Microsoft Zune HD Portable Media Player to be Released This Fall

The design of Microsoft's first Zune player was a bit chunky and cluncky, so it's great to see that the new Zune HD PMP will have a slim, modern look to go the next round against Apple's sleek i-devices. When it's released in Fall 2009, the new Zune HD will boast a Premium Zune digital entertainment service that will be available internationally on Xbox LIVE to its 17 million Xbox LIVE subscribers. The Zune HD is also the first portable media player to combine a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output, a 480×272 resolution OLED multitouch 16:9 widescreen display, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

Gizmodo has a hands-on video demo of the Zune HD, which looks very promising.

Zune HD highlights:

Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time.

The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p

Microsoft will demo the Zune HD at the Electronic Entertainment Expo next week where attendees will also see how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE.  Zune HD pricing has not been announced yet.