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View Full Version : The New Zune Wireless Sync: This is Killer!

Jason Dunn
11-12-2007, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHPiTOM3ItQ' target='_blank'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHPiTOM3ItQ</a><br /><br /></div>Perhaps the harshest rational criticism of the v1 Zune was how limited the wireless abilities were. Here you had a media player with a WiFi chip in it, and the only thing it could do was interact with other devices just like it - and as the <a href="http://forums.thoughtsmedia.com/showthread.php?t=134" target="_blank">network effect teaches us</a>, you need to have a lot of devices in a network in order for that network to be useful. Zune marketing videos aside, there just weren't enough Zunes out in the wild to make the WiFi sharing much more than a novelty. Sure, if you and a friend each bought a Zune, the feature was really cool - at least until the music timed out on you after three days. <br /><br />With the new Zunes, Microsoft finally added something useful: wireless sync. You walk in your house, you plug in your Zune to recharge it (or press a few buttons to manually kick off the sync), and when you next pick it up it will have all your new content on it. Completely killer. This video shows how the wireless sync process works, start to finish. Questions about this? Let me know in the discussion thread.<br /><br /><embed width="425" height="355" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IHPiTOM3ItQ&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed>
Rocco Augusto
11-12-2007, 06:58 PM
this makes perfect sense after seeing all of those microsoft surface videos way back when. i'm glad this feature actually works as i hate plugging my zune in to sync when it doesn't need a charge :)
aaronb532
11-12-2007, 09:59 PM
So is the software update for the Zune 30 going to include this also? Or is it only for the 80's?
Rocco Augusto
11-12-2007, 10:35 PM
So is the software update for the Zune 30 going to include this also? Or is it only for the 80's?

to my knowledge. the only feature that is not included with the new firmware for the Zune 30 is MP4 playback. :)
Jason Dunn
11-12-2007, 10:43 PM
So is the software update for the Zune 30 going to include this also? Or is it only for the 80's?

You bet, it's included! :)
USArcher
11-12-2007, 11:49 PM
It does seem that wireless throughput is not all that fast. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the Zune wireless module has a power saving mode when in runs off battery (as in your demo). Try doing the same test while Zune is plugged in the AV docking station (not physically connected to a PC).
aaronb532
11-13-2007, 12:07 AM
to my knowledge. the only feature that is not included with the new firmware for the Zune 30 is MP4 playback
You bet, it's included! :)

Awesome, I just bought two 30's off Woot.com for $85 each and this was one of the features that I wanted.

I joined this forum just to ask that question, thanks for the quick answers. I'm sure I'll be checking in a lot more often once I get my players.
Jason Dunn
11-13-2007, 12:11 AM
It does seem that wireless throughput is not all that fast.

Yup, it's not very fast - that's why I was wondering about what type of speeds it was connecting at.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if the Zune wireless module has a power saving mode when in runs off battery (as in your demo). Try doing the same test while Zune is plugged in the AV docking station (not physically connected to a PC).

Indeed, good point. I'll do up a test and we'll see what the results are...watch the front page (man, I'm never going to get my review done at this rate ;)).
Jason Dunn
11-13-2007, 12:16 AM
I joined this forum just to ask that question, thanks for the quick answers. I'm sure I'll be checking in a lot more often once I get my players.

Glad to have you as a member of Zune Thoughts - I hope you'll come back often. :D
Citezein
11-15-2007, 12:54 AM
Can anyone tell me if the Zune can do a scheduled wireless sync? I'd love for my Zune to automatically wake up and sync every morning before my daily commute. This way it could download new podcasts for my subway ride. Does anyone have any information on this feature? It would be a really killer feature for me.
Jason Dunn
11-15-2007, 02:28 AM
Can anyone tell me if the Zune can do a scheduled wireless sync?

It's not exactly scheduled - what I've read said when you plug it into power, after 60 seconds of inactivity it will wake up and do a sync. But it's not something you can specify for a certain time...you can trigger it manually though.