Zune Tips Weblog

Several years ago, I used my HP iPAQ 1910 Pocket PC device for watching videos while on an plane flight. Just in case I ran out of battery power, I brought along a small battery-powered charger (which took 4-AA batteries) to use as an “extender” so I could continue to use my Pocket PC device. So, I was wondering if a similar device existed for my Zune 80?

After doing some searching, I found several “Emergency Chargers” available for iPods, Zunes, and other devices that can be charged from a 5V USB port. I also came across several sites where people have built their own chargers, which I could do since I’ve got some basic electronic soldering and assembly skills. However, having to find all the required electronic parts and hoping the online instructions are correct dissuaded me from going that route.

Instead, I would opt to buying a commercial charger that is available on the web. Note, that it appears not all USB emergency chargers will charge a Zune 80 device. Apparently, some don’t have the required circuitry to boost the AA-battery power up to voltage requirements for the Zune, so be careful when selecting a charger. Read the rest of this entry »

The Zune Marketplace has numerous audio and video podcasts that you can subscribe to, but what if you came across a podcast that wasn’t available on the Marketplace site? For example, let’s say you found a good heath fitness podcast which you wanted to subscribe to… how can you do that for your Zune?

In the Zune Software, you can click on “Collection” and “Podcasts” which will bring up the screen shown below:

(click on image to enlarge it)

Read the rest of this entry »

There may be times when you want to remove all content on your Zune device and start fresh. I did this recently when I got my Zune 80 back from the repair center. To do this, you can connect your Zune to your PC and start up the Zune Software. Next, under the “Settings” and “Device” heading you’ll see a page as shown below:

(click on image to enlarge it)

If you click on the “Clear All Content” button, every music, video, picture, and podcast file will be erased from your Zune device. This is useful when you want to remove all the preloaded files that come with a new Zune.

Warning: Make sure you have all your music/video/picture files archived in a safe place, as you don’t want to have the Zune software delete them! (Especially if you’ve defined your Zune monitored folders).

I’ve come across a lot of forum postings by Zune newbies asking how to sync music, picture, and video files to their new Zunes. In my opinion, the easiest way is to set up sync folders on your PC which the Zune Software will monitor and sync the contents. So how do you do this? The graphic image below show the setup page in the Zune Software for defining the sync folders:

(click on image to enlarge it)

You get to this setup screen in your Zune Software under “Settings” and “Software”. Here, you can define one or more monitored folders for Music, Pictures, Video, and Podcasts (individually). Once you do this, you can copy any appropriate file into them to have that file synced with your Zune. Note, that you can’t put a music file (.mp3) in the video sync folder and expect the Zune to sync it. Also, all of these files are being synced, so removing a file from this sync folder will also remove it from your Zune device the next time you sync it.

While I was in the process of reloading files to my repaired Zune 80, I cleared out all my old Podcast subscriptions to start fresh. As I was perusing the available podcasts on the Zune Marketplace, I was amazed on the number of audio and video podcasts that were currently available. When I first got my Zune (back in December), I scanned through the podcasts and signed up for about 10 or so, but I’m astounded by the shear number of podcasts that are on the Marketplace now. What’s especially nice, is the number and variety of the video podcasts.

So if you’re wanting to view videos on your Zune but don’t want to mess with video ripping, conversion, etc. I suggest you try subscribing to a few video Podcasts. You can watch Nova science clips, Comedy Central short performances, or nightly news broadcasts. Audio podcasts are also nice if you’re driving a lot in the car, or traveling on a long plane or bus ride. Just be careful about subscribing to too many podcasts, as you may fill up your storage space really quickly!

After receiving my refurbished Zune 80 from the Microsoft Repair Center, I began the process of syncing my music, picture, video, and podcast files to it’s empty 80 GB drive. Everything seemed to work smoothly (at first), but then I ran into problems. It seemed that certain music files wouldn’t sync, and my video files would get stuck at “7%” during the syncing process. I tried everything I could think of to correct this: rebooting the Zune device, reinstalling the Zune Software on my PC, rebooting my PC, etc. Nothing seemed to correct this syncing issue. My fear, was that this refurbished Zune unit was defective and I would have to send it back and wait another 2 weeks to get a replacement!

So for the next few hours, I scoured the various Zune forums and Microsoft Knowledge Base looking for a possible solution. It seemed that a few others had the same problem, but I tried all the steps that were recommended for resolution. Ultimately, I concluded that the culprit was most likely a defective USB hub that I was using for my Zune connection.

To reduce the number of wires and cables running from my desk to my PC, I installed a powerstrip and small powered USB hub to the bottom surface of my desk. I then plugged my Zune dock into this USB hub, and it seemed to work fine up until I sent my Zune in for repair. Over the past two weeks, I noticed that my CD Card reader (which was plugged into this USB hub) wasn’t working consistently, and I had to unplug and replug in the USB-to-PC cable for the USB hub to get it working again. So, putting two-and-two together I concluded that the problem may be with this hub. Read the rest of this entry »

After waiting 18 days, my Zune 80 has finally returned from the Repair Center in Texas. It arrived via FedEx Ground in the same small cardboard box that I was given for the return. Inside, was a well-protected Zune surrounded by fitted foam and a small brown Zune pouch. Also included was a form letter indicating that the repair center replace my unit (instead of fixing it). I’ve scanned this letter and have made it available below:

The replacement Zune looked in pristine condition (just like my original Zune that I sent in), and I verified that it was a different unit by the serial number on the back. So, I couldn’t tell if it was a brand new unit or a refurbished one.

In any case, I began the procedure of upgrading to the latest OS version, followed by removing all the pre-installed audio, video, and podcast files. The next step, was to sync my picture, audio, video, and podcast files to my new Zune (which took all day). As it turned out, my video sync folder had been accumulating new video files from the 18 days of TV show recordings, so I needed to pare it down to fit on my 80 GB Zune.

So far, everything seems to be working ok. I have to admit, it took me about 5 minutes to relearn how all the menus worked on the Zune (I guess I’m getting old), but I seem to be back in business. It sure is nice to have my Zune back, and hopefully I won’t need to send it in for repairs soon!

Because of this experience, it really makes me wonder how fragile the Zune 80 is. Would I have purchased a Zune 80 if I knew it would be prone to failure so easily? Probably not. But then again, where could you buy a large screen video player device with 80 GB of storage space for the price of the Zune 80?

I come across a lot of forum postings where people ask how to change the thumbnail art (or cover art) for video files. By default, most video conversion software don’t specify the cover art for a converted video file, so the Zune Software will simply use some random frame from the beginning of the video. The standard tools that people use for setting the meta data for a video file (e.g., TigoTago, zMeta, dSHARPIE) don’t have provision for editing or defining the cover art.

I’ve learned on the Babgvant’s Blog that the cover art is controlled by the bitmap data contained in the WM_Picture meta tag, however, I haven’t been able to find any application that can edit that tag… until now!

The program called AudioShell is not really a program that you run independently, but rather a shell extension which you access from File Explorer on your Windows system. With this extension installed, you can right-click on any video file to bring up a popup context menu, where you can select “Properties…”. The next dialog box that appears has a tabbed screen labeled, “AudioShell Tag Editor” from which you can select a jpg or bmp file to be the cover art for that particular video file. Very easy to use, and very handy for defining cover art for your converted video files.

One thing to note, is that it seems to take 1-2 minutes for this utility to completely save the cover art image to the video file, so be patient. Read the rest of this entry »

I just checked the service.zune.net web page and found that my replacement Zune is on it’s way back, due to arrive via ground FedEx on next Friday. So, here’s the timline for my warranty repair of my Zune:

1. Called Zune.net and opened a repair ticket. Received a FedEx box for returning my Zune (6 days).
2. Overnight delivery of Zune to Repair Center (1 Day).
3. Repair center repairs my Zune (6 days).
4. Zune is sent ground FedEx from Texas to Seattle (5 days (estimate)).

So it seems that from the day I called the repair center to when I got my fixed Zune would be 18 days. What I don’t understand, is that they send a return box that has overnight delivery, but they ship the repaired Zune via ground which takes 5 days.

In any case, I’m crossing my fingers that my replacement unit doesn’t have the typical issues that plagued other Zune users (e.g., dust and fingerprints under the screen, low battery life, constant rebooting, scratches and damage, etc.).

Although my Zune 80 is only 3 months old and currently at the Zune Repair Center, I began to wonder what options do I have once the 1-year warranty expires? So I casually started to look around to see what was available.

The first option, would be to do my own repairs, provided I could find the necessary parts. After a bit of searching, I came across the web site called ZuneParts.net which sold some parts for the Zune at a reasonable cost. For example, the hold switch on a Zune 30 was being sold for $2.99 US, and a Zune battery was priced at $9.99 US. In addition, some of the parts have optional installation charges so it appears that ZuneParts.net will also install purchased parts. So for an additional $5.99 US ZuneParts will install a Zune battery in your device.

One particular part that would probably break a lot is the LCD screen, which ZuneParts sells for $55.99 US and charges $10.00 US for installation. Now, most of the parts listed at the ZuneParts.net web site appear to be for the Zune 30, but the LCD screen might also work in a Zune 80. ZuneParts also sells cables, cases, hard drives, and other internal parts that may be of interest.

Another site that I frequently read about in Zune forum postings, is RapidRepair.com which offers several Zune internal parts and installation. They offer hard drives, batteries, and other internal components for the Zune 30 (they don’t appear to sell parts for the 2nd generation Zunes). I would definitely contact this company if my Zune was damaged after the product warranty expires. What’s interesting, is their forum where people post questions regarding Zune repairs. For example, it seems that the Zune 30 and Zune 80 use different batteries, so you can’t buy a Zune 30 battery and install it in a Zune 80.

Also, RapidRepair.com has a web page that shows how to disassemble a Zune 30 or Zune 80, which might come in handy if you need to take apart your Zune and you don’t want to damage it. They also offer a free diagnostic inspection (if you send them your Zune) to determine what is causing the problem.

So, these are a couple of different options for Zune repair that you might explore. Both offer parts for the Zune 30, and RapidRepair.com seems to fix Zune 80s if you call or email them first.

Note, that I’ve never purchased a part or had repair work done by either of these companies, so I can’t confirm their quality or responsiveness. I suggest you search for “rapid repair” or “zuneparts” on some of the Zune forums (e.g., www.zunescene.com or www.zune.net) to get more information on other user’s experiences.