[Satchmo]

Watched the iPod broadcast today and while his RDF is still difficult to resist, I wondered if what Jobs' said about video content, was fair.

Yes, most people have digital cameras, but I would think many also have a camcorder as well.

Video rights is not an issue for personal stuff you shoot...only stuff you might "borrow" from a movie or the television. But that's no different from photos. With the popularity of iMovie, iDVD and Final Cut, I can see people just as easily showoff 30 second clips of their newborn, or a message from Mom, as they might do with a still picture.

I realize a iPod Video is probably down the road, and it's just Jobs' spin on selling the iPod Photo today.

[kscherer]

There is truth to your statment. I think that Apple is working on Video but waiting until it is perfect before releasing it. Much the same way that Apple released the iPod AFTER their competitors had worked out most of the bugs and created a realistic market. Rio and others are experimenting with video and finding it a very tough sell. Apple will wait until the market is felt out, consumers grasp the concept and there is a functional means to transfer video and play it back with less trouble than what the other guys have created. iTunes may very well become a video store down the road, but not until all of the tech has been sorted out, standards have been realized and licensing is solved. Each a HUGE issue. Personal video is still in its infancy as well and many people are lost on it. Even though the Mac has made it easier, the files are huge and transferring them is time consuming even on Firewire. It will come. Possibly in a year or two, but Apple will bring simple video to the masses long before anyone else does.

[AirSluf]

......

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by AirSluf Jobs has said Video is not right for the iPod. Screen size was primary and copyright was a secondary no-brainer issue. Maybe someday there will be a different hand-held device which does not have the screen size issues, but I really doubt it. Have you ever tried one of those old Sony 3" TVs? just this side of worthless, and the 7"+ DVD players are already pushed outside the realm of hand-sized. What's left from there? Down? barely any detail, Up? Not much, almost makes more sense just to get the low-end iBook.

Yes, but:

What if the iPod becomes sort of a little mini VCR tape or DVD? You download a couple movies from the iTunes movie catalog, take them with you on the road, plug into hotel TV, watch video.

I see it becomming more of a video transporter than anything else. And, since you're going to bang me on the head about it, it has a screen and can do other stuf that a FireWire drive can't even touch. You can listen to music, check out some porn, er, I mean pics, and carry along a little video archive for whatever spanks you! Versatility, baby! Before long, iWorks will run on it and it'll come with a little digital keyboard that plugs into your eyeglasses and . . . I am getting too far ahead?

[Messiahtosh]

I too think Apple is working on a video-specific digital device, totally unrelated to the iPod and integrated in a completely different way.

We'll have to wait and see.

[alcimedes]

that would be cool if you could just load up movies on your iPod and then play them back later when you wanted.

just walk into the movie store, plug in your iPod and download the crap you want, then walk out. nothing to return.

of course, that would require more CPU power, and would kill the battery life. combine that with the fact that (at least the old iPod) HD isn't designed to have continual usage.

[Akumulator]

Since the iPod now has video out through the headphone jack... it would be pretty cool if they added video capability and used something like this to view it.


http://www.gadgets.co.uk/eye-top-eye...es-screen.html

[BuonRotto]

I think Jobs' biggest hang-up is with the state of surrent technology to get a viable device on the market, battery power mostly. Obviously, there are a lot of issues besides that, but they're moot so long as the tech isn't in place yet.

[SilentEchoes]

IMO Job's is waiting to get it right before he releases it and it just hasn't gotten right yet. He may HATE TV. But he is still a business man. If his team can come up with something I am sure they will use it.

I would love to see them come up with some crazy deal with TiVo and a VideoPod

[Luca]

The iPod is no better suited to viewing photos than it is to viewing video. I don't really understand why photo capability is really a big deal.

Since Steve said that video is not right for the iPod, we can expect to see that capability within two years. In early 2002, he said that it was bad to have the computer smashed behind the display in an AIO, but now he's talking about how great it is. Just give it some time.

[BarracksSi]

Originally Posted by kscherer What if the iPod becomes sort of a little mini VCR tape or DVD?

Just like everything else dealing with larger media files, it comes down to storage and transfer speed.

Add another hundred GB or more, sync it using FireWire 3200 or something else that's ridiculously fast, and you'll have room for enough videos so you can justify needing a library system to browse them all, plus the speed to get them loaded in a minute or two.

Yes, it would be neat to have every Simpsons episode with me on trips to watch on the hotel's TV, but sheesh, there's not enough room, and transferring would take way too long.

[BuonRotto]

Originally Posted by Luca Since Steve said that video is not right for the iPod, we can expect to see that capability within two years. In early 2002, he said that it was bad to have the computer smashed behind the display in an AIO, but now he's talking about how great it is. Just give it some time.

Yep, Steve is absolutely convinced he's right, and won't change his mind until he changes his mind.

[BarracksSi]

In my case, I've got about 3000 photos and just over 4000 songs, and they only use about 17 GB. There's no way that I can fit all of my DVDs onto a 60 GB iPod (never mind the four Simpsons seasons that I have so far).

Make a 500 GB iPod for 500 bucks, and I'll look into it.

[madmaxmedia]

As far as photo and video capability is concerned, there's a big difference between creating a new player with a big screen and modified interface for video or photo (in addition to playing music.) I think those devices will have a niche audience as most people don't want a bigger MP3 unit with a bigger screen (but still really too small for video or photo playback.)

However, adding additional capabilities to the iPod WITHOUT affecting its form factor is different- it's a plus, as long as it doesn't get in the way of playing music. Just as the little game and PIM functionality doesn't interfere with the regular "music-only" iPods.

This new iPod does music + photos, great! There will be some who want it, and some who mainly want the bigger drive plus longer battery life.

I would guess that the G5 iPod will have photo capability across the entire line. They will then introduce a high-end unit that has an even bigger HD and does video. As with this photo unit, it will have the regular iPod form factor, and the main application for still and moving images will be through a TV or monitor.

We all knew that Apple was looking to add functionality to the iPod, here it is. What is noticeably different in Apple's approach from the other companies is that Apple is not compromising the original iPod design in any way.

I think it's a great way of extending and improving the iPod line.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by BarracksSi In my case, I've got about 3000 photos and just over 4000 songs, and they only use about 17 GB. There's no way that I can fit all of my DVDs onto a 60 GB iPod (never mind the four Simpsons seasons that I have so far). Make a 500 GB iPod for 500 bucks, and I'll look into it.

Well, if you're just viewing the video on your iPod (not connecting it to a TV), then I'd assume that it would be pretty easy to downsize the video to make the filesize much smaller while retaining quality (i.e. H.264)

[drewprops]

For a video device to be successful on a level that compares with the iPod it will need to have a "backend" to rely upon; an online store.

[BarracksSi]

Originally Posted by drewprops For a video device to be successful on a level that compares with the iPod it will need to have a "backend" to rely upon; an online store.

Oh my God, that would suck with anything less than a modern superfast broadband connection, and even then it would... well, suck. I don't want to wait for a gig or five of content to be downloaded. Give me my new Stravinsky album and I'll be on my way.

I'm also not going to bother with 2" video content. That's a waste. If I'm going to use up disk space for video and make it portable, then doggone it, it had better look really good on a TV.

By the time that it's practical, HD will be the standard for TV broadcasting anyway. Will a high-definition video iPod be necessary? Well, no, probably not for viewing purposes, but it will be an industry-wide joke if Apple saddled the iPod with outdated technology.

[Ebby]

Just to stir things up a bit, what about cameras that can take small movies? They are becoming popular too... There Jobs, you have a reason now...