5 thoughts on “:-)Zune HD 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)”

1. 2,268 of 2,321 people found the following review helpful:

   
   The 3rd generation’s a charm, September 16, 2009

   By 

   E. Yasi (Waltham, MA USA) –
   
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase/175-0943893-5008321', ‘AmazonHelp’, ‘width=400,height=500,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=0,status=1′);return false; “>What’s this?)

   This review is from: Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum) (Electronics)

   Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.

   I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)

   Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.

   Points of comparison:
   - Brighter OLED screen with more vivid color and better contrast
   OLED screens can wash out in direct sunlight more than others, but in almost any other situation they are clearly preferable, and have a marvelous eye-catching picture that needs to be seen to be appreciated. The screen has slighly lower resolution than the iPod Touch, but is also slightly smaller, so in the end video looks a little less pixellated when viewed closely, and very vivid.

   - HD Radio
   If you live within the reception area of some HD radio stations this can be a surprisingly nice feature. For me it’s not so much the slightly better sound quality as it is the additional streams of content that make this fun. For example, if you tune into an FM station, then it’s playing what you here, and if you don’t like it too bad. With an HD station, you may tune in and it will be shown with up to three signals to chose from labeled HD1, HD2, and HD3. HD1 may have whatever is playing on the FM version, HD2 may be news, and HD3 might be some alternative music w/ a different theme. For example one of our oldies station in the Boston area broadcasts a love-song themed selection on HD3. One caveat: if you don’t have a strong enough signal, these HD versions can cut in and out, making them frustrating to listen to. But, when the signal is strong enough it’s very enjoyable.

   - 720p video output via (an over-priced) dock. When transferring video content to the Zune you can specify if it should be sized appropriately for playback on the Zune or TV, so if you do plan to just watch on your Zune you won’t have the video taking up huge amounts of storage.

   - Zune Pass subscription service
   This is my favorite feature that will keep me using a Zune until it’s pried from my my desperate grasp. For $15 a month I get 10 DRM-free MP3 songs to keep, and unlimited access to millions of songs. As long as you would have bought at least 10 songs anyways that means you’re paying only $5 for that access. It’s better than Pandora, Slacker, LastFM or other services because you can listen to full CDs, specify playlists and tracks in the exact order you want, AND can either stream this music or store it on your Zune to listen to later, even if out of wifi range. Lots of people present subscription services as something you do INSTEAD of owning music, but at this cheap a price there’s no reason you can’t use this as a supplement to whatever purchases you make. It’s not either/or, it’s a wonderful “AND”, especially if you’re the type who likes to explore and enjoy a broad range of music.

   Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.

   - Wireless sync
   In addition to wireless net access, you can sync your Zune to your PC wirelessly, which can be quite convenient on occasion. The new Zune HD seems to have better wireless reception than my prior Zunes.

   - Smart DJ
   Rhapsody first popularized a playlist construction service with its ‘Channels’ feature, and Apple followed with its ‘Genius’ feature. The idea is that you specify a song or artist, and the service will construct a playlist of similar music of both familiar and new artists for you to enjoy. The prior Zunes had a ‘Channel’ feature too, but I found it lacking in sophistication and accuracy. The 4.0 Zune Marketplace upgrade (the Zune equivalent of iTunes) now has a ‘Smart DJ’ feature that is a much improved version of the old…

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2. 907 of 965 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Zune HD Video Review, September 19, 2009

   By 

   enders4you (United States) –

   This review is from: Zune HD 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) (Electronics)

   

   Customer Video Review Length:: 9:55 Mins

   Here is a simple video on the features and what the Zune HD player can do . . .

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3. 865 of 935 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Outstanding., November 13, 2007

   By 

   L. Gonzalez “Combatpilot87″ (NC) –
   
     

   This review is from: Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black) (Electronics)

   I’ve owned 5 different kinds of iPods, as well as the original Zune, and I must say, that this product is by far the best of the group. I spent the day trying to return my iPod Classic (80GB) so that I could get my hands on one of these—and I had to look just about everywhere in town to find one.
   Is this better than the iPod Classic? Undoubtedly. I can make a fair comparison, as I have been toying with the Classic for the last two weeks. I’ve had iPod Nanos (first and third generations), 3 iPod Videos (5G), and an iPod Classic (80GB). The iPod is a fine product line, but I had too many bad experiences with the 5G video to want to keep them. I heard that the Z80 came out so I went and bought that one instead.
   I’m going to spend most of my time here discussing how the Zune 80 compares to its predecessor, the Zune 30, as well as the iPod line–as it has set the standard for mp3 players for the last few years.

   Screen- The glass screen looks much better than the original Zune’s plastic one. The 320X240 resolution looks great. It looks far better than the Classic’s screen. You can turn it sideways to take full advantage of it while watching videos. The iPod Classic’s screen can only be viewed from one direction, and it has for the most part remained the same since the fifth generation. The video quality is great. Although this is technically the same resolution as the ipod Classic, nano, and Zune 4 and 8, it still manages to look great because of its size and clarity. You will notice that the quality on the smaller Zune appears sharper, but that’s only because there are more pixels per square inch on them, due to the smaller size. Still looks awesome. This screen is slightly larger than the 1G Zune, but overall it is still smaller in both thinness and height. The glass screen is far more durable than the plastic one, and after a few months of testing it now I can say that it does not scratch easily, if at all.
   Build- This thing is built to last. It feels a lot denser and sturdier than the last year’s model. The first generation Zune couldn’t win a beauty contest by a long shot–but I think this one’s a winner. Aluminum back reminds me of the iPod line, although it’s much better because it is brushed metal. (Meaning you don’t have to keep it in a glass case, and bring out gloves when you want to handle it, like you did with the iPods). The paint, believe it or not, is actually very difficult to scratch. I’ve put it in my pocket with my keys, and the screen nor the paint scratches. I wouldn’t want purposefully subject it to such tests, but it happened, and it’s still in pristine condition. I scratched the back of my iPod Classic the first day I got it because of the glossy metal back. Scratching the back of your iPod is inevitable. I really don’t see a need for a case.
   Zunepad- The iPod’s scroll wheel was a nice piece of work when it first came out. The Zunepad is better. Bold statement? Maybe. But I can now navigate via touch controls in four different directions as opposed to two with the iPod. And it is very easy to do so. I was skeptical at first, but Microsoft nailed it. You can choose if you want to flick your fingers across the “squirqle” to play your music, or you can just press the buttons to navigate. Nothing against Apple, but the scrollwheel on the Classic wasn’t nearly as sensitive as the 5th generation iPod video’s. Aren’t you supposed to make progress when you release new hardware? I had problems with my Classic’s scrollwheel’s sensitivity. I can definitely see myself navigating menus much faster using the Zunepad.

   A few things that I’ve noticed: Zunepad doesn’t work with gloves of any sort (most of the time). Not that big of a problem, but I have noticed something interesting. Even the analog buttons underneath the Zunepad do not work if you are wearing gloves. It must sense that your skin is actually touching it to work correctly. I found that rather odd. I get some response out of it, but it usually doesn’t respond the way you want it to. This is a big deal for me, as it is getting cold. Taking off your gloves to change a song is a burden, although I still enjoy using it more than I did the scrollwheel (which worked with gloves.) I’ve tried cotton, leather, and suede. This sounds crazy, but it is my biggest gripe with the Zune 80.
   Firmware- Not too much different from the original, aside from aesthetics. It just looks pretty. Oversized letters are nice to look at, in addition to some decent animations. You can set your own backgrounds, as opposed to having the iPod Classic automatically flowing album art in the back (I hated that). The “twist” interface is much easier to use than that of the Ipod. I’m pretty sure I can get to a song much faster than someone with an Ipod. It works similar to a spreadsheet, as you have artist, songs, albums etc. listed at the top, with the contents of…

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4. 92 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Better than iPod Classic, but could be better, November 13, 2007

   By 

   H. S. Jawanda “visionslr” (Seattle, WA, USA) –
   
     

   This review is from: Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black) (Electronics)

   [UPDATE 4]

   The rating is actually 4.5/5, but since Amazon doesn’t allow fractions, I put down 4 stars.

   [Disclaimer]I work for Microsoft. I think I have been objective in this review–you can draw your own conclusions.[/Disclaimer] Also know that I do not work in the division that makes the Zune, so I have no insider information.

   Let’s start with my likes and dislikes of the Zune 80:

   THE GOOD
   * Beautiful, bright, large, glass (not plastic) screen. The size (3.2″) is so much better for viewing videos and pictures.
   * Size and weight (lighter than iPod Classic).
   * Capacity (80 GB).
   * Built-in Wi-Fi and associated wireless sync.
   * ZunePad.
   * UI (both of the device and the PC software).
   * FM radio.
   * Ability to rent music (allowing one to listen to whole songs before deciding whether to buy or not).
   * Build quality.
   * Customizable backgrounds.

   THE NEUTRAL
   * Wi-Fi sharing–if there aren’t enough Zuners around you, this is not of much use.
   * Simplification of the 5-point song rating scale to a 2-point (like/dislike) scale.

   THE BAD
   * None of the Zunes work as mass storage devices (portable hard drives)–every other player on the market has this ability, so why not the Zunes?
   * Automatic playlists are no more.

   Now for a more detailed review of some features…

   SYNC-ING: USB OR WIRELESS?

   Here’s the deal: Over-The-Air (OTA, aka wireless) syncing is going to be slower that USB syncing, but more convenient. So use USB sync for bulk transfers (e.g., when you sync your Zune 80 for the first time ), and OTA sync for smaller, incremental transfers (e.g., nightly updates). To realize the usefulness of wireless syncing, consider this setup: keep the Zune dock connected to your Home Theater (HT) receiver in the living room, then when you put your Zune in the dock, the player gets charged, the music gets synced and you can play your Zune’s music through your HT setup! I think the wireless sync is a very useful feature and finally MS is beginning to realize the potential of the on-board Wi-Fi (though more is possible).

   MUSIC: RENT OR BUY?

   Both. Renting music allows me to try out unlimited number of songs an unlimited number of times. Buying allows me to not worry about keeping up a subscription–I know that my favorite songs will always be with me. Renting also works well for “in” or “hip” music–this type of music typically gets overplayed and becomes boring before long. The subscription model allows me to fill up my Zune with the latest music for (say) a party, while keeping my options open for permanently acquiring some songs. The Zune Marketplace supports both models.

   ZUNEPAD

   The ZunePad is a great combination of D-pad (Directional-pad) and a trackpad. It took me all of 30 seconds to get used to it. Scrolling through long lists of songs is a breeze and fun too . You swipe up, down, left or right to navigate the Zune. A quick flick of your thumb will send a long list of songs scrolling in the intended direction, and a touch on the ZunePad will stop the scrolling (the scroll will come to a natural rest too). The whole action is very intuitive and works as expected–for example, the speed of list scrolling is proportional to the speed of your upward or downward swipe.

   COMPARISON

   It is inevitable to compare any new entrant in the Digital Audio Player (DAP)/Personal Music Player (PMP)/MP3 Player market to the corresponding iPod–the Zune 80′s natural competitor is the iPod Classic 80 GB. To compare the Zune 80 to any other device in the iPod family would be like comparing bananas and oranges .

   How the Zune 80 is better:
   * Larger, better screen (screen size vital when watching video)
   * Wi-Fi and associated wireless sync (possibility of new features via firmware updates)
   * FM radio with RDBS display (a saving of approximately 50 bucks vs. iPod Classic)
   * Sound quality
   * The UI is far more visually pleasing, both on the computer and on the device
   * Subscription-based access to entire Zune Marketplace song catalog
   * Zune marketplace has a well-developed social aspect to it (not such a big draw for me personally, but others will like it more).
   * ZunePad. Thumb motions on the ZunePad are simpler than on iPod’s clickwheel (or so says my right thumb, still recuperating from a serious, though unrelated, injury).

   How the iPod Classic is better:
   * Mass storage device capability (aka portable hard disk)
   * iTunes store has bigger song collection, and has videos too
   * Cover Flow (while visually snazzy,…

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5. 51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Pleasant Surprise – goodbye iPod, December 16, 2007

   By 

   ILoveGadgets “Gadgets always fit” (Florence, SC) –
   
     

   This review is from: Zune 80 GB Digital Media Player (Black) (Electronics)

   There is no such thing as a perfect digital player – they ALL have some shortcomings. That being written, I am pleasantly surprised by the Zune 80 gb player. I have owned hard-drive based MP3 players since 2003 when I bought my first one. I was recently using the 5G 60gb iPod and it needed replacing so I start researching players again. After a great deal of research, I bought the Zune but didn’t open it right away. I waited a few days. That was a mistake. For a few days, I just used the free Zune software. I have read some reviews that the software is terrible. I initally agreed but after learning it, I realized I reacted in haste. Sometimes it is a bigger challenge to ‘unlearn’ other product’s software. That was my case. Now I like its simplicity. I would recommend some improvements to it though but it is fine in a general sense. The player is quite good. The sound of the music, to me, is better than my iPod. I did a direct comparision listening to the exact same songs with the same headphones on each device and that is how I drew my conclusion. I have read a review that reported a great deal of problems with synching and so forth. I have experienced none of those issues. No doubling of songs. I do see it run back through the list of everything but it isn’t resynching everything. To me, it is checking the index of the Zune software’s list of files to the index on the Zune looking for differences to know what to synch or ignore. Here is my list of Pros and Cons for the Zune 80.

   Pros:
   *Better sounding music (even without equalizer – go figure)
   *Choice to use click method and/or touch. If you aren’t a huge fan of the iPod click-wheel, you will really appreciate the Zune. I love that change. The touch function is more natural. To scroll up, run your finger up on the touch pad. To scroll down, run your finger down. Or just click on the top/bottom/left/right of the touch pad to navigate. Again, it really is very natural to use.
   *Extremely easy on the eyes. This is a pleasure to view. Easy to read.
   *Friendly navigation. Again, unlearning other players is the biggest hurdle but worth getting to know the device. Once you do, you will really like this device.
   *Larger viewing screen.
   *Radio – with RDBS. Very nice feature.
   *Supports Podcasts. I subscribed to X-Play’s video game review podcast with no problems.
   *Nicer headphones included. They come with headphones that have inserts to help find a better fit.
   *The quick add playlist is very friendly to use. I didn’t really like the iPod one mostly because I wasn’t a huge fan of the clickwheel.
   *Substantial feel. It handles like a quality effort was put into it.

   Cons:
   *Battery life. Not long enough for me.
   *Some software design improvements needed on the Zune device and the Zune software on the pc. I could list a set of improvements but I won’t. They are more tweaks that I believe the development team could easily add. My field is software so I know I view things from a different perspective.

   Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I am glad I did not buy another iPod. I am excited about music again thanks to this player. I am actually looking forward to buying CD’s and DRM-free music. And remember, there is no such thing as a perfect digital player. Keep an open mind when you are browsing for players. There are many good choices out there, not just one. Oh, and please don’t give away music. Pay for it so the artist that you love can devote their creative talents to making even more music. (No – I don’t work in the music industry in any way. I just want to at least support the artists that make the music I want to hear.)

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