this past week becuase of "real" work and it's going to be a while before I can dig into it again but it's so easy to write apps for this thing its a joke.

But I really don't have a lot of intrest in phones these days, they simply are too small and underpowered for me most of the time, great for quick stuff but really those tiny ass keyboards, I'm done tripling my input time. I carry my tm2 most places with me now and actually I've noticed its not so taboo anymore to carry a laptop with you were you go.

Looking forward to getting my hands on the Libretto W100, the only thing that's not cool about that device is the battery life, 2 hours with the standard and 4 hours with the extended. But with a spare four hour battery that's about 2.2 lbs if my numbers are right of total device weight, 8 hours of runtime and the device with the the extended battery is like a once heavier than the iPad with a 3G modem in it. That's actually a feat of enginering if it holds up. A full Windows 7 computer with a dual core Pentium, no Atom mess, with two screens, the same weight and thinkness of the iPad when open with 40% of the run time. That ain't bad.

Sorry for the tangent!
 
The specifications state that it can play H.264 baseline profile + bframes. However, bframes is only available at main profile or higher.
I contacted Microsoft and suggested that the correct the inaccuracy in their published specs. They never responded and it never happened.

I spent hours trying to figure out why my videos, properly coded to adhere to the published specifications, wouldn't sync without conversion. I've never had to endure such an annoyance with any other portable media device. Ridiculous.
 
Zune HD 32 from zune originals. I only use it for listening to music, not much into apps/movies/pictures on my PMP.

All I can say is battery life is amazing. Its always a surprise when I have to charge it.
 
My ZuneHD basically stays in my car, which is why I bought it. It holds my music (no zune pass), plays podcasts, and that's about all I ask of it. I've taken it on numerous flights and long vacations and there the mini-games come in handy. I've done some other messing around with it but nothing major, managed to rip DVD movies onto it to watch on the go.

Headphone-wise, the sound quality is excellent and combined with my ATH-A900 (40 ohm) you can hear everything when the volume is at '1'. Thats with no background noise at night.
 
I sure hope you folks don't "leave it in the car" in direct sunlight... :) Yes I'm being facetious, but, this summer is pretty hot (been over 100F every day here where I'm at since June 21st, seriously) so, I can't imagine leaving such a device in a car in this kind of temps anywhere in the car, it's just too hot for that. I think a Zune HD or any portable device would either melt or the battery would simply explode with the kind of temps we're dealing with here this summer.

But I guess you're smart folks, you'd know all this... right? :p
 
I don't leave electronics in a car period for the fact that smash and grabs happen any and everywhere these days.
 
I sure hope you folks don't "leave it in the car" in direct sunlight... :) Yes I'm being facetious, but, this summer is pretty hot (been over 100F every day here where I'm at since June 21st, seriously) so, I can't imagine leaving such a device in a car in this kind of temps anywhere in the car, it's just too hot for that. I think a Zune HD or any portable device would either melt or the battery would simply explode with the kind of temps we're dealing with here this summer.

But I guess you're smart folks, you'd know all this... right? :p

Only a 100 degrees? I'd probably have to wear a sweater. It's been 110 plus all the time. It kills anything left in the car.

I love my Zune. I'd like to have an integrated device but I don't want a dead battery in my phone when I land. Because I watched movies in flight. So I have 2 devices.
 
I said it's been over 100F every single day since June 21st... it's been in the 110F range the past two weeks. But here it's worse because of pollution, some humidity, cars, pavement, garbage, etc... Sin City, indeed. :D

But then again, this pales to Death Valley where I worked for 5 years long ago. Yesterday it was 119 there, looks like it's been in the low 120 range once or twice so far this year but, it ain't hot there just yet, but it will be soon. ;)

</off_topic>
 
Translated:

"I'm just too god damned picky for my own good." :D :p

That might just be the case. :eek: I guess its a blessing and a curse. I can see detail and quality most people can't see, but I can see flaws most people can't see too.

I've never outputted the HD to a large TV, so I don't even wanna know how that will look. But I've noticed the colorspace conversion problem pretty much as soon as I saw some vivid reds.

Regardless, I have about 120 episodes of anime spanning 23-25 minutes each and 2 2-hour movies on my device, all encoded at its native resolution at 768 Kbps (576 Kbps video, 192 Kbps audio). I also have a litlle over 1 gig of music (not much compared to music packrats out there, but whatever :D). Still sitting at 11.75 GB free space.
 
I had a 16 gig model up until yesterday. I always liked the build/hardware and the OS, but I could never get around the software. I never liked the way it used libraries to find songs for your library (same with WMP, which you can't even use for the Zune). I don't think it ever found all my tracks.
 
now that you have had your zune hd for around 4 months or so, what are your lasting impressions up to this point?
Best MP3 player this side of the Rio Karma. Love the Zune pass, sound quality, display, battery life, build quality. Hate the lack of physical volume controls and the inability to see the display on a bright sunny morning run.

Still excited about it as the day you bought it?
Not really, but then nothing lasts forever. Well, my Triple.Fi 10's have been living w/ me for over 6 months now and I'm still shocked to shit w/ what comes out of them...could be a little more comfy though. If I had to pick one thing, it would be Audiosurf. I get lost in that everytime it's fire up. Perfect implentation of a mobile game w/ proper accelerometer use.

Still holding up well?
I stuffed it into the DLO HipCase Folio. It rarely comes out. Using the keyboard w/ it on's a bitch, but it's a shit browser anyway.

Updates are still forthcoming?
Most recent gave us DIVX/XVID support!

Is battery life just as good?
I think so?

thx for your time.
Send all donations to fundjodiuhswindowsphone7.org.

I've actually bought and returned the Zune HD. When it first came out I snagged it w/ the intention of browsing as much as listening to music. It failed miserably next to the iPod touch. TL;DR, I gave up on the DAP=browser idea and picked it up again. This time w/ the intention of zoning out to Oakenfolds Tranceport and the TF10's. I'm quite happy w/ the combo. And now that I've found the Zune pass, it's easily my favorite gadget. FWIW, I've gone through just about every Android phone Verizon offers and threw them all back because I'm a picky...no, particular fella. :p
 
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I stuffed it into the DLO HipCase Folio. It rarely comes out. Using the keyboard w/ it on's a bitch, but it's a shit browser anyway.

I have this case, very nice especially for the car, easy to grab and go while its in the case. I NEVER leave gadgets or cash in my car.
 
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I actually took it back the first time I got it because the waist/belt/etc clip didn't stay snug enough. On a whim, I decided to check out another and it's balls tight...doesn't move an inch on a run. It was like $30 bucks though...good cases always cost bank. Look @ the @pple bumper, lol.
 
I want a Zune HD but there are some features on it I would like. Like a volume rocker for example. I don't know why this was not included in the first place. I don't know if they fixed it with a firmware update but I don't believe there was a way to switch songs without having to bring up a sub menu first while the device is playing. Maybe I'm wrong I only played with it briefly. Perhaps with a new version (if they make a new one) it will have the XBox Live integration. That would be nice.

The Zune integration into WP7 is a real selling point for me. If MS can make that OS good I may skip buying a Zune and just get a WP7
 
I've owned a lot of mp3 players in my day including two flash Zunes before I got the 32 GB Zune HD.

I love the interface and the games are acceptable. I happen to really love Audiosurf and play the crap out of that on the plane. I also hook it up to my TV through dock + HDMI when I work out and it's cool to see the album artwork and track title and all that displayed and moving around to give me something to look at.

I do think it's stupid they haven't unified Zune and WMP..or at least taken strides to integrate the device into WMP..
 
I love my Zune HD. There are some quirks I could live without, but by and large it's great.
 
I am really tempted to bite on the 64 GB Zune HD. It's a good amount of space for me and I have loved all my previous Zunes. Anyone else buying one?
 
I`ll be picking one up some time this fall probably. Even with a Win 7 Phone I like a dedicated music player for the car.
 
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