Zune HD in stores Sept. 15

by Jeff Chabot on August 13, 2009

Microsoft’s improved digital media player is now available for pre-order and will be in stores Sept. 15. Early reviews of the Zune HD were positive, given its interface improvements, EQ functions, mobile web browser (based on Internet Explorer), and social networking capabilities.

The Zune HD also has a built-in HD radio tuner, wireless capabilities, and will hold up to 10 hours of high-definition video (32GB model). (That also equates to approximately 8,000 audio files.)

How is it HD? Although the OLED 3.3 inch screen is only 480×272 (I guess you could call it HD at that size), the media player supports 720p output to your HDTV through an optional docking station. The Zune HD AV Dock will also charge the player while docked.

Power requirements were improved in this new model. The Zune HD uses a NVIDIA Tegra chip ultralow-power HD processor. The multiprocessor can apparently split tasks, separating processing needs for video and audio playback, graphics and HTML/Java rendering.

We also got prices on the Zune HD. The 16GB model will retail for $219, and the 32GB model will list for $289. The AV Dock will retail for $89.

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