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All posts tagged "resolution"


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

What Video Format and Bit Rate Do you Use on Your Zune?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 08:40 PM

I was doing a little experiment today with my Zune: I ripped a single chapter from a DVD, using CloneDVD Mobile [Affiliate], and I used their .mp4 preset. The program helpfully allows me to specify resolution and bit rate, so I wanted to see the ceiling the Zune had on bit rate. Ripping to 320 x 240 in resolution, I ripped three different files at 500 kbps, 1000 kbps, and 1500 kbps. The Zune 80 could play all three of - I knew it could handle the first two, but I wasn't sure if the processor could decode 1500 kbps MP4 files. At 320 x 240, 1500 kbps is probably overkill (I think 1000 kbps looks identical), but if you're ripping to 640 x 480 to play back on a TV, the more bits the better. I haven't tested the upper limits of the Zune - I'm not actually sure what the threshold is for when the Zune desktop software transcoding kicks in. Anyone done any tests to find what the upper limit is for Zune video quality? What Video Format and Bit Rate Do you Use on Your Zune?


Wednesday, December 20, 2006

High-Resolution Album Art with Firmware / Zune Software 1.2

Posted by Darius Wey in "Zune Talk" @ 08:45 AM

We've had a couple of days to acknowledge that Firmware 1.2 for the Zune was a godsend for having introduced significant enhancements in performance across the board. But there's an extra surprise - one that remains undocumented, so you'll have to see it for yourself to believe it.



You all know that the Zune has a habit of taking high-resolution album art embedded in files, downgrading it to an offensive 200 x 200 (or thereabouts), and then upscaling it to 240 x 240 to fit its QVGA display. Blech! That nasty habit is gone with Firmware / Zune Software 1.2. I performed a little experiment today. I decided to start fresh by nuking the contents of my Zune and the Zune software, re-adding the media to the Zune software, and re-syncing my library. Each and every track in my library has 480 x 480 album art, so if the Zune wants to make album art look good, that's a perfect ingredient to work with. After the sync, I loaded up my first track and noticed immediately that album art looked clearer than ever before. In disbelief, I loaded up a few more and was not left disappointed. The Zune was actually taking advantage of the 480 x 480 album art and scaling it appropriately (without the 200 x 200 intermediary) to 240 x 240 for its QVGA display. There was a catch, though. Artifacts were still visible (but less pronounced), so the Zune was still compressing album art to a degree. But hey, you can't have too much of a good thing all at once. Perhaps Microsoft will tweak this in the next firmware update. ;-)

And now it's your turn to savour the moment. Delete an album or two off your Zune and Zune software, or your entire music library if you're feeling gung-ho, re-add the media, ensure that you have relatively high-resolution album art embedded in your tracks, and re-sync. Can you see the difference?

Note: If you're familiar with the Folder.jpg album art system in PlaysForSure devices, you may be interested to know that the Zune utilizes a similar mechanism. Prior to the availability of Firmware / Zune Software 1.2, 200 x 200 Folder.jpg files would be generated from embedded album art, transferred and converted to another file format on the Zune, and then upscaled to 240 x 240 (blurry). With the updates in place, Folder.jpg files are now 240 x 240 in size - perfect for the Zune's QVGA display. The end result? Clarity.


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