Do you want to watch movies on 4" screen?

satchmosatchmo
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Jobs has said he doesn't believe people will want to watch a movie on a tiny handheld. That the movie experience would be lost.



However, buyers are snapping up portable 7 and 9 inch DVD players for road trips in the car.

And Sony's announcement of the PSP and it's ability to playback movies, made me wonder if the buying public will agree with Sony or Apple.

Is there a limit to what size you would watch a movie?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    rolandgrolandg Posts: 632member
    My take on the topic:



    I saw Creative's Windows Portable Media Center device at the CeBIT tradeshow and was disapointed:



    The screen is tiny and it's basically a multimedia-capable PDA striped off all other PDA funcionality - and I guess it will carry a similar price tag.



    The tiny screen aside, I just can't imagine people watching pre-recorded video clips while walking around, working out, cycling, commuting etc.



    Portable DVD-players on the other hand are pretty cool for longer trips. But for the funcionality they offer they are pretty expensive. Most people in the market for mobile DVD-playback already have a notebook, so why buy an additional device?



    And what about content for the portable Windows Media devices or Sony's PSP? You would have to (re-)buy it because in most countries circumventing copy protection provisions is illegal!



    A new technology - at least in European countries - that might be interesting is the upcoming DVB-T broadcasting system.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    hennershenners Posts: 1member
    People do want to watch clips and movies on the move.



    The key element to the sucess of the product will be the screen size and brightness. A 4 inch screen will certinally not be the smallest out there, but is probally the best screen size to thickness, as well as battery ratio.



    People will probally use the current iPod type music function more than the video capibality, however one can still imagine oneself watching a epidode of a sitcome or a music video on a train or aeroplane.



    The product idea is a sensible, however the technology to make it as easy, good looking and useful as the original as the original iPod is not out there, yet...
  • Reply 3 of 5
    onlyafterdarkonlyafterdark Posts: 141member
    I think the PSP is going to be marketed towards younger buyers than anything. They are the ones who want to be able to watch movies, listen to music, and play games while on the move more than anyone else. Sony is just giving them what they want in a compact package. I personally dont think it will work, but hey I have been wrong before (go nintendo). Its not like parents are going to buy their kids a good laptop to play with and its even less likely that teenagers are going to buy good laptops for themselves because there are other things they want to spend their money on.
  • Reply 4 of 5
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,425member
    4" is too small for a screen.



    I believe it has to be 5" and up. Camcorders typically will have 2.5 and 3.5" displays and this is 4/3 aspect ratio. Watching WS movies will make things even more difficult.



    I'm all for adding video but it is NOT...I repeat it is NOT the next killer feature in portable devices.



    Hell even 32" Televisions are starting to feel confining. I'm thinking a 8-10' screen is much more my style of movie watching.
  • Reply 5 of 5
    zozo Posts: 3,117member
    bring back the Newton
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