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Encoding Content for Zune

There are a number of encoding tools-consumer applications and tools available for purchase (or free), as well as professional applications and tools-available that you can use to create and encode content for Zune. There are also several that output content to codecs and formats that are not supported by Zune. However, audio, video, and graphic conversion tools are available to enable you to convert unsupported content into one of the supported codecs and formats. You can use any tool or application as long as the content is ultimately encoded into one of the codecs and formats supported by Zune.

The following sections provide details about the specific encoding parameters for audio, video, and picture content supported by Zune software and the Zune device.

Encoding Audio for the Zune Device

In order to present the best possible experience for customers, content should be encoded in a format natively supported by the Zune devices. This will allow for synchronization of content to the device without the delay of an intermediate transcode. The following audio format is recommended to sync directly to the device and allow for the best combination of quality and long battery life:

• WMA Standard - 128 Kbps, 44 kHz, CBR (Recommended for best battery life performance)

Alternative formats suggested for encoding:

• WMA Standard or Pro 2-channel - 2-channel, up to 384 Kbps, CBR and VBR, up to 48-kHz sample rate.
• MP3 - up to 320 Kbps, CBR and VBR, up to 48-kHz sample rate
• AAC (.m4a and .m4b files) - up to 320 Kbps, up to 48-kHz

Several applications exist on the market to encode content to the formats listed above, including Windows Media Player and Windows Media Encoder.

Encoding Video for the Zune Device

Whether you are creating video from scratch or already have a finished video, you will want to encode the content using the parameters specified in this section to ensure the content synchronizes and plays on a Zune device without the need for conversion. For long videos, this conversion may take a considerable amount of time. To provide the best possible import and sync experience you should encode content that doesn't need to be converted. The following formats are recommended to sync directly to the device and allow for the best combination of quality and long battery life:

• Format: Windows Media Video (.wmv), H.264, MPEG4 (part 2). Additionally, H.264 and MPEG4 part 2 files should be inside an m4v or mp4 container.
• Video codec: WMV9 for Windows Media Video 9 (Simple and Main Profiles), AVC1 for H.264 (Baseline Profile), M4S2 for MPEG-4 (part 2, Simple Profile)
• Video resolution: 320x240
• Video peak bit rate: up to 1.5Mbps
• Complexity or profile: Simple and Main profile for WMV9 (CBR and VBR), Baseline Profile for H.264, and Simple Profile for MPEG-4
• Audio codec: Windows Media Audio (.wma) for Windows Media Video 9, AAC for H.264 and MPEG-4
• Maximum audio bit rate: 128kbps
• Maximum total bit rate: 1.692 Mbps
  
  Note
  The Zune device also supports Windows Media Video (WMV) Simple Profile, Windows Media 7 and 8, and PhotoStory files. For these video types, the maximum video bit rate is 736 Kbps with a maximum overall bit rate of 800 Kbps when audio is included.

Using Windows Media Encoder to Encode Video Content

You can use Windows Media Encoder 9 Series to encode video to a WMV file that is suitable for the Zune device. To download the free encoder, go to the Microsoft Download Center.

The following instructions describe how to use Windows Media Encoder to encode content up to the maximum quality for the Zune device. Content can be from either a live source (for example, a video camera) or an existing video file.

To encode content for the Zune device using Windows Media Encoder

1. Click the Start menu, and select Windows Media > Windows Media Encoder .
2. In the New Session dialog box, click the Wizard tab, and then double-click Custom Session .
3. In Windows Media Encoder, on the Sources tab, under Source from, do one of the following:
   • Select Devices if your content is on a device such as a video camera or a capture card.
   • Select File if content is in digital format accessible from your compute, and then locate the file you want to convert.
     
     IMPORTANT: If your file requires conversion to a format compatible with Zune, do not select Script: In File. For a list of compatible video formats, see Zune Formats and Codecs.
4. On the Output tab, check the Archive to file checkbox, and then choose a location and file name.
5. On the Compression tab, select the following encoding settings:

   Setting	Value
   Destination	File download (computer playback)
   Video	DVD quality video (1 Mbps VBR) By choosing VBR, the encoder will perform two-pass encoding, which maximizes the overall quality of the video although it takes roughly double the time to encode. To perform one-pass encoding, choose DVD quality video (1 Mbps CBR)
   Audio	CD quality audio (VBR)

6. Click Edit .
7. In the Custom Encoding Settings dialog box, click 1073 Kbps, and select the following encoding settings:

   Setting	Value
   Audio Format	128 Kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo CBR
   Video Size	320x240
   Video bit rate	500K

8. Click OK to close the Custom Encoding Settings dialog box.
9. Click Apply.
   
   Note
   You can choose to configure additional parameters on the remaining tabs as well.
10. On the toolbar menu, click Start Encoding.

For additional information about Windows Media Encoder, see the following resources:

• Getting Started with Windows Media Encoder
• Windows Media Encoder 9 Series SDK

Encoding Pictures for the Zune Device

You can also encode pictures so that they are optimized for viewing on the Zune device. The Zune device supports the following picture format:

• JPEG - up to 640x480 resolution

Zune users can set any image on their Zune device as their background image. Zune adjusts the image to fit on the screen. However, to produce a background that looks pixel-perfect on the device screen (240x320) as well as for TV-out (320x240), you'll need to provide a 320x320 image. The Zune device uses the appropriate portion of the image for either portrait or landscape mode.

Information collected from http://www.zune.net/en-us/support/usersguide/podcasts/create.htm#section6