# Zune HD watch, anyone?



## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Is anyone else getting the new Zune HD tomorrow (Tuesday, the 15th)?  I pre-ordered it from Amazon and will have it tomorrow, and I'm really excited!  Anyone?  Bueller...  Bueller...


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Already have an ipod touch, but I'm waiting for the new software/firmware for my zune 30.


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## Jasonmh (May 7, 2009)

I did not pre-order, but I do plan on getting one.  Let us know how you like it.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Have you checked out Harvey's other forum?

http://zunerama.com/forum/


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> Have you checked out Harvey's other forum?
> 
> http://zunerama.com/forum/


I have! It's a great forum (no surprise there!). Thanks!


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

How do you like your zune hd?


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Jenni said:


> How do you like your zune hd?


Hey Jenni, I love my Zune HD -- it's awesome! The OLED screen is beautiful, the device is quick and very responsive, and the menus are like nothing I've ever seen. Oh, and the sound is terrific! And I absolutely love the 4.0 software's Smart DJ feature. It creates terrific mixes and playlists, and I'm constantly finding new music that I love.  And the Zune Pass is great -- unlimited downloading of all the music you want, and you get to keep 10 tracks each month!


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Okay, thanks. I'm going to buy one now.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Jenni said:


> Okay, thanks. I'm going to buy one now.


You're welcome! Glad I could help! Oh, and I recommend the 32 GB model -- the platinum is gorgeous, and since you can load up HD movies to watch on your TV (if you have an HDTV), you'll need the extra room.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Haha, I wish I could afford that  . But I'm buying it with my credit card rewards so the 16gb is enough.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Jenni said:


> Haha, I wish I could afford that . But I'm buying it with my credit card rewards so the 16gb is enough.


That makes sense! I'd sold a couple of my older MP3 players so that I could buy the 32 GB and the AV dock -- sold 'em here on the Kindleboards, actually.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

One more question Megan: how easy is it to change the volume without looking at the screen? Thanks again.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Jenni said:


> One more question Megan: how easy is it to change the volume without looking at the screen? Thanks again.


Hi Jenni, Once you get used to it, I'd say it's pretty easy. You click the button on the side to bring up volume/nav. controls, and then you tap at the top in the middle to turn up the volume, or tap an inch or so down in the middle to turn down the volume.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Thank you.  I'll just see how it goes for me then.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

No problem! If you buy it from Amazon, you'll have 30 days to return it if you don't like it. I'm sure you can do that at some other places, too.

Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum)

Zune HD 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Oh, really? I thought that was for kindles only. That's good to know. Thanks (again).


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Yep -- even if you've opened it.  I bought a Sony Walkman MP3 player a couple of months ago, didn't like it after trying it out for a few days, and sent it back.  You just go through their RMA process (really easy, all online) and you can send it back.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

MeganW said:


> Hi Jenni, Once you get used to it, I'd say it's pretty easy. You click the button on the side to bring up volume/nav. controls, and then you tap at the top in the middle to turn up the volume, or tap an inch or so down in the middle to turn down the volume.


And, even easier, you can just swipe your finger up or down on the screen to adjust the volume, after pressing the media controls button.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Harvey said:


> And, even easier, you can just swipe your finger up or down on the screen to adjust the volume, after pressing the media controls button.


I did NOT know that! Great tip!!


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Harvey said:


> And, even easier, you can just swipe your finger up or down on the screen to adjust the volume, after pressing the media controls button.


Can you do this anywhere on the screen? Or it has to be where the volume buttons are?


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## angelad (Jun 19, 2009)

Seen it an amazon, looks pretty cool, although I can't afford it.


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## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

I bought a Zune HD 32 on the 15th when they came out and I love it even more than my previous Zune 30.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Hopeful76 said:


> I bought a Zune HD 32 on the 15th when they came out and I love it even more than my previous Zune 30.


What do you like about it?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Sounds like y'all need this book, written by Brian Johnson, Duncan Mackenzie, and some guy named Harvey Chute:












Betsy


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## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

Jenni said:


> What do you like about it?


I already like Zune in general because I like their Zune pass service: $14.95/month for unlimited downloads to my player and I get to keep 10 songs every month.

I like the HD specifically because it is small, lightweight, and has a good amount of storage for me. 32 GB holds a lot of music and podcasts. I'm getting used to the touchscreen still, but so far I like it. The sound is really nice and the menus are easy to use. My only complaint is it seems to be hard to find a good case for it.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Sounds like y'all need this book, written by Brian Johnson, Duncan Mackenzie, and some guy named Harvey Chute:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for that plug, Betsy! 

I keep asking Wiley if they plan to update the book, it's in serious need of a refresh. But I'm fond of it as it was my first book credit!!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And now it's on Kindle, how's that for synchronicity?

Betsy


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

I have the zune pass, and I tried buying a song with my song credit. The song didn't download (but song credit was used) and when I tried to restore it, I get an error code. It has happened to me twice already. Help please?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Have you contacted Zune customer service?

Betsy


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

\


Betsy the Quilter said:


> Have you contacted Zune customer service?
> 
> Betsy


Their phone customer service is pretty helpful.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

So I was considering an ipod, but now you guys have me thinking about Zune.  I love the idea of having the $15/ month unlimited songs, and even better for the 10 song credits.  Then it’s really only $5/ month for all the songs I want.  But can you guys answer a few questions for me?   Sorry if these seem simple, but I haven’t delved into the world of mp3 players as of yet.  If I buy one it won’t be the HD, but the other one since I don’t have the $$ for the HD right now, and I am thinking of getting 2.  So I would appreciate answers based on the non-HD zune.    Thanks!!!

1.	If I get two zunes, we can share the subscription right?
2.	Is there something that hooks the zune to my car to play all that music through my speakers?
3.	Can I load all my mp3’s from my cd collection on the zune?
4.	Will music bought someplace like Amazon store work on the zune?  (that way I still have options for music if the subscription goes away someday)

What do you love about your zune?  Why should I get it over the ipod?

Thanks!!
Rachel


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Athenagwis said:


> So I was considering an ipod, but now you guys have me thinking about Zune. I love the idea of having the $15/ month unlimited songs, and even better for the 10 song credits. Then it's really only $5/ month for all the songs I want. But can you guys answer a few questions for me?  Sorry if these seem simple, but I haven't delved into the world of mp3 players as of yet. If I buy one it won't be the HD, but the other one since I don't have the $$ for the HD right now, and I am thinking of getting 2. So I would appreciate answers based on the non-HD zune.  Thanks!!!
> 
> 1.	If I get two zunes, we can share the subscription right?
> 2.	Is there something that hooks the zune to my car to play all that music through my speakers?
> ...


I can help you with a few of these questions -- I had a 120GB non-HD Zune before the HD.

1.	If I get two zunes, we can share the subscription right? Yes. My husband and I both have Zune HDs and we share a Zune Pass subscription on the Zune 4.0 software on two computers. We have a shared external hard drive that we plug in to access our music.
2.	Is there something that hooks the zune to my car to play all that music through my speakers? If you have an Aux port (looks like a headphone jack -- same size) on your car stereo, you can use a cord with a headphone jack at either end to connect your Zune to your car. Or, you can use an FM transmitter. I've had several in the past, and the only one I've been happy with is my Monster iCarPlay FM Transmitter. Unfortunately, it's around $50. Or, you can buy a Zune HD Car Pack (check Amazon -- they have the new Zune HD one (which I think works with regular non-HD Zunes) and the previous model available.
3.	Can I load all my mp3's from my cd collection on the zune? Yes. As long as they're not DRM-ed (most aren't anymore), you can load them all onto your Zune.
4.	Will music bought someplace like Amazon store work on the zune? (that way I still have options for music if the subscription goes away someday) Yes -- I buy music from the Amazon music store all the time. They sell un-DRMed, fairly high quality MP3s.

What do you love about your zune?
a) One thing I love is the Zune Pass -- I love music, and I love downloading the latest music, as well as older music. If you have a song stuck in your head that you want to hear, you can log into the Zune software and download it right then.
b) Also, I love the interface on both the original Zune and Zune HD. It's unique, and a lot of fun to use.

Why should I get it over the ipod?
a) I think the sound quality is much better when listening to a Zune than an iPod.
b) Everybody has an iPod -- I wanted something different (full disclosure: I do have an iPhone...).

I'm sure Harvey can help you answer your questions too. You should check out his Zune site: www.zunerama.com. It's full of great info, and the forums are really great (and they might look familiar to you, too...).

Hope this helps!
Megan


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## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

Jenni said:


> I have the zune pass, and I tried buying a song with my song credit. The song didn't download (but song credit was used) and when I tried to restore it, I get an error code. It has happened to me twice already. Help please?


I don't have an exact answer to your question, but the few times I've had weird Zune issues, I've always gone to Zune message boards and found the answer there. Zune.com also has troubleshooting for common problems.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And then there's Harvey's other board, http://www.zunerama.com

Betsy


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## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

Athenagwis said:


> So I was considering an ipod, but now you guys have me thinking about Zune. I love the idea of having the $15/ month unlimited songs, and even better for the 10 song credits. Then it's really only $5/ month for all the songs I want. But can you guys answer a few questions for me?  Sorry if these seem simple, but I haven't delved into the world of mp3 players as of yet. If I buy one it won't be the HD, but the other one since I don't have the $$ for the HD right now, and I am thinking of getting 2. So I would appreciate answers based on the non-HD zune.  Thanks!!!
> 
> 1.	If I get two zunes, we can share the subscription right?
> 2.	Is there something that hooks the zune to my car to play all that music through my speakers?
> ...


I can help with this too.

1. Like MeganW, I also have two Zunes that share my pass and it works.
2. I use the cable that MeganW described that has a headphone jack on each end. I've tried the thing where you can play the Zune through the radio, but I tend to pick up radio stations randomly on it at the same time (not enjoyable) even when I'm tuned somewhere on FM radio that doesn't usually have a station.
3. I've put all my CDs even older ones onto my Zune without issues.
4. I've bought MP3s from Amazon and Napster and they automatically get "discovered" on my computer by my Zune software and transferred to my Zune.

What I love about my Zune:
The $14.95 / month for unlimited downloads and 10 free song credits (making it about $5 a month to listen to whatever I want)
Good sound quality. I think my HD sounds even better than CDs and my old Zune sounds pretty nice too.
The way music is organized on the player, easy to find what I want.

Why I like it better than iPod:
I actually had issues with an iPod not getting along with my computer. However, I know lots of people who haven't had problems and love their iPods. But I wanted a non-iPod since my iPod gave me so many problems.
iPod doesn't have the great subscription service listed above (in reasons why I love my Zune)
Both of my Zunes have a radio tuner on them (great for the gym where they broadcast the TV volume on radio stations) and my HD has a web browser that works in WiFi spots.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I told myself I didn't need one of these and the next day my ipod started cutting songs short and skipping past them.  It may be the drive failing in sectors or just something bad that I could wipe it clean and start over... but what fun is starting over on an old device?  If I'm going to start over it's going to be with something new, and I think you guys are convincing me on the Zune over the ipod.  I've just grown really tired of the clicky wheel and I wouldn't get a touch since I plan on an iphone when/if they move to Verizon next year.

So... I guess there's really no reason -not- to get a Zune.  It's just worrisome because they got such a bad rep from their other devices.  What to do!  I'm kind of a fan of dedicated devices... I wouldn't necessarily want my iphone tied up playing music in the car for instance.  It seems like it'd be a hassle, but I could be wrong and carrying two things might be more of a hassle... at any rate I have decisions to make now.  I REALLY tried to avoid this too, but my old 8GB ipod is calling my hand.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

I ended up getting one of the older ones, it's pink, which I LOVE.  I don't think the Zune has gotten a bad rap except from apple lovers.  actually everything I have read from people that own both say the zune has a better navigation system and better sound.  now obviously the appeal of apps on the new touch has people swinging that way, but I decided just like I like my e-reader to do only one thing, but that one thing the best (reading), I want my mp3 player to do one thing and do it the best (play music).  Plus the zune pass was a huge sell for me because I would never pay for a song like ice ice baby, but sometimes it's fun to have those songs on hand.  With the pass I can download these songs with no worries.

Thanks everyone!!
Rachel


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Athenagwis said:


> I ended up getting one of the older ones, it's pink, which I LOVE. I don't think the Zune has gotten a bad rap except from apple lovers. actually everything I have read from people that own both say the zune has a better navigation system and better sound. now obviously the appeal of apps on the new touch has people swinging that way, but I decided just like I like my e-reader to do only one thing, but that one thing the best (reading), I want my mp3 player to do one thing and do it the best (play music). Plus the zune pass was a huge sell for me because I would never pay for a song like ice ice baby, but sometimes it's fun to have those songs on hand. With the pass I can download these songs with no worries.
> 
> Thanks everyone!!
> Rachel


As a person who has also used the Zune Pass to NOT pay for Ice, Ice Baby, I completely agree!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

How are people finding the pop up menu overlay thing for manipulating tracks?  I've seen a lot of reviews dinging the device for this.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> How are people finding the pop up menu overlay thing for manipulating tracks? I've seen a lot of reviews dinging the device for this.


On the Zune HD? It doesn't bother me at all.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I really love the screen animations when it's playing music. If you haven't seen those, it's a "now playing" screen on the player that pans across artist pictures and slowly scrolling text of artist name, album name, song title, and time remaining in the track.

It's one thing I like about playing my Zune HD in my stereo dock, as that keeps the Now Playing screen lit up through my whole playlist.

I have the 16GB, all-black model.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I think I'm sold just from the Zune pass -_- I'm huge on discovering new music and what I listen to isn't exactly mainstream so it's difficult sometimes.  If they can just get it streaming Pandora I'd be in heaven... though I guess it'd need wifi for that so it's not exactly useful for the car where I do most of my listening.


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I think I'm sold just from the Zune pass -_- I'm huge on discovering new music and what I listen to isn't exactly mainstream so it's difficult sometimes. If they can just get it streaming Pandora I'd be in heaven... though I guess it'd need wifi for that so it's not exactly useful for the car where I do most of my listening.


Yes, but even better than pandora, you get to download all the songs you like AND skip as many times as you want! I had fun playing with the software on my computer tonight! My Zune will be here on Wednesday, but I went ahead and signed up for the 14 day trial now anyway. It's so fun to go in and be like "I want this song and this song and this song ..." LOL I already downloaded 40+ songs. Never would have done that at #1 a pop!! Loving it already!!

Cheers!
Rachel


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

MeganW said:


> Hey Jenni, I love my Zune HD -- it's awesome! The OLED screen is beautiful, the device is quick and very responsive, and the menus are like nothing I've ever seen. Oh, and the sound is terrific! And I absolutely love the 4.0 software's Smart DJ feature. It creates terrific mixes and playlists, and I'm constantly finding new music that I love.  And the Zune Pass is great -- unlimited downloading of all the music you want, and you get to keep 10 tracks each month!


Enabler.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Athenagwis said:


> Yes, but even better than pandora, you get to download all the songs you like AND skip as many times as you want! I had fun playing with the software on my computer tonight! My Zune will be here on Wednesday, but I went ahead and signed up for the 14 day trial now anyway. It's so fun to go in and be like "I want this song and this song and this song ..." LOL I already downloaded 40+ songs. Never would have done that at #1 a pop!! Loving it already!!
> 
> Cheers!
> Rachel


I'm trying to figure it all out right now myself >< And yeah that's true on the Pandora thing... though it made me stick with some songs I liked that I may not have given a chance if it hadn't.


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## SongbirdVB (Nov 18, 2008)

I got my 30G Zune back when they were first released.  At the time I decided not to get the monthly pass because I couldn't see "renting" music.  Now you get to KEEP 10 songs a month?  For always?  If that's true I might have to revisit the Zune pass...  Especially if I can share the pass with my DH, I got him a Zune for his birthday last year.

Now y'all have me wanting to hear Ice, Ice Baby!


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

Yes 10 songs FOR KEEPSIES 4eva & always.    You can download them as mp3 and they have no drm, so you can do as you will with them.  I think that’s the best part because then it’s like you are only paying $5 for access to every other song in the world.  

As far as Pandora … they have a feature called “smart dj” that is not nearly as smart as Pandora it looks like, but it will play songs from the marketplace (rather than what you already have downloaded) so you get those new-to-you songs still.  Then you can download them to add to playlists from there.  

Another cool feature is the zune has the fm radio feature, so while you are listening to the radio, you can mark a song you like then download it for “rent” (or keepsies with your credits), when you connect to your computer.  I am planning on doing this the first week I have it since I can never remember the name of the songs I hear and like on the radio.  

I also picked up an fm transmitter that you can use in the car or at home (runs on car power or battery, but you can buy a universal adapter too if you want regular power rather than battery), and I will use that to get my zune music to pretty much any radio I can find!  

I am very excited about my purchase!!  I think my only problem will be that I only got the 8 GB zune, and I am sure it will fill up quick!! 

Cheers!
Rachel


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## SongbirdVB (Nov 18, 2008)

Athenagwis said:


> Another cool feature is the zune has the fm radio feature, so while you are listening to the radio, you can mark a song you like then download it for rent (or keepsies with your credits), when you connect to your computer. I am planning on doing this the first week I have it since I can never remember the name of the songs I hear and like on the radio.


How do you mark a song? Is that something only the new HD will do? I'm obviously not using my Zune to it's full potential! Of the 30G I've used only 7G!


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

Nope not only HD.  The zune write-up says “Click to buy from the built-in FM radio. Every Zune device lets you listen to your favorite FM radio stations and click to tag the songs you like for later purchase when you sync your device with your PC.” But the station you’re listening to has to be broadcasting RDA and RT plus data.  I think more stations are doing this though because of all the new radios that have displays.  I don’t know how since I don’t have my zune, but you’ll have to try it out and see how it goes and let us know!! 

Rachel


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Well except for my computer hating me and blowing up (not due to the Zune from what I can tell), I had fun playing with my Zune.  It seems to pick up fingerprints really easily, but I am hoping that changes with use since it was even worse right out of the package than it is now.  Now I just gotta figure out how to change this splash screen.  It kind of doesn't feel right going in and just downloading album after album without consequences.  I noticed some I really enjoy show as unavailable, but I'm wondering if that's more because they show every album released by the band and other sites don't or if they just don't have some of the more hard to find stuff.

Is Harvey's book still useful in terms of the HD or has the entire way menus and such work changed too drastically?  I'm trying to figure out how to provide images for some of my burned CDs that they can't seem to find record of.  I'm a stickler for keeping everything all complete looking ><


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## angelad (Jun 19, 2009)

SongbirdVB said:


> I got my 30G Zune back when they were first released. At the time I decided not to get the monthly pass because I couldn't see "renting" music. Now you get to KEEP 10 songs a month? For always? If that's true I might have to revisit the Zune pass... Especially if I can share the pass with my DH, I got him a Zune for his birthday last year.
> 
> Now y'all have me wanting to hear Ice, Ice Baby!


How much does the Zune pass run for?


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

It's $14.99 a month, so with the 10 free songs (normally at $.99 each), it's like paying $5 for the subscription service.  You can sign up for a free 14 day trial to see if you like it, but you won't get your 10 songs until the trial is up and you get charged the monthly fee.

HTH!
Rachel


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Scheherazade said:


> ...
> Is Harvey's book still useful in terms of the HD or has the entire way menus and such work changed too drastically? I'm trying to figure out how to provide images for some of my burned CDs that they can't seem to find record of. I'm a stickler for keeping everything all complete looking ><


The book I co-wrote is pretty much obsolete given the newer Zune software, and definitely given the new features of the Zune HD.

A better source would be the zune.net forums for that info, or - if I may - Zunerama's forums at http://www.zunerama.com. Lots of helpful people there with a lot of experience with the ins and outs of Zune!


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

I got my zune hd today!


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Athenagwis said:


> It's $14.99 a month, so with the 10 free songs (normally at $.99 each), it's like paying $5 for the subscription service.


...and honestly, mp3 prices have gone up and most new or popular songs are $1.29 both on iTunes and Amazon mp3, so it's really like $12.90 worth of music and $2.09 for the monthly service! I wish iTunes had a subscription plan similar to the Zune pass. Although with the price increases lately, I wonder if Zune pass will go up...?


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah... I've had my Zune for like... hours, and I'm already in love.  It's so easy to navigate and I can't believe how much better it sounds than my ipod, even having to run it through the radio converter thingy.  I really still can't wrap my mind around the Zune pass, but I know that my days of listening to 15 seconds of a song then buying it and regretting it are all but gone now.  I just need to figure out how to get the wifi to work at school and play around with it some more... and get a car stereo with a direct connection and I'll be on top of the world!  This has been one of my most exciting purchases since um... well, since my Kindle.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I've added one to my wishlist..... It'll make a nice Christmas present from my husband.... I just wish the software was Mac compatible, I don't really care to use the PC if I don't have to.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I just need to... get a car stereo with a direct connection and I'll be on top of the world!


More than likely, you can add a direct connection to your existing stereo. What is the year/make/model of your car and does it have the original car stereo or an aftermarket, if aftermarket, what brand?


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

As for audio quality, I've heard conflicting reviews. One guy I trust pretty much 100% is Leo Laporte (his *Tech Guy Podcast* is great for geeks and non-geeks!) and in his recent review of the ZuneHD he said the iPod Touch had better sound quality... I guess just like books, the reviews are entirely subjective! =)


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I have a lot of audiophiles who frequent my Zune user forum, and the conventional wisdom out there seems to be that Zune delivers superior audio to iPod. However, I own both and I can't say that I really detect a difference with most music. 

One difference: the iPod lineup has more equalizer options. In fact, earlier Zune players don't have equalizer settings, and the Zune HD only has a few settings compared to iPod. 

My impression is that the audio "purists" out there don't believe in preset equalizers because of the filtering that it applies to the original recording. 

I don't use equalizer settings, but that is more out of laziness than out of any audio persnickity-ness..!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

911jason said:


> More than likely, you can add a direct connection to your existing stereo. What is the year/make/model of your car and does it have the original car stereo or an aftermarket, if aftermarket, what brand?


I have a really nice Panasonic sliding face player with a single plug in the back that is currently being taken up by Sirius Radio. I got it from, what I have come to find, was a sleazy company who not only did a lot of damage to my interior when installing it and left the Sirius antenna wire balled up and stuffed up under my steering column to fall out in a mess on my brake one day, but also refused to replace it only a few months later when the keen sliding face bit refused to slide anymore. So what I have now is a broken CD player that gets Sirius, plays one CD and has the FM transmitter for my Zune.

That's why I'm figuring on just replacing it, unless I can find a place that can fix this sort of thing. Admittedly I haven't tried to see if it would be cost effective to get the motor that pulls the face down fixed or not. It's gotten worse in the last couple weeks as every time I turn the car off it tries to slide open so it can be removed but only slides half an inch then stops. Now it slides half an inch, stops... and added a shuddering grinding as it closes back. The same place has installed a direct plug for my ipod when I got the stereo then assured me they could install it so Sirius and my ipod would work together... needless to say it didn't and they just ended up doing more damage to my interior.

As for equalizers, eh... I tend to like the sound better on no equalizer, though I can see where a user set one would be nice. I don't think it would be totally out of the question for it to be added as an app or even an upgrade later... but I definitely hear a massive difference in sound quality and am really pleased.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

911jason said:


> More than likely, you can add a direct connection to your existing stereo. What is the year/make/model of your car and does it have the original car stereo or an aftermarket, if aftermarket, what brand?


I still need to look into this myself (I've been saying that for over a year). I know a friend had one added to a relatively recent model Toyota, but my 12 year old Subaru may be a little tougher to retrofit.



Harvey said:


> I have a lot of audiophiles who frequent my Zune user forum, and the conventional wisdom out there seems to be that Zune delivers superior audio to iPod. However, I own both and I can't say that I really detect a difference with most music.
> 
> One difference: the iPod lineup has more equalizer options. In fact, earlier Zune players don't have equalizer settings, and the Zune HD only has a few settings compared to iPod.
> 
> ...


Can't say I count as a "purist" by any stretch, but the audio quality of many digital files just sound a bit off to me, even with the best speakers and regardless of the settings. I **do** use the equalizer settings on the iPhone regularly, even changing them between songs as some do seem better on one setting than another. But I've generally given up using speakers most of the time & rely on a good set of headphones instead. *That* made a big difference in how much I enjoy using a digital player!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Harvey said:


> My impression is that the audio "purists" out there don't believe in preset equalizers because of the filtering that it applies to the original recording.


All the people I know that qualify as audio purists wouldn't be caught dead listening to any form of digital music.   

Mike


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

^ Yes, there is definitely that level of "it's gotta be live, or vinyl, or nothing" purity.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Harvey said:


> ^ Yes, there is definitely that level of "it's gotta be live, or vinyl, or nothing" purity.


I prefer wax cylinders personally, but it's very difficult to get the new Evanescence in that format.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

What are some good earphones? I don't want the in-ear ones. Thanks.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

Jenni said:


> What are some good earphones? I don't want the in-ear ones. Thanks.


I love my Sennheiser PX 200 headphones, and I also love my Bose on-ear headphones, but I definitely paid the "Bose tax" for those... If you're looking for great reviews and opinions, check out CNet's headphone coverage here: http://reviews.cnet.com/best-headphones/?tag=mncol. I really trust their reviews, and they give their top 5 best headphones, earphones, budget headphones, travel headphones, etc.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Harvey said:


> ^ Yes, there is definitely that level of "it's gotta be live, or vinyl, or nothing" purity.


I'm really fortunate that I'm not that picky. 

On the other hand, on albums where I have both vinyl and CDs, I frequently can tell how badly the digital versions have been re-mastered. 

I can't tell the difference between the Zune and the iPod, either (and I've been an amateur musician for 50+ years. You'd think my hearing would be better developed).

Mike


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Maybe it's more my FM transmitter than anything... except my Zune FM Transmitter is so much worse than the knockoff ipod one I got to the point it finally has me ready to replace my stereo that's been broken for 4 years.  But I mostly hear it on older CDs that I ripped myself.  I found myself never listening to them on my ipod because the quality was so muddled and just not fun to listen to.  On my Zune they're crisp and a joy to hear again.  Pretty sure that can't just be the transmitter, but that's been my experience thus far.  I just want it without static now... this new doohicky can't find a decent channel to broadcast to to save its life.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I went through three FM transmitters a few years ago, none of them were very good. If you have a cassette player, you would be better off with a cassette adapter. When I bought my current car in 2005 a requirement was an audio input, and it was what made me choose my Saturn Vue over the Hyundai Tucson.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Unfortunately I have a CD player (in theory since the CD is stuck in it).  I guess they did market it as a disc player, not a discs player.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

That stinks.... Have you thought about replacing the stereo?


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah, that's what I'm going to end up doing, but I didn't plan on buying a Zune and certainly didn't plan on the stereo replacement yet either ><  I keep trying to tell myself I didn't waste money on the transmitter too by saying it'll make it so I can play it other places in the event there's only a radio available for some reason but I have not encountered a situation like that yet.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Oh, you could probably sell that FM transmitter on zunerama!


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## Athenagwis (Apr 2, 2009)

I got mine yesterday, but I am waiting on my transmitter.  I did get one that could transmit anywhere (not just the car), because I want to use it at work and I don’t want to have to buy the speakers for the zune.  And I can use that on my home stereo too, I figured since I have to buy one for the car (no tape player or aux port and I am not buying a new stereo right now), I may as well have it to use elsewhere and not have to worry about buying separate speakers.  

Anyway, so far I am loving it!  I love that you can sync it without being connected to the computer.  It is going to hold a lot less songs than I anticipated, but if I grow out of it, I can always skin it and give it to my son or husband and get me a bigger one!!   I am happy to be a part of the zune family!!

Rachel


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> I found myself never listening to them on my ipod because the quality was so muddled and just not fun to listen to. On my Zune they're crisp and a joy to hear again. Pretty sure that can't just be the transmitter, but that's been my experience thus far.


My music was all encoded at 256kbps (where possible). When using the same output device (speakers/heaphones) I couldn't tell the difference between a Zune and an iPod. I've never used one of those FM transmitters that sounded good to me. Even the cassette adaptors are highly variable in sound quality.

None of them match CD quality (as I recall, around 1,400kbps), at least to my ears.

I've always considered the iPod and Zune as convenience devices. If I want to pay attention to the music, I'll use my home stereo.

Oddly enough, I rarely listen to music from an mp3 player any more, it's mainly podcasts. 

Mike


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> Oh, you could probably sell that FM transmitter on zunerama!


Good idea  I could probably even still return it but that feels kinda sleazy to me since it did work (mostly) how they claimed and I have made use of it.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I prefer wax cylinders personally, but it's very difficult to get the new Evanescence in that format.


Don't know what a wax cylinder is? Watch this video... very funny!


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

jmiked said:


> My music was all encoded at 256kbps (where possible). When using the same output device (speakers/heaphones) I couldn't tell the difference between a Zune and an iPod.


Very good point Mike, I wonder if those who think the iPod sounded inferior to the Zune were using the old default 128kbps setting for their music... everything iTunes sells now is encoded at 256kbps. Of course, you have always had the choice to encode CDs that you were importing into iTunes at that higher rate, but many people never bothered to change the setting.


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