As part of the release of the new Zunes, Microsoft has updated the software. If you have a Zune, you should head over to Zune.net and download the new software. This will also update the firmware on your player as well.
Category: Tech
Jason Booth, a PS3 developer formerly employed by Harmonix has apparently been reading a few too many forum comments blaming poor PS3 ports on lazy developers. These ignorant posters often claim that the PS3 is the most powerful gaming platform, and that developers of poor ports are just too lazy to take advantage of all of its power. According to Booth, “Sony has all of these people duped by impressive marketing spin”. In his blog he attempts to explain why “ports to the ps3 will never be as good as their 360 counter parts, and why most ps3 exclusives will likely continue to suck”.
He picks apart much of the supposed “Hardware Advantages” of the PS3, such as blu-ray and the cell processor, and explains why they are more of a hindrance then a benefit. He ends his post by saying, “Sony let their hardware be designed by a comity of business interests rather than a well thought out design that would serve the game development community. They are going to loose hard this round because of it, and I hope that in the next round they take lessons from this round and produce a more balanced and usable machine.”
But he is just one more developer to add to the list of those that have spoken out against the PS3. For example, these comments are extremely similar to comments that Valve Software’s Gabe Newell made a few weeks ago when he called the PS3, “a waste of everyone’s time”. Something tells me that Booth isnt going to be the last one to make these types of remarks.
Well, it seems that nothing has changed despite releasing The Orange Box for the PS3. Valve’s head honcho still doesn’t like the platform. Last week in Edge magazine Newell called the PS3, “a waste of everyone’s time”. He then continued by stating, “Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There’s nothing there that you’re going to apply to anything else. You’re not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they’ve created. I don’t think they’re going to make money off their box. I don’t think it’s a good solution.” More of the interview can be read here.
On Tuesday Microsoft announced their new revamped line of Zune Media Players. The three new models (two equipped with flash memory) will be coming out sometime this November. The 4GB and 8GB players have a suggested retail price of $149 and $199 respectively, while the 80GB player (with a hard drive) will sell for $249. This pricing structure is the same as Apple’s iPod.
Some of the changes to go along with the new hardware include a rewriting the Zune’s software as well as a new Zune Marketplace. The new store will offer over 1 million unprotected songs to purchase. Other new features include syncing wirelessly over home networks, h.264 and MPEG-4 support, and podcast support. Early Zune adopters should not feel left out, as they will be getting all of the new software features.
Hard drive Zunes
- It’s called the Zune 80 and, shockingly enough, it has 80GB of storage.
- Uses the new Zune Pad — four way touch-sensitive d-pad (with up, down, left, and right buttons).
- It will sell for $250.
- Available only in black (to start).
- Screen size has increased to 3.2-inches (from 3-inches). As far as we know the resolution is still QVGA.
- Dimensions are 61.1 x 108.2 x 12.9mm (2.4 x 4.25 x 0.5-inches), some 1/3rd smaller than the classic Zune.
- The classic Zune will now be known as the Zune 30 — it’s not going anywhere. More on that in a sec.
New flash Zunes
- Zune 8 and Zune 4 are the names for the 8 and 4GB flash based models.
- Also uses the Zune Pad.
- These will sell for $200 and $150 respectively.
- Both will be available in pink, green, black, and red.
- It will feature a 1.8-inch screen
- Dimensions are 41.4 x 91.5 x 8.5mm (1.6 x 3.6 x 0.33-inches)
Everything else
- New Zunes ship in November, date not yet announced.
- All Zunes (including the Zune 30) will have a new, redesigned interface and feature parity. In other words, early Zune 30 adopters will have all the same software features as new Zune 80, 8, and 4 users.
- Additional native video codecs for h.264 and MPEG-4 — users no longer need transcode those file types to WMV.
- Zune can sync video from your Media Center PC.
- WiFi sync to host computer! Includes moving over music, movies, photos, podcasts, etc.
- Podcast support. Podcasts can also be shared via WiFi.
- The 3×3 song sharing DRM has had its three day restriction removed, but users can still only play files three times.
- The Zune software is all new and rewritten.
- The Zune music store is going DRM-free, with over 1m MP3 tracks being made available for download.
New Zune accessories
- Zune Home AV Pack ($99.99) – “Home Dock with three faceplates to accommodate each Zune device, wireless remote, AC adaptor and composite AV output cable.”
- Zune Dock Pack ($49.99) – “Home Dock with three faceplates to accommodate each Zune device and AC adapter.”
- Zune Car Pack ($79.99) – “Redesigned FM transmitter/charger and dashboard grip pad.”
- Zune Cable Pack ($39.99) – “Sync cable, composite AV output cable and audio cable.”
- Zune Premium Headphones ($39.99)
- Zune Leather Case ($49.99)
- Zune Sync Cable ($19.99)
- Zune AC Adapter ($29.99)
Those of you that have been following the format war know that there was some pretty big news last week. This news was the announcement that both Paramount and DreamWorks are becoming HD DVD-exclusive studios, brining blockbuster movies like Transformers and Shrek the Third with them. What caused this change of heart? Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures said, “I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount”. Of course rumor has it that a $150 million exclusivity agreement helped things a bit.
More positive news for the HD-DVD camp came out this week when Venturer Electronics announced that it will release a budget HD DVD player (SHD7000) this holiday season. People have expected that cheaper HD-DVD players were coming soon, but Venturer is the first to make an announcement. Pretty much all that is known about the player at this point is that the SHD7000 has an HDMI port capable of outputting video at 1080i and onboard Dolby TrueHD decoding. The player will be able to upconvert regular DVDs as well as play standard audio CDs. Price was not announced in the press release, but most are expecting the price to be around $150 – $199.