What do YOU want in the next firmware?

[themauirob]

Must-Haves:

1. Video Tag Editor in Zune software that transfers artist info (for music videos), actors/director/etc. (for tv/movies), genre, etc.

2. Customizable video categories

3. Video playlist with continuous/random video playback (like for music)

4. Global universal landscape mode (not just when playing video) that also switches wallpaper to landscape

5. Clock Radio-type features with sleep timer and snooze

6. Support for dvr-ms for use with MCE (Live on west coast. would be SWEET if i could wake up and have CNBC Squawk Box [or whatever else TV I've recorded over night] already transcoded and loaded up all on my zune just by having the Zune software monitor the My TV folder). As it is now, I have to manually use AVS Video Converter. Kind of a pain when some things such as news programs I don't need to edit and will delete after a day anyway.

Nice-To-Haves:

7. Support for customizable themes

8. Ability to have different wallpaper in different screens. Or even just randomizing wallpaper would be cool.

9. Open Wi-Fi. Not necessarily for heavy use, but for use with sites like even just Avantgo would be a huge value-add.

10. More video suppot. At least MP4 (and of course dvr-ms already mentioned).

11. Wi-Fi games. Simple games like texas holdem over wi-fi with your friends would be awesome (while they're at it, add a few dozen other card, fighting, classic board games, etc). Wi-Fi games IMO would be truly an iPod killer (until of course the iPod also go wi-fi; lol). Talk about "the social".... Think about it. long plane/train rides with a friend with a zune would suck 10x less! Sharing music IMO IS NOT A KILLER APP.... burning CDs for my friends works just fine. "squirting" them with songs having 3-day listen limits is totally lame.

[JakeCourtney]

Originally Posted by ZuneGuy82

Like the previous statements

A Clock with an Alarm would be nice for those nights in hotels with no alarm clocks
A better way to use the Wi-Fi other than sharing and eliminate or lengthen the 3-3 way deal
A better way to organize things.
Something to catch the eye of other people who say the Zune is crap like more Firmware updates with stuff the iPod can't offer.

Zunemarket place needs to have some Zune Casts or at least an alternative website that will be zune compatible.

For 14.95 a month, I would rather keep my tunes I download from MS then lose them if I stop the service. Sometimes you just can't pay that every month.

More games. Maybe a way to transfer your XBox 360 Arcade games to the zune. (Of course not the 3D ones).


the list can go on and on. but so far I think its better than iPod.

Yeah, that is all that I heard from Microsoft early on about how they were going to actually release firmware updates. It's starting to turn out like the ipod I think.

[king kill 33]

1. Customizable Video Categories
2. Clock with Alarm and Sleep timer

[yensed]

Originally Posted by king kill 33

Clock with Alarm

I wanted that as well, then realized there is no internal speaker in the zune. So I would have to plug the zune into a speaker before I went to bed.

[JakeCourtney]

I would kill for DivX support.

[Robb4248]

Seconded for DiVX support! I've been doing a lot lately... bear with me! I should have that letter up this week... I just got certified for Network+ on Wednesday and have been busy since

[X Pendulum X]

Originally Posted by scoot

I would like a power button, so i can turn it off so that its not in standby. Something like holding the middle button for 5 or 10 seconds.

Hold the back button and the down button both at the same time to turn it off.

I even knew that... and I don't have a Zune. ;D

[Canvas]

.Avi files to be played. ( I hate converting all the time)
A option to watch your videos and pictures Vertically
Different themes.
Different Missing album art.

[Mammlouk]

Sorry, don't really want to look back at 8 pages of posts to see what's been mentioned. Here's a list of things I'd like that may be realistic for Microsoft (We all know that the avi container and multiple different codecs are more than likely not coming).

An Equalizer selection in the menu for currently playing song (right under shuffle option would be nice)

How about a play on headphone/stereo plug connection (it pauses when removed...)

Higher resolution video support. The thing can play on an external screen, but can't hold movies greater than the native resolution :

Visualizer option for when outputting to an external screen(will kill battery life, but could be fun)

Compatibility with Microsoft's own PlayForSure 2.0 video DRM (i.e Walmart Movie Downloads)

The obvious wifi features:
Allow connection to PC for SYNC
Allow connection to internet for music purchase
Allow connection to internet for streaming radio (would probably have to be MP3 based)

Allow capture/recording of over the air Radio (not likely, but would be nice)

That's it off the top of my head, I'm sure I can come up with more later though

[Robb4248]

Here's what's going to Microsoft, any suggestions/changes?

Dear Zune Development Team,

First off, I would like to thank you for creating such a wonderful product and introducing it to us. It will revolutionize the way that the world will listen to music, watch videos, and more, however, it will need a few changes for that to happen. That is why I am writing this letter to you today – but I am not only writing you today as a certified IT Professional and beta tester for Microsoft, but a student who can’t go around a day without his Zune.

This was a large case study compiled in several different locations around the web, and the final results will be explained further. All of the places that this study was conducted are frequently visited by your target audience; teenagers in high school, college students, and young adults. This is what we all would like to see in the future of the Zune.

Since the Zune is a portable media player, let’s get to the nitty-gritty on what we would like to see improvements on in that field. One thing that was noted a lot was codec and file type support. We would like to see support for the following codecs/file types supported:

- DiVX
- AVI
- MP4
- SWF

We realize that many people encode their videos in DiVX and use them for piracy. This cannot be applied for the entire digital music audience, so it should not be. As for AVI and MP4, many videos are encoded in this today. We all find it a shame that this was not included in the initial release, or the first official firmware release. SWF support is not as important, but will be appreciated. Another option we would like is higher resolution support. Many TV Out accessories were made for the Zune, but they are not worth purchasing as the quality turns out horrible and pixilated.

As for music, we would like to see OGG and FLAC encoded audio files supported. We are also fed up with the Three Day / Three Play protection. As a community, we, the users at www . ZuneBoards . com have had a hack released that disables that. Not all users want to go through all of the trouble of doing this, and many non-experienced users of the Windows OS may not know how to perform this.

Wireless connectivity is a big issue with the Zune community. A few things dealing with Wi-Fi that we would like to see are:

- Wirelessly connect to Sync
- Wirelessly connect to purchase music from the Zune Marketplace *
- Wirelessly connect to internet radio stations *
- Ability to view e-mail on IMAP and IMAPv4 servers *
- Ability to check weather *
- Ability to view RSS Feeds *
- Wirelessly connect to the internet for Instant Message Support *
- Ability to send videos over Wi-Fi
- Ability to send music/video to Wi-Fi equipped PDA’s
- Ability to use the “Wireless DJ” function as promised upon release
- Ability to wirelessly “Text Message” nearby Zune Devices*

* We realize that anything marked with an asterisk will need the support of a virtual keyboard which we hope will be implemented into the Zune’s OS.

The Zune’s Operating System also needs a few tweaks. We have noted this thoroughly and have come up with a verity of possibilities. The main issue we have is a clock, or, lack there of a visible one. We also know that if we have a clock that we would need the ability to set it, and that would change the way that the copy protection on the 3x3 music would have to be set. Therefore, we propose that it is either eliminated or that the time is synced via the internet (Such as using the protocol NTP to sync the time). Other things we would like to see are:

- Customizable Video Categories
- Video meta tag editing
- Customizable Themes (Ability to upload custom themes)
- Games (Such as iPod’s “Guess that Song”).
- Ability to select vertical or horizontal positioning of the Zune
- Left Hand Support
- Ability to set a password to protect Zune from showing private pictures/videos if stolen or lost
- Custom Equalizer
- Visualizations
- “Virtual Keyboard” for Wireless functions listed above, password protecting Zune, etc…
- Ability to delete files without the use of a PC
- Ability to search for a song/artist/album by using the first few letters of the song/artist/album’s title

A few accessories we would also enjoy are a detachable camera and a detachable keyboard for some of the options stated that would require a virtual keyboard.

Thank you for taking the time to read our suggestions and we hope you consider them and implement them into a future release of the Zune firmware. You may get in contact with me by replying to my e-mail address (admin @ fadeproofonline . com).

Sincerely,
Robb Stumpf
Administrator: www . FadeproofOnline . com
Member: www . ZuneBoards . com

I am also compiling a petition, which you can sign by commenting your Name on my site as a comment to this article: http://fadeproofonline.com/?p=146

PLEASE DIGG IT: http://digg.com/gadgets/Improving_th...icrosoft_Aware

[quantum drop]

^^Add to this create a playlist on the zune itself and we got all I want.

[Samurai]

I want Marketplace/Zune Software improved first.

Maybe the clock could be in the lower right corner above the battery/Wireless you know?
Video "squirting" would be nice to have to.

maybe not now but "WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY TO SPEAKERS!" Oh Yhea.

Originally Posted by X Pendulum X

Hold the back button and the down button both at the same time to turn it off.

I even knew that... and I don't have a Zune. ;D

That restarts the Zune, hold Play for 3 second to turn it off.

Howbout:
Light backlight option (more battery life)
Animated gif backgrounds
Some one metioned before randomized backgrounds
Rotational menus.

[Mammlouk]

Originally Posted by Samurai

That restarts the Zune, hold Play for 3 second to turn it off.

Actually Samurai, Pendulum is correct on this one. Holding play for 3 seconds puts the Zune in Standby, Holding back and Down Turns it off completely, and Holding back and Up resets the Zune.

[vsirinit]

Video playlist. I have no idea why don't they do it.

[ZerkerChief]

i want... 1 a clock and calendar ,some widgets, instant messenger(ms can make an usb mini keyboard or touchpad for zune)
connect to media center or computers share like the xbox 360 via wireless
surf the web,media streaming,
skins for the dashboard(menu) or another menu
and many many things!!

[evilangelic]

woop, they should make a cell phone/txt style wireless rechargeable keypad

[WhatTheHelllIsSka]

What should be included? The only thing stopping me from buying a Zune

Make it have the ability to be used as an external hard drive =[

As well as making it be more compatible with other file types and such =]

later
darwin

[putis]

http://zuneboards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=613

[wright013]

I think it would be sweet if you could use your zune as a memory card for xbox 360, wouldn't t ake up a lot of space and would be pretty convienent.

[Borracho_#9]

More Video Formats to be played.
A clock.