Sean McKeon 12/7/11
Media conversion Prof.
Merenda
Thur. Next Step Telco III
Microsoft Zune: Media formats and Codecs
Microsoft’s
attempt to compete with Apple’s Ipod resulted in the Zune. In 2006, in close
cooperation with Toshiba, the first generation Zune was launched. Zune is a line of portable digital media
players and software for Windows PC’s.
Additionally, there is subscription services which provide music and
video streaming for the Zune, PC & XBOX 360.
Supported Media formats
Images:
Zune players only support JPEG image files.
Video:
All Zune devices support WMV files. MPEG-4 & H.264 file formats except the
Zune 30, which can only play WMV
files. However, when MPEG-4(MOV) and
H.264
(HD DVD & Blue Ray) files are
being synced to the Zune 30 player from a PC, the
software automatically trans-codes
these files to WMV format, ensuring play back.
Zune software also supports ASF video
file format, and can trans-code it to
WMV as well, if the file is being
transferred to a Zune player from a PC(Windows).
Audio: MP3 audio files are supported by
all models of the Zune. AAC files (with
.m4a extension) are also supported without any problems. WMA (Windows Media
Audio) files and all sub-formats of WMA are supported by all models of the
player. These include the WMA Pro
(2-channel), the WMA lossless audio format, and the WMA standard format. These
files can be downloaded from the Zune Marketplace, both in DRM free and
restricted types.
Containers and Codecs
Ø Container format: File format specifications for media files.
Allows media players to locate key data and identifiers in both streamed and
file based media.
Ø JPEG: (joint photographic experts group) Picture Images.
10:1 picture compression with little perceptible loss in image quality.
Ø WMV: Windows Media Video (also WM9). Initially designed for internet streaming
applications and as a competitor to RealVideo,
it was submitted and accepted as an industry standard, VC-1, used in HD video. Usually encapsulated in the Advanced Systems
File (ASF) container format.
Ø MPEG 4: Container format supported on all models except the
Zune 30 device. A wide range of
operating profiles and a continually developing audio/video standard also used
in HD video that has many variant codecs, such as Divx, Xvid, and Nero.
Ø H.264: Supported on all models except the Zune 30 device. Also
known as MPEG-4 AVC, it is a next generation compression format used for HD
media, and for lower resolution portable devices offering better quality at
lower file sizes than many other formats.
Ø AVI: (Zune HD firmware 4.5 and later) Audio Video
Interleave. Is a multimedia container
format developed by Microsoft. It
Supports a wide variety of video compression algorithms, and converts to and
from many other formats.
Ø MP3: A Digital audio encoding format that uses a
form of lossy data compression. Enabled
the portable music device.
Ø AAC:
Advanced Audio Coding. A digital audio encoding format designed to
replace the MP3 format. Generally
accepted to have better sound quality at the same bit rates.
Ø WMA: A suite of digital audio codecs developed by
Microsoft to rival RealAudio and MP3.
WMA standard, WMA lossless (no loss of fidelity), WMA pro ( high
resolution multi channel audio), and WMA voice (low bit rate).
Video Frame Rate/Resolution:
Video support: Zune HD
WMV: 720 x 480 pixels with a bit rate
of up to 10.0 Mb/s and a frame rate of up to 30 frames per second.
:720
x 576 pixels with a bit rate of up to
10.0 Mb/s and a frame rate of up to 25 frames per second.
:1280
x 720 pixels with a bit rate of up to 14.0 Mb/s, and a frame rate of up to 30
frames per second.
H.264, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.1 specs:
L3
| <><>
<><>
45 Mb/s
| <><>
<><>
1920 × 1080 Res / 24 FPS (1080p)
1920 × 1080 Res / 30FPS (1080i) 1280 × 720 RES / 60FPS (720p) |
VC-1:
Advanced profile up to Level 2
specs:
L2
| <><>
<><>
20 Mb/s
| <><>
<><>
720 × 480 Res / 60 FPS (480p)
1280 × 720 Res / 30FPS (720p) |
MPEG-4 ASP,
up to 4.0 Mb/s bit rate 720p high definition video output using HDMI.
File Conversion of source
Media:
There
are many programs available to convert files to work on various devices and
numerous formats. Hamster is one such
video converter that is free and supports many devices. Another converter can be found at CNET
downloads, called the Zune converter:
found at CNET.com
Free Zune Video Converter
is a free application which converts the most popular video files (AVI, MPEG,
MP4, FLV, or MOV) to Microsoft Zune compatible video format (WMV, MP4). You can
also extract audio tracks from video files to MP3, WMA and M4A (AAC) format.
The application allows you to convert full movie or selected range only. You
can limit output file size and set many parameters used by encoder: audio and
video bitrate, fps, resolution, sampling frequency and other. The Free Zune
Video Converter interface is very simple and user-friendly. To convert video files,
just drag & drop them into main window, select proper profile from list,
and click the Convert button. If the video quality is poor, increase video
bitrate.
Pictured below is the Hamster free video
converter. I used a Canon Camcorder
video and converted it to a Zune WMV file.
Adding,
Editing and Converting the file:
Purchased
Media & DRM
Zune
supports the Windows Media DRM
digital rights management system, which is not
compatible with other DRM systems. Audio files purchased at the Zune Marketplace
will not play on other devices. Digital Rights Management,
or DRM, is technology designed to prevent unauthorized use of copyrighted and
licensed material, such as music, video, and software. Unfortunately, it sometimes
means you can't use the files you bought and paid for because the DRM protection
lingers long after you've changed services, software, or changed hardware. There are DRM removal tools that strip the
DRM allowing you to take your media to new devices. You can find a DRM removal tool at CNET.com
