Microsoft and Zune have now given me another great reason to choose the Zune over the iPod for my next MP3 player. The Zune Marketplace now offers subscription services.

With the Zune Pass Subscription I can download all the music I want and keep 10 of them as my own each month. The service costs $14.99/month, so that works out to about $1.50 per song each month. Just $.50 more than I’d normally pay if I purchased it at iTunes or Amazon. So, I can look at it as paying $5/month for unlimited downloads and listening options normally.

Right now I can get a 14-day free pass to check it out, but I’m still waiting on purchasing my 120GB Zune. Hopefully that will occur fairly soon though.

One thing I didn’t realize about the Zune pass though is that I can download all the songs I want on up to three computers for that price. This would totally work with my wife’s need to download music regularly. Hmmm…

Yet, one more reason to choose a Zune for me!

Image: Snagit of Zune website

Post from: EveryJoe

Image: Windows Media Experience website

CodyG from the Windows Team recently stopped by the blog and left a comment on an earlier post of mine where I was asking about extending my media experience to my Xbox 360.

In the comment he let me know I didn’t need to buy anything to accomplish what I wanted, I could use Windows Media Player 11 to share the music from my PC so that it was accessible on my network to be picked up and streamed from my Xbox 360. On top of music I’m also able to share photos and videos as well.

After following the instructions on the website Cody provided I was able to play around with my Xbox 360 this morning before work while my son was finishing getting ready for school and the car was warming up and deicing after last night’s freezing rain.

It all worked beautifully. I can even do automated slideshows through my TV for friends as family as well. This was a lot of the stuff I was missing out on doing since I no longer use my TiVo at home.

One thing I didn’t immediately notice about the features is whether or not there’s anyway to see and browse the album art of the albums on my system, or to display that instead of the various visualizations that are available via the Xbox 360 dashboard.

Post from: EveryJoe

I was recently chatting with Jyle Dupuis who blogs over at Xboxxer.com about how he’s using the Media Center Extender on his Xbox 360 to stream music and movies right out to his living room.

This is something I’ve been wanting to do, but just haven’t had the energy or enough desire to pursue the task. Jyle let me know that I would need Media Center Extender installed on the desktop for it to work natively, which I don’t have. I don’t really feel like installing it on that computer either as it’s the one my son uses for himself in his room. I’ve just got two large hard drives in it that currently story our backups, music and pictures.

Jyle then let me know about a Linux option (as well as a Windows) that I could use without having to install Windows Media Center. These extender apps are available at XBMC.org for free.

I’m wondering who all out there has done this and what you think about it? Is it worth it to use the computer in this way? I’ve actually debated about moving the entire desktop out to the living room and getting a wireless keyboard and mouse to use. The only reason I’m not real keen on that idea is that the computer wouldn’t be available if someone was watching TV.

Let me know what you think.

If you’re not the Xbox type and have a Playstation 3 instead, you can read "How-To: Stream Music From Windows to Your PS3" over at Playstation Monger.

Image: Media Center Extender banner from Microsoft website

Post from: EveryJoe