[update] the ZuneHD site wasn’t working when I checked this morning but it’s up now. Not much more there but a nice looking page :)

It’s been rumoured for a while but today we announced the US availability of Zune HD, the next iteration of the Zune device line. It looks terrific though it’s a shame I’m going to have to wait to pick one up this summer in the US – I was hoping we’d see UK availability too.

What will be available in the UK is the Zune video service on Xbox LIVE – which is also coming to Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK.

Meantime, here are the specs for Zune HD. I’m digging the built in multitouch web browser and OLED. Mmmm

• 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 (480x272 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.