Microsoft Unveils Zune HD Its Marketplace Headed To Xbox 360


The cat's out of the bag on the Zune HD, with Microsoft confirming the handheld media device's existence and its intent to go touchscreen-to-touchscreen with the iPod Touch this fall. Our technomigos at Engadget have full details on the new Zune -- including word that Microsoft is doing away with the current Xbox Live video marketplace in favor of the Zune marketplace.

How this will work exactly won't be fully revealed until E3, where Microsoft promises that attendees will learn "how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE creating a game-changing entertainment experience." This integration could very well be related to the hinted-at 360-Zune team-up we posted about last December.

Still, the announcement does bring up some interesting questions in the meantime. Chiefly among them: Will video content purchased on one device be playable on the other and vice-versa? Microsoft isn't saying, although that would make perfect sense. Also, the Zune marketplace offers an extensive catalog of downloadable songs -- could this be an indication of an iTunes-like music service debuting for 360? Microsoft's press conference has just become more unpredictable.

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