Microsoft's new Zune portable media players were unveiled Tuesday night. (Go to Engadget for the best coverage.) Two smaller devices were introduced, flash-based 4GB and 8GB devices that will cost $149.99 and $199.99, respectively. An 80GB device will cost $249.99, and the original 30GB size will cost $199.99.

A new feature will allow Zune users to wireless sync their music to their PC. An old feature was altered. In the past, a song transfered from device to device could be played three times in three days. Now those songs can be played up to three times but without a time limit. For some, the ability to sync television content recorded from the Vista's Windows Media Center is good news, though video doesn't get much use on these portables.

Also new is the Zune Social, a beta online community, and redesigned PC and device software. Those updates will be available in November. Microsoft is playing up the social as a "a new, more valuable kind of relationship with consumers" and actually got Nettwerk's Terry McBride to donate a quote for the press release. "The time is right to let go of the older business models and recognize that consumers want something different when it comes to music today," said McBride.

Engadget reported Microsoft will add over one million DRM-free tracks to the Zune Marketplace and will add podcasts and music videos, but no specifics are available. (Universal and EMI are the obvious catalogs to go DRM-free with Zune, and their combined catalogs is probably in the million-plus range.)

Read all info in the press release.