11-14-2006, 02:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Zune Supports Embedded Album Art: That's Frickin' Awesome!
Know what that is? That's something that neither my Zen Vision:M nor my Gigabeat S can do: display embedded album art. What's that you might ask? Rather than the dysfunctional method of album art storage that Microsoft employs, where it dumps JPEG images into the same folder as the song and makes them hidden, embedded album art takes the JPEG image and injects it into the header of the audio file, making it a permanent part of the audio file. Meaning, if you email a song to a friend, it will have the album art. It's elegant, and is simply the right way to do album art. More on this rant later from me. The good news is that the Zune supports it, which is a thrill for me, because none of my previous audio players did. Does the iPod? Look below for the answer.
Pictured above is a 5th generation, 80 GB iPod displaying the same MP3 as the Zune. My friend Jenneth from Girls Gone Mobile was kind enough to test it for me. I'm impressed that the iPod can do it - does anyone know if the previous 4th gen units could? Regardless, the Zune and the iPod are at parity here. But look at how it displays the album art, and tell me that the Zune doesn't look better. It certainly does - it uses up all the space, and gives a much more impressive, immersive display of the album art. Some people (Vincent!) seem to think this doesn't matter, but for highly visual people such as myself, this is a big deal. Score one for the Zune!
[side note: the MP3, and the album art, is from a friend of mine, though I take full responsibility for the typo in the metadata]
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11-14-2006, 02:53 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 302
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I do like the look of the interface for the Zune. My only problem is I have a working iPod. Perhaps when I need to upgrade the nano after a couple years I will give the Zune a look.
Maybe then, MS will have a smaller dimension version available as well. 
Until then, go Zune! Work the competition for me.
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11-14-2006, 03:44 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 676
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The 4th generation iPod color devices (aka iPod Photo) display album art as well although the screen resolution is lower than the 320x240 of 5th generation iPods. The diminuitive iPod nano also does album art albeit at even lower resolution (but it still looks cool and as you say is nice for visually-oriented people).
The portrait orientation of the Zune allows for much larger album art. How does it look when you're in landscape mode?
Even given the iPod's landscape orientation it still doesn't use all the available screen real estate (notice the bar at top and white borders at top and bottom) which is lame. The display layout on the Zune looks much better. The 5G iPod has the exact same screen resolution as the Zune, but does a lot less with it- really the iPod's UI look has changed little since the B&W lower resolution days and now looks dated I think.
__________________
64 GB iPad 2 WiFi, Apple TV 2, 32 GB iPhone 4
Early 2011 MacBook Pro 13" (dual boot with Windows 7), Early 2009 Mac Mini
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11-14-2006, 04:46 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 101
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I'm on the fence
And the way the Zune handles embedded album art is not helping!
I love my Creative Zen Vision:M and I've had great success with album art using WMP11. But it doesn't handle embedded album art just by transferring the music file over.
Reasons to switch to Zune:- Accessories (I don't want much, just a decent speaker dock. Like the fabled Creative Traveldock Z500 for the ZVM.)
- Screen size
- Interface
- Subscription available through Zune Marketplace
- Expected upgrades to take more advantage of video & Wi-Fi
- Embedded album art
- Soapbox integration(?)
Reasons to wait:- I like my Zen Vision M
- Already get subscription through URGE
- My wife and daughter have Zen Micro players which Zune Marketplace won't support... I'd have to keep an URGE subscription as well
- This is release 1.0... we know MS has a history of improving their offerings over time
- There's little point to Wi-Fi if I don't have anyone to connect with
Decisions, decisions...
Timothy
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11-14-2006, 05:30 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 251
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I agree, the Zune screen does look very nice. Better than the iPod.
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11-14-2006, 07:22 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dyvim
The 5G iPod has the exact same screen resolution as the Zune, but does a lot less with it- really the iPod's UI look has changed little since the B&W lower resolution days and now looks dated I think.
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Isn't THAT the truth? The iPod has a "decent" UI, but it looks clunky and dated - kind of like Windows 3.1 vs. Windows XP. I think the Zune has a much nicer, cleaner, faster UI. And the album art comparison is no contest...
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11-14-2006, 07:53 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 316
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
The iPod has a "decent" UI, but it looks clunky and dated - kind of like Windows 3.1 vs. Windows XP.
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Ah dang it! You stole my line! That was the first thought that popped into my mind as I started using my Zune. I was saving it up for my hands-on report, and now you've gone and took it!
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11-15-2006, 12:54 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 58
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If the Zune has anything over anything, it is plain and simple the interface. The way it flows, the text the schemes, everything is just so well done. The layout of album art was one of my favorite things about the Zune. It is just so well handled.
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11-15-2006, 04:23 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 11
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How to see full album art on ipod Video?
I checked my album art and by right clicking on any file and selecting Get Info it shows that it has album art embedded in it but I only get the little album picture to the left of the screen not the larger album picture as show here on the Ipod screenshot of the two examples. What do I need to do to get the album art to display with the bigger picture?
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11-15-2006, 05:01 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Welcome to Zune Thoughts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PCKid
I checked my album art and by right clicking on any file and selecting Get Info it shows that it has album art embedded in it but I only get the little album picture to the left of the screen not the larger album picture as show here on the Ipod screenshot of the two examples. What do I need to do to get the album art to display with the bigger picture?
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On the iPod, you can cycle through different views while music is playing (Now Playing mode), simply by pressing the centre button a few times.
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Linear Mode
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