Zune HD Leaked

Terry Olaes

Terry Olaes

I Used to be the [H] News Guy
2FA
Joined
Nov 27, 2006
Messages
4,646
Looks like the Zune isn’t dead yet; it just hibernated and appears to be back as the Zune HD and is spoiling for a fight. As long as they can avoid any more surprise brickings, this might do well. Competition is good and MS loves to battle Apple so here’s hoping.

In the gallery below, you can see images from what appears to be a forthcoming marketing campaign for Microsoft's new PMP. We don't have any word on specs right now, though we've got a sneaking suspicion this will have an HD display.
Click to expand...
 
If it has a 480x320 LCD, it will be just another run of the mill player. It would be great to start seeing some 720 or 800 WS displays in a PMP.
 
wtf do they say "leaked" this isn't a "leak" this is marketing to spur interest in it
A proper leak gets people fired
 
If they could package it as a pocket pc with a phone and touchscreen, I'd say that would be a win.
 
I'm really diggin the look of this much more that the iPod Touch/ iPhone. I wonder though if HD means 16:9 or 720p resolution...
 
I'm hoping HD means Higher Definition rather than High Definition for the units screen. No reason why it couldnt output 720p through the video/audio out jack though.

The original Zunes had HD capability (and a lot more besides) but it was never enabled.
 
I think it's still gonna take a while until we see such small 720p screens.

640x360 would be an improvement.
 
Yeah 720p would be totally wasted on a 2" deep screen.

Maybe along the lines of a 720x480 (or even 576)
 
I tried to like the Zune because it had features that were better than the iPod but then it had some terrible features which hindered my enjoyment of it. I rather just drag and drop so I really disliked the sync feature and the fact you have to have your music and videos in a specif folder which you then have to have the software sync to. And it took me a hell of a time figuring some of it out. Moreover if you are not careful the software could ruin your collection. Most of all I hated the fact videos take so damn long to be converted even if you use third party software and even if put them in a format like MP4 which upon adding, the Zune would then reconvert and take the nearly the length of the movie to do so.
 
I'm not convinced of Microsoft's commitment to the Zune, and their ability to keep the brand going in the long run. They have proved more than once they will drop something in a heartbeat and without warning.

It would be hard for me to buy into it at this point for that very reason.
 
I envision the future..... where every single device looks like an iphone....
 
TechLarry said:
I'm not convinced of Microsoft's commitment to the Zune, and their ability to keep the brand going in the long run. They have proved more than once they will drop something in a heartbeat and without warning.

It would be hard for me to buy into it at this point for that very reason.
Click to expand...

Considering the music is mostly (if not all) DRM free, you can copy your own stuff to it and you don't have it taken away from you if they did drop it what is keeping you from getting one? Everything that you by could vanish one day. The company that made your fridge or washer could go under one day and be gone. The company that made your tv will one day stop making that line.... your reason for not buying one seems pretty weak to me.

Not saying that you have to buy one, just that your given reason is weak.
 
TechLarry said:
I'm not convinced of Microsoft's commitment to the Zune, and their ability to keep the brand going in the long run. They have proved more than once they will drop something in a heartbeat and without warning.

It would be hard for me to buy into it at this point for that very reason.
Click to expand...

My guess is that Microsoft will stick with the Zune for the simple reason that even though the iPod dominates the market, there's nothing else much in the market. Microsoft will probably never make much money on Zunes but I think with just the people that don't want iPods someone can make money.

For those that have them, like myself, the Zune seems to be pretty well received. The Zune and Zune Pass are a very good combination.

I think Microsoft is poised to make a big splash in the next year with Windows 7 Mobile and Zunes and combinations there of. We're talking about a growing market that's ever changing. If Microsoft just puts a little more effort into it, they can do well. Though Windows Mobile is a bit rough around the edges, there a LOT of support and a good sized community and there are some very cool apps out there.

Just stick with it Microsoft!
 
I own an ipod classic and a zune. I prefer my zune, though I greatly prefer itunes over the zune software.
 
- Most likely going to be released in September/October.
- Larger than 30GB storage
- 480x800 screen
- Wireless video download

That is all.
 
seeing as how it closely resembles the HTC touch diamond2, its more than likely going to be 800x480

that many pixels in such a tight small screen makes it "HD", in their terms.
 
TorxT3D said:
seeing as how it closely resembles the HTC touch diamond2, its more than likely going to be 800x480

that many pixels in such a tight small screen makes it "HD", in their terms.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking it will be capable of outputting HD resolution, hence "HD" in the title, and/ or the possibility of a 16:9 HD resolution screen. It wouldn't make much sense to pack so many pixels (720p) in such a small screen.
 
I don't see the point in making it "HD" on such a small screen. I think it's just a naming thing..."HD" is the hip thing to put on your product nowadays. It'll probably be a flash, touchscreen pmp like the ipod touch. If they could get their UI as smooth as apple, then I might make this my next mp3 player.
 
Meh, I dunno..perhaps It is just cause I have never owned a Zune or Ipod..but I don't get all the hype about either.
 
Not sure what the fascination is with all these sub-par quality MP3 players.
Just throwing HD capability or touch screen on a device doesn't make the sound quality any better.

I'd suggest checking out Cowon. Their CEO is nicknamed "Golden Ears" and for good reason. Their devices are superior to any of this mainstream crap produced by Apple or Microsoft.

If you've GOT to have a touchscreen, their S9 is very nice: http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/cowon/s9/
 
Although, I must say... The Zune Pass might be a big enough draw to some folks to actually stick with a Zune.

If I buy a device to listen to music with, I want good quality music. That's my beef.
 
Dekoth said:
Meh, I dunno..perhaps It is just cause I have never owned a Zune or Ipod..but I don't get all the hype about either.
Click to expand...

It depends on your need. I bought one last year just to have something to listen to music when mowing and doing yardwork on the weekend which normally take about 4 - 5 hours, for when I go walk the trails at a local park and for when I went to florida as it is decent flight from Chicago to Orlando. Since then I have used it in my car to listen to music as it keeps me from having to keep a stack of CDs in my car or switching between radio stations. I never had a great need for one, but I could fine plenty of uses for one after getting one. However not everyone is going to have the same need or desire. If you don't listen to music you won't need one, if you only listen to the radio you probably won't need one...
 
That Cowon looks pretty nice. :eek:

I just wish/hope that the 'new' Zune would play FLAC. :(

There needs to be a more diversity for FLAC capable players (I have a Cowon and Trekstor FLAC PMPs and there isn't that much more that supports FLAC apart from those two companies).
 
S1N3R6Y said:
I envision the future..... where every single device looks like an iphone....
Click to expand...

Now, other than the large screen which part does it look like iphone to you?
Or did apple invented large screen with touch capability? Which was how every single PDA looked like even before the iphone came out.
 
I'm not starting to use and convert to some MS codecs, even though lossless, when FLAC is available.
 
Well, you can 100% absolutely forget ever seeing FLAC support on a product from Microsoft. That would be about as likely as Apple adding Windows Media support to iPods and the iPhone, it just ain't gonna happen.
 
R0N1 said:
I'm not starting to use and convert to some MS codecs, even though lossless, when FLAC is available.
Click to expand...

MP3 works for 99% of the people out there just fine. I know I don't have the ear to tell between an MP3 and a lossless file.
 
Honestly, after dealing with psychoacoustic modeling and audio production for nearly 20 years, I can count on both hands the number of people I've met that can consistently AB test between original pure digital uncompressed audio and a LAME-encoded mp3 file using the Insane preset (320Kbps Constant Bit Rate).

I think people tell themselves enough they can hear a difference and it skips from being psychoacoustic to psychosomatic... ;) I mean, we're not talking about 13 years ago when mp3 encoding first "appeared" and became popular, and the rather shitty mp3 encoders that existed at the time. The old 128 Kbps encoders that were so popular are absolutely generations upon generations behind what LAME can do nowadays, it's simply the best there is, and I doubt things will get much better...
 
heatlesssun said:
MP3 works for 99% of the people out there just fine. I know I don't have the ear to tell between an MP3 and a lossless file.
Click to expand...

Most people can't.

I can tell the difference (I hear above what the average human can), but honestly, it's not enough of a difference for me to care.
MP3 is still a ton better than radio. So Sirius and MP3s are about the only thing I listen to anymore. I get into someone else's car with standard radio and I'm reminded how much like dog crap the standard radio sounds like.


If you're playing pre-event music or something, MP3 is just peachy fine, too. Like I said, I can tell, but when 95% of the people listening to it can't tell, and the other 5% don't care, what's the use?
 
I tend not to bother trying to tell the difference cos the reason I'm listening to the music it to enjoy listening to it.

Too many folks are listening to the hardware and technology...not the music.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top