I got an email a couple of days ago from our friends at SnapStream. they had just released a version of their software (BeyondTV) that works on Vista. I had been a subscriber in the past and I’ve recently upgraded to Vista, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
So what does this have to do with Zune, you ask? Well, one of the great features about BTV is that they have a profile fir PMCs AND a direct sync option. So, unlike MCE, it is drop dead simple to record shows and take them with you. I thought, this might be a good opportunity to research some partnership opportunities.
For the most part, the software works as advertised. It isn’t as elegant as MCE, but it is tremendously more configurable. While it takes a bit of getting used to, the options are great for setting profiles and fine-tuning your recordings.
There was just one problem. When the software re-compresses the files from MPEG to WMV, it introduced a garbled audio track. It almost drove me crazy trying to figure out what was wrong. After digging into the archives, it turns out this issue has been around for several versions. Their solution? Uninstall WMP11. Not really feasible.
Which brings me to the point of this post. I’ve been thinking. What if we have a “certification” for software encoders? Basically this would be a Designed for Zune program but for programs. You guys think there is any value there? If so, tell me who you think would be likely candidates to reach out to.
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