Steve Jobs Announces Video iPod

[Leaving Hope]

As reported by Engadget (http://www.engadget.com), Steve Jobs today announced Apple plans to ship a video iPod. iTunes version 6.0 will sell music videos, Pixar shorts, and popular ABC television shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives for $1.99 each.

Here it is, official pics and specs of the new video-enabled iPod: it’s the same width and height as the current mode, but thinner. It has a 320 x 240 pixel, 2.5-inch, 260,000 color display, 20 hours of battery life, and supports playback of H.264 and MPEG4 at 30 fps. Has TV out and will come in both 30GB and 60GB versions, with the 30GB version being 31% thinner than the current 20GB iPod and the 60GB versionbeing 12% thinner than the current 20GB iPod. The 30GB will hold up to 75 hours of video and retail for $299. The 60GB version will hold 150 hours of video and sell for $399. Both will ship in one week.

[Varsity]

That's bloody cheap. I suppose they are low-resolution?

[Metal Jesus]

You know what this makes me think?!

The PSP needs a hard drive.

[Liquidize105]

Isn't someone making one? Twice the battery power and 4 gig HD rolled into one.

Apple's saturating the market too much, too fast. I was thinking about getting a nano but now I don't want either video or a nano.

[Hg-203]

Ars has an artical on this: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051012-5422.html basicly its a low res 320x240 lcd screen. Also is it just me or is the apple site FUDBAR'd from what looks like too much traffic?

[zipR]

Bloody cheap except when you consider that you can get them for free right now without an ipod...

[crashedout]

Looks like it might have the same scratch-prone coating as the nano. Do you still have to use Itunes to transfer your own music?

[NoName]

Isn't someone making one?

Twice the battery power and 4 gig HD rolled into one.
So that would turn the PSP into the equivlent of a iPod Nano? Just bigger?

A 60 gig video iPod sounds pretty nice.

[Klade]

I can't wait till all television shows start allowing legal downloads of their shows off the internet. It will happen eventually but till then theres bittorrent.

[XenonCJ]

I simply have no use for these things. Maybe there's something wrong with me?

[Kamalot]

So that would turn the PSP into the equivlent of a iPod Nano? Just bigger?

A 60 gig video iPod sounds pretty nice.Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of being a Nano?

And yeah, a 60gb video-playing iPod sounds sweet. The resolution is the same resolution that the PSP uses to play back memory stick movies (not umd movies).

Sony's gonna be spanked and everyone who bought a UMD is gonna feel dumb(er).

[Sazime]

Took them long enough to "officially" announce this.

[Hg-203]

Bloody cheap except when you consider that you can get them for free right now without an ipod...

Even if you can get TV content for free, I see it as a move in the right direction of the Broadcasters supporting On Demand IP tv, I wouldn't mind subscribing to a tv show and get it for download. It would be nice for the MPAA to start supporting something like this down the line too.

Looks like it might have the same scratch-prone coating as the nano. Do you still have to use Itunes to transfer your own music?

IIRC apple is now shipping it with a plastic sleeve/baggy to prevent scraches. Not as nice as the Silicon ones that you can buy I'm sure though.

[Kamalot]

Joystiq has a great discussion about this topic from a week or two ago.

http://psp.joystiq.com/entry/1234000933062012/

Sony has had unprecedented freedom to capitalize (or fail to capitalize) on the mobile video device market ever since the PSP’s March launch, but by many accounts they’ve blown their first-mover advantage through confusing software and proprietary disk and memory formats. Apple may be poised to take advantage of unsated demand for sleek but easy-to-use mobile video devices

In the words of Joystiq reader Todd, “It seems like most people want GAMES. Are you listening Sony???? Games for the game machine…what a cutting-edge concept!!!”

[lpmiller]

Looks like it might have the same scratch-prone coating as the nano. Do you still have to use Itunes to transfer your own music?

actually, all the ipods are fairly scratch prone, it's just that the nano fits into the pocket better. But apple is replacing the ones with bad screens.

You don't NEED itunes, no.

And just because you can buy tv and videos on itunes doesn't mean it won't play say, downloaded movies or even home movies. I think what people are missing is that Itunes itself will play tv shows. Say, nice HD shows. On my nice widescreen dell monitor.

Now, imagine if say, Firefly had been on itunes when it was on tv. Knowing how widely it was downloaded on bittorrent when it was on, I'd say it might never have been canceled. Watch as the popularity of a show is measured both in neilsons and itune downloads.

[Taco]

I like iPods for music, but this is totally underwhelming. The click wheel should be smaller, the screen larger and should be held horizontally.

Get something like this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855501120) instead. Smaller and larger capacities available. Even nicer (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855501129)

[Talanvor]

TV shows on demand eh? Interesting.... I could get into that, though I'd prefer not having to use iTunes for it, but oh well.

[Xerxes]

I really hate all white electronics.... Et tu Xbox 360?

I like the silver metallic blackish stylish gadgets. O_o

[Meatgortex]

The archos are nice, the new ones do full 720x480 output which the originals don't. Or for a little cheaper you can get an MSI.

I grabbed the earlier 561 version of this about a year ago:
http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=MEGA_View_588&class=mega

Full Divx playback as well as MPG4 recording. No DRM of any kind and plays full resolution NTSC/PAL through it's TVout.

Quite a handy device.

[PantherModern]

I can't wait till all television shows start allowing legal downloads of their shows off the internet. It will happen eventually but till then theres bittorrent.


From Apple's site:

Or purchase ad-free episodes of your favorite ABC or Disney television shows and watch them on the go.



And I imagine more will follow!

Anybody want my PSP? Cause that sucker is getting ebay-ed.

[DeadPixel]

I grabbed the earlier 561 version of this about a year ago:
http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=MEGA_View_588&class=mega

Full Divx playback as well as MPG4 recording. No DRM of any kind and plays full resolution NTSC/PAL through it's TVout.
This is pretty neat, does the battery life hold for the advertised 5 hours?

[Kamalot]

I also like the Creative Zen vision.

It supports a full 640x480 screen, that's 4x the number of pixels as the new iPod.

http://images.creative.com/iss/images/products/headers/prod12985_hdr_1_6_1.jpg (http://www.creative.com/products/pmp/)

It has a removable battery too so you don't get screwed by the 'dead-battery, buy a new iPod' scam.

It is REALLY small too! Here is a picture of the compact-flash card slot for an idea of how tiny this player is (you can offload your digital camera's photos directly to the device)

http://images.creative.com/images/products/pmp/accessories/cfcard.jpg

[TheKeck]

I really hate all white electronics.... Et tu Xbox 360?

I like the silver metallic blackish stylish gadgets. O_o


I agree. Unfortunately (http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php?date=2005-09-21), we appear to be in the minority.

The first thing we thought of is what the Fruit Fucker would look like were he released today. If you don't have any white plastic on your consumer device, apparently you are some kind of retarded. Get some white plastic on there. That is the impression one would get. Sony grudgingly recognized it with the original PSP - glossy black machine, yes, but white strap and headphones. Ultimately, concession would make way to something like redaction.

[siz]

I had read somewhere that the black ipod nano was outselling the white nano. That is part of the reason why the video ipod is also offered in black.

[Doomsday]

Being able to get legal, commercial free versions of TV shows for download is hot as hell

[Nessus]

I really don't think the success of mp3 players can be reproduced with portable video players.

There are fundamental differences between music and video. You can listen to the same album every single day on your way to work for a month without getting tired of it, you can't do the same with a movie or TV show. Video has a much lower replay value.

Bandwidth will increase, and broadband will find greater market penetration, so you'll be able to download a different episode every day which will help, but even then it's different.

You can walk around and do other tasks while listening to music. The same cannot be said for video.

Of course none of this means they shouldn't attempt to create a new market, I just think that if portable video ever takes off, it'll be for much different reasons, and will require different marketing and strategy.

[Phanto]

[QUOTE=Kamalot]Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of being a Nano?

I agree with you, i don;t know about how you feel about this guys but Steve Jobs what the hell is he thinking, it would be in my opinion more wise to release first the video iPod and then the iPod nano, oh well thats jsut me i'm not Steve Jobs or any producer of iPod or Apple or whatever.

I was interested in video iPod but i hear something in here about the resolution and that start to pissing me off.. btw i think that they will sell more of that ipod if they minimize the stupid scroll and put more inches to that screen!. (like someone said before) don't you think?

It would be nice to see some great cartoons that have been away from tv since a long time to get an agreetment and sell them or something. But for now i will have to search for them and put them in the iPod like Swat Kats anyone?

Oh well maybe in the next month (November) they release and new iPod with the screen more biggie and the scroll more mini, lol. :) :D :mad: (Biggie iPod) perhaps?!

[Maskatron]

Screen size is a deal killer on this for me. I only recently jumped on the iPod bandwagon, but I would have considered upgrading if they had managed a larger screen.

The legal tv show thing is a nice concept, and I think it could do well if they get enough momentum going. Comedy Central would be a great partner for Apple, demographically speaking. It would be nice to watch The Daily Show during my morning commute.

[Xerxes]

I agree. Unfortunately (http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php?date=2005-09-21), we appear to be in the minority.

Wow I thought I was going to be blasted for the rejection of a I, Robot world.

[Kamalot]

I watch 320x240 movies on my Treo 650 phone. The screen is about the same size as the one on the new ipod. I'm not too interested in another device to carry around, but I am interested in the ability to buy a series of shows in the right format for my Treo. I could watch them on the train without the need to convert them. Wheee!

[Kamalot]

Crap. I just found out that the itunes videos are heavily DRMd. That means, no buying a series on iTunes and playing it on your PSP or Treo.

[Taco]

Give it a week, someone will crack it.

[Evil Avatar]

You guys really want to watch TV shows on a screen the size of a postage stamp? Call me when they make an iVideo player with a screen the size of the screen on the PSP.

And then only call me when I don't have to buy the TV shows in Apple's licensed format.

[Xerxes]

I liked iAudio's offering more.

X5 (http://eng.iaudio.com/product/product_X5_feature.php)

[Blade]

$1.99 for Lost.

Wow, that beats the $14.99 they want for the Pilot (pts.1&2) on UMD.

[Leaving Hope]

Screen size is a deal killer on this for me. I only recently jumped on the iPod bandwagon, but I would have considered upgrading if they had managed a larger screen.

You might get your wish, Maskatron. There are rumors that this latest iPod is just an iPod with video, and not the Video iPod. Before the end of the year we are bound to see more models, including an iPod with a much larger screen.

The current generation iPod photos supposedly all supported video like this, but it was disabled.

Give Apple some time, and credit. They've already gotten ABC to sell commerical free versions of its shows. I think it's only a matter of time before the other studios follow. This is a good thing for those of us who want IPTV, or downloadable video. Apple brings credibility and the proven success to iTunes. Apple might just be jump starting the portable video generation with this.

My only concern is that the Apple iPod Video might not support the codecs I use on a regular basis. Sure, we'll see built in h.264 quicktime codecs, but what about XVid? If the absence of WMV HD support on Mac is any indication, we probably won't see WMV support on the video iPod either.

This is a good start, though.

[Taco]

The x5 doesn't look better than the iPod. It's almost painful to see how much wasted space there is with such a tiny little screen, and the vertical style has got to be uncomfortable to hold and watch.

[Kamalot]

Actually, I've been watching videos on the GBA Micro's screen. I download game video reviews and TV show episodes. They turn out suprisingly good on the Play Yan Micro!

http://image4.play-asia.com/170/PA.43332.002.jpg (http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-1e-70-xfo.html)

I put up a little video of me watching a video on the old GBA Movie player. The quality of the recording is terrible cause it came from my phone, but you get the idea.

http://kamalot.textamerica.com/?r=3423949

[TrackZero]

So that would turn the PSP into the equivlent of a iPod Nano? Just bigger?

A 60 gig video iPod sounds pretty nice.

The problem again, is battery power. Which I've really got to wonder how long the video iPod will stand up before it runs out of juice.

[mister_slim]

I found the remote plus tv out more interesting. If Apple just releases a new Airport Extreme that handles video and audio, they're in the living room (where MS wants to be) but without diluting their core product.
The problem again, is battery power. Which I've really got to wonder how long the video iPod will stand up before it runs out of juice.
2-3 hours, apparently, while playing videos.

[MagicAlex]

You guys really want to watch TV shows on a screen the size of a postage stamp? Call me when they make an iVideo player with a screen the size of the screen on the PSP.

It's also got video-out, so you can hook it up to your TV. Hey, this means that Anime/Sci-Fi nerds don't have to lug all their DVDs to cons, they can just store them all on an iPod.

[lpmiller]

again, the screen is irrelevent. It isn't about watching shows on the ipod so much as getting them on itunes in the first place. Plus actually plugging an ipod into your tv to watch shows - portable home theater/tivo, or close enough. I don't really care about watching tv on anything smaller than my monitor, quite frankly. But the rest of it is what's important.

[Maskatron]

It's also got video-out, so you can hook it up to your TV. Hey, this means that Anime/Sci-Fi nerds don't have to lug all their DVDs to cons, they can just store them all on an iPod.

320 x 240 on a large...scratch that, any tv... is crap.

[Roc Ingersol]

ABC is Disney is ESPN.

Podcast sportscenter bitches!

[maniac_of_noise]

You know what this makes me think?!

The PSP needs a hard drive.


It looks like it will be getting a hard drive (in the UK at least).

http://www.t3.co.uk/news/games/psp/psp_gets_4gb_hard_drive