Apple announced a new iPod sporting video capabilities Wednesday at its "One More Thing..." event. The new model is 30 percent thinner than previous models, has a larger 2.5-inch QVGA display with 320 x 240 resolution, H.264 support, and either a 30 or 60GB hard drive.
The new iPod is still primarily a music device, but the larger display should make it easier to watch videos, and the video out port will let you watch recordings on your television. We'll have to wait and see what kind of quality comes from connecting an iPod to a television, since the videos are stored at 320 x 240 resolution. Battery life on the new iPod is pegged at 14 hours for the 30GB model, and 20 hours for the 60GB model.
Apple is also shipping a new iPod Universal Dock that supports the new Apple Remote, also announced today.
The iPod ships with the traditional iPod earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter for use with the Universal Dock, and case.
Along with the new iPod comes iTunes 6, which is available today. The new version supports downloading music videos and television shows for US$1.99 apiece. Fans of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" will be happy to know that they can download those programs, along with several other ABC programs.
Look for the new iPod in 30 and 60 GB hard drive models in both white and black to be in stores by next week. The 30GB models will sell for $299, and the 60GB model for $399. The Universal Dock retails for $39.00, the Apple Remote is $29.00, and iTunes 6 is a free download form Apple's web site.
CloseViewName:Guest Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:35 pmSubject: lol
of course you'll be able to. anything you can make to be in the correct format, as long as it can be transferred to the iPod, can work. If you can make a quicktime format 320x240 max dimensions version of the video, you unquestionably will be able to watch it.
The last powerbook upgrades were dismal, and one of the biggest reasons Apple has to switch to Intel was their powerbook line..which has STILL to be refreshed. I just haven't been able to justify a powerbook purchase for over a year...and it seems that trend will continue. Where's the beef????
Your frustration is understandable, but remember, that's why Apple switched to Intel -- IBM dropped the ball.
This new iPod looks to be truly awesome, and the new iMac is equally intriguing. I might have to buy one soon. Could be the hub of a home theater system?
Guest wrote: Does somebody know wether Apple will keep the actual iPod Photo line up or will it be phased out in favor of the new one?
They already got rid of the iPod photo line. They became just the iPod. And now these are the iPod. So I would assume the iPod Photo features are present here as well.
I don't understand what that caviet means. Isn't 150 hours, 150 hours? What does that 4 minutes per mean? So can you really store 150 full 60 minute hours on one?
From Apples website:
"Only now, you can watch it, too. With support for up to 150 hours(4) of video and a 2.5-inch color display"
"4.Video capacity is based on 4 minutes per H.264 750-Kbps video combined with 128-Kbps audio"
I find the update to the iMac line to be very nice. Speedy 1.9 and 2.1 ghz G5 processors, remote control, new software, and builit-in iSight are some very attractive "value-added" features sure to keep the line fresh and sales numbers climbing. No news on the professional lines yet though...I would expect to see your major revision in that arena at MWSF though. Apple is getting the consumer stuff out and advertised as the Christmas shopping season encroaches- hence the iPods and iMacs.
As for the iPods. I can sum it up with one word...wow. Up to 15 hours of H.264 encoded video (Which will look great on most TVs) on a new slimmer iPod with what promises to be a very nice display AND the price points are very reasonable...I think Apple hit a home run here. The universal dock and remote with the A/V output makes this a MORE than viable portable "media" device.
iTunes 6 is likely to be the sleeper of the event. I think that this is going to be huge in that it we'll see video INTEGRATION throughout, rather than it being a novel "bolt-on" feature courtesy of QT which is how I feel about iTunes 5. Apple also was very smart to have a respectable library of video content (2000+ titles) at launch. I for one like the idea of some of the ABC and Pixar content (Admittedly if given a choice between C-SPAN 5 and That's So Raven, I'll take C-SPAN) and I think that the library will only continue to grow form the "big media" end as this becomes a commercially viable option for distribution. For the amateur Podcasters wanting to and already distributing video, this is fantastic. All in all a great announcement
Just installed iTunes 6 (& needed QuickTime 7.03). No videos on the store ... yet (not that I have any extra bucks to buy any...).
The theme is still the sucky iTunes 5.
BTW: Installed the aforementioned software on my iMac G4/800Mhz 15". That new iMac G5/1.9GHz for $1,299 looking really nice...(but again, minimal moola...)
For example, suppose you decide you want to transfer your iMovies. But you don't encode it to Apple's specs--you go bigger and better so that they'll look better on your TV. You won't get 150 hours. You may get less than half that.
It's a similar thing when Apple says that a 4GB iPod nano holds 1000 songs. Well, if you take your CDs and rip them in Apple-lossless format and try to put 1000 on your iPod nano, they won't all fit. Because the 1000 songs is based on 128Kbps AAC--which is what is sold at the iTunes Music Store. It's also why you sometimes see iPod competitors boast 2000 songs in the same space--because they'll use 64Kbps encoding (which sounds horrible).
The codec and bitrates are probably the more significant factor. I don't know enough about H.264 to know if the length might have any impact.
Obviously if the movies on the iPod must be 320x240 then the TV out will only be 320x240. And that seems really lame. So I wonder if the iPod just scales to 320x240 in real time during playback on the screen. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Mac pro (Powerbooks and Powermacs) lines will be updated next week according to Think Secret. This sounds very logical to me cause iPod + iMac is a consumer line and gains more attention announced together. Powerbooks and Powermacs will receive quiet updates with no media event i think in a light of Intel switch. But this doesn't mean it will be just speed bump. Powerbooks will receive single core G5 or double core G4 processor while Powermacs double G5 double core.
Guest wrote: What does that 4 minutes per mean?
[...]
"4. Video capacity is based on 4 minutes per H.264 750-Kbps video combined with 128-Kbps audio"
It means Apple estimated the amount of video the iPod can store based on an "average" 4-minute video clip (think music video) with those specifications. Different specs, clip lengths, etc., will result in different real-world results.
320 x 240 will look fine on your 13" set in your kitchen, but videophiles with big screens will not be impressed. These videos will probably be watched on your computer screen.
At $1.99, I can see a big market for people who didn't set their VCRs correctly or didn't know the show was good until they hear about it from their friends the next day. Also, stuff that isn't getting shown in the US, like the new Doctor Who, which is very good.
Can you make DVDs of these downloads the way you can burn audio CDs?
acdc1174 wrote: As for the iPods. I can sum it up with one word...wow. Up to 15 hours of H.264 encoded video
Read the tech specs again! From Apples website "Video playback time: Up to 2 hours when fully charged." The 15 hours is only for music.
I was referring to storage capacity, not playback time. Besides, if I am going to use this as a video storage/playback device and I plan on watching a lot of video at a sitting, I am going to plug it in for power.
CloseViewName:Guest Wed Oct 12, 2005 3:28 pmSubject:
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algr wrote: 320 x 240 will look fine on your 13" set in your kitchen, but videophiles with big screens will not be impressed. These videos will probably be watched on your computer screen.
At $1.99, I can see a big market for people who didn't set their VCRs correctly or didn't know the show was good until they hear about it from their friends the next day. Also, stuff that isn't getting shown in the US, like the new Doctor Who, which is very good.
Well, the iPod photo wasn't for enthusiasts either, and neither is the video iPod. But 320x240 is going to look about as good as VHS on the majority of TVs in the world.
What I want to know is, are these downloaded shows going to be 40 minutes of Content, or 40 minutes of Content interrupted by 20 minutes of commercials?
Does anyone else think it's odd that the current G5 benchmarks are still showing as putting out results head and shoulders above the Intel chips they're rated against? Tell me the G5 is now (and suddenly) an inferior chip.
CloseViewName:BoscoPosts: 999Joined: 03 Jun 2002 Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:04 pmSubject: Sweet
Say goodbye to TiVo... In rent vs. own, I think Apple has another winner here. And TV content owners will be scrambling to get on iTMS. Seriously, count me in for buying American Chopper, Reno 911, and SouthPark as they become available. All back episodes too. This is way better than getting the DVD because season DVDs are just sooooo stupidly wanna-be-techie with director interviews and 10 picture galleries and all that other dumb DVD stuff designed for the 100 IQ crowd . Raw cuts baby. No commercials. Way cool.
Just drag and drop to add your own content to iTunes...I have 6 and I've already done it. Plus, you can view your video downloads from within iTunes, in full screen. Video on demand is now a reality! The Mac is definitely becoming a multimedia hub.
CloseViewName:Guest Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:38 pmSubject:
I thought the video iPod would be a stand-alone video player. But it's actually a fully functional iPod with added video capabilities?
How is anybody going to compete with that?
Worthless FM tuners were the best anyone could do against the iPod, but now, jesus. Creative, Sony, Phillips, etc. are now hopelessly sunk when it comes to competing with it. Although they were pretty much hopelessly sunk to begin with.
CloseViewName:Guest Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:26 pmSubject:
H.264 video: up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats
MPEG-4 video: up to 2.5 mbps, 480 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats
Does any of you know if the new iPod is compatible with the Bose SoundDock system? I feel totally frustrated because i just bought it, and now there's the cute iPod nano and this new iPod that i don't know if can be played in my Bose!!!
Anonymous wrote: Looking on the Apple Store website I do not see an option for a Firewire connection for the new iPod. Is Firewire being phased out?
Yup no more firewire in iPods, it seems. I suspected as much after the nano (the shuffle made sense not to have two ports on it).
Although I can see FW400/800 ports sticking around on the PowerBooks and PowerMacs for quite a while (FW400 is still faster than USB2 in real world applications, 800 doublly so), I wonder how long we'll see them on the consumer Macs.
I also notice that no one is yelling about the missing remote connector like they were on the nano.
firewire is still the de-facto leader in the dv world... just because a consumer playback device doesn't support it doesn't mean that it's being phased out... it just means that the device is designed for a mainstream audience that doesn't require the high performance that firewire provides... usb stands for "universal serial bus", and while firewire is the surperior technology, it is far from universal, mainly because it's costy and more difficult to impliment in devices than usb. however, if you want to connect a dv camera or external hard drive to your computer-- firewire is the way to go.
CloseViewName:Guest Thu Oct 13, 2005 10:15 amSubject:
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Guest wrote: of course you'll be able to. anything you can make to be in the correct format, as long as it can be transferred to the iPod, can work. If you can make a quicktime format 320x240 max dimensions version of the video, you unquestionably will be able to watch it.
Of course, I'd forgotten that Apple can't make the new iPods play only video files with Fairplay DRM, nor can they set a maximum time limit on files to 60 minutes 30 minutes, or whatever. How silly of me!
Why the hell would I want to pay to watch a music video, that's crap.
Music videos are a advertising tool for musicains and perhaps more but primarily to market themselves. It's ridiculous that instead of listening and viewing completely to new upcoming songs/ bands I have to preview or buy it.
Bad move here, maybe I stick with Yahoo video selection atleast all I have to do is sign up.
Bad move? Cause you don't like videos? Apple would be better off if they didn't sold less things? How would that be better? I'm sure plenty of MTV watching teens will buy music videos. Heck I don't ever buy music from iTMS, but its certainly doing OK and I don't think the iTMS was a bad move.
First off, this is just the start. Just 'cause the videos are VHS resolution to start with means nothing. For heaven's sake, you think this will be the standard resolution forever? As high-bandwidth network access makes increased reach into homes, you will see HDTV downloads.
But for a video iPod, the current resolution is all you need. And you just watch - the next huge phenomenon will be video podcasting.
Yes, not necessarily iTunes, but the request to pay to watch basicallly a commerical. I am talking solely about music videos that's it. It should be maybe a flat fee or something for those who just want to view it not own it.
I mean if people are willing to pay no skin off my back but it will dampen new bands exposure who are just starting out. I wouldn't pay $2.00 to watch a known band much less a new one, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
. Raw cuts baby. No commercials. Way cool.
