Apple planning launch of video iPod
Apple Computer has begun production of a new version of its iPod digital music player that will be capable of playing videos, AppleInsider has learned.
Reliable sources believe the iPod could be introduced as early as next week, possibly around the time Apple releases results from its fourth fiscal quarter of 2005.
Although details are scarce, sources who claim to have seen the new iPod describe it as being similar to Apple's 60GB iPod photo player, but several millimeters thinner.
The device reportedly sports a smaller click-wheel akin to that of the iPod nano's, making way for a larger, higher-resolution color display that extends further down the face of the device.
The release of the iPod video is expected to be accompanied by a "major update" to Apple's iTunes music store that will include a significant number of music videos and other short video content.
Apple, which had been updating the "Music Video" segment of its iTunes download service on a regular basis, stopped posting new music video content last month, leading to speculation that a major content update was brewing.
Sources have also recently reported sightings of a new Apple wireless device, which is similar to Apple's AirPort Express wireless base station, but also includes a video out option. However, it's unclear if the long-rumored device will coincide with the introduction of a video capable iPod.
Apple recently introduced an ultra-thin version of its iPod called the iPod nano. According to well-placed sources, the company has modeled to sell 3 million of the players each month during the holiday shopping season.
Update: The aforementioned AirPort Express-like product may be an add-on module for the video iPod that will let users play videos on an external display. It's unclear when such a device would debut.
Reliable sources believe the iPod could be introduced as early as next week, possibly around the time Apple releases results from its fourth fiscal quarter of 2005.
Although details are scarce, sources who claim to have seen the new iPod describe it as being similar to Apple's 60GB iPod photo player, but several millimeters thinner.
The device reportedly sports a smaller click-wheel akin to that of the iPod nano's, making way for a larger, higher-resolution color display that extends further down the face of the device.
The release of the iPod video is expected to be accompanied by a "major update" to Apple's iTunes music store that will include a significant number of music videos and other short video content.
Apple, which had been updating the "Music Video" segment of its iTunes download service on a regular basis, stopped posting new music video content last month, leading to speculation that a major content update was brewing.
Sources have also recently reported sightings of a new Apple wireless device, which is similar to Apple's AirPort Express wireless base station, but also includes a video out option. However, it's unclear if the long-rumored device will coincide with the introduction of a video capable iPod.
Apple recently introduced an ultra-thin version of its iPod called the iPod nano. According to well-placed sources, the company has modeled to sell 3 million of the players each month during the holiday shopping season.
Update: The aforementioned AirPort Express-like product may be an add-on module for the video iPod that will let users play videos on an external display. It's unclear when such a device would debut.
Comments
Unexpected that it should happen so quickly but, given proposed specs, I'm unsure of real value of small scale Video iPod? Let's see what happens.
Very excited by video capable Airport Express......
Engadget has more info:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000707061794/
I'm unsure of real value of small scale Video iPod
Me too. I'm thinking very LITTLE value, for most buyers. Apple would be setting itself up for bad press when it doesn't grab the buying public.
So instead of seeing a "Video iPod" or "iPod Video," I expect we'll just see a new MUSIC iPod, that, as AI states, is "capable of playing videos."
Video as "one more extra" makes sense--that's the way to market the capability. A bigger screen is useful for finding music anyway.
If Apple promotes video any more heavily than that, then the must have some unexpected new way to make portable video attractive to more than a handful of people. I'd be surprised, but you never know.
Originally posted by nagromme
If Apple promotes video any more heavily than that, then the must have some unexpected new way to make portable video attractive to more than a handful of people. I'd be surprised, but you never know.
Apple has repeatedly said they don't think it makes a lot of sense to have a portable player for movies and the like. But music videos... I could see that being fun. And they really need to find something to drive upgrades to bigger hard disks. 10.5's rumored portable home directory feature is okay, but not likely to be enough to drive iPods buyers into the 100+ GB range.
Hey, maybe it'll have a UMD movie feature. Apple and Sony could make an agreement for Sony's music/video content and Apple's support in their players...
Also, a video iPod may not have much appeal as such, but video downloads to your COMPUTER are another matter. Video iTunes makes perfect sense to me.
Plus, videos DO take a lot less time to download than movies or TV shows
About time.
Originally posted by TRowell
Wow!
Unexpected that it should happen so quickly but, given proposed specs, I'm unsure of real value of small scale Video iPod? Let's see what happens.
Very excited by video capable Airport Express......
The real value of video on the iPod is the same as the value of photos on the iPod. Along with showing pictures of your kids, you could also show iMovie clips.
That would make me buy one.
As it happens, the BBC are already showing some of their shows online before they air on television. Plus, they have just started a second phase of trials for an Integrated Media Player (iMP) that allows broadband users in the UK to download any program shown on the BBC up to seven days after it has aired.
Sounds plausable.
EDIT: Someone else on the same forum has just posted that Apple are merely hiring broadcast facilities from the BBC so they can relay the keynote address. My bad
Originally posted by glen
As it happens, the BBC are already showing some of their shows online before they air on television. Plus, they have just started a second phase of trials for an Integrated Media Player (iMP) that allows broadband users in the UK to download any program shown on the BBC up to seven days after it has aired.
The BBC has no problem doing this because (a) they own the content, and (b) people already pay a tax to watch the shows, which gets by the whole need for copyright protections and reimbursement and the like. But don't be expecting NBC to start showing "Joey" on its website or anything. Not that I'm sure anyone would care if Joey were available for viewing on-line, since no one watches it over-the-air. But that's not the point.
Originally posted by Not Unlike Myself
I'll bet we have 10 threads in 10 forums about this by day's end...
... cluttered with ridiculous, mostly-redundant comments and speculations that make it too much trouble looking for any insights that haven't already occurred to anyone who's thinking clearly about this. Thanks, but I'll find more interesting things to do and read/write about while waiting for next week's event.
Btw, comments/speculations on this particular forum are generally the more interesting ones.