According to an email being circulated by Microsoft it looks like Xbox Live’s Zune Marketplace will be down tonight January 25th, and possibly into tomorrow for some scheduled maintenance. The service will go down at 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time (1:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time for you east-coasters) and may be down for as long as 24 hours. Unfortunately during that time you won’t be able to purchase or rent any videos from their library. Already purchased and downloaded movies or shows will not be effected.

Here’s the official statment included in the email from Microsoft:

As part of our continued efforts to improve the Zune Marketplace service on Xbox LIVE, Zune Marketplace will be undergoing scheduled maintenance for up to 24 hours, starting 10:00 P.M. (PT) on January 25, 2010. During that time, you will be unable to rent or purchase video content.

Your existing video library will continue to be available.

We apologize for this temporary inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

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Yesterday Microsoft officially announced what’s next in the Zune family line up. The long rumored Zune HD. And it will be boasting some pretty impressive features. Including a 3.3 inch 480 x 272 OLED mutli-touch display, built-in radio HD receiver, Wi-Fi, Internet and HD output capabilities. Although that will require a new dock. Ouch.

Of course the biggest news (to me anyways) was the upcoming integration with Microsoft’s Xbox Live service. Not much has been revealed about how the Zune HD and XBL will interact, but this may mean that Microsoft will be stepping into the portable gaming ring. It’s answer to the iPhone and iPod touch so to speak. Things could get interesting. Microsoft promised more details at E3. I’m eager to see what they have in store.

To see pics of the new Zune HD and read the Microsoft official press release click the jump!

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. – May 26, 2009 – Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

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. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

• 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.
• The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480×272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
• 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.*
• Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
• Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD.

Tags: Microsoft, XBL, Xbox 360, Zune

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