01-08-2007, 05:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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What Are Your Wishes For the Zune in 2007?
Since we've just started 2007, I thought it might be interesting to see what the community was hoping for from the Zune team at Microsoft in 2007. Realistic, do-able features that can be added to our current Zunes via a software update. What would you like to see? Here's my 2007 wish-list, and I think all of them are realistic:
- Read Embedded Album Art
- Fully-supported "Zune as Hard Drive" mode
- WiFi sync back to PC (this would take a lot of work, but it's important to have)
- On-device codec support for DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, Flash/FLA (transcoding is a bad solution, I want real support for these file formats, even if it costs the Zune team money)
- WiFi sharing of videos
- DVR-MS support for getting Media Center TV shows
- Resize photos to 240 x 320, not 480 x 640
- View portrait photos in portrait orientation
- Update the Zune Marketplace to show which songs are not able to be shared
- Expand the Zune Marketplace - I'm tired of going to look for bands and songs and not finding them
- Extending the 3 day/3 play DRM to be 30 day/3 play
What are some of your 2007 wishes for the Zune? And what do you think of my wishes - am I delusional in hoping for this much?
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01-08-2007, 05:27 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 17
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In going along with the Album Art feature, I'd love to see the images not be compressed so much. Even with using high quality artwork as a source, they just look blurry and ugly on the Zune when they really shouldn't.
I'd be happy to sacrifice a little bit of storage space for better looking album art, especially when it's so prominent in the now playing screen.
I would also like support in the Zune software for tagging videos. Both the type of video (ie movie, music video, tv show, etc) but also stuff like the description.
Also, I don't know why it bugs me so much, but I HATE it when software comes and doesn't use the native Windows borders. This is especially annoying in Vista where you have the nice glass borders (and WMP11 with the beautiful use of transparancy). I'd love for the Zune software on Vista to be updated to look more like WMP11.
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01-08-2007, 05:42 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 32
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1) Gapless audio playback for WMA, AAC/M4A & MP3. (So, we're on parity with iPod & iTunes.) The only gapless we have now is with WMA on the Zune Software itself.
2) A way to optionally browse by "Album Artist" only on the Zune, so we optionally don't get all the extra contributing artists. This would be the near equivalent to iPod's "group Compilation" toggle feature. If you'll note, Zune on the desktop lists Album Artists only while doing an Artist browse, but the Zune portable uses both.
3) Native WMA Lossless playback on the Zune portable; no transcoding, please. (Of course, with an option to still force a transcode... not everyone wants to waste Zune space on Lossless.)
4) Ability to play & manipulate content on the Zune directly from the Zune Software. For example, with iTunes/iPod... you can play music, edit tags, change artwork, etc. just like the music is located on the computer. You can't do this on the Zune... making any changes requires you to delete it from the Zune and re-add it. You should (at the very least) be able to play the songs directly from your portable.
5) Native H.264 video support on the Zune itself.
6) More source video format support for the Zune Software. At the very least, support DivX & XviD so it can be easily transcoded.
7) Optional 640 x 480 resolution video file support for Zune device, so TV or Xbox 360 output can be used effectively. 320 x 240 isn't enough.
8) Zune Marketplace content urgently needs Album Art bigger than 150 x 150.
9) Native podcast ("netcast" if that's your thing) support.
10) Audible.com support.
11) Use "WMA Pro" as an audio transcoding format on sync if needed. As the Zune supports the WMA Pro audio codec, why not use the better codec for forced audio transcoding? Right now you can only force "quality" transcoding to old standard WMA... with a "Select maximum quality level" of 64, 128, 160 & 192 kbps. Too bad. Take advantage of Zune's great WMA Pro ability.
Last edited by grommet; 01-08-2007 at 07:12 PM..
Reason: fix typo
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01-08-2007, 06:25 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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- Read Embedded Album Art - Don't care at all
- Fully-supported "Zune as Hard Drive" mode - Would be nice but not overly important to me
- WiFi sync back to PC (this would take a lot of work, but it's important to have) - I really want to see this
- On-device codec support for DivX, Xvid, MPEG4, Flash/FLA (transcoding is a bad solution, I want real support for these file formats, even if it costs the Zune team money) - I would like this too but at least there is transcoding so there is a solution in the meantime.
- WiFi sharing of videos - Almost a given I think
- DVR-MS support for getting Media Center TV shows - Should already be there...hopefully its introduced
- Resize photos to 240 x 320, not 480 x 640 - Don't care
- View portrait photos in portrait orientation - PLEASE
- Update the Zune Marketplace to show which songs are not able to be shared - I guess no harm with it. Don't care much. I probably wouldn't even remember later
- Expand the Zune Marketplace - I'm tired of going to look for bands and songs and not finding them - I'm sure they're working on this one
- Extending the 3 day/3 play DRM to be 30 day/3 plays - I doubt it'll happen but hopefully they adjust it. 3 plays seems like a nice limit by itself...
I'd like one thing and I know its not happenning. I'd love to be able to have the Zune marketplace accessible on my XBox.
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01-08-2007, 07:18 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3
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What I would like to see for the Zune in 2007
- Complete integration with the Xbox 360
- Marketplace - We should be able to buy/download content at the "account level" then have the Zune client software sync the marketplace content when opened.
- Wireless streaming of music from the zune to the Xbox360
- Access the Zune Marketplace from the Zune itself via WiFi
- Get rid of the Zune software all together. WMP 12 should have full Zune support and Marketplace support. There is no need for the two apps.
- The recently announced Windows Home Server OS and appliances need to support Zune Marketplace (and ZunePass). This way content from the Zune marketplace can be shared throughout the home and while traveling.
- Album art does suck and needs to get better
- Wireless sync to the PC - and I dont see this is a huge effort - technically anyway.
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01-08-2007, 07:13 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 276
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I want to be able to erase music/vids from the Zune.
A better "shuffle" mode.
A faster UI. Even after the latest update it seems when skipping a song the Zune can take a second or two to catch up with the button presses.
Thats about it. Over all, I'm very happy with the Zune. A bit of spit and polish and it will be a killer MP3 player!
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01-08-2007, 08:24 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 5
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custom eq please
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01-08-2007, 08:36 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 52
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How about a fricken' UK release? 
H.264 support would be excellent, as would WiFi sync. Gapless playback across all formats is a must too.
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01-08-2007, 08:58 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,097
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Been waiting for this post...
1) Gapless playback, at least on the Zune.
2) Native DivX support. Xvid would be a nice bonus, but DivX is as must.
3) Support for embedded album art.
4) True out-of-the-box Drag-and-Drop support. I want to load up the Zune without using the Zune software.
5) A clock displayed on every screen that syncs the time with my desktop.
6) Hey, how about listing what freaking track number we're on?!! Seriously, $20 CD players have this function. While we're at it, show me of how many songs in the list we're talking about (i.e. track 5/12).
7) I would LOVE the ability to browse via Folder, rather than Artist or Album. I have all of my music arranged in nice little folders and I don't need to browse them in any other fashion.
8) I HATE the fact that the Zune picks up each and every 'contributing artist'. I have an entire entry for Coldplay, but the only 2 songs of theirs I have are on the Garden State soundtrack. I don't want them listed by themselves. If I had actual Coldplay albums, I'd be even more annoyed that it mixed them together...
9) It's a Microsoft product... Where's Solitaire and Minesweeper?
10) More file navigation options from within the Zune itself. In particular, I want the ability to delete files off my Zune when I'm done with them (like movies).
All of these are possible with a little (OK, maybe a lot) of firmware tweaking. However, if every single one of them were added, the Zune would be close to the perfect player (for me)...
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01-08-2007, 10:47 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 316
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Quote:
Originally Posted by egads
A better "shuffle" mode.
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Out of curiousity, what complaints do you have with the shuffle mode?
While there are lots of improvements I'd like to see, the ones that most immediately affect me are:
1) WiFi Sync
2) DVR-MS Support
3) Integrated Netcast/Podcast support
4) View portrait photos in portrait mode
5) Nano size player
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Hybrid Mode
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