Showtime's The Tudors season 3 premiere now LIVE as podcast

re: Showtime's The Tudors season 3 premiere now LIVE as podcast

JohnCz — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:44:47 GMT

Continuing Eric's line of thought regarding Media Center. I think Microsoft needs to do a couple of things...

1. Rebrand Media Center "Internet TV" functionality to "Zune TV". Make Zune service the conduit for delivering TV content to Media Center, XBox and Zune. Currently, creating user interfaces on these platforms requires separate development efforts. This has to be eliminated to be attractive to developers. Ideally, I'd like you settle on Silverlight as your standard. For example, NetFlix should have been available across all Microsoft entertainment ecosystems at the same time.

2. Save Media Extender Platform by making a Zune branded Meda Extender. The sales price of current Media Extenders is killing that platform. And the experience doesn't match XBox 360. Although its nice to have hardware partners develop Media Extenders. They tend to bundle in a competitive DLNA entertainment platform instead of focusing on Media Extender. If Roku.com can create a $99 device with HDMI, so can you. In fact, this is what the Zune AV Docking Station should be with Zune portable device acting as a sort of remote control.

3. Zune TV (mentioned in #1) should be able to stream directly from the web without requiring Media Center PC. But I still want support for Media Extender to support Media Center's Live TV/DVR functionality.

All this really requires the Media Center/XBox/Zune teams to make some fundamental changes. The Media Center would be more impacted than others..and thats probably a good thing.

re: Showtime's The Tudors season 3 premiere now LIVE as podcast

JoBrad — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:17:38 GMT

Hey guys,

This is really cool. It's good to see you guys beating others to the punch on new series like this.

Can we please get some posts on when we can expect another update to the software and/or device? There are some pretty basic functions out there that people have been begging for that have no comments from any member of the Zune team. Support for unicode, getting rid of the damn quick list, and letting us make a real playlist on the device, updates to the software so it's more than just a basic competitor to other media players, etc, etc. Zune needs a roadmap. Other Microsoft products have a very clear road map. I know you don't want to release specifics all of the time, but right now all we have is "sometime in the next nine months", and that's really just a rumour from Twitter. Please, and thank you. :-)

- A sort of satisfied 30GB brown Zune owner

re: Showtime's The Tudors season 3 premiere now LIVE as podcast

Eric — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:44:30 GMT

Hey Zune Team! Listen guys, on the topic of Ballmer running his mouth on how the Zune isn't doing so well. I say you guys need to take the Windows 7 approach. Ask people what they want. When you give people what they want they will buy the product, I don't see whats so hard about this. You guys have something to conquer that no one else can. Straight up you can't beat the iPod or iTunes. Yea most people think the Zune software is better but the store isn't. HDTV shows should of been here yesterday. You guys have the network already established. You have the Social which is pretty amazing. You have 28million Xbox 360's in homes around the world I'm sure that beats the Apple TV. Right now I should be able to turn on my 360 and watch my Zune Tv shows in HD, listen to my podcasts/music with ease, even browse the Marketplace from my 360 a la something like Media Center.Also with hardware you guys are in the right place. When people compare the Zune 120 or even the 8/16GB to the iPod Touch you guys are doing something right. You guys have the Marketplace right on the current hardware, but there is no reason why we can't check our Xbox Live friends list. You need to get a Zune Touch out there and hopefully thats what your going to do this fall. I made some concepts that I think people would be very happy about bloopersblog.blogspot.com/.../zune-ttwist-interface-by-me.html I don't know what you guys are doing over there in Seattle but you need to get on it. Stop trying to get people to support the Zune your on your own. Similer to the way Apple used to be with there computers. You have to supply the goods and people will come. Maybe you guys need to go rent "Field of Dreams" or something. I hope you guys do it, I love my Zune and everyone that I know that has one loves their Zune.

re: Showtime's The Tudors season 3 premiere now LIVE as podcast

JohnCz — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:47:53 GMT

Thanks. If you're having trouble finding it, its at the very bottom of the podcast list.