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So, I modified the v1 kit to work with my 80, but what about my 30? Should I send the 30 to the graveyard? Naw, so I need to get a home for the 80 too. That said, I stopped by Wallyworld and picked up the v2 Home A/V Kit.

The Zune v2 Home A/V Kit costs $99 and to be quite honest, that’s a tad overpriced for what it offers in my opinion.

What do you get?

• The Dock
• 3 Inserts to accommodate the 3 Zune varieties. The 4/8, 30, and 80.
• An IR Remote
• A wall charger
• Zune A/V Output Cable

The back of the Cradle has a cover that conceals the a/v out jacks, but if you want to use it to connect to speakers or use the component video out, you need to take it off and stow it away somewhere.

As you can see, I have speakers hooked up. There is a slider switch to the right of where I am jacked in to choose the video out. To the right of that are the RGB RCA Connectors. Notice too that the cradle doesn’t have a slot for your remote.(I mention this in the video too) That is disappointing.

Here are the AV Cables. I won’t be using these.

The remote on the left, the one with hardly any buttons, is the v2 remote. It feels very lightweight and to be honest, cheap. The fact that they left off some of the buttons makes this a toss in the drawer model. Why? Because the v1 remote works with both cradles! (See Video Below)

Nothing fancy here, see those two inserts above the remote? Those are the 4/8GB and the 30GB inserts for the v2 cradle. The next 3 photos show those in action.

The cradle itself is very sturdy feeling and has rubber-like bottom surface to keep it in place.

The a/c charger has retractable prongs and a USB in to basically use the cable that comes with your Zune to charge from the wall outlet instead of you computers USB port.

Conclusion
If you really need/want a desk cradle, it is worth it if you can drop $99. If you can do without, it’s really not that great of a value. The lack of control and build of the remote is terrible. I am lucky to have the v1 remote too. I didn’t test video out since I will never use it, but Cnet has tested that function for you. (Link) The cradle itself is not bad. My only gripe is not having a slot to hold the remote.

The Zune Home A/V Pack gives you everything you need to amplify your Zune through your home stereo. With the wireless remote you can control the experience from anywhere in the room.

• Wirelessly control Zune. The wireless remote gives you full access to your Zune device from anywhere in the room.
• Charge and play. Charge your Zune while you listen to music. The Zune Dock includes a longer cable to accommodate your home setup, and the Zune AC adapter is optimized to fit into most power strips by taking up less room.
• Small and convenient AC adapter. Half the size of the original, the new smaller Zune AC Adapter is more portable and easily fits into crowded power strips. For added convenience, the cable plugs into the side so you can fit it behind dressers and tables.
• Display photos and video on your TV. Zune 30GB and Zune 80GB have the ability to use your TV as a display for viewing photos and video. Just plug the included composite AV output cable into your TV.
• Component output for Zune 80GB. For Zune 80GB owners, you can purchase component video cables to watch movies in DVD quality 480p using this kit.
• Pack includes: Zune Dock, three faceplates (one for each device type), Zune Wireless Remote, Zune AC Adapter, Zune A/V Output Cable.