May 26, 2009 4:44 PM PDT
Microsoft confirms Zune HD coming this fall
by Ina Fried

Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed its plans to take on the iPod Touch with a new, touch-screen Zune that will be able to surf the Web, play high-definition movies, and tune in to digital radio.

The Zune HD, which will be available in the U.S. only starting this fall, features an HD Radio tuner as well as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Microsoft said. It is based on Windows CE and will use a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touch screen, Microsoft said.

The software maker did not announce pricing or capacity, though it said the device will use flash memory and attempt to take on Apple's high-end iPod models.

"This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch," Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. Zune buyers will also be able to play HD content on their TVs via a dock, Microsoft said.

The software maker also said that at next week's E3 trade show in Los Angeles it will announce details on a new Zune-branded video service for the Xbox that will replace the current Xbox Live marketplace for TV and movies. The company didn't announce details or specifically say that content will be playable on both Zunes and the Xbox.

Currently videos purchased via the Xbox can't be played on a Zune, although both stores use a similar back-end infrastructure to serve up content. Over time, Stephenson said the goal is to move toward a world in which content purchased once can be played on a variety of devices.

Microsoft plans to offer the new Zune video service in a number of European markets, in addition to North America.



Microsoft's Zune HD will be released this fall in the U.S. The software maker has not announced pricing or capacity.
(Credit: Microsoft )

As for the Zune HD, Microsoft is doubling down on its bet on a radio tuner as a distinguishing feature. Stephenson noted that the current Zune's FM radio is its second most popular selling point. Adding support for HD Radio, a free over-the-air digital radio technology, represents both a risk and opportunity.

"It's really one of the first portable HD radio receivers out there," Stephenson said. "It's going to be important for us to communicate the value of HD Radio since it is a fairly nascent technology."

One of the big unanswered questions is what sort of gaming abilities the Zune HD will have. There has been speculation on the topic, but Microsoft refused to comment ahead of E3 saying it had no details to share at this time.

Microsoft plans to continue selling its hard drive-based model, which will have a software QWERTY keyboard, but said it plans to eventually discontinue its other flash models in favor of the Zune HD.

"Expect to see the Zune HD...become the definitive Zune product going forward," Stephenson said. "You will continue to see the hard drive product in the market. (The Zune HD) will take over from existing flash devices."

Although Microsoft has said it isn't building a ZunePhone, the company does want to be able to offer its Zune service on phones. However, Stephenson said that is a longer-term goal that will take at least until next year to fulfill.

"This is enough work for us this year," he said. "Going forward, Zune will start to surface on multiple platforms across the ecosystem. Expect to see it pop up in many different places."

Originally posted at Beyond Binary

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简要翻译：
Zune HD 具备OLED背光触摸屏，可以浏览无线网络（IE特别版），播放高清视频，收听数字广播。是否具备游戏功能，微软拒绝在E3前作出任何评论。

【详细规格更新！】

微软官方新闻稿：  http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19 ... pands-to-Xbox-Live/

引用:

Zune Service Expands to New Platform
Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD
Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

    * Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.
    * The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
    * The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*
    * Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
    * Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD .

Zune 将加入 Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace 网络，成为NXE面板下的首选画面，这意味着同时拥有Xbox 360和Zune HD的用户可以用360直接下载视频营音内容传输至Zune HD。更多细节将在即将举行的本届E3公布。

硬件特性：

    * Zune HD 内建高清广播接收器。用户可以在移动状态下收听高清晰的音频广播节目。
    * 绚丽的OLED触摸屏界面，可以方便在音乐、电影和其他娱乐内容之间切换。16：9宽屏显示比例（分辨率480x272）提供绝佳视觉效果。
    * 兼容高清输出，Zune HD可以通过扩展基座（另行销售）上的HDMI接口输出720P内容到高清电视。
    * Zune HD 将具备支持多点触摸的全屏互联网浏览功能。
    * Zune HD 内置Wi - Fi，可以从Zune音乐商店无线下载多达5百万首歌曲。

[ 本帖最后由 RestlessDream 于 2009-5-27 20:56 编辑 ]

引用:

原帖由 theseus 于 2009-5-27 14:26 发表
分辨率太低，视频能力肯定会被国产mp4打的满地找牙
只能依靠XBLA和网络了

具体分辨率只字未提，还没公布，您就太低啦。话说山寨mp4把谁都可以打的满地爪牙。。。

现在的Zune不能直接播放XBLM上下载的视频节目，所以联动，乃至全新的XBLM是Zune HD值得关注的重点。

网络功能从Zune第一代开始就是微软力推的重点，可以和好友分享乐曲，无线下载，所以Zune的菜单里有Social这个从播放器角度看比较奇怪的菜单项。

官方新闻稿更新了

引用:

原帖由 arex 于 2009-5-28 00:41 发表
480x272也敢叫高清？？

我当只有国内山寨Mp4这样宣传呢

是能播放高清。移动设备都不存在高清分辨率。