Mobile High Definition Ithaca NY

All of us have a need to take our content on the road for one reason or another. There are plenty of devices that can do that for you. Anything from an iPod or a laptop to a portable media center. You can choose the ultra portability of an iPod but you'll give up video quality. If you want HD quality you can use a laptop or portable media center but those are a bit bigger and more difficult to drag around with you. Today we are taking a look at the Zune HD. With the Zune you can have ultra portability and HD video quality in one nice looking package.

Features

• Display: 3.3-inch OLED color touch screen display, 16:9 aspect ratio, 480 x 272 pixel resolution
• Audio Output: Analog, Optical digital Toslink S/PDIF (requires additional dock)
• Video Output: HDMI (requires additional dock) or Composite (requires additional dock)
• Radio: FM and HD radio
• Supported File Types: MP3, WMA, MP4, M4A, M4B, JPG, WMV, DVR-MS4 (no AVI support)
• Capacity: 32 GB
• Wireless Connectivity: 802.11b/g compatible (for syncing and internet browsing)
• Size: 52.7 mm x 102.1 mm x 8.9 mm (w x h x d)
• Weight: 2.6 ounces (74 grams)
• Battery Life: Music, up to 33 hours (wireless off); video, up to 8.5 hours.

Setup

The Zune HD needs the Zune software installed on a PC to sync media, install apps, and purchase music and videos from the Zune Marketplace. Currently this software is not available for Apple products. Connecting the Zune HD AV dock is simple. Just connect the included HDMI cable to the TV or Receiver, plug in the power cable, and place the Zune in the dock. If your TV or receiver does not support HDMI you can use composite cables and optical audio. But to get 720p, the HDMI cable must be used. The Zune HD supports FM and FM HD Radio. The dock has a wired antenna to increase reception of FM / HD Radio stations.
Once you select the desired video output in the Zune settings you’re ready to go. You can sit back on the couch and use the included remote to watch HD videos, listen to HD radio, listen to your own music collection, or look at photos.

Use

As a portable media player the Zune HD is great. Music added to it’s library is also accompanied by photos, bios of the artist, and recommendations of similar artists for sale at the Zune Marketplace. The interface is simple and stylish, but the 3.3 inch display steals the show. The OLED screen is very bright, colorful, and sharp but also shows true blacks for great contrast. Looking at the screen from an angle renders no shadows or color dullness. The only knock against the screen is the size. While only .2 inches shorter than the iPod on the diagonal, the ZuneHD is narrower than the iPod which yielded a noticeably smaller viewing screen.

What sets the Zu...