So who here would actually watch video on either an iPod sized device or the rumoured tablet form? I spent a few happy hours as a lodger watching DVDs on my TiBook a couple of years back but I couldn't concieve of taking such conspicuous gear out in public (apart, maybe, from a relatively secure place like a plane) for a period long enough to watch even a 30 minute sitcom episode.
And at home we got "proper" DVD / Video players...
Well, people seem willing to pony up for the portable DVD players. I always thought of them as pretty useless, but companies continue to sell them and at a premium. I just checked a Sony out online and it`s screen it 7", so if Apple produces a unit with an 8" screen, it would be more viewing space..though I can`t imagine watching a movie on that size of screen unless I was stuck out somewhere and had time to kill.
Now, given that portable DVD players are selling, I think a portable digital movie player would serve the same market. Just as an MP3 player serves a similar market to portable CD players. The benefits would be similar to the advantages an iPod has over a dicsman. Massively more storage, much, much smaller form factor and lower weight is possible, simply because you don`t need to include space for a disc or drive mechanism and laser. It would be more convenient than a portable DVD player, because you wouldn`t need to bring a bunch or DVD`s with you, just as many movies as you could fit on the HD. So, even in a basic form, it could surpass the usability and buyability of a portable DVD player.
Add in digital hub extras like Rendezvous, firewire, airport, and bluetooth and you have a pretty desireable product, for those that might consider a portable video device like a portable DVD player. You connect it to your computer or network via the wired or wireless options and rendevous automatically configures it onto the network and you can share files and upload new files.
Throw in a decent processor and OS with a touch sensitive screen on the highend version and you have a small but capable multimedia tablet computer.
If a video iPod were released by Apple, would they also release some sort of app to control the content on the devise, the way iTunes is used to control mp3s on the current iPods? A usefull app to control video content would probably convert movies to an optimized size so that the user doesn't end up watching (and storing) media designed to be viewed full screen 1024x768 on a screen that wouldn't come near to that resolution. This optimization would allow for more movies to be stored due to smaller file sizes. It may also need to convert the videos to a standard format (perhaps quicktime mpeg-4). Have we seen any indication that Apple has been developing such an application? Is this application even necessary?
If a video iPod were released by Apple, would they also release some sort of app to control the content on the devise, the way iTunes is used to control mp3s on the current iPods? A usefull app to control video content would probably convert movies to an optimized size so that the user doesn't end up watching (and storing) media designed to be viewed full screen 1024x768 on a screen that wouldn't come near to that resolution. This optimization would allow for more movies to be stored due to smaller file sizes. It may also need to convert the videos to a standard format (perhaps quicktime mpeg-4). Have we seen any indication that Apple has been developing such an application? Is this application even necessary?
-Jeff
Not necessarily. All Apple needs to do is provide a portable hard drive with some kind of video out like on the iBooks that would automatically scale playback to full screen. And the media need only be mpeg4 at 320x240 (or 352x288, which I've seen around before) to scale nicely to full-screen. They wouldn't even have to provide playback ON the unit, since the entire purpose would be to allow users to play back content on an s-video equipped television.
All I have ever wanted out of Apple for a long time now is an iPod that would do this, so that I don't have to bother with playing VCDs in my DVD player or playing mp4 movies I capture through my iBook and then into the TV. If Apple were to release such a device, it would make tremendous inroads into removing the need to "media" (CDs, DVDs, etc) *at all*. Increasing file-transfer speeds (e.g. firewire) and increasing bandwidth (DSL, Cable Modem) mean that those with such a device could, potentially, either download the content they desire and transfer it to the viPod quickly, or in my wet dream of a world, stop by the local video rental place, plug a viPod into a kiosk, and digitally "rent" whatever movies they want by just transferring them to the viPod. No more tapes. No more discs. Just the viPod.
(aside: the more I use my iPod in this way...that is, I capture television shows and movies and keep them on my computer, and when I go out of town, I load a few onto my iPod and watch them on my iBook...the more I find myself breaking away from the limitations of the media I've gotten so used to. I don't have to sacrifice quality of capture anymore to fit something under 700 meg. The iPod is plenty roomy enough for me to watch high-quality mp4 video. This, I hope, is the future. The only problem at this point is that I can't simply play the video directly out of the iPod.)
Comments
Originally posted by ChienA
So who here would actually watch video on either an iPod sized device or the rumoured tablet form? I spent a few happy hours as a lodger watching DVDs on my TiBook a couple of years back but I couldn't concieve of taking such conspicuous gear out in public (apart, maybe, from a relatively secure place like a plane) for a period long enough to watch even a 30 minute sitcom episode.
And at home we got "proper" DVD / Video players...
Well, people seem willing to pony up for the portable DVD players. I always thought of them as pretty useless, but companies continue to sell them and at a premium. I just checked a Sony out online and it`s screen it 7", so if Apple produces a unit with an 8" screen, it would be more viewing space..though I can`t imagine watching a movie on that size of screen unless I was stuck out somewhere and had time to kill.
Now, given that portable DVD players are selling, I think a portable digital movie player would serve the same market. Just as an MP3 player serves a similar market to portable CD players. The benefits would be similar to the advantages an iPod has over a dicsman. Massively more storage, much, much smaller form factor and lower weight is possible, simply because you don`t need to include space for a disc or drive mechanism and laser. It would be more convenient than a portable DVD player, because you wouldn`t need to bring a bunch or DVD`s with you, just as many movies as you could fit on the HD. So, even in a basic form, it could surpass the usability and buyability of a portable DVD player.
Add in digital hub extras like Rendezvous, firewire, airport, and bluetooth and you have a pretty desireable product, for those that might consider a portable video device like a portable DVD player. You connect it to your computer or network via the wired or wireless options and rendevous automatically configures it onto the network and you can share files and upload new files.
Throw in a decent processor and OS with a touch sensitive screen on the highend version and you have a small but capable multimedia tablet computer.
Originally posted by Mike Eggleston
<RANT>
Sometimes it worries me that people can get so off topic, and not even realizing it...
Originally posted by Mike Eggleston
If your going to have a go at someone, why not try to take the time to properly format what you type?
realizing....realise <or with a Z if you prefer to hash it up>
It is English after all
-Jeff
MacBidouille today points to this company which make a chip that can do :
- MPEG-4 encoding and decoding
- "Natural motion 30 fps MPEG-4 video"
- AAC codec (up to 384 Kbps)
Oh and look at the picture at the bottom of the last link. What if the enclosure is just the camera part and the LCD is separate?!Now Macbidouille isn't declaring this as a rumored component, just noting it.
Screed
Edit: Wait. I'm stupid. The large opening would be the LCD.
Originally posted by DefJef
If a video iPod were released by Apple, would they also release some sort of app to control the content on the devise, the way iTunes is used to control mp3s on the current iPods? A usefull app to control video content would probably convert movies to an optimized size so that the user doesn't end up watching (and storing) media designed to be viewed full screen 1024x768 on a screen that wouldn't come near to that resolution. This optimization would allow for more movies to be stored due to smaller file sizes. It may also need to convert the videos to a standard format (perhaps quicktime mpeg-4). Have we seen any indication that Apple has been developing such an application? Is this application even necessary?
-Jeff
Not necessarily. All Apple needs to do is provide a portable hard drive with some kind of video out like on the iBooks that would automatically scale playback to full screen. And the media need only be mpeg4 at 320x240 (or 352x288, which I've seen around before) to scale nicely to full-screen. They wouldn't even have to provide playback ON the unit, since the entire purpose would be to allow users to play back content on an s-video equipped television.
All I have ever wanted out of Apple for a long time now is an iPod that would do this, so that I don't have to bother with playing VCDs in my DVD player or playing mp4 movies I capture through my iBook and then into the TV. If Apple were to release such a device, it would make tremendous inroads into removing the need to "media" (CDs, DVDs, etc) *at all*. Increasing file-transfer speeds (e.g. firewire) and increasing bandwidth (DSL, Cable Modem) mean that those with such a device could, potentially, either download the content they desire and transfer it to the viPod quickly, or in my wet dream of a world, stop by the local video rental place, plug a viPod into a kiosk, and digitally "rent" whatever movies they want by just transferring them to the viPod. No more tapes. No more discs. Just the viPod.
(aside: the more I use my iPod in this way...that is, I capture television shows and movies and keep them on my computer, and when I go out of town, I load a few onto my iPod and watch them on my iBook...the more I find myself breaking away from the limitations of the media I've gotten so used to. I don't have to sacrifice quality of capture anymore to fit something under 700 meg. The iPod is plenty roomy enough for me to watch high-quality mp4 video. This, I hope, is the future. The only problem at this point is that I can't simply play the video directly out of the iPod.)
Cheers
Scott
Originally posted by ZoranS
Originally posted by Mike Eggleston
If your going to have a go at someone, why not try to take the time to properly format what you type?
realizing....realise <or with a Z if you prefer to hash it up>
It is English after all
Sorry, my spell checker didn't catch it....
Originally posted by Bigc
American Culture? Don't think so.
Leave it to the French to turn it into "April Fish"