new zune rant I hate the software

[mattbatt]

This is a rant I need to vent to people other than my wife who doesn't care or understand or my dog who is trying to figure out what he is getting yelled at for. Sorry if you can't understand my writing I loose my eloquence when I'm mad.
My wife got me a 30 gig zune for christmas (it was $80) I had just bought myself a sansa two months earlier so I wasn't looking for a new device but that's okay because the zune is great.
I HATE the software IT SUCKS BEYOND BELIEF I want to find the morons responsible and have them try and show me how to make the software DO what I WANT and not what it thinks I want.
1> it won't stop encoding!!!!!!!!!! for some dumb reason when you subscribe to diggnation tekzilla or systm using the podcast search tool provided with the zune software it picks the m4v instead of the wmv. I have an athalon 64 3200+ processor and a gig of ram encoding takes forever longer than realtime. That pissed me off. Then i tried to get it to stop encoding the files and it wouldn't I unsubscribed I moved the actual files with the (oh so archaic but still useful windows explorer it has some bug where it actually does what I want) so I moved the files out of the podcast folder where the software shouldn't see them but still it's encoding. I've killed the process 3 times and still my processor is pegged by the endless encoding!
2> Why in the heck is it pink who thought "hmm a consumer device bought mostly by men lets make the interface as girly as possible." Come on I mean really fine make it pink to start with and then let me change it to blue or grey or black or white or something. WHY PINK
3>When I click on device then status and then on the "4" items syncing I see a list of the items that are syncing. It should let me say I don't want to sync that right now sync this file that i just added first please. because god knows that when I want to test my new movie I just ripped from dvd and want to see if I got the format right god knows I just want to sit there and let you encode my podcasts for hours on end because you couldn't download the right ones to begin with. Is it really that hard to make a list of things that are going to be synced and let you control what items do get synced. Windows media player lets you do that.

I like the zune its a great device it's bigger and heavier than my sansa but that's okay because it holds more videos and has a bigger screen. I don't want a Crapple Ipood but even their restricted software is better than the steaming pile of pink dog stuff that microsoft has put out to go with zune.

Before you reply I know there is zskin and some hack to get the zune seen as an external hard drive but I'm going on a trip this february and I need to get some movies on my zune before we leave. Thanks for reading me vent.
MattBatt
Zune user since 12-25-07
Zune software hater since 12-26-07

[Archetype]

I understand your gripes with the software as well. I still have to resort to Media Monkey and iTunes to properly manage my tags, which sucks. In today's age of digital music I don't know why they would create software that doesn't take full advantage of ID3 tag editing. Even the old software had better tag management. It's not only for "power users", it's just simply more practical.

Though you actually can change the color of the software. Just go to Settings > Display, and you have a handful of other themes to choose from ... including white. ; )

[mattbatt]

Thanks for that. I had not noticed that sidebar on the left before in the settings menu.

[BrianLikesZune]

agreed full heartedly. I miss the old zune software. =[

Also though, there is a custom background hack for it, to have whatever you want. Search it on zB.

I also really want my videos to be organized.

Why cant microsoft just understand that theres people that could make better firmware out there than there team of crackmonkeyheads? Just give us the power to make customizable firmware. Thats really not to much to ask.

[IloveNachos]

My wife got me the Zune for Christmas too. I love the device itself, but the software has caused me SOOOOOO much stress. I never had the pleasure of working with the old software. THe only tool that I have foud so far to help with the tagging is zMeta. It is posted on here somewhere and I am sure you can search for it. It is a little bit buggy, but once you get through that, it is an awesome and simple tool. Now when I download a song or movie, I run it through there and edit the info before letting it sync to my device. However, it is unrealistic to consider going through the 2,000 songs that I had downloaded "pre-zune." I am just crossing my fingers and holding my breathe until Microsoft can come out with a new version to fix all this. They have to be getting a ton of complaints.

[KMFoster]

Well I found the right thread. My daughter gave up her iPod (which, by he way, had great organizing features) for a Zune (friends are getting them and can message etc) but the software and help feature are awful. All I want to do is rename the unknown artists (it will let me edit the ALBUM name) and I cannot figure out or find where to do this. Is it possible? The Meta tag before syncing conversation looks like something I should understand, but I don't and quite frankly I don't want to be that involved. Someone help me please.

[mattbatt]

I think that I read somewhere that you can get the missing album art and missing album info using windows media player.

So a new rant a fourth issue if you will I can't buy movies or TV shows!
No big deal right I'll be a bad little consumer rent a couple of dvds that I want to watch and rip them and transcode them. Very big biggie my 3 year old computer (amd althlon 64 3200+ and a gig of ram) have been working at full tilt for 9 hours to transcode Ice Age I'm using handbrake to rip and transcode at the same time (I did a couple of small chapters to test the settings before going all out) I unfortunately checked the box that said to do two passes so it will be done in another 9 hours as long as I don't do anything else on my computer.

Please oh please could I just buy a movie that is already in the right format ready to go on my zune how about tv shows. You go to the zune marketplace and violla a tab that says video!!!!! I started jumping up and down in my big boy shorts with excitment I click and I get podcasts. Hmm must have clicked on the wrong thing because there is the podcast tab and there is the videos tab so I click again to no avail I get a handfull of selected video podcasts from CNN MTV Discovery and a few middle of the road podcasts marketed for global appeal (as opposed to Diggnation who has a very spacific market).
I found one called the best of youtube sounds cool right, Here is the description of the "the best of youtube podcast"

The Best of YouTube PodCast will send clips to your computer, video iPod or other electronic handheld device. If you want to subscribe just get iTunes from Apple and go to the Apple store and enter the PodCast section and search for "Best of YouTube". The service is completely free.

It's practically an ad for a Crapple Ipood. Guess what the featured video podcast on the front page of the zune marketplace is an mp4 formated for the Ipood video!

I am sooooo disappointed in Microsoft they could do so much better but They just don't get it. I want to give them my hard earned money for something a video but they refuse to sell me one. THEY JUST DON"T GET IT

Maybe I'll get some audible books to listen too OH wait the zune is the ONLY major mp3 player that can't play audible books. My iriver t30 can do that and ogg vorbis.

[ACE]

I think out of everything, the software may be the most complained about issue with the Zune (right now). I've asked the Zune Insider himself about this issue and what MS is doing to improve the situation. Look for the info soon...

One thing you can do is instead of allowing the Zune software transcode the files, use another software while you're not syncing. Not a real fix by no means, but a tip to optimize resources.

[CompyFranko]

Man, and I thought I had issues with my Zune

[dloney]

Mattbat:
i just thought that i would point out something as it relates to podcasts... Microsoft does not make them, nor do they host them...

Now, most podcasts are made for the ipods video abilities in mind, and if Microsoft were to require a specific video format, of which few podcasts use, then the selection would be next to none. This is why they allow the user to pick the podcast and have the software transcode it for them... its also the reason the podcasts "best of youtube"'s podcast mentions the ipod- Microsoft is involved in no way of the hosting or producing of it, and the main audience of the podcast is ipod users.

As for videos... I suppose it depends on the software you use. I use wondershare's zune software and it can rip straight from a dvd in about 50-60 mins.

Speaking ov videos; Microsoft is just getting its online store (generaly speaking) up and running. Apple is years ahead in this field, but Microsoft has said they are working on it and plan on adding more content:


PS: I guess im the only one who likes the new software over the old... its not perfect, but its good.
PS2: Matt- I would get another gig of ram- wit would speed everything up not just the zune software and can be had from newegg (i cant post links- the name is the web address) for on $30 or so...

[jboyd8]

I use dvd fab to rip dvd's to mp4 format and winavi to wmv for my 30, the 80 I am able to load the mp4 files. I am sure that there other dvd to zune software out there just google for it. also play with the bit rate as they (zunes) are very persnickerty about that. gud luck

[lburgguy]

Try using "mp3tag" to tag your music and embed the cover art right into each song. Works for me every time.

[BrianLikesZune]

Ace, whats up with the interview?

[itzzddongzz]

the old zune software was easier to use
but i like the new zune software's looks.

[BrianLikesZune]

itzzddongzz- really? blech. I hate the pink. and all the other stuff for that matter. Other software was so much better.

[elmastero1]

The old software was better. The only good thing about the new firmware is the addition of podcasts, something I thought would be useless for me. But I kind of got into downloading stuff from G4's Attack of the Show. If not, I would have tried reverting to the old firmware.

[nal_ra]

dont worry, a lot of people have the same problem

[penguinhalo]

zune software is very aggravating.

[mattbatt]

So I've found my personal video solution. Many of the video transcoders don't work on my computer for some reason so I rip with dvdShrink then dump several movies into encode 360 and go to bed or to work. it's working much better now.
To my point about the podcasts It would be nice if Microsoft would encourage the podcasters of their featured podcasts to make a zune version. They could also say ok here are the podcasts that we are promoting lets transcode them once on our end and then host them and point the rss feed to their version. They ofcourse would have to get permission from the podcasters but being on the front page of the zune video page is a big deal.

[Gregory]

Glad your experience has gotten better !