Zune 101: Configuring the Zune Software to Find Your Videos

[2wentyT]

This actually explained why most of my videos dont show up. I feel however that they need to expand the types of files that the software plays.

[shanyfan]

well first off the movies i have, wen i play them on the software , the color is off and is fuzzy will they show up on my zune hd like that?and i notcied u have a 720p video, my hd videos wont load on the software?plz helpp

[arentarent]

Hey Jason, you could've told me about "software" -> "file types" :) i DIdnt get why my videos are not syncing until i changed that setting, but still they are not being added to my device!! help!

[ThoughtsMedia]

Software > File Types only impacts what file types the Zune software is associated with. The Zune software will not play or sync Divx or Xvid video files. Perhaps your content is in that format?

- Jason

[0bosag0]

A very thorough tutorial indeed. I just bought a Zune 120, so for me this was very helpful, although I had allready used a couple of hours to figure it out on my own. The thing is, I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I have a lot of videos (torrents) and I have used some conversion freeware to convert some of them, but 1. It is poor quality, 2. It covers half the screen. Any advice on what to do to get best video output? Thanks

- Guy from Norway

[ThoughtsMedia]

The way to get the best video quality is to rip DVDs that you own, so it's only one conversion. I can't give advice about working with content "acquired" from torrent sites.

- Jason

[rckyrusty]

would an avi file work for the Zune softw.

[ThoughtsMedia]

No, sadly the Zune team hasn't added any AVI compatibility to the Zune software.

- Jason

[pilsburydoughboy555]

@ThoughtsMedia But i think they did one update ago.

[Mythic919]

Does this work on the newest release of the Zune software?

[ThoughtsMedia]

Yes, the software is still basically the same since v2.

- Jason

[neverknown9]

hey i hope u can post a video were we can actually downlad real compatable movies for the zune because i can seem to find anything thats compadable with the zune software

[ThoughtsMedia]

Just rip your own DVDs - that's the best source of content.

- Jason

[MoeJ2Z]

Would MPEG able to work????

[ThoughtsMedia]

I'm not sure, it's been years since I ran across MPEG content (other than MPEG2 off a DVD). I kind of doubt it...

- Jason

[SGSkapunk]

One time I remember just typing letters and they came up in the main screen while highlighting the bands of the letter I typed. I cant remember how i did that. can you guys tell me how to do that again?

[ThoughtsMedia]

The broke that with the 3.x update - the best you can do now is click in the artist list and start typing, it will work there. Or the search box. I miss that feature too...

- Jason

[philty619]

ok so i downloaded a movie off of google videos. I clicked on "Download video - iPod/PSP" and it gave me an mp4 file of it. i put it in "phillip/document/videos" but the zune doesnt read it. what should i do?

[ThoughtsMedia]

That should work, but since it's not, it must be that whatever format the MPEG4 file is in isn't Zune-compatible.

- Jason

[philty619]

nvm thank you. it worked out of nowhere

[AphterMath96]

I would appreciate if you can help me with a small problem. I've tried deleting music from the software but nothing seems to happen. Another thing 4 you, when I try to add certain music, sometimes it says "Invalid Media Type", why?

[ThoughtsMedia]

I can't explain why it won't delete music - unless that music is in a strange folder/place where the software can't access? There are too many variables to say for sure. If your music is in a strange format, you'll get that error, though I've never seen it myself.

- Jason

[krymsom]

Is it true you need an ms media center 2005 or newer to get the software

[ThoughtsMedia]

No, that's not true. You need Windows XP or Windows Vista to run the software. Go to the Zune web site and download the 3.1 software.

- Jason

[cedartree696]

Thank you!

In these few seconds I found the answer to 4 hours of searching.

I could not see any of my videos in the folder I was pointing to because it won't show any files it can't play. This software is absolutely horrible! It should at least show the files and then show an error (file type not supported) if I try to load them onto the Zune.

[ThoughtsMedia]

Yeah, I agree completely that it's silly it just ignores the file types it can't read - there's no excuse for not showing the user an error message or at least a warning saying "Hey, I can't import these files, sorry". The software has room for improvement, that's for sure.

- Jason

[Alipour]

well i am in maryland and my computer is set for usa and i can see the marketplace. that is why this whole thing is so perplexing

[ThoughtsMedia]

Hmm...then I have no idea what the problem could be. Sorry. :-(

- Jason

[Alipour]

i logged in as soon as i downloaded it and i've been using it for about 3 days now. still nothing

?

[ThoughtsMedia]

Are you outside the USA? Unless your computer has its location set to the United States of America, it won't show you the Marketplace, and it won't track your plays. The Zune team does a tremendous amount of work to make it hard for non-USA people to join in the Social - it's hugely frustrating, and they keep doing it more and more... :-(

- Jason

[Alipour]

My zune software does not record any of my song plays. the count just stays at zero even though i have gone through entire albums without skipping tracks. any suggestions???

[ThoughtsMedia]

Are you logged in? It only tracks if you're logged in - and it's not instant, it takes a few hours to show up.

- Jason

[lunarman07]

do u need a zune dock to connect ur zune into the zune v2 spftware..cuz when i connect the zune using usb cord it doesnt work

[ThoughtsMedia]

No, you don't need the Zune dock. If the USB cable isn't working, it might be your Zune, the cable, or the USB port on your computer. Try all the ports on your computer, then try another computer. If it doesn't work on any of those, you may need to call Zune tech support.

- Jason

[purplejokr]

This was a great tutorial but not quite what I needed.

I'm sharing my media with my Xbox 360 through Zune. My music streams across perfectly. My movies and pics are no where to be found on my Xbox dashboard. I can see them in Zune but my Xbox can't find them at all.

Any suggestions?

[ThoughtsMedia]

Nope, sorry, no suggestions - I don't have my Xbox 360 connected to my Zune software.

- Jason

[YoungSenor96bitoch]

Ya I got the video on my software but it wont synce or whatever onto my zune!What do I do???????????????????

[ThoughtsMedia]

Well, first fix your question mark key - it seems to be stuck. ;-) If the videos are showing up in the Zune software, and you can play the videos with the Zune software, then it shouldn't have trouble transcoding the videos - but it might take several hours to do it. Have you left it alone for a while?

- Jason

[YoungSenor96bitoch]

Thanks it works after waiting a day but I didn't go on my computer the rest of the day LoL!

[ThoughtsMedia]

Ok, so it probably had to transcode a lot of videos - and that only happens as fast as your CPU can do it...so I guess in your case you need some patience. :-)

- Jason

[skeezo87]

Hey, I haven't bought a Zune yet but I'm thinking I might want to. Does it come with any software ready to go, like a CD or something? Or do you have to download the software onto your computer from the Zune website? I have heard some say it is easy, and some say it is difficult to use, which is your opinion? Thanks!

[ThoughtsMedia]

No, you go to the Zune Web site and download the software - it's fast, easy, and free. There's not much point in Microsoft offering a CD in the box. The software is easy to use and works quite well - but only if your music is in pretty good shape as far as the metatags are concerned. If you have a messy music collection, the Zune software will show it as a messy music collection. ;-)

- Jason

[skeezo87]

Thanks a lot man

[miacandy95]

thankyou so much! I was so confused!

[Randollll]

Plz respond to this! i have 2.5 software and i have mp4 videos can the software read those cuz it use to get them but now it doesnt get any at all

[ThoughtsMedia]

The software can read MPEG4 videos, so if it's not finding them at all now, something must have gotten a bit screwed up with your system. Perhaps try a re-install of the Zune software? And you're sure you've set the software to scan the right folder?

- Jason

[Randollll]

yea its the right folder but idk its like it finds some but like not the bigger ones like 250 mb ones but sometimes it gets stuff tht idk how they got there cuz once i got the dukes of hazzard and i dnt even have tht movie in my whole computer

[ThoughtsMedia]

Would I be correct in guessing that these video files are not ones that you ripped from your own DVDS, and that they're instead peer-to-peer files? If you download random crap encoded by random people with random software, what you're going to get is random problems like this. I can't help you any further.

- Jason

[NinjaDKDavid]

Umm lets say that if you wanted to put a picture and your battery was almost to the fullest. So you plug your Zune in and put that picture and yank the cable out. Will anything affect my Zune? Please reply

[ThoughtsMedia]

No, that should be just fine.

- Jason

[Ishbu101]

Dont b putting a bunch of pron on my mp3 player

[AlexFreestyle23]

cat u just drag the video onto the zune software???

[ThoughtsMedia]

You can play videos with the Zune software, but if you want to sync the videos with your Zune, you should set it to look in the folders like I did here.

- Jason

[42274d1]

can u watch videos on that?

[ThoughtsMedia]

Are you asking if you can watch videos on the Zune? Yes, definitely.

- Jason

[42274d1]

Mr. Jason i know the fact you can watch videos on the zune its just that im having trouble finding videos for my zune. I do used google videos which are mp4 movies but they never sync into my zune. It does make look like it synced into my zune but when i check later no movies were added so do u have any suggestions where i can find movies?

p.s.

sorry for this paragraph!!!?

[ThoughtsMedia]

"Where to find videos" is a pretty darn big question...my suggestion is to join the Zune Thoughts forums and post in detail about your problem so others can assist you.

- Jason

[jet79637]

hey i synced an entire dvd to my zune, but the problem is that it only plays a single chapter at a time, how do I get my zune and the software to that it plays all the chapters without ceasing and me having to keep locating and playing the next chapter myself?

[ThoughtsMedia]

If you've ripped the DVD as a single file (WMV or h.264) there's no reason why it would stop playing after a single chapter. I don't know of a method to have chapter points in a WMV or h.264 file though, so frankly I'm not sure how you even accomplished that to begin with. :-) I use CloneDVD Mobile or Corel DVD Copy 6 (in conjunction with AnyDVD) to rip DVDs for use on my Zune. You might want to stop by the Zune Thoughts forums and post about this with more details.

- Jason

[Mrsalvin]

Do one on converting video. I don't know how to take a regular movie and get it on my Zune.

Thanks,

[ThoughtsMedia]

Video is tricky, because it will probably involve copyright violation - I can't do a video showing how to rip a commercial DVD, or download a commercial movie from a P2P service. I could do one on how to convert a personal video, and I guess people could extrapolate that to other forms of video...

- Jason

[Mrsalvin]

Thanks, maybe just describing it would help. I hear about converter software. My take is that I load movie on my computer then somehow convert it to another form (how?) and then load it onto the Zune. I noticed that the pictures automatically go small (reduced size) when loaded onto the Zune but I guess the movie won't automatically do that.

[ThoughtsMedia]

My best advice to you is to purchase AnyDVD and Corel's DVD Copy 6. Those two pieces of software together will allow you to rip any commercial DVD and convert it to a format that's compatible with the Zune.

- Jason

[IIKRUMPETII]

do you have to start your library over if you get the zune software?

(have all my music in wmp and i dont like the idea of having to start over)

Thanks

[ThoughtsMedia]

Start over? Nope - the Zune software will scan your music, but you can keep using WMP11 if you want. You need to use the Zune software to sync your Zune though.

- Jason

[IIKRUMPETII]

Thanks for the help.

I think im gona buy this now.

[xnightxamex]

what does the zune consider the difference between a podcast and a video? i dont know much about podcasts so it may seem like a dumb question but i am curious.

[Guitarshredder7B]

Hey i need a freeware video converter that turns flv. files (hacked/dowloaded from youtube) into mp4 format. Any reccomendations?

Thanks, Bry

[ionen47]

I'm using iTunes to sync my iPods but I'm impressed with the look the Zune Software comes with! Pretty slick and elegant

Enjoyed your presentations for the Zune :)

[eduardo5887283]

when it adds the media , do you need to add it manually to your Zune or does it load to the Zune automatically?

[ThoughtsMedia]

You'd need to add it to the Zune manually - the adding process I show covers adding it to the desktop software only.

- Jason

[sungodjesus]

Do you have any idea about zune pass, if I cancel my zune subscription will the music stop working on the PC only or will it also stop working in my zune player. Perhaps when I sync it to my PC the music will disappear or the file must be updated every once in a while etc.

[ThoughtsMedia]

If you cancel your Zune Pass account, the music will stop working on the Zune within 30 days or so (perhaps sooner).

- Jason

[ChazISaCrueHead]

you sound like an old man.

[ThoughtsMedia]

What? You don't like the smooth, dulcet tones of my voice? I could try adding in some vocal squeaks if you want... ;-)

- Jason

[MasterChris117]

how do i type in descriptions for my videos?

[ThoughtsMedia]

There's no easy way to do that - it's reading some sort of metadata, but it's not something you can edit in the Zune software (yet another missing feature). There's probably some way to manually edit the metadata in the file, but I haven't discovered it yet (I haven't really looked to be honest).

- Jason

[DeVstatrOmga]

Am I the only one who loves his zune yet hates the software. It's unbelievably slow and takes forever to do just one task.

[ThoughtsMedia]

There are many things I don't like about the software, mostly due to the lack of functionality, but speed isn't one of them - it's VERY fast on my system. Much, much faster than Windows Media Player 11.

- Jason

[Randollll]

its probly ur computer

[sk8member]

Hey, can you do me a favor. I was trying to figure out how to put music on my Zune without the software. People refer to this as using the Zune as a harddrive. I couldn't figure it out and i would appreciate it if you could show people how to do this, if you can figure it out.

[ThoughtsMedia]

If you Google for "Zune hard drive hack" you can find the instructions on how to do that - it basically just allows you to access your Zune as a mass storage device, meaning you can drag and drop songs onto it. But it only works from the PC you do the hack on, it doesn't change anything on the Zune itself.

- Jason

[Magnet227]

Hey how much is the zune 8 gb

[ThoughtsMedia]

Go to Amazon and find out for yourself. :-)

- Jason

[andybarb3]

Nice, thank you thank you.

How can I get Zune to show the pictures I want it to show while playing an album. I can's seeem to make it refresh?

[ThoughtsMedia]

You're referring to album art? Sure, I'll do up a tutorial on that - but it won't be until sometime after April 7th. Hopefully you can wait until then. :-)

- Jason

[andybarb3]

At your convenience.  Thanks for the excellent work.

[gunsnroses123456789]

Would of been nice if you could suggest a video converter.

[ThoughtsMedia]

I suggest Corel DVD Copy 6 - it works with files just as easily as DVDs, and it has Zune presets. Works great! Maybe I'll do a video about that. :-)

- Jason

[Mrsalvin]

I got that and then was reading about clonedvd mobile. That looks like it would do the same thing. Have you tried it?

Thanks,

[Mrsalvin]

by the way, I really like the Kicker for my Zune. It's light enough I can take it places with me.

[ThoughtsMedia]

CloneDVD Mobile will rip DVDs, once they've been unlocked using AnyDVD, to a Zune-friendly format.

- Jason

[and1strtblln]

nice. can you do any ipod tutorials?

[ThoughtsMedia]

Nope, sorry. I don't own an iPod.

- Jason

[and1strtblln]

'ight, thats cool