Zuneing outside of the US

[bangraman]

I have a question for those who might have managed what I'd like to do; that is, use the Zune Pass + Zune outside of the US. I have US-billing-address credit cards, but is the service IP/geographically (or somehow other method) limited for both Pass and wifi use?


I've just dumped all my Sony's (in fact trying to unload the last one), and the Napster > Sony relationship has not been always as easy or as pleasant an experience as I'd like. Zune 3.0 software seems to me to be considerably better developed as a system and I really want to give it a serious try.

[rlanger]

Set your computer's region to US and use Google Chrome's incognito mode to sign up for your Zune account.

I'm in Canada and have accessed the Marketplace this way, but I don't have a US credit card so I can't get the pass.

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Those USA based credit card are "key" for the Pass.

Follow this guide made for canadians but work 100% fine with any international user:
An International Zune User's Guide - Thoughts Media Forums

IPs are not blocked for downloading the Zune Pass songs. but for TV shows you must follow rlanger advice about the Google browser or download and use UltraReach / UltraSurf

[bangraman]

Thanks for the advice. Not concerned about TV shows - only music.

[antonyfirst]

Bangraman, it would be great to read a review of yours concerning the Zune.

[Domo Kun]

Hi, bit off topic but not much

Is there anyway to get just the Zune 3.0 software (i dont have a Zune) in the UK.

I like the look of it and am always up for new software

[Jubei]

I can't even get the Zune in Hong Kong!! I would really like to try it cost permitting.

[bangraman]

I've been doing some digging around and I've read some info that seems to indicate that the Pass services are IP geolocated. Can anyone confirm / unconfirm this? If it is, bothering with proxies, etc... no thanks, especially as a big part of what I really want to do is wireless music browsing.


It's annoying as heck. I can't even get Pandora for the iPhone from the App Nazi Store here I don't particularly mind Napster, but I just don't like that a player with music-related features I like (i.e. Zune, iPod) can't be easily used with a subscription service here in the UK.


Sonys, Creatives, etc... perfectly fine players in their own right, but MTP has limitations in terms of two-way sync (or at least how it's implemented in current players), and of course iPod doesn't offer sub services. For me it'd be simplest if they did (the only current iPod I don't have is the Shuffle ) but failing that the Zune seems like the only option I actually would want to use right now.

[Ricardo Dawkins]

I've been doing some digging around and I've read some info that seems to indicate that the Pass services are IP geolocated. Can anyone confirm / unconfirm this? If it is, bothering with proxies, etc... no thanks, especially as a big part of what I really want to do is wireless music browsing.

Not blocked by IP. but you still needs a USA based credit card if you want to setup it online or get a Zune Pass card on ebay or ask a friend in the USA to sent you one from those B&M stores.

Is there anyway to get just the Zune 3.0 software (i dont have a Zune) in the UK.

Go to Zune.net | Download Zune Software
or download directly from MS servers here:
Download details: Zune 3.0

[bangraman]

Thanks for the comments, I think I'll give it a go and just hope you're right about the lack of geolocation.


The new Classic has lost a lot of the iPodiness I liked about the <= 5G in terms of the very intuitive performance of the interface and I actually find it a tad irritating to use. Hoped it was an aberration of the 6G, but apparently it's here to stay... looks like they've lost interest in it. Seems like the Zune's the only other alternative, and since I cancelled Napster (as I no longer own players which work with it) I'm really missing the ad hoc all-you-can-eat downloads.