mos6507's Blog

Actually, nowhere in Steve Jobs' presentation, or on Apple's website, do they refer to it as "iPod Video" or "Video iPod". The idea that it would be something more than just a music player with limited video capabilities was entirely speculation and wishful thinking on the part of a bunch of rumor mongers.

 

From a video player standpoint, sure it's disappointing. But it's not a video player. It's a music player, and that's how Apple's marketing it. The driving force behind its design is content. Movie studios are going to be extremely reluctant to allow people to download movies. And forget about them allowing consumers to rip movies from DVDs. Even Disney is only making 5 TV shows available. What about their vast catalog of animated shorts?

 

If Apple can't deliver content, there's no reason (at this point) to make a real video iPod. I think Apple added video support only because the capability already existed in the chip set, and it gives them an excuse to refresh the product line again.

 

Part of this is also Apple testing the waters. Their "Front Row" software is bound to be part of an expanded effort to get into home entertainment. But they're not going to dive in until their sure they won't just fall on their faces.

 

Personally, I don't really get the appeal of watching video on an iPod or similar portable device. Anything portable, short of a laptop (which can play DVDs anyway) has too small of a screen to really be enjoyable. And at some point, the screen becomes too large for it to be a truly portable device (for example - the PSP, which is hardly pocket-sized, and still requires you to carry discs around to watch movies). I bought a pocket-sized LCD TV once, and returned it in a matter of days. It was just too small to really be anything more than a novelty.

From a video player standpoint, sure it's disappointing. But it's not a video player. It's a music player.

 

I just think if they are going to do it, don't do it half-assed. They hyped it with the curtain picture on the invitations and everything and it just didn't live up to the hype.

 

I think the worst part isn't the screen, it's the fact that the downloads are also low-res. If they were DVD res then it would be "forward compatible". As it is, even if they come out with a VGA ipod, the videos you've already downloaded are still going to look like crap.

 

They are basically charging a $1.99 for video content that is equivalent to MPEG1 Video CDs. It ain't worth it and if the ipod can't play higher res content then making your own home video content won't help either because even if you hook it up to a TV you will still be constrained to QVGA source material.

 

Personally, I don't really get the appeal of watching video on an iPod or similar portable device. Anything portable, short of a laptop (which can play DVDs anyway) has too small of a screen to really be enjoyable.

 

I think it depends on the content. TV shows compose shots with closer framing (at least historically they do, as we move to HDTV they might be getting away from this). A lot of detail will get reduced down to a pixel on long-shots on widescreen movies like Lawrence of Arabia or Lord of the Rings. But these devices, if they have TV out, should be able to switch to delivering the native quality.

If you want to talk low resolution, I'm also now seeing ads for TV on cell phones! I'm with you, thanks, but I've got better things to spend my hard earned cash on.

If you want to talk low resolution, I'm also now seeing ads for TV on cell phones!  I'm with you, thanks, but I've got better things to spend my hard earned cash on.

 

Don't even get me started on cellphones with their price fixing and closed/crippled platforms.

 

Just wait until things like WIFI/WIMAX and VOIP make cell phones in urban eras unnecessary.