Update 1.2
Sorry to be slow due to the power distraction; we completed software update 1.2. This release adds Windows Vista support (satsifying some early adopters and everyone at Microsoft). You can imagine the pressure was on to get that one out...
It also fixes a lot of minor bugs and (for me) improved some of the out of box experience.
14 Comments:
Thanks David. Am I right that it also improves the resolution of album art displays?
Harvey
http://www.zunerama.com
Album Art? The auto-scaling for the Paste Album Art feature now scales to 240 x 240 (Zune resolution), instead of 200 x 200. As such, it will also generate a bigger 240 x 240 Folder.jpg, too. It's a bit overly compressed, though - more JPEG artifacts than some would like.
Online "automatic" downloaded Album Art (for your rips) is still 200 x 200. But they have fairly decent compression and look decent on the Zune screen at 240 x 240.
For "best quality", put cleaner (and optionally higher resolution) art directly in your files without "Paste Album Art" - the Zune software should use that as the "source" image that is resized (if needed) and recompressed... and transfers to the Zune player on sync.
Say congrats to the team, great to see an update come out so quickly, especially considering the wind storm that hit you guys.
The usual nagging question, any way to get a more detailed list of what was changed/fixed?
It doesn't support the RC1 or RC2 builds...so it doesn't really help out us early adopters at all from that standpoint. I love the Zune, it just sucks that I have to wait until the end of January to pick one up because my computer won't work with it.
Hi David,
Unfortunately, this update did NOT fix the skipping problem many (all?) of us that use the Marketplace Subscription are having.
Approximately every third song skips horribly for the first 5-20 seconds of the song. It then settles down and finishes the track fine. Sometimes it's two songs in a row, sometimes I might get 3 in a row that don't skip.
It's extremely annoying.
I've called, and the others I've taled to have called support and we all get the same response: Hmmm, that's the first time we've heard of this problem. Most of the others I've talked to are resorting to DRM stripping/re-recording apps that turn the songs into non-marketplace mp3s. Not exactly the behavior you want to encourage...
Please, please do what you can to at least have someone confirm that it's a known issue and make some sort of "we're working on it" statement.
It's broken, and as much as I want to love my zune, I'm unable to recommend it to my friends since the biggest factor that differentiates it from an Ipod is BROKEN. Argh!
It would have been nice if it fixed the skipping issue. The is a MAJOR problem that I thought should have been addressed and an update released. Do you know how annoying it is to have been listening to skipping of a month now? It really makes your reconsider. I love my Zune except for this fact.
is it normal for my zune to randomly turn off sometimes? every so ofter my zune will turn off in the middle of a song, even with full battery and flat on a table. then i have to wait about 45 seconds to be able to start it up with the zune bootscreen.
The question I have is that in all the beta testing and sending out review units, no one noticed the one potential thing that would be the most annoying, considering this is a music player- SKIPPING? My player skips each time I use it, religiously. Im tired of it and hoped this update would help. If the next update doesn't do the trick, then there's a serious problem.
I'm checking on the skipping and auto off issues in the comments above; will supply answers if they're forthcoming.
Count me as another who would very much like to hear something semi-official about the skipping issue. I have until Jan. 31st to return my Zune, and if it doesn't stop skipping by then, I think I will.
I agree - count me in as yet another sucker who went for the Zune and now has the skipping problem. Look, for me I went for the marketplace model - that's why I abandoned my iPOD for the Zune. But if it is only going to work properly with either straight MP3 or taking the time to DRM strip ZM files, guys it ain't worth it. The sad part is M$ will never learn. Here they had a great opportunity and a good window to snare some market share and the first thing after launch here's a major problem. And through Microsofts' arrogance (the first I ever heard about this my *ss!) it will eventually make it out to the general public - aka potential buyers. And with that, voila a legacy is born - one not easily (if ever) lived down. The general public will think Zune=defective.
One more time: NOT EVERYONE HAS THESE PROBLEMS. This is obvious, since I do not think any formal product review had this skipping problem... even for the ones that pretty much slammed the Zune as a total piece of junk.
Just help them identify and fix the issue. I have 10GB of Marketplace content and I am cool. The rest is unprotected MP3, AAC, WMA & WMA Pro.
My Zune experience has been trouble-free, but I would really enjoy a couple things added to the software experience:
a) The ability to edit the metadata of material already stored on the Zune.
b) Album art is still tricky: no delete option for art, and when multiple images for album art are put on one album, you see an all black screen image for the cover.
c) It'd be nice if album art and images displayed from the Zune and weren't married to hard drive contents. Especially considering we can transfer files to and from the Zune so easily.
Overall, however, I've had an outstanding player experience. :)
David,
I emailed you recently about the skipping problem and called tech support. I've yet to hear an official response/solution to the skipping problem. The closet I've come is leave the backlight on. Sorry Microsoft but that ain't cutting for me. You guys at MS need to say something in regards to this otherwise you will go the way of all the other "IPOD killers". I'm convinced it is a DRM problem with the Gigabeat S and songs purchased through the Marketplace. Should be a firmware fix.
Again just for the record. My serial number is SN 155344663810. I purchased my Zune on Jan. 4th at the Best Buy in Midland, MI
Please someone get back to me!
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