Entered CNET Catalog: 09/30/2006
SKU: 0882224274654
Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
Manufacturer description
Designed around the principles of sharing, discovery and community, Zune creates new ways for consumers to connect and share entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers on connection - connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices. Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment platform that provides an end-to-end solution for Connected Entertainment. Inspired by the vast and varied community of music fans, Zune focuses on helping emerging artists shape the digital canvas. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space.User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 4 user reviews
Not worth the money, very disappointing!
Pros: None but an overpriced car charger with it.
Cons: HORRIBLE output.
Review: The only way to get this thing to work and be picked up by your cars FM system, is to have the thing outside tied to the antenna. Ive tried this transmitter in several different cars with different radios and no luck! Theres always static or its breaking up or not even picked up at all. Please don't spend the 80 dollars I did to buy this product, its a complete waste of money. Buy some nicer earphones or headphones for yourself with the money instead.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 4 user reviews
Horrible Product.
Pros: Uses the Zune Port, Designed to look like a part of the Zune Player
Cons: Signal so weak you must be 6 inches from your antenna.
Review: This transmitter has extremly weak output. I tried it on my home stereo system, and two portable boom-box style radios. With all of them I had to hold the unit about 6 inches from the antenna. And even then it was full of static and buzzing noises in the treble frequencies.
I had bought this unit because it used the Zune port, was powered by that Zune, and looked like it was part of the Zune. I have yet to find another transmitter that uses the Zunes power.
My brother and his wife bought a Griffin iTrip for their iPod, and it was able to transmit a crystal clear signal through 3 walls and a ceiling of the house, about 35ft, on the same radios I tested in the same house.
I had bought this unit because it used the Zune port, was powered by that Zune, and looked like it was part of the Zune. I have yet to find another transmitter that uses the Zunes power.
My brother and his wife bought a Griffin iTrip for their iPod, and it was able to transmit a crystal clear signal through 3 walls and a ceiling of the house, about 35ft, on the same radios I tested in the same house.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 4 user reviews
Absolutely useless
Pros: Easy-to-read display
Cons: Everything else - honest
Review: Where to begin?
The connection itself is not well thought out. The only thing that holds the FM transmitter to the Zune is the connector with flimsy lock tabs at each end. The lock tabs don't really lock the transmitter to the Zune and you'll soon find that it isn't hard to accidentally disconnect the transmitter from the Zune.
Just as MattyDread stated, the power output (even with the charger plugged in) is nowhere near enough to pull in a signal with your car antenna. I was able to get a signal on one frequency when I was living in Colorado. It was flaky -- stronger in some areas, weaker in others -- but I lived with it. I was never able to find another frequency that would pick up anything and there was plenty of "open air." I've since moved to Oregon and the FM transmitter is now completely useless. I can only pull in a signal for very brief periods (and the music is never clear). Also, as MattyDread stated, there really is no seek capability with this transmitter - you may as well just move through the spectrum manually. It rarely skips strong local signals and even when it finds nice clean static it doesn't seem to be able to transmit anything.
In closing, I also want to mention that Microsoft cannot argue that the reason the signal is so weak is because of the FCC's limitations on transmission power. My wife has an iPod with a Belkin transmitter and she couldn't be happier with it. The first time I rode in her car and heard the quality, I was stunned. It was able to transmit clearly on so many frequencies and the iPod didn't have to be balanced precariously on the dash like my Zune does (note: the Zune CAN take a pretty good shock as mine has flown off the dash at least 3-4 times and still works great). Microsoft needs to setup some sort of trade-in program where we can turn in these worthless kids' toys for the real thing.
The connection itself is not well thought out. The only thing that holds the FM transmitter to the Zune is the connector with flimsy lock tabs at each end. The lock tabs don't really lock the transmitter to the Zune and you'll soon find that it isn't hard to accidentally disconnect the transmitter from the Zune.
Just as MattyDread stated, the power output (even with the charger plugged in) is nowhere near enough to pull in a signal with your car antenna. I was able to get a signal on one frequency when I was living in Colorado. It was flaky -- stronger in some areas, weaker in others -- but I lived with it. I was never able to find another frequency that would pick up anything and there was plenty of "open air." I've since moved to Oregon and the FM transmitter is now completely useless. I can only pull in a signal for very brief periods (and the music is never clear). Also, as MattyDread stated, there really is no seek capability with this transmitter - you may as well just move through the spectrum manually. It rarely skips strong local signals and even when it finds nice clean static it doesn't seem to be able to transmit anything.
In closing, I also want to mention that Microsoft cannot argue that the reason the signal is so weak is because of the FCC's limitations on transmission power. My wife has an iPod with a Belkin transmitter and she couldn't be happier with it. The first time I rode in her car and heard the quality, I was stunned. It was able to transmit clearly on so many frequencies and the iPod didn't have to be balanced precariously on the dash like my Zune does (note: the Zune CAN take a pretty good shock as mine has flown off the dash at least 3-4 times and still works great). Microsoft needs to setup some sort of trade-in program where we can turn in these worthless kids' toys for the real thing.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 4 user reviews
If you live in a city, forget it
Pros: Compact, matches Zune style.
Cons: Weak signal, lots of interference, AutoSeek doesn't work
Review: Got this as a Christmas present to go with my new Zune and I'm very disappointed. I live in an urban area (Seattle) and the transmitter's not strong enough to overcome interference from radio stations near the same wavelength. Basically, I can't get a consistent signal for more than 5 minutes without static, fade outs, and so on. Tested it in the countryside near El Paso and it sucked there as well. AutoSeek feature, which is supposed to find the nearest free frequency, doesn't work at all--it pointed me to two very strong FM stations in Seattle. Don't buy this, get a direct MP3 input installed.
