I would buy a video iPod

kishankishan
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
I was goofing around with my iPaq PocketPC and tried playing a couple of .wmv files on it. I was thrilled with the results.











This half-hour Family Guy episode takes up about 35 MB. With headphones and on medium brightness, the whole episode consumed about 3% of my battery (as per the power panel in the control panels). It ran smoothly and without skipping. I ran across a program, pqdvd that will take a DVD and convert it to a wmv file, the size of which can be specified (smallest 150MB). The trial gives you 15 minutes. I tried it out on the incredibles and let me tell you that it works great. Smooth playback, decent audio... yeah the screen is a little small, but just like my iPod is not a replacement for my stereo, this thing is not a replacement for my TV. 1GB SD cards are only $65-$75 USD now... to me it all adds up.



If I can improvise a easily workable solution to carrying my DVDs around with me, why can't Apple come up with a more elegant solution. Obviously the hardware exists. Video iPods would be great for plane travel, sitting on the subway, etc. If Apple made one, I would buy one. In the meanwhile I will have to carry around my iPaq and my iPod since iPods don't play video and iPaq won't play AAC... I WANT MY VIDEO IPOD!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    I am sure Apple could make the iPod display video, but the screen is too small. Take a picture of the iPod next to the iPaq to give us a better idea as to how it might look on the iPod. Screen size wise, the iPaq is to the iPod as the 20" iMac G4 is to the 15" iMac G4.
  • Reply 2 of 16
    kishankishan Posts: 732member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by troberts

    I am sure Apple could make the iPod display video, but the screen is too small. Take a picture of the iPod next to the iPaq to give us a better idea as to how it might look on the iPod. Screen size wise, the iPaq is to the iPod as the 20" iMac G4 is to the 15" iMac G4.



    True enough. Here they are side by side.



  • Reply 3 of 16
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    seriously though. is our society so bad now that we always have to be engulfed in techonology? surely a tv episode can wait until you get home. if you have a recurring situation in which you are in dire need of entertainment, get a 12" powerbook. small and powerful. otherwise, perhaps turn on your ipod, but (brace yourself) try interacting with society. or at least observing it. at least with music, your attention is still focused on what is happening around you. this is life. enjoy it while you can instead of staring at some gadget in your hand.



    *ipodandimac goes outside to swim*
  • Reply 4 of 16
    kishankishan Posts: 732member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    seriously though. is our society so bad now that we always have to be engulfed in techonology? surely a tv episode can wait until you get home. if you have a recurring situation in which you are in dire need of entertainment, get a 12" powerbook. small and powerful. otherwise, perhaps turn on your ipod, but (brace yourself) try interacting with society. or at least observing it. at least with music, your attention is still focused on what is happening around you. this is life. enjoy it while you can instead of staring at some gadget in your hand.



    *ipodandimac goes outside to swim*



    In general I agree with you, but the decline of interpersonal skills in memebers of society is a debate for another thread. As the subject of a video iPod has come up time and time again in these forums, I thought I would share my own tinkerings.



    As far as my own personal use for such a device, the bulk of a laptop, charger and multiple dvds is something that I don't want to lug around in my carry-on bag. An iPod like device that carries multiple DVD's worth of movies would be the perfect solution.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    I think Apple has already designed an iPod Video which will play movies/videos the way the iPod Photo shows photos, but the content will have to be encoded with H.264. Below are the items Apple needs to get done before we see video on the iPod in whatever form they have in mind.



    1 - QuickTime 7 for the Mac (completed)

    2 - QuickTime 7 for Windows (in progress)

    3 - Bonjour for the Mac (completed)

    4 - Bonjour for Windows (completed)

    5 - New/updated AirPort Express (in progress)

    6 - New/updated iPod and accessories (in progress)

    7 - iTunes 5.0 will stream videos, support 5.1 dolby digital, THX, etc. (in progress)



    Once all the above are complete it will only be a matter of time before we will be able to buy movies online and/or convert our DVDs to a format that can be stored on and played from an iPod. Since WWDC is right around the corner it would not surprise me if Steve announced QuickTime 7 for Windows along with the new/updated AirPort Express.



    The iPod Video and iTunes 5.0 will be announced together and it will most likely be done at MWSF2006 so Steve can tie it in with iLife '06 (iMovie/iDVD export option) and iWork '06 (Keynote 3 export option).
  • Reply 6 of 16
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by troberts

    but the content will have to be encoded with H.264.



    OMG h.264 is gonna be able to read our minds and do our chores! apparently i missed the memo that there was no existence before h.264, because EVERYONE is using it as a basis for pretty much all evolution in video since its intro. i know it's scalable, but one codec isn't gonna change the world.



    *waiting for flame*
  • Reply 7 of 16
    theapplegeniustheapplegenius Posts: 584member
    i i agree with you, h264 is pretty good, but i certainly cant run it on a 1.2GHz iBook, and ive heard dualie Power Macs even have trouble. i have DSL, i'll download a bigger file.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    OMG h.264 is gonna be able to read our minds and do our chores! apparently i missed the memo that there was no existence before h.264, because EVERYONE is using it as a basis for pretty much all evolution in video since its intro. i know it's scalable, but one codec isn't gonna change the world.



    *waiting for flame*



    No flames, but I think it is the scalability of H.264 that is going to allow video to be taken to the next level.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    dazabritdazabrit Posts: 273member
    H.264 runs very well on my PowerBook 1.33Ghz! I heard there were a few stuttering problems with playback but it's stuff that'll be fixed in an update pretty soon.
  • Reply 10 of 16
    resres Posts: 711member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    seriously though. is our society so bad now that we always have to be engulfed in techonology? surely a tv episode can wait until you get home. if you have a recurring situation in which you are in dire need of entertainment, get a 12" powerbook. small and powerful. otherwise, perhaps turn on your ipod, but (brace yourself) try interacting with society. or at least observing it. at least with music, your attention is still focused on what is happening around you. this is life. enjoy it while you can instead of staring at some gadget in your hand.



    *ipodandimac goes outside to swim*



    Actually, a Video iPod would give me more time to interact with society. My schedule is hectic, so I Tivo about four TV shows a week that care if I miss. If I could download the shows into a video iPod, I could watch an episode of deadwood when I'm riding the subway, or in another situation when my time would otherwise be wasted. This would give me back an hour that I would normally squander sitting in front of my tv, so I would have more time to "go swimming" or or engage in other social events. .



    Of course a video iPod would need a bigger screen than the current models have (the screen from the Sony PSP would be just about right).
  • Reply 11 of 16
    tmptmp Posts: 601member
    Last time I visited my friend in New York I brought a bunch of DVD's for us to watch. Maybe 6 or 7 of obscure, fun stuff like "Carnival of Souls" and "Trog" I would have been thrilled if I was able to put them on my iPod and have a line out to her TV to watch them.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by theapplegenius

    i i agree with you, h264 is pretty good, but i certainly cant run it on a 1.2GHz iBook, and ive heard dualie Power Macs even have trouble. i have DSL, i'll download a bigger file.



    Uh. We're talking small resolutions here. Not HD. It'll run fine no your iBook.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    kishankishan Posts: 732member
    Well, I will have the proof this coming Memorial day weekend. I will be flying from NYC back to Minnesota and will be loading my SD card on my iPaq with several DVD movies. I am looking forward to seeing how it compares to my iPod experience.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    shady104shady104 Posts: 332member
    why on earth would u care to watch videos on that tiny little ipod screen when u could get a PSP and watch them on the nice big screen. just makes more sence to me.
  • Reply 15 of 16
    ragingloogieragingloogie Posts: 426member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ipodandimac

    seriously though. is our society so bad now that we always have to be engulfed in techonology? surely a tv episode can wait until you get home. if you have a recurring situation in which you are in dire need of entertainment, get a 12" powerbook. small and powerful. otherwise, perhaps turn on your ipod, but (brace yourself) try interacting with society. or at least observing it. at least with music, your attention is still focused on what is happening around you. this is life. enjoy it while you can instead of staring at some gadget in your hand.



    *ipodandimac goes outside to swim*



    the most of society i see is through my windshield.... other then that, a few trips to walmart or something... thats about it.... in shcool im engulfed by my 15" powerbook... its neat.. but technology is a good thing... i would use the video for school when i got bored
  • Reply 16 of 16
    trendannoyertrendannoyer Posts: 776member
    i hope that IF apple WERE to release a video ipod that an update would be avalible for ipod photo users.... other wise i'd be a tad cheesed off to have spent the money on a 'top line' unit only to have it squeezed down a few weeks or months later





    Rod
Sign In or Register to comment.