Moments ago, Microsoft lifted the covers on its plans to integrate Zune Video Marketplace with Xbox.

High-definition movies and TV shows from Zune Marketplace are being made available to 17 million Xbox LIVE subscribers. The previous Xbox video store is being merged into the Zune Marketplace video store. This is a significant extension of the Zune brand to the powerful Xbox platform.

Zune video on Xbox LIVE will show “instant on, smooth-streaming content”, in 1080p HD with 5.1 surround sound. Some details from today’s Microsoft keynote at the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) conference in Los Angeles:

• Video startup is as close to instantaneous as possible by seamlessly transitioning between many different bitrates and resolutions of video
• Video playback will start at a low bitrate for fast download time and then ramp up to a higher bitrate and quality
• This process enables delivery of up to 1080p with 5.1 surround sound
• Enhanced search functions within Zune video on Xbox LIVE helps you easily find your favorite film or TV show

The service will be available in eighteen countries: US, Canada, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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More details and videos are surfacing about the ZuneHD, which will be released this fall by Microsoft. The video above, from C|net, doesn’t clearly show the entire menu of options, but gives a glimpse of the look and feel of the new player.

One thing that strikes me is the responsiveness of the accelerometer. Watch as the picture display pivots from portrait to landscape mode – it’s a brisk transition, compared to my own experience with iPhone and iPod Touch.

I’m guessing that the web browser will be another menu option – unless it’s tucked under the Social menu. No video that I’ve seen shows the browser, and my understanding is that it’s not yet enabled in these pre-release models. The browser is described by Microsoft as finger-friendly (as opposed to stylus or keyboard-driven). It’s a derivation of Internet Explorer, customized and optimized for ZuneHD. This browser is probably a forerunner to the updated browser expected in upcoming releases of Windows Mobile.

The ZuneHD has an OLED screen – as opposed to LCD screens like the other Zune models and the iPod Touch. What’s that about? OLED displays differ from LCD screens in significant ways: they don’t require a built-in backlight, so they don’t draw as much battery power as LCD; they’re thinner, again because the backlight is not required; they’re capable of displaying a greater range of colors, brightness, and contrast than LCDs; and they allow the display to be viewed from a much wider range of viewing angles than LCDs.

While it’s difficult to tell from the videos, it’s likely that the ZuneHD OLED display will be noticeably better in quality than iPod Touch when the two are viewed side-by-side. Now that’s a video I’d like to see.

We have links to more ZuneHD videos where you can see more angles and commentary.

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The ZuneHD is officially announced by Microsoft today, and features:

• 3.3-inch, 16:9 widescreen display
• 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display
• Multi-touch capability on the touchscreen
• Built-in HD Radio receiver. HD Radio provides higher-quality sound than traditional radio, and allows additional song and artist data to be displayed on the player. Some stations also multicast in HD, so you can switch from HD to HD2 or HD3 for additional listening options. And, you can tag songs to buy them from HD Radio, just like you can now with the Zune’s Buy From FM feature.
• HD video output lets you play high-definition video on an HD TV, though a (separately-sold) HDMI dock.
• Web browser – Internet Explorer-based, customized for ZuneHD and optimized for multitouch functionality.
• Built-in Wi-Fi allows for streaming of Zune Marketplace tracks to the player
• Built-in accelerometer. This is cited as being used with the web browser, but presumably would be available for other functions as well. Gaming, perhaps?
• Touch-screen QWERTY keyboard. This is also cited as a browser capability, but its presence could be a sign that it’s available for other functions, too. We’re hoping it is for Wi-Fi sign-on and Marketplace browsing, for example.

No official word yet on price or capacity. (It is a flash-drive player – not a hard drive model.) Release date for this is expected in the fall.

More info is at the official site: http://www.zune.net/en-us/mp3players/zunehd/default.htm

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This may surprise you, but the Zune accessory that we get the most response to in Zunerama is one of the higher-end Zune docks available – the ZK500 dock from Kicker.

I was reminded of why this is today, when I hauled my ZK500 outside and blasted tunes for 4 hours while ZuneWidow and I did yard work. I love this sound system.

With my Zune 16gb docked in it, the ZK500 admirably and richly served up my “Running” playlist. Today’s random selections from that playlist included The Cars, Boston, Joe Satriano, The Actual Tigers, The Who, Jason Mraz, Plain White Ts, and many more of my faves.

Now that’s getting summer off to a good start.

Regularly $249, the ZK500 is available on Amazon for $186.

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This morning, the Zune team launched some handy updates to service.zune.net – the site for Zune troubleshooting and for sending in players for repairs.

The site provides a way to register your Zune player, perform online troubleshooting, and to track the status of a Zune that is sent in for repairs.

Some screenshots:

Information on a registered Zune player

Troubleshooting help

Status of a player sent in for servicing

The site updates are available for United States and Canadian (English) customers.

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Maximo has released its iM-590 earphones – the latest upgrade in the iMetal line. I’ve been using these sound-isolating earphones for the past three weeks, and found them to be impressive in design and performance. At $59, the iM-590 headphones fill a nice niche – superior quality earphones at a reasonable price.

The iM-590s come fully equipped with accessories, including four sizes of earbuds, shirt clip, airplane adapter, cell phone adapter, 24-inch extension cable, and carrying case.

The carrying case can hold all of the accessories, and includes an inner drum for wrapping the cable around.

The iM-590’s thoughtful design extends to the shirt clip. The clip attaches above the “Y” in the cable split; in fact, it doubles as an anti-tangle slider. This means that you can clip the earphone cable to the collar of your shirt – eliminating loose cord.

(Most shirt clips are attached to the main cable, below the split. This results in the clip attaching in the middle of your shirt, giving a longer length of looser cord to deal with.)

This is a definite plus when you’re out for a run or at the gym.

The earbud tip material strikes the right balance of flexibility and resilience. It makes for a comfortable fit, in my ears at least, and effectively blocks outside sound. These are “sound-isolating” earbuds that deserve the label.

The headphones are lightweight, made of a metal alloy material. The sound produced does not disappoint, with full lower tones and crisp uppers. Maximo recommends that the headphones be “burned in” for ten hours. I’ve used mine for about thirty hours at the time of this review. I honestly can’t say I’ve noticed a difference over that time, but I presume there is an engineering basis for recommending the burn-in. I can say that the sound has been rich and satisfying throughout.

If you’re in the market for a good set of earphones that are a definite cut above the norm, you can’t go far wrong by settling on the solid design and performance of the Maximo iM-590 earphones. We’re giving the iM-590s our Recommended by Zunerama designation.

Link to Maximo product page: http://www.maximoproducts.com/imetal/iM-590.php

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When it comes to music subscriptions,  Zune Pass has “a huge edge” over Rhapsody’s subscription service, according to this analysis from Ed Bott.

Those two are the only major music services that offer subscriptions, which in my view is the future of music services. If you’re into all-you-can-eat music, Zune Pass is the way to go and you can’t beat its cost model. (With the $14.95 Zune Pass, you get unlimited music downloads or streaming, plus you can download 10 songs per month that you get to keep forever.)

For downloading pay-per-tracks, iTunes is obviously the market leader, in its near-monopoly in that area. How do its competitors line up in terms of cost, selection, sampling, user experience, and recovery of downloaded files? For an interesting comparison of iTunes, Zune Marketplace, Amazon MP3, Lala, Rhapsody, Amie Street, and eMusic, see the full review.

Thanks to RL for the tip!

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Anythingbutipod has conducted a series of hardness tests on MP3 player screens.

Using keys, a razor blade, and a carbon steel kitchen knife, Grahm from ABI vividly demonstrates how the Zune’s glass screen is impervious to being scratched.

As Grahm points out, a device’s susceptibility to scratches is determined by the relative hardness of the device material compared to the material it comes in contact with. A hard object will not be scratched by a softer object, and the Mohs hardness scale can be used to classify the relative hardness of different materials.

See the video below, and I’d recommend visiting ABI for the scratch test results on several MP3 players. It just might make you re-think the notion of purchasing a screen protector. These glass screens are tough!

Incipio is clearing out its inventory of accessories for the current generation of Zune players, including their leather cases and the awesome metal slider cases picture above.

You can get your picks from their great selection of cases, for 50% off. And, U.S. shipping is free.

That’s a great deal on some quality cases. (I’m currently using the  Incipio leather flip case on my Zune 80gb player. )

Check out all of their cases and other accessories at myincipio.com. We’ve used many of these accessories from Incipio – you can check our photo reviews in our Accessories Review page.

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Have you accidentally cracked the screen on your Zune 120, 80, or flash player?

It’s not easy to do, with the glass screen, but it can happen.

When I and my fellow MVPs met today with the Zune support team, they mentioned that you can now get your cracked screen replaced by Microsoft. Previously, there was no avenue for doing this outside of do-it-yourself, void-your-warranty projects.

The price is $79.99 which includes shipping, both ways. This service covers replacement of the glass screen, the LCD display, or both.

Contact Microsoft support (877-GET-ZUNE) if you’re in need. It’s available for current Zune models; if you own an original 30GB you’ll have to go the DIY route.

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