Zune Video Downloads - Is Zune the New King

Zune Video Downloads - Will It Dethrone Apple's? The Zune. It's Micosoft's entry into the portable player market, and their shot across the bow of industry leader Apple. The little iPOD has be come ubiquitous the world over. Far from constrained to college campuses and teeny boppers, the iPOD's now sported by business execs, attorneys and soccer moms. Understandably, Microsoft wants a piece of the lucrative, personal media player pie. Apple's got a vice-like hold on the market, however, and it could prove a tough nut to crack for Microsoft. Currently, the Zune holds about a 10% market share in the hard drive based player segment. This is after the first 5 months of the players on store shelves.

Why would you buy a Zune over an iPOD, or any other media player for that matter? Well, most users cite the large, 3" video screen as a primary reason for their purchase, followed by the WiFi capability. There are other WiFi enabled players on the market however, such as the SanDisk Sansa Connect. To make matters even tougher for Microsoft, the Slacker, to be introduced in the summer of '07, will allow users to receive satellite based content so they can get downloads where ever they happen to be. Another reason to choose the Zune over the iPOD would be Microsoft's subscription media download service, Zune Marketplace. By paying a monthly subscription fee, users of Marketplace can have millions of tracks and videos at their fingertips without paying for each individually (That would probably be cost prohibitive for most consumers).

Apple claims consumers don't want such a service, but industry analysts point out that it could be a viable option for some. For those that do prefer the subscription model, the Zune would become the player of choice. Analysts have recommended that Microsoft use this as a way to differentiate the Zune from the iPOD, and increase market share. Another issue to put some speed bumps in Microsoft's parking lot is the absence of a flash based Zune. Most other portable media player manufacturers have such a player, and many consumers prefer flash based players for their small size, battery life, and reliability. As flash based memory becomes cheaper and larger, a flash based player will all but become a necessity for the Zune.

All in all, the Zune could be a fantastic product for Microsoft. They should use the player to create a solid subscription service based business. Not only would they not be competing directly with Apple (although if it appeared to be successful, you can bet Apple would change their stance on subscription services), it would provide a fantastic recurring revenue base for Microsoft. Although they would not compete with Apple, they would be in competition with other subscription based services, such as Rhapsody. Microsoft recently released a software update to resolve some usability issues, and more functionality and features could be added in the near future via software downloads.

So, what can you play on the Zune and how do you get content for one? The thing that most consumers seem to love is that you can easily download music videos and TV episodes for a Zune. For those that just have to catch up on their favorite TV shows while taking the bus to school or work, the Zune's just the ticket, thanks to its large (for a portable) video screen. You can download from Zune marketplace and play music files for free for the first three plays. You can also transport files over from other Zune players suing the built-in WiFi connectivity. One great application using the WiFi is the ability to stream content to and from an X-Box 360, which, in itself, is a media center extender for a Vista or Media Center Edition PC. The Zune supports WMA (natch!), WMA lossless, and MP3 file formats for music, and Windows Media Video and MPEG-4 for video.

For those who shirk at subscription fees, there are one time pay download sites out there. At these you can pay one lump sum fee, which is larger than the monthly subscription fee, but not by much, considering amount of videos, TV shows and music many of these membership sites have available. So the choice is yours; pay to play once, or pay less, but pay to play every month for your music and videos.

About the Author

For more about everything Zune, including how you can really load up your Zune's hard drive with everything you could imagine, go to the Ulimited Zune Download Zone

Beginner's Guide To Video In Internet Marketing

Online advertising is exploding. With it has come new technology that turns blogs into the best platform to run an online business. The video stream has been described as a savvy use of a cheap toy for online marketing. In fact, some of the most profitable videos on the Internet today were made on webcams or digital cameras.

The two main purposes of a marketing video are to create awareness of a product or service, or to educate visitors.

The video ad is a virtual commercial that is viewed on a website, or sent through RSS feed to other websites through services like Adbrite and Google. These are short commercials. However, because they are made for a computer screen, a professional can make the video for less than $5,000.00. And, a determined do-it-yourself director can make one for under $400.00.

A web video is created to educate visitors and lead them through your web site's presentation. It increases sales by educating visitors. This overcomes the main reason why visitors leave a website.

A visitor's failure to understand instructions, or their refusal to read instructions, is the number one reason for lack of sales. Video forces visitors to pay attention to instructions and stops them from leaving the page.

There are dozens of video companies who will make expensive videos for a web site and then offer hosting. At first this appears to be an easy and effective way to introduce video to your website. Unfortunately, the cost is almost never justified. It is better to make a homemade video, and change it monthly. Once you see how easy it is, and how good the quality, you'll be sold. If you doubt this, go to MySpace or YouTube and look at all the great quality videos made by amateurs.

YOUTUBE & GOOGLE VIDEO

Sticky websites are the main tool for today's content site managers. They are finding it more difficult to build an opt-in list. It is difficult to keep visitors connected to the web site until they purchase. They need a real strong hook to keep visitors.

YouTube is a free service that lets webmasters embed their own video, or other video, onto a web site. Imbedding a video clip from a famous author, an industry guru, or even a news clip that relates to an article dramatically increases the impact, and sticky factor of the web page.

YouTube allows users to upload their own video and then embed it, with player, on their web site. This video can instruct, sell to, or build trust between the visitor and the product. In fact, it can become the product.

As for the marketing power of video, YouTub recently surpassed CNN's hits per day, and MySpace video has surpassed AOL, according to Alexa. No wonder Google recently purchased YouTube for more money than many small countries are worth. This is a mute testament to the power of video.

Each of the three main video hosting sites have their advantages and disadvantages. MySpace is social based. Its ignorance of hard core porn leaves a bad taste in many Social Networking and SEO webmasters. There are very few intellectual videos on MySpace, and there is no way to easily embed them onto your web page. This means that people must leave the site to see them, or the webmaster must embed a video player.

Google video is too complicated. It can take more than twenty minutes to sign up. And then there is a complicated tutorial.

This leaves YouTube, as the leading service for most webmasters. YouTube allows a webmaster to sign up and embed video on their website in less than two minutes.

PODCASTING

Podcasting, or audio streaming, has been around for several years. It ranges from creating a radio station with syndication, or setting up a small web based audio sites, to uploading an audio stream onto your website.

Podcasting is the most cost-effective method of retaining customers, improving sales, and educating visitors. However, it is time consuming. It takes at least 30 hours of streaming, rotated in four hour blocks, to effectively create a 24 hour broadcast. The content should be continually updated. Even tutorials should change every few weeks.

Another setback for podcasting is the bandwidth and storage requirement. While there are cheap $5 a month services, you can find site that offer a complete service with royalty management, few webmasters are utilizing the services properly. Those web sites that are using these services are not scripting and editing, resulting in poor content.

The place where Podcasting excels is in short online tutorials. Many web sites utilize them with a PowerPoint presentation, creating a tutorial. While this is a 'poor cousin' to the Macromedia flash tutorials, Powerpoint has the benefit of saving each slide as a .gif, making it easy for amateurs to incorporate on their web sites.

It is easy to imbed an audio stream. Just upload the file, and then hyperlink it to a button on the web page. When the button is clicked, the user's Media player will play the audio.

An audio file can even be linked to photos. A shopping cart with ten cameras on a page can include separate audio streams discussing the benefits of each. The visitor only needs to click a link and/or the image to start the audio stream.

The internet is tiring of web sites that sell ebook downloads. Instead of writing an ebook think 'new trend.' The emerging trend is online tutorials, either audio and PowerPoint, audio and photo, Macromedia flash, or video streaming.

HOW TO PROFIT

Each of these tools are used to create a sticky web site. They are used on blogs, web sites, and in forums. These tools 'tease' users. Then, when they are hooked, a full video course can be offered.

Bloggers do this. They offer 'how to courses' that span 500 blogs, or, the visitor can purchase the ebook, or download the entire course in an audio file.

Video has one main advantage over ebooks and podcasts. While an ebook may fetch $50 - $100.00, the exact same content packaged in a video course could fetch as much as $1,000.00.

Once you are prepared to profit, it is time to trash your homemade product and create a professional one.

Camtasia is an easy software system that allows video editing. It is moderately priced at $299.99. Camtasia Studio 4.0 makes it easy to publish videos and MP3 files for iPod, or other portable media players. Now your marketing message, screencast, lecture, or training video can reach anyone, anywhere, on the bus, in a coffee shop, or even while they're jogging. Camtasia is easy to learn, easy to use, and affordably priced.

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

Today's generation has been acclimatized to video. It is part of everything they do - their work, their education, and definitely their entertainment. They will not easily tire of video and audio streaming.

Webmasters do not need to worry about investing money into these mediums, only to have them go out of vogue like so many other Internet Marketing tools have. And, best of all, video is fun to create, easy to use, and very profitable.

About the Author

Khemal Dole owns and operates http://www.PaychecksDirect.com, a completely FREE service which helps many first-timers and even experts find their perfect Work At Home job. Visit www.paychecksdirect.com right now and see for yourself why so many are flocking to his site.

Free Zune Downloads - Fact or Fiction

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.

About the Author

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.

Samsung X830; innovation personified

Innovation synonyms Samsung. And by coming up with X830, Samsung has done no harm to its reputation. Added to its customary role of Bluetooth supporting EDGE phone, in Samsung X830, an user stands to gain the functionalities of a high-definition music player. However, even if the advantages of this phone are far too many, the innovative design of the mobile phone stands to gain maximum attention from an onlooker.

To start with the list of differences, Samsung X830 Orange comprises a swivel-type form factor. The keys are arranged in two rows and in spite of its rich technology integration, weighs only 72gm. The phone sizes 85 x 29 x 20 mm with a 128x220 pixels, 262k colours display-screen on the fascia. With 1 GB of memory support, though not expandable any farther, the phone acts as a store house of data. A 1.3 megapixel camera farther establishes the multi-utility status of this phone. The superior plastic casing of the phone offers the lighter-yet-durable feel.

While in closed position, the fascia of the phone acts as a music player that horizontally displays playlist, equalizer setting, and song information. The music player in Samsung X830 supports AAC, AAC+, e-AAC, WMA, and MP3 file formats and the huge memory space enables at least 250 songs to be stored at-a-time in the phone. A 'rotator' looking circular music playing control of the phone reminds of an iPod. The USB connectivity of the phone supports faster data transfer rate. In addition to all the feature, the phone comes complete with PC synchronization, Bluetooth and Windows DRM support. The Bluetooth capabilities with a wireless stereo headset allows users to remotely control the music player.

The Samsung X830 showcases a perfect integration of style and substance. The trendsetting and innovative design compliments to the stupendous music playing role of this mobile. The availability of the phone in a rich and trendy colour range makes the phone all the more compelling for millions of stylish mobile phone users.

About the Author

Innovation synonyms Samsung. And by coming up with X830, Samsung has done no harm to its reputation. Added to its customary role of Bluetooth supporting EDGE phone, in Samsung X830, an user stands to gain the functionalities of a high-definition music player.

Nokia 5300: in the heart of mobile music

The Nokia 5300 is a part of Xpress Music family. The slider resemble Nokia 6111 but has a more vibrant outlook designed to appeal the younger lot of mobile user. The Nokia 5300 in many ways can be regarded as a formal strike back to Sony Ericsson's Walkman phones which was instrumental in popularizing the concept of music phones.

The Nokia 5300 is a compact slider with a funky design. The handset is available in red and grey with white as a common styling element. The standard HS-47 headphones supplied with the Nokia 5300 are white resembling the ones used in an iPod. In closed position, the 262k coloured QVGA display, navigation pad front, dedicated music control and camera hot-key in the side are visible from the front. Many functions can be accessed while the Nokia 5300 is still in closed position.

The Nokia 5300 has a high-quality stereo music player that supports MP3, Midi, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA formats. The Nokia AV connector lets you connect your preferred headphones to enjoy your tracks on the Nokia 5300. A2DP profile for Bluetooth wireless stereo headset is present too. 5 Mb of internal memory can easily be expanded by microSD memory card to make room for all your favourite tracks. You can tune in to your favourite radio station anytime you like with the Nokia 5300.

The Nokia 5300 has an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom and video recording ability. Instant shooting by the dedicated camera key and instant sharing via MMS, email or other means like Bluetooth, Infrared or USB makes it very easy to share sweet moments of your life with anyone, anywhere and anyway you prefer. Triband GSM mobile network support, EDGE, GPRS and HSDSC makes sure that you never have to look any further than the Nokia 5300 for all voice and many data services.

About the Author

Adam Caitlin is webmaster of http://www.mobilerainbow.co.uk .