http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/08/13/zune-hd-specification-sheet-revealed-disappointment-ensues
Microsoft has made available the specification sheet for the Zune HD, which explains the formats that the device can read and the approximated battery life of the device. The battery life for listening to music seems adequate but the battery life for watching videos seems very low.
The Zune HD will be able to read the following video formats:
"Windows Media Video (WMV) (.wmv) Main and Simple Profile, CBR or VBR, up to 3.0 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD WMV files at device sync.
MPEG-4 (MP4/M4V) (.mp4) Part 2 video3 Simple Profile up to 2.5 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD MPEG-4 files at device sync.
H.264 video Baseline Profile up to 2.5 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD H.264 files at device sync. DVR-MS4 Zune software will transcode at time of sync." - Dock required for 720p playback.
The battery life is only detailed as follows:
"Music, up to 24 hours (wireless off); video, up to 4 hours*".
There is no word as to how long the battery will last while browsing the internet or playing radio. The video figure is concerning though, it's quite low, but mainly because that asterisk points down to "320 x 240 WMV9 500 Kbps" videowell below that maximum possible playback quality. It seems like the Toshiba Tegra chips inside could be very power hungry.
Finally, the playable audio files are standard and straightforward:
Windows Media Audio Standard3 (WMA) (.wma): Up to 320 Kbps; constant bit rate (CBR) and variable bit rate (VBR) up to 48-kHz sample rate. WMA Pro 2-channel up to 384 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
WMA Lossless
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b files without FairPlay DRM up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
MP3 (.mp3) Up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
The Zune HD is the latest iteration of Microsoft's flagship portable media device and is due for release on the 15th September 2009, from Microsoft.
Engadget Update: Microsoft has hit us with the corrected & updated spec list with a slight change to battery and charge specs: 33 hours of life playing music with no wireless, up to 8.5 hours of video. 3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter. Hopefully that's long enough to cover your one man rave in the woods far away from A/C outlets. Check the PDF for yourself, but beware, as Microsoft has informed us one typo remains, as the Zune HD can hold up to 22 / 48 hours (16GB / 32GB) of video optimized for the device, no matter what the official sheet says.
Further details from Engadget:
Engadget has recieved an updated PDF file from Microsoft that says battery life actually lasts for:
"Music, up to 33 hours (wireless off); video, up to 8.5 hours" and will take "3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter."
There is no word as to how long the battery will last while browsing the internet or playing radio. The video figure is concerning though, it's quite low - even with the updated specifications from Engadget, but mainly because that asterisk points down to "320 x 240 WMV9 500 Kbps" videowell below that maximum possible playback quality. It seems like the Toshiba Tegra chips inside could be very power hungry.
Finally, the playable audio files are standard and straightforward:
Windows Media Audio Standard3 (WMA) (.wma): Up to 320 Kbps; constant bit rate (CBR) and variable bit rate (VBR) up to 48-kHz sample rate. WMA Pro 2-channel up to 384 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
WMA Lossless
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b files without FairPlay DRM up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
MP3 (.mp3) Up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
The Zune HD is the latest iteration of Microsoft's flagship portable media device and is due for release on the 15th September 2009, from Microsoft.
Microsoft has made available the specification sheet for the Zune HD, which explains the formats that the device can read and the approximated battery life of the device. The battery life for listening to music seems adequate but the battery life for watching videos seems very low.
The Zune HD will be able to read the following video formats:
"Windows Media Video (WMV) (.wmv) Main and Simple Profile, CBR or VBR, up to 3.0 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD WMV files at device sync.
MPEG-4 (MP4/M4V) (.mp4) Part 2 video3 Simple Profile up to 2.5 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD MPEG-4 files at device sync.
H.264 video Baseline Profile up to 2.5 Mbps peak video bit rate; 720 pixels x 480 pixels up to 30 frames per second (or 720 pixels x 576 pixels up to 25 frames per second). Zune software will transcode HD H.264 files at device sync. DVR-MS4 Zune software will transcode at time of sync." - Dock required for 720p playback.
The battery life is only detailed as follows:
"Music, up to 24 hours (wireless off); video, up to 4 hours*".
There is no word as to how long the battery will last while browsing the internet or playing radio. The video figure is concerning though, it's quite low, but mainly because that asterisk points down to "320 x 240 WMV9 500 Kbps" videowell below that maximum possible playback quality. It seems like the Toshiba Tegra chips inside could be very power hungry.
Finally, the playable audio files are standard and straightforward:
Windows Media Audio Standard3 (WMA) (.wma): Up to 320 Kbps; constant bit rate (CBR) and variable bit rate (VBR) up to 48-kHz sample rate. WMA Pro 2-channel up to 384 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
WMA Lossless
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b files without FairPlay DRM up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
MP3 (.mp3) Up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
The Zune HD is the latest iteration of Microsoft's flagship portable media device and is due for release on the 15th September 2009, from Microsoft.
Engadget Update: Microsoft has hit us with the corrected & updated spec list with a slight change to battery and charge specs: 33 hours of life playing music with no wireless, up to 8.5 hours of video. 3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter. Hopefully that's long enough to cover your one man rave in the woods far away from A/C outlets. Check the PDF for yourself, but beware, as Microsoft has informed us one typo remains, as the Zune HD can hold up to 22 / 48 hours (16GB / 32GB) of video optimized for the device, no matter what the official sheet says.
Further details from Engadget:
Engadget has recieved an updated PDF file from Microsoft that says battery life actually lasts for:
"Music, up to 33 hours (wireless off); video, up to 8.5 hours" and will take "3 hours to charge from PC, 2 hours via AC adapter."
There is no word as to how long the battery will last while browsing the internet or playing radio. The video figure is concerning though, it's quite low - even with the updated specifications from Engadget, but mainly because that asterisk points down to "320 x 240 WMV9 500 Kbps" videowell below that maximum possible playback quality. It seems like the Toshiba Tegra chips inside could be very power hungry.
Finally, the playable audio files are standard and straightforward:
Windows Media Audio Standard3 (WMA) (.wma): Up to 320 Kbps; constant bit rate (CBR) and variable bit rate (VBR) up to 48-kHz sample rate. WMA Pro 2-channel up to 384 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
WMA Lossless
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b files without FairPlay DRM up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
MP3 (.mp3) Up to 320 Kbps; CBR and VBR up to 48-kHz.
The Zune HD is the latest iteration of Microsoft's flagship portable media device and is due for release on the 15th September 2009, from Microsoft.
