Dave Burke Likes His Zune (Of Course!)

[David Tucker]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://dbvt.com/blog/archive/2008/04/09/a-zune-video-collection-snapshot.aspx' target='_blank'>http://dbvt.com/blog/archive/2008/0...n-snapshot.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;One of the reasons my Zune won my affections over my iPod is the ease with which I can add videos and other materials to my media collection. The Zune software seems to be much more integrated with the file system than iTunes. Changes in file folder contents that are monitored in Zune are instantly updated in the collection.&quot; </em><br /><br /><img border="1" alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/zt/auto/1207844995.usr307.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://dbvt.com/blog/archive/2008/04/09/a-zune-video-collection-snapshot.aspx">Dave Burke wrote a blog</a> entry about his Zune video connection. Burke is notable in that he's an MVP and has a cool first name. He chose the Zune because of its screen size which is a boon over the iPod for sure. That was one of the major things for me as well. What I thought was interesting was his observation about the Zune folder monitoring. As someone with absolutely no iTunes experience, I was surprised to hear that iTunes doesn't monitor the video directories. Does anyone out there with iTunes experience (which I'm sure is many people!) know if this is configurable? <br /><br />I do know that the Zune folder monitoring has always worked really well though.

[jaxim]

I found the zune software pretty slow in adding new videos to my video collection. I guess I'm not patient enough. I wish there was a way to force the zune software to check for new videos "NOW" instead of waiting until its next scheduled time to check for updates.

I also wish there were more sorting options for videos. For example, i wish I could sort all TV shows by their show name and then by one of 3 criteria (first aired date, recorded/created date, episode title).

I still agree that the Zune is better than the iPod, but I wish the software were better than its current state.

[David Tucker]

The sad thing is that the software is light years better than 1.0 :rolleyes:

[Adam Krebs]

I wish there was a way to force the zune software to check for new videos "NOW" instead of waiting until its next scheduled time to check for updates.

There is. Just drag the file you want added into the collection. It'll display a cursor with an outline box next to it to show that you're adding content. If you want your entire folder to update, select all files in the folder and drag them into the software. It'll process the files it hasn't yet processed. Sure it's not a full-blown solution but it works pretty well as a workaround.

And yeah, I agree that there needs to be more metadata options. I wish I could add content to the description field (like is included on the pre-load content, or with some podcasts). Also, I wish I could specify what type of content a video is: a TV show, movie, music video, etc.

I still agree that the Zune is better than the iPod, but I wish the software were better than its current state.

The redesign of the software for generation 2 was supposed to allow for faster iteration and more features to be pushed out. But so far I haven't really seen much done with it. I really hope the Spring/Summer update brings at least some of the requested features, but I wouldn't hold my breath for too much.

[Jason Dunn]

I also wish there were more sorting options for videos. For example, i wish I could sort all TV shows by their show name and then by one of 3 criteria (first aired date, recorded/created date, episode title).

100% agreed. When it comes to viewing/sorting/finding videos and photos, the Zune software SUCKS.

[Stinger]

You're right, there's absolutely no folder monitoring in iTunes.

If you're a OSX user, there's a third party script to add it but Windows users are SOL.

The lack of folder monitoring and the way it handles album art are my two biggest gripes about iTunes.

[Jason Dunn]

The lack of folder monitoring and the way it handles album art are my two biggest gripes about iTunes.

Yeah, the lack of folder monitoring was the subject of more than one rant on Digital Home Thoughts - and some very heated "discussions" with some Mac users who felt I was completely off base. :D