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MS finally integrating Zune with 360

Queasy

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
Billboard - No brainer decision here. I'm surprised it has taken this long for them to do it. I suspect we will see more come E3. Now they just need to announce that they are improving the Zune store...

Microsoft unveiled plans to integrate its Zune digital entertainment service with the highly popular Xbox 360 platform, in a move designed more to confirm rumors than to provide specifics. The company will also bring a new Zune device to market this fall, called the Zune HD.

The company has talked about integrating Zune with the Xbox 360 since the service's launch, so the evolution to finally doing so carries significance. However the content included at first is limited to video, not music or games. Exactly what kind of video content will be shared between the two services is not yet clear; details are expected next week.

However Chris Stephenson, GM of global marketing for Zune, tells Billboard.biz that the Zune video service will essentially replace the current Xbox Live Video Marketplace feature. All Xbox Live members will have access to the new content and the expansion of Zune into the Xbox 360 allows Microsoft to offer the service internationally.

The new HD Zune, meanwhile, is also focused heavily on video, with a high-definition LCD screen and widescreen viewing mode. The WiFi connected device allows for instant music and video streaming directly from the device, a newly added Internet browser, as well as compatibility with the growing HD-Radio standard. But overall, Microsoft's new Zune details are focused on video, which Stephenson insists does not reflect a distancing from music.

"It's absolutely about music as it is about video," he says. "As we prioritize the things we need to get to market, video was the thing that really lit up. The Xbox experience is a living room experience. So it's important to think of this as a first step."

Digital video delivery - either to portable devices or within the home - is a wide open market that no single provider has yet dominated the way Apple has in the music space and Nintendo has in the handheld gaming space.

To be sure, this represents a baby step for Microsoft's broader effort to merge the Zune, Xbox and, eventually, Windows Mobile communities into one. The vision is to deliver content to the PC, the TV and the mobile phone. Microsoft wants to unify that experience through coordination of the backend technology that power content delivery to each.

"It's really allowing your content to flow across the different screens you have," Stephenson says. "Everything feeds back to a single ID. If you think about the backend all of this is built on, whether it's the content or the billing or the identity, it's all on a common infrastructure. At a technical level, it allows those experiences to happen."

But a "connected entertainment" strategy has been a core part of the Zune pitch from the start, which the company has yet to implement in a meaningful way from either a content or a device level. Details on how it will integrate video content between Zune and the Xbox 360 are expected next week, during Microsoft's press event at the E3 videogame convention next week.
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480x272 is a bit anemic for resolution, IMHO, but OLED = teh sexy. I love my Zune, so this is probably going to be a day 1 purchase for me.
 
However the content included at first is limited to video, not music or games. Exactly what kind of video content will be shared between the two services is not yet clear; details are expected next week.
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So you won't be able to use the 360 for Zune Pass music playback? That's not good.
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
However the content included at first is limited to video, not music or games. Exactly what kind of video content will be shared between the two services is not yet clear; details are expected next week.
Click to expand...

So you won't be able to use the 360 for Zune Pass music playback? That's not good.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they'll be adding more feature to it down the road. Just the first step of fully integrating the platforms.
 
True, but with Netflix streaming already out for the 360, pay-per-title downloads aren't that exciting to me as a first step.

(Not that I have a 360 yet, but I'm still looking for excuses to get one despite my massive games backlog.)
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
However the content included at first is limited to video, not music or games. Exactly what kind of video content will be shared between the two services is not yet clear; details are expected next week.
Click to expand...

So you won't be able to use the 360 for Zune Pass music playback? That's not good.
Click to expand...

You can actually use the 360 for Zune Pass playback already, via dashboard streaming or Media Center extending. I use it all the time with my Zune Pass. It's just not built onto the console where you can download music and store it.

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't used the dashboard streaming in a while, so I'm not 100% sure you can play back protected Zune Pass music. However, I am 100% certain you can do it through the Media Center extending (which doesn't help for playing that music during games).
 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
However the content included at first is limited to video, not music or games. Exactly what kind of video content will be shared between the two services is not yet clear; details are expected next week.
Click to expand...

So you won't be able to use the 360 for Zune Pass music playback? That's not good.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they'll be adding more feature to it down the road. Just the first step of fully integrating the platforms.
Click to expand...

I think the excerpt above is referring more to download content via Zune/360/XBL integration. As of now, XBL doesn't offer any music. Just TV, movies and clips. The Zune should be able to connect to the 360 and have the console play music from the Zune. Even my 360 and iPod can do that.
 
The Zune should be able to connect to the 360 and have the console play music from the Zune
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That isn't as nice as spur-of-the-moment listening to something new that isn't already on your zune, but that's a good way to hear your existing library.

peritusONE / erwos - have you done that (connected your zune portable to 360)? Can the 360 play Zune-DRM purchased files or zune pass rental files from the portable's disk, not just MP3s?

Along with getting a 360, I'm also considering dropping Napster and moving to Zune Pass, so I'm interested to see what MS will do with this and when they'll improve the store integration to include music.
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
peritusONE / erwos - have you done that (connected your zune portable to 360)? Can the 360 play Zune-DRM purchased files or zune pass rental files from the portable's disk, not just MP3s?
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I stream them from my PC all the time. I want to say that I plugged in my Zune directly to my 360 and that worked fine, too, but it's not my usual use case.

The Zune Pass is pretty good - I have some minor quibbles about the selection (it often seems like some albums aren't available), but everything else is awesome. If they made it so that Zune Pass gave you Gold membership, it would be a bit more compelling.
 
Originally posted by: erwos
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
peritusONE / erwos - have you done that (connected your zune portable to 360)? Can the 360 play Zune-DRM purchased files or zune pass rental files from the portable's disk, not just MP3s?
Click to expand...
I stream them from my PC all the time. I want to say that I plugged in my Zune directly to my 360 and that worked fine, too, but it's not my usual use case.
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Same here, I stream every time. I actually don't think I've ever plugged my Zune into my 360.
 
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Yeah, the resolution is going to suck for internet usage.
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It's not _awful_, but, yeah, it could be a lot better - say what you will about the iPod Touch, but 480x320 is a pretty decent resolution. I was planning on buying a Touch Pro2, which has an 800x480 screen, so it might not be a deal-breaker for me, personally. If it turns out to be Microsoft's portable gaming platform, I doubt very much could stop me from buying it.

Now, the real question is, where's the GPS and Bluetooth? The stuff should be reasonably cheap to add (IIRC, there are WiFi+GPS+Bluetooth single chip solutions out there), and it would make them far more competitive. I'll be disappointed if those features didn't make the cut.
 
I miss my Zune30. The hard drive died and I haven't been able to buy a replacement. The Zune30 fit PERFECTLY in this cellphone holder that clips into the vents on my truck. I bought a newer model, but it's too thin and slides around so I took it back.
 
Originally posted by: erwos
Originally posted by: SunnyD
Yeah, the resolution is going to suck for internet usage.
Click to expand...
It's not _awful_, but, yeah, it could be a lot better - say what you will about the iPod Touch, but 480x320 is a pretty decent resolution. I was planning on buying a Touch Pro2, which has an 800x480 screen, so it might not be a deal-breaker for me, personally. If it turns out to be Microsoft's portable gaming platform, I doubt very much could stop me from buying it.

Now, the real question is, where's the GPS and Bluetooth? The stuff should be reasonably cheap to add (IIRC, there are WiFi+GPS+Bluetooth single chip solutions out there), and it would make them far more competitive. I'll be disappointed if those features didn't make the cut.
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480x320 yeah, but 480x272? Are they going with that rez just to maintain 16:9? Shaving off 50 pixels sucks.

My biggest concern is whether or not it has expandable storage... even SDHC would be fine with me. Part of the reason I hate the iPod is it has no removable/optional storage.
 
Originally posted by: SunnyD
480x320 yeah, but 480x272? Are they going with that rez just to maintain 16:9? Shaving off 50 pixels sucks.
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The only plausible explanations I can think of are:
1. OLED screens don't come in 480x320 - and if this is the case, Apple might be forced to go with that resolution in the next iPhone.
2. They envision having almost all 16:9 content on marketplace, and think that people will see fewer black bars with a native 16:9 screen.
 
Originally posted by: erwos
Originally posted by: SunnyD
480x320 yeah, but 480x272? Are they going with that rez just to maintain 16:9? Shaving off 50 pixels sucks.
Click to expand...
The only plausible explanations I can think of are:
1. OLED screens don't come in 480x320 - and if this is the case, Apple might be forced to go with that resolution in the next iPhone.
2. They envision having almost all 16:9 content on marketplace, and think that people will see fewer black bars with a native 16:9 screen.
Click to expand...

Okay, I'll buy that. Still though, for an internet-capable device (particularly one that deals in HTML/IE), screen real estate is an issue IMHO.
 
Since you guys are concerned about the screen resolution, I did a comparison with my Samsung Eternity phone. It has a screen resolution of 400x240 on a 3.2" screen, while the ZuneHD will have 480x272 on a 3.3" screen. Sure, it could be sharper, but I've never been bothered by seemingly low resolution on my Eternity phone, so I don't think I'll have a problem with the ZuneHD, especially with a more vibrant OLED screen.
 
Awhile back there was a rumor that you could sync your zune HD to your 360 and the zune could play all your 360 arcade games. Any more word on this? I would totally buy one if I could play Bionic Commando Rearmed, Flock, Packman, Penny Arcade, etc, on the go
 
If the zune hd adds ability to play xbox live arcade games. I'm gonna give myself 1 point for predicting that Microsoft will have a portable device to play xbox live arcade games.
 
Originally posted by: herkulease
If the zune hd adds ability to play xbox live arcade games. I'm gonna give myself 1 point for predicting that Microsoft will have a portable device to play xbox live arcade games.
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I don't necessarily think that current arcade games are going to be playable on the Zune mainly because of the control scheme. I can see Zune specific arcade games being added to the Live Marketplace though.
 
I plug my zune into my 360 all the time while im gaming to charge it. And you can also stream music directly from it u go to select music and its the and the zune logo is beside the name of your zune, i do this on a daily basis. So what ever there gonna add is more zune software relate myb a nxe zune thing, which would be rockin
 
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