Free Zune downloads; it sounds great, doesn't it? Well, guess again. Sure, you can find free Zune download hubs, but if you find a legal one that has first rate music, movies and videos, be sure you sing from the mountaintops. Why sing out? Because, you probably found the only one of its' kind that's legal. Most of those free download sites for the Zune, and the iPOD too, for that matter, are basically pirate sites. They're full of stolen or illegally copied music and video downloads.
The best thing about the Microsoft Zune is the luscious, 3" screen that's virtually dripping with vibrant color. Sure, there are other great features as well, such as integrated WiFi capability, so you can share files with other Zunes. The wireless networking capability makes it so easy to share that great, new track with friends. As you'd expect with a Microsoft product, the Zune has an appetite for Windows Media files, both music and video. It can use the WMA lossless format to preserve every bit (pun intended) of sound quality your tracks contain. In the event you've already got a drive full of MP-3 music, don't fret, the Zune can gobble those up as well. MP-3s can be up to 320 KB/s, while WMAs max out at 192 KB/s, unless you elect to use the lossless version. One last feature that will be useless to some, but oh, so cool to others, is the ability of the Zune to stream to and from an X-box 360. A 360 is already a media center extender, so the addition of Zune streaming capability really increases its functionality.
When downloading video files to a Zune, you'll need to convert them to decrease storage requirements. Because the LCD screen is only 3", the loss of resolution isn't noticeable. Another benefit of file conversion is that converted files require fewer CPU cycles of the Zune's processor.
Now, there actually are free downloads available for your Zune, and some of them do include content files, however most of them are applications and utilities, such as file converters. You can find some free music and video content to download. The lion's share of them are indy and underground tracks from little known bands, but not all. In any case, you can discover some really great music from these artists.
What you can find, in lieu of a free download site chock full of pirated files, is a one time fee site that allow unlimited downloads after you pay a reasonable, one time fee. That small, one time fee entitles you to max out your hard drive on every conceivable type of download, both music and video. The one time payment for unlimited downloads is a much better option that risking the wrath of the RIAA or MPAA by siphoning off illegitimate content. So when you're looking for tracks or videos for your Zune, pass the pirate sites by in favor of another option.
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For more on the Zune, including where you can get great deals on Zunes's and accessories as well as unlimited music, movie and video downloads, see the Zune Downloads and Accessories Guide.
