New iPods - Video Support, TV Episodes, Music Videos [Archive]

MacRumors

Oct 12, 2005, 02:24 PM

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Apple finally did release a new iPod (http://www.apple.com/ipod/) capable of playing videos. (press release (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/12ipod.html)). The new iPod supports MPEG4 and h.264 video formats and features a slightly wide screen design to accommodate the video playback.

30GB. $299
60GB. $399

2.5 inch screen
320x240
260,000 colors
MPEG4, h.264 Video Support
Video Out to TV
Holds over 150 hrs of video

Alongside the new iPod is iTunes 6 - which updates many features in the iTunes Music Store and also adds video sales. Apple is offering over 2000 music videos for sale ($1.99 each) and has partnered with television studios to be able to offer online TV Episode sales.

The press release (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/oct/12itunes.html) also details over 2000 Music Videos, Pixar Short Films and hit TV shows available through iTunes. Videos are $1.99 a piece. Past and current episodes are available of popular shows including Lost and Desperate Housewives.

Pixar shorts: Boundin', Geri's Game, Luxo Jr. and more are available as well.

Download: iTunes 6 (http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/) - Available now.

wordmunger

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

So, do the TV shows have commercials? Any way to fast forward through them?

dornoforpyros

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

$1.99 for a music video...lame
$1.99 for a TV show(hour long) NICE!

New iMac..meh, (Bring back the lamp DAMMIT!)

Anyone notice they eMac has dissapeared?

Steamboatwillie

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

I Can't believe it. A video iPod. <stumped> :eek:

ioinc

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

next up... the death of netFlix and Blockbuster

SkAlex

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

I hate apple for making me want everything they make. :(

HiRez

Oct 12, 2005, 02:26 PM

Yay! But...$2.00 for a music video??? Uh, no thanks.

altivec 2003

Oct 12, 2005, 02:27 PM

And I just downloaded iTunes 5 a few weeks ago... such is life on dialup.

So, I guess that means no 40/80 GB iPods.

williamsonrg

Oct 12, 2005, 02:27 PM

So, do the TV shows have commercials? Any way to fast forward through them?

Excellent question for the first post!

It certainly looks like Apple is taking a nice, measured pace towards entering the living room. I think it's a good strategy. I just wish I could afford an iMac (not that they're too expensive, I'm just poor).

DC06

Oct 12, 2005, 02:27 PM

Where's my new 15'' PB??? :(

Tymmz

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

Hmmm, no new PBs.

arn

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

I think this is actually very good.

Movies make less sense.

TV Episodes... they are short/ episodic, addictive. People consumer TV shows on a much more regular/ on the go basis than movies. Also quality not as important.

arn

yg17

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

Anyone know if FrontRow will be available for other Macs?

And why iTunes 6? Why not just 5.1?

tutubibi

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

I like the TV Show on iTMS idea. Good price if no commercials.

The only question is: When will FrontRow and Remote be available for other Macs like Mac Mini?

savar

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

I got a new credit card yesterday and then the long-rumored video ipods come out today...hmm is fate trying to tell me something? I've been wanting to replace my stolen ipod for a long time, but was waiting for the video ipods.

If I can rip DVDs to H.264 this is a done deal. Carrying family guy with me everywhere I go? Priceless--

superfunkomatic

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

another example of when "no" really means "yes", or at least "it's in secret development and we're not going to tip our hand to anyone".

the tv shows thing is rad, finally someone is moving into true video on demand.

mduser63

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

iTunes 5 sure was shortlived. I like the new iMac, and am thinking of buying a new iPod. I'm not really surprised by anything that was announced. I think they maybe should have waited until they had more TV shows to offer at iTMS as that's a lot bigger draw (at least for me) than music videos.

p0intblank

Oct 12, 2005, 02:28 PM

This is very cool. After reading about it over at Apple's site, I really want one of these. I have a 3G 30GB iPod right now and I think it's time for an upgrade. The screen seems to be pretty nice, too. While it isn't widescreen (I'm sure we will see that later down the line), the screen still seems to be a much better size than I had expected.

But... no Power Mac updates today? :( And what's with the Mac mini? They still haven't updated their site with the new configs.

osustudent

Oct 12, 2005, 02:30 PM

New iMac's are always nice, as is the addition of the iSight. I'm sure we're heading towards the point where it will be in all of their computers!

It will be interesting to see what the TV shows will be like; if it will expand to all the major networks. I can't imagine there not being some kind of commercial, but we shall see.

YET, just a little disappointed that there are still no updates to the PB line. Maybe next week ...

VicMacs

Oct 12, 2005, 02:30 PM

no powerbook g5?

back to sleep... :mad:

jholzner

Oct 12, 2005, 02:33 PM

natehan

Oct 12, 2005, 02:34 PM

Watching an entire TV show on a 2.5 screen is pretty strenuous, but $2 is a great deal.

danny_w

Oct 12, 2005, 02:35 PM

I notice the new iPod is USB-only. So the transition is now complete - none of the current iPods support Firewire. Oh well. That said, it does still look nice and I'm glad I held off buying an iPod until now. The video probably won't do anything for me, but the thinner case and less weight are positives.

Mudbug

Oct 12, 2005, 02:35 PM

Also quality not as important.

Amazing how the TV networks seem to agree with you. :)

mflat5

Oct 12, 2005, 02:36 PM

I'm impressed, but cannot help but think this is a stop-gap / watch-and-see device until the full-fledged video iPod emerges. iPod photo began as a "special" type of iPod which morphed into a feature available in all color iPods. Hopefully this will follow suit.

Two major concerns over this new video feature which I don't know if Steve addressed... battery and hard drive life.

One of the wonderful things about the original iPod up to 4G was the reserved battery life. Yea, it's short compared to other players, and it's non-removable, but it worked well and allowed enough time to enjoy before recharging. How is video going to drain the battery now? Is the battery improved to compensate?

The other concern which coincides with the battery is hard drive life. Since the original concept of loading songs into a buffer allowed for a minimal amount of hard drive access, how is it going to be addressed in 5G? Will the new slimmer version be able to "resist" mechanical and heat issues since the drive needs to be accessed more to run video? Hard drives do eventually break down.

I'm drooling over this update, but am curious to see the reviews or see analyses about these issues. Did Apple up the buffer to make this new cool-thing work more efficiently?

-m

ps:
I hope us 4'gers are given some type of updates even if not video on the color/photo versions. New software? More efficient battery usage? Apple innovates, but also cannot abandon its earlier adopters (and not expect the purchase of new devices for new features)... one can only dream.

ccrandall77

Oct 12, 2005, 02:36 PM

Chrispy

Oct 12, 2005, 02:36 PM

The new iMac is the best bang for the buck Apple has ever offered. It leaves the PowerMac and especially the PowerBook in the dust with its next gen components such as DDR2 and Radeon X600 (PCI Express) graphics! Apple! UPDATE YOUR OTHER PRODUCTS!

Brian Hickman

Oct 12, 2005, 02:37 PM

I am very disappointed. THe iSight in the iMac is pretty cool. but the Pro machines need updates in a big way. I definitely do not need or want another iPod. Once my Mini dies, I might think about a video iPod.

Color me negative.

Hickman

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 02:40 PM

Seems like the perfect evolution, to me. Black, bigger screen, and THINNER. I like it a lot.

Still focussed on music--as it should be--with video thrown in. A step in that direction. I'd have fun playing my own home video clips out to TV :)

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 02:41 PM

Anyone know if FrontRow will be available for other Macs?

Doesn't look like it, at least not yet. Though it would be criminal not to sell the remote/receiver/software as a separate package for any Mac. Sounds like the beginnings of a move towards home theater PC.

And why iTunes 6? Why not just 5.1?

No kidding. iTunes 5 lived for, what, 1 month? Sheesh. :rolleyes:

I'm assuming, of course, that neither iTunes 6, nor the new iPod fixes my one pet peeve (see sig) since I can't see it mentioned anywhere. Bah!

Rob587

Oct 12, 2005, 02:44 PM

these new smaller ipods kind of nock the nano on its a**. Why would anyone buy a nano now that the new 30gig is so much more slender? unless you dont have many songs, I wuldnt see the point. Anyone here able to find a reason to own both?

russed

Oct 12, 2005, 02:44 PM

itunes 6 up and running, all seems good

is a bit lame that tv shows in the us = $1.99
in the uk £1.89 that is soooooooo unfair, almost twice as much

ca_graphics

Oct 12, 2005, 02:44 PM

I'm extremely frustrated. I'm in a serious need for a new powerbook YESTERDAY.. AND I WANT a PPC and not Intel... so Stevie blew it for me today.

I was ready to spend the cash for a 17 LOADED New Powerbook and we get an ipud that can view Desperate Housewives? I don't even watch ABC or much TV. Zowie!

Are we pro users being ignored now? :mad:

dloomer

Oct 12, 2005, 02:46 PM

So am I seeing this right -- the "iPod-like" iMac remote has no scroll wheel? How can this be?

Front Row only needs a button to switch to live TV input (via TV tuner card) and I could completely replace my TV/DVD player/CD player setup with a 20 inch iMac.

killuminati

Oct 12, 2005, 02:49 PM

Something seems wrong. I updated to iTunes 6, but the music store is the exact same. It didn't get updated with new music, or videos, or anything. Its exactly how its been the last week.

I checked both the Canadian and American stores, but everythings the same. What gives?

orion123

Oct 12, 2005, 02:51 PM

Just a couple quick thoughts:

Apple somehow managed to add in video decoding, video playing, slimmed down the unit, and increased battery life, all while maintaining their price-points. I think that's more important than any arguing over any particular hoped-for design or features. If this debuted at $499 or higher, it wouldn't be the insane smash hit it's going to be this holiday season.

I'm pretty disappointed that Apple has basically eliminated FireWire from all iPods by now. I have a white iBook G3 and USB 1.0 won't cut it. Why can't the bus on these iPods do Firewire too? It's almost worth a class action in my mind, because I bet they can do firewire somehow.

Not covered much yet, but the remote control also works directly with the iPod in its new dock, no computer needed. How cool is that? Cuts off yet another 3rd party manufacturer, but if you also have the new iMac, it's another nice feature.

The iMac is now the best Mac in the lineup, across the board. I can't wait to see what they do to the rest of the lineup in the coming 6 months.

ColoJohnBoy

Oct 12, 2005, 02:51 PM

I can't get to any music videos in the music store! Whenever I click on the picture of Bono that advertises "2000 Music Videos" iTMS sends me to the browse feature - despite all my browsing there's nary a video to be found. IN fact, the only video I can access is that for 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Lost', both of which only have three episodes. Perhaps they haven't completely updated the store? The screenshot on the download page looks much different than the store comiong up for me. Bah. Is anyone else having this problem?

In any case, I like the separate category within iTunes for Videos - Nicely organized, etc.

dloomer

Oct 12, 2005, 02:53 PM

iTMS is as clunky to navigate as ever. So where are these music videos? I click the music videos section (after finding it amid the front page mess) and all I see is the crappy old music video interface, with nothing added since September. Also, unless I'm blind I don't see a "TV Shows" section. I can click on "Lost" from the front page, and at the top of the Lost page is a Home/TV Shows/Lost nav, but if I click "TV Shows" it just takes me nowhere.

I'm sure a lot of this is just not finished (although it should be). But regardless, I've always thought the iTMS was the most un-Apple-like (in terms of aesthetics and some aspects of usability) things that Apple has produced in quite a while.

lifeboy001

Oct 12, 2005, 02:53 PM

So the question is: can I use FrontRow with my current iMac? I would love to have a remote control for my itunes, etc

itsa

Oct 12, 2005, 02:55 PM

Something seems wrong. I updated to iTunes 6, but the music store is the exact same. It didn't get updated with new music, or videos, or anything. Its exactly how its been the last week.

Same thing here... When I first ran it it said I needed QuickTime 7.0.3
I have 7.0.2

zac4mac

Oct 12, 2005, 02:56 PM

No FireWire- that totally BITES

I understand in the case of the nano, but not the fullsize.
Stupid effing move Steve-o
No vid pod for me, even if they do come in black now.

my 2 cents

Z

Ratboy

Oct 12, 2005, 02:56 PM

If I can get an entire TV show for $1.99, it makes paying more than 99¢ for a 3 minute song seem less reasonable.

amac4me

Oct 12, 2005, 02:56 PM

With Pixar short films available on iTunes 6 and the release of the Video capable iPod, does this mean we will see Apple buying Pixar? Think about it, Disney and Pixar's relationship hasn't been the greatest of late and is on shaky ground. I think that Apple would be an ideal company to distribute Pixar's movies and content online. Pixar is already developing their content with PowerMacs. The union would make sense.

Oh by the way, Steve Jobs is the CEO of both Apple and Pixar. I hear the wedding bells already!

aphexist

Oct 12, 2005, 02:57 PM

I have a HD-ready Aquos. S-Video and composite looks like CRAP on it. I was hoping it'd have HDMI or DVI-out.

Another case of people asking for too much at once. The electronics needed to add a DV output to a unit of this size would ruin the package. Furthermore, you would need to buy an expensive HDMI or DVI cable ($50 at least) or an DAC adaptor if you didn't have a digital TV or didn't have extra inputs on your display. Furthermore, storing HD quality is going to eat up that disk very quickly.

Another thing I personally think is dumb is the pricing on TV shows. First of all, I can get them for free via EyeTV. Second, $1.99 is WAY too much per episode.

The point is that do DON'T have to wait or work for it AND you can take it with you on your portable device. You can download it from iTunes instantly and play it on your iPod rather than waiting for your DVR to record it, transfer it to your computer, compress and encode it, and then get it to your iPod. Saves time, and therefore money.

Hopefully the MoviePlayer for iPod from Nyko will be able to do component, DVI, or HDMI out. If it does, I think I'll just get an old 40GB iPod and the MoviePlayer.

I can tell you are a video snob, as I am also, but I think you're missing the point with this release. If you have a HD display and HD-DVR, why would you play your video through an iPod?

blakemsf

Oct 12, 2005, 02:59 PM

Has anyone noticed that the battery life on the 60GB is 20hours and the 30GB only 14?? I thought it would be the other way around??

killuminati

Oct 12, 2005, 03:00 PM

Same thing here... When I first ran it it said I needed QuickTime 7.0.3
I have 7.0.2

Same here, but I couldn't find anywhere to download .0.3???

I went to software update, the quicktime update, the quicktime website.

Yvan256

Oct 12, 2005, 03:00 PM

I notice the new iPod is USB-only. So the transition is now complete - none of the current iPods support Firewire.

Maybe that was part of the Intel deal: kill off FireWire... at least on the iPods. :confused:

Andy C

Oct 12, 2005, 03:01 PM

blybug

Oct 12, 2005, 03:03 PM

So the question is: can I use FrontRow with my current iMac? I would love to have a remote control for my itunes, etc

You can buy the new Universal Dock ($39) and the new Apple Remote ($29) as separate accessories to control your iPod connected to a TV/stereo. But looks like (for now) no other Macs besides the new imac are supported.

Why not go the final step...make a "deluxe" universal dock ($99??) that has the FrontRow software built in, connects to your home network and TV/stereo? Product complete...you could access media content from any Mac in the house or a docked iPod with a beautiful and intuitive interface on your TV. Limiting this to the new iMac limits it to dorm-room dudes. Apple is billing this as bringing the content to your living room, but seriously who is going to put even the 20" iMac in their living room as their main home theater?

I thought sure that the set-top box would be the "one more thing" once FrontRow and the remote were introduced. It's the last piece of the puzzle...

snowmoon

Oct 12, 2005, 03:05 PM

Curious about the iPod capacity. If they are using the new toshiba drives they would have 40GB platters making a 30 and a 60 would be insane.

I think the iPod will get a silent upgrade to 40/80 as soon as the run out of stock for the 30/60's just like Apple did with the mini's

DharvaBinky

Oct 12, 2005, 03:06 PM

And I just bought a 20Gb iPod last week... <glare>

I hate myself... ;)

Binky

rockthecasbah

Oct 12, 2005, 03:07 PM

Has anyone noticed that the battery life on the 60GB is 20hours and the 30GB only 14?? I thought it would be the other way around??
i was gonna say the same thing, whats the deal :confused:

dloomer

Oct 12, 2005, 03:07 PM

Why not go the final step...make a "deluxe" universal dock ($99??) that has the FrontRow software built in, connects to your home network and TV/stereo?

Have it do all that, and let you stick your iPod in it -- like the current/new Universal Dock does, only it also displays your iPod's library UI on the TV screen.

danny_w

Oct 12, 2005, 03:07 PM

Has anyone noticed that the battery life on the 60GB is 20hours and the 30GB only 14?? I thought it would be the other way around??
That's what it says in the tech specs, but in the Apple store it says the opposite. What gives?

noelister

Oct 12, 2005, 03:07 PM

The new front end has not been updated yet. you can see from this link what it is supposed to look like http://www.apple.com/itunes/videos/

BOOMBA

Oct 12, 2005, 03:10 PM

The new iMac is definitely marketed to dorm living.

it should ship with a friggin' futon.

I am not happy with this apple event

Video iPod is lame

Media center rip-off is lame

iMac is fine, but who the hell wants it in their f-ing living room?
printer cables, scanner... it's for kid's rooms.

oh well

at least now someone might use video chat.

jdechko

Oct 12, 2005, 03:10 PM

ITR 81

Oct 12, 2005, 03:10 PM

When I DL iTunes 6 it said I needed to update my QT..but when I try to update it can find no new update...
I have 7.0.2.

agentkow

Oct 12, 2005, 03:11 PM

Shop for them 24-7. Watch them at home. Take them on the road. Buy high-quality, ad-free music videos and TV shows for just $1.99, sync them to the new iPod and go.

That says no commercials to me.

Thats from the main apple.com/itunes page.

Stella

Oct 12, 2005, 03:11 PM

The iPods look really good. I'm wondering about the quality of playback for the resolution.

When it comes to TV shows, at the moment its for only the states. The Rest of the World don't yet benefit. I expect Apple haven't been arsed to start any negotiations.

Aqua Structure

Oct 12, 2005, 03:12 PM

Booyah.

No new PowerBooks, though.

sanford

Oct 12, 2005, 03:12 PM

Same here, but I couldn't find anywhere to download .0.3???

That's because there is not anywhere to download QT 7.0.3. 7.0.2 is the current version. Either the warning message is wrong, or the new version is shortly to be released. I'm not going to spend $2 for an episode of Lost I've already seen just to find out I need to wait for a QuickTime upgrade.

I just tried to play a preview clip of Lost. Seems like 30 seconds previews are available. No work. I think we are waiting for a QT bump.

skwoytek

Oct 12, 2005, 03:12 PM

THIS WILL FIX SOME PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS

For those without an updated iTunes view. As far as Macs go. Just download Quicktime installer from Apple.com. It will update to 7.0.3.

For those who have not upgraded to QT 7.0.3, do so before upgrading to iTunes 6. Here's why.

I had the same problem.
1. Upgraded to iTunes 6.
2. I was notified to upgrade to Quicktime 7.0.3.
3. Upgraded to QT 7.0.3 and restarted.

Still nothing... Doesn't look like the shots on Apple.com

4. Upgrade to iTunes 6 AGAIN and bam! there it was.

After all that, the store is still really bad. You can't get to everything. Links are dead, etc. EDIT: Looks like Apple is fixing it now.

Something else strange. I linked to iTMS through a blog link. The site took for ever to come up and when it did it came back as the old front page. Had to restart to get the Videos back up.

Downloading Episode 1 of Lost. Started off fast. Looked like it would take 8-10 minutes. Hit 80% in about 5 minutes. Just finished, total download time: 20 minutes. Quality is slightly better than the torrents I have seen.

5 authorized computers count for music and video. I was hoping they would be separate.

killuminati

Oct 12, 2005, 03:13 PM

Finally, the iTMS is updated for me. I still can't find Quicktime 7.0.3 though.

And also, does anyone know if song credits will work towards buying video?

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 03:14 PM

2.1GHz G4 (which is *very* efficient) with a 1/3 speed FSB...

That's a G5 running at 1/3 bus speed. Same as the iMac G5 has always been, nothing to see here...

If they put something similar into the MacMini soon, I'm a buyer. :)

Doubtful. :rolleyes:

chaos86

Oct 12, 2005, 03:15 PM

ipod video (black) = $299
+$25 invisible shield = $324
- $30 edu discount = $294
- $50 i feel ripped off by my last ipod's battery discount = $244

my new ipod 5g $244

my fianceé telling me off for buying another toy then being happy because she gets my old ipod instead of her shuffle, priceless.

ham_man

Oct 12, 2005, 03:17 PM

TV Shows are a great idea. This is for sure on the short list for things to buy.

Go Apple.

Whyren

Oct 12, 2005, 03:18 PM

Let's face it, this event turned out better than it could have. At least newish stuff was released, much of which will be of interest to the general consumer. It could have been much worse (did someone say, a black ROKR :eek: )

FriarTuck

Oct 12, 2005, 03:18 PM

dloomer

Oct 12, 2005, 03:18 PM

I hope that there are going to be good shows on there like 24, simpsons, futurama, and scrubs. Im a little disappointed that there are no PB updates... i hope that we dont have to wait for intel updates.

What I really hope is that HBO gets involved. I can watch standard cable/broadcast shows through other means, but don't get HBO. Curb Your Enthusiasm, anyone?

njmac

Oct 12, 2005, 03:19 PM

http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=32457&stc=1

anastasis

Oct 12, 2005, 03:22 PM

I downloaded the latest Lost Episode to see the quality... however it will not play for some reason....

Jonx

Oct 12, 2005, 03:25 PM

to all those who cant find quicktime 7.0.3 just go to quictime page and click on free download, I got mine :) its 7.0.3 and needs restart :D

milozauckerman

Oct 12, 2005, 03:26 PM

Not too excited by this iPod and the video system. No interest in watching video on that tiny screen (much less for ABC's craptastic lineup of shows, gimme HBO or Veronica Mars please), but if it worked as a downloadable OnDemand (ala HBO) system, I'd be excited. Let me carry a high-quality version with me and watch it on the iPod screen if I'm desperate.

I'd pay $3 to download a show in high-enough quality to watch on my computer (320*240 is a postage stamp on my 1680*1050 screen). Maybe that'll come later. For now I'll stick to BitTorrenting shows that I missed.

crazylb1

Oct 12, 2005, 03:26 PM

video store is up

mikeswimm

Oct 12, 2005, 03:26 PM

I cant believe how lame this is. Everyone at MS must be laughing their asses off right now. "Only 6 buttons to WMC's 40" might have something to do with the fact that this imac doesn't do 10% of what WMC does. And i hate MS products!

Why in god's name would I have this imac in my living room if I can watch TV on it? Where would it be? Propped up on my TV? STUPID!

And the ipod is also worthless. I really stood behind Steve when he said they were lousy devices for watching video. He was right, and now he looks like an idiot. I was really hoping for a rethinking of the ipod. Either a tablet-like interface or something more similar to the PSP, but they really took the easy way out on this.

I am sure this is only the first step towards media integration but this release looks pathetically half-baked to me. This reminds me of the lame stuff Apple's comp usually dishes out. I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

longaker

Oct 12, 2005, 03:26 PM

This is a Joke. These 2 new items are pathetic. These deserve the silent update from Apple, not a fully dedicated Media Conference. Now the Dual-Core's have less than a month to release quietly or they just won't happen period.

I'm so unhappy! I was ready to drop Five Grand into a new PowerMac Setup with software...

the last few weeks of spending time in Forums and harrassing the Apple guys in the retail stores, all in anticipation of some decent upgrades of PowerBooks and PowerMacs..

What happened to all the stores that were empty on inventory, what happened to my FRICKEN upgrades?!!!!!

RAHHHHHH! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Cooknn

Oct 12, 2005, 03:26 PM

FrontRow looks good, but it needs to be able to stream wirelessly to my plasma, or to run from a box like the Mac Mini. My iMac is in my study, so I doubt I'll be using it to watch many videos!

I'm sure the software is just the beginning.My thoughts exactly. This has to be the first step to true Video on Demand. Being able to select movies, TV shows and sporting events to watch on your HDTV on your time table. Computers are for computing. TV's are to be viewed from the couch. Steve is compromising his own beliefs to get this ball rolling, IMHO.

strummert

Oct 12, 2005, 03:27 PM

would it be a good idea to buy an ibook tomorrow? or should I wait?

Eniregnat

Oct 12, 2005, 03:27 PM

A little underwhelming.
The bigest bit of news is the movie store.
Does anybody else feel that the dial should be wider and a little more porportianal?

Now if they had ditched the dial, and gone with a touch interface screen that took up the majority of the iPod face, that would have been really cool.

Andy C

Oct 12, 2005, 03:28 PM

I know new the iPods will playback h.264 and MPEG4, but I wonder if they will playback varients such as divx and xvid?

Think I'll go order one anyhow, it's about time my old 3rg gen went to pastures new. It's just a shame firewire has gone bye bye on the new models.

strummert

Oct 12, 2005, 03:28 PM

the buer's guide hasn't been updated... :(

dornoforpyros

Oct 12, 2005, 03:28 PM

Vids are $2.29 in the Canadian iTMS...weak.

Andy C

Oct 12, 2005, 03:29 PM

A little underwhelming.
The bigest bit of news is the movie store.
Does anybody else feel that the dial should be wider and a little more porportianal?
Yes, the wheel looks a bit small stuck in the middle.
Now if they had ditched the dial, and gone with a touch interface screen that took up the majority of the iPod face, that would have been really cool.
That's the only thing I still like about my 3rd gen iPod, the touch wheel and buttons.

quigleybc

Oct 12, 2005, 03:30 PM

FrontRow looks good, but it needs to be able to stream wirelessly to my plasma, or to run from a box like the Mac Mini. My iMac is in my study, so I doubt I'll be using it to watch many videos!

I'm sure the software is just the beginning.

I hope you're right

I really want front row for my power mac. And the remote sounds perfect

gimme gimme :D

mac-er

Oct 12, 2005, 03:32 PM

Apple's behavior has been really strange lately...

*Pulling Mac Mini test drive
*Not having Expo keynote...which I guess this thing today is the final death kneel for using the Expos to introduce new products
*Making us wait for a long time to jump from iTunes 4 to 5...then having 5 around for just a few months.
*Blocking all Wi-FI and cell phone service from the event today (must be punishment b/c of ThinkSecret). AppleInsider said they were using cell phone blockers....which I think is illegal under Federal law. (I don't think they could have found a site in San Jose that doesn't have cell service...they were obviously blocking it).
*Pulling out a half-ass Media Center PC-type thing....either do it all the way (TV-in) or don't do it at all. I mean, the iMac updates are nice, but it seems like a "we want a Media Center PC, but we don't" type of thing.

I really don't think pulling the eMac was a good idea. $499 with no monitor, keyboard, or mouse to $1299 for an iMac with 160GB hard drive and iSight is a big jump for some people. The eMac was great for people who wanted a simple, Internet appliance with having to buy extra stuff.

ClarkeB

Oct 12, 2005, 03:33 PM

Anyone else disappointed with the fullscreen transfers of "Housewives" and "Lost"? These shows are filmed in widescreen for a reason...ABC should repsect that.

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 03:33 PM

Apple is NOT ditching Firewire, it just doesn't have a place on the iPod anymore. (Apple couldn't kill Firewire if they wanted to--digital camcorders use it.)

That's a shame on the full-size iPods. It means you can't boot from them, right? In which case I'm very glad I have the previous version, which I use to boot OS X via firewire.

But there's no dark conspiracy here. If firewire could have been included without adding size or cost, it would be there--at least via an optional cable. Most iPod users wouldn't care about it, but Apple wouldn't mind giving the option to those (like me) that do.

It's a business decision about what was worth adding size or cost to the iPod, when VERY few users demand firewire. It's a shame, but that's what it is.

The talk of class action suits over it is a little much :p

longaker

Oct 12, 2005, 03:34 PM

Noticed the new iMacs are utilizing PCI Express and not PCI-X That's promising that we should have the new tech in a PowerMac Soon. Hopefully NOW and not Later.

MM022

Oct 12, 2005, 03:35 PM

I'm sorry but video on an iPod is not impresive, if I want to watch a TV program i'll just watch it on my regular non 2" screen, come on you'll end up going blind from squinting at the screen. Where are the real updates to the PB or the PM line, I want something that is going to wow me!

strummert

Oct 12, 2005, 03:35 PM

what about the ibooks and the buyer's guide?

abhishake

Oct 12, 2005, 03:35 PM

Has anyone used the new video stufF?

I just did.. and i imported all of my OC shows and family guy shows and 70s show shows into iTunes.. This is amazing..

Interesting that Apple kept the name of iTunes instead of something different..

The iPod is nice..

skwoytek

Oct 12, 2005, 03:35 PM

I am glad to see the iPod is Video and not just a new line of Video iPods. This will make the videos sell a lot better in the Store and push us toward video on demand and an Apple media center. I wonder if the nano will have a software upgrade for on screen video (obviously no video out).

Who's got a guess on the first announcement of Video sales.

1 million in a week? a month? a year?

moppie2005

Oct 12, 2005, 03:36 PM

someone posted a picture of the real thing before it got released:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=154107&page=19&pp=25

probably from the factory in china :)

blockheads88

Oct 12, 2005, 03:36 PM

after taking a closer look at the new video ipod i noticed that on the top there is only a headphone jack and hold switch so it looks like apple is getting rid of the controller jack next to the head phone jack.

cgmpowers

Oct 12, 2005, 03:37 PM

I only had a few minutes to download and look at iTunes 6 and I am disappointed...

Aside from being disappointed in NOT having an 80 GB iPod (I have a current 60 GB and desperately need more room)..

The new iTunes doesn't have a lot of videos (ie: tv shows) available. I couldn't even browse a catagory of find ANYTHING that wasn't in a corner graphic on the main page of iTunes Music Store...

No Alias, no According to Jim, nothing but Lost & Desperate Housewives. ABC has a lot of stellar shows besides Lost & Houswives..

I couldn't even find those six Pixar shorts to download them!!

The new iMac is cool, moderate speed/memory bumps and I think a better graphic card. The large HD is definately a plus...

I just expected a larger iPod and a better video download selection!!

Chris

tdewey

Oct 12, 2005, 03:37 PM

If I can get an entire TV show for $1.99, it makes paying more than 99¢ for a 3 minute song seem less reasonable.

Yeah but you're probably going to listen to the song more times than you'll see the show.

dadada2000

Oct 12, 2005, 03:39 PM

Will my new ipod nano play the tv shows?? does anyone know??

egor

Oct 12, 2005, 03:40 PM

This isn't quite what I was hoping for with regards to their media strategy.. the iPod video I'll take a raincheck on.. the iMac is quite nice but I see no signs of it acting like a media hub/server rather than a "tv".. here's hoping they'll release an airtunes-like device for the TV.. it will be interesting to see how they can compete with cable and satelite pay per view, I think they'll do better (because its more like buying a DVD than a single viewing) when super fast broadband takes off.

I think they've got some new colours going on with the iTunes visualizations as well.. would be nice if it were finally given a full overhaul though.. its not an important feature, few use it (probably).. i don't use it often, but it'd be nice to have something new, or the existing visualisations to be added to.

Frump

Oct 12, 2005, 03:40 PM

Why no TV shows in the German itunes store? Plus the video preview does not work (I have QT 7.3) in itunes.
Lame I wanted to watch the new lost without having to wait a whole day to download with bit-torrent. What is with the video size. Tv shows are made to be viewed on TV's. With that small resolution it would look crap on a TV. Not sure about watching it on a tiny screen either.

Frump.

mr.steevo

Oct 12, 2005, 03:41 PM

what about the ibooks and the buyer's guide?

Easy there. The iBook's were just recently updated. It is okay to buy one now.

s.

ipacmm

Oct 12, 2005, 03:42 PM

I just ordered my 60GB black ipod! can't wait till I get it.

mflat5

Oct 12, 2005, 03:43 PM

Aqua Structure

Oct 12, 2005, 03:43 PM

These are nice. They look a lot more like the original iPods.

shyataroo

Oct 12, 2005, 03:44 PM

What the hell was the point of itunes 5?... anyone?

Also... what is so special about iTunes 6 "finally" having video playback? you could play video's and stuff in iTunes since iTunes 4 what's the big deal?

corbin_a2

Oct 12, 2005, 03:45 PM

Anyone notice that Quicktime 7.0.3 is not available??? When you download iTunes 6 you need Quicktime 7.0.3 for the video to work. So now I have iTunes 6 but cannot use the video. :confused:

fed-ex

Oct 12, 2005, 03:45 PM

So I just read over everything, and i definitly think my head is going to explode. Apple is gioiing to own the portable video device market. Also the deal with abc is pure jobs genius. Bringing in the television industry makes the ipod that much more potent to competitors. Jobs should totally start his own religion, I know I would join.

blilly

Oct 12, 2005, 03:45 PM

What the hell was the point of itunes 5?... anyone?

I think that was podcasting, no?

Anyway, I assume by current 60 gb will play videos, right? You don;t have to have the new ones to watch video, I hope.

strummert

Oct 12, 2005, 03:46 PM

I think that they will changer everything now. new macs: PB, IB etc with a new design too

skwoytek

Oct 12, 2005, 03:47 PM

Just went to the German store... (I'm US)

The German store has a Top 100 downloaded video, Currently 1. "Like a Virgin", 2. "Pixar" and that's it.

Also, Germany has a link straight to Pixar Shorts in the Inside the Music Store Section.

Okay, US has the same thing if you click on the "2000 Videos" link. I had to restart iTunes for it to work, not sure if that was just a fluke or not.

G4scott

Oct 12, 2005, 03:47 PM

Does anybody know if there are limitations on the TV shows? I would assume unlimited viewing and strict or no burning, but in an age when the MPAA wants to make view once DVD's, and limit how many times you can watch something before paying for it again, you never know...

My other question is what connection does the Apple Wireless Remote use? I would guess infrared, because of the front, but I see no infrared port on the front of the new iMac. Oh well, time will tell.

fed-ex

Oct 12, 2005, 03:50 PM

Anyone notice that Quicktime 7.0.3 is not available??? When you download iTunes 6 you need Quicktime 7.0.3 for the video to work. So now I have iTunes 6 but cannot use the video. :confused:

Just go to apple.com and dowload quicktime. It's version 7.0.3 even though it doesn't say so. I already did and am now watching last week's epsiode of lost. This is awesome.

PowerMacMan

Oct 12, 2005, 03:50 PM

Much better than what I expected. I just ordered a 60GB Black iPod, Apple Remote, and Universal Dock. I had to skip a class in school just so I could see what Apple released. I am very excited to say the least! :D

kiwi-in-uk

Oct 12, 2005, 03:50 PM

Anyone notice that Quicktime 7.0.3 is not available??? When you download iTunes 6 you need Quicktime 7.0.3 for the video to work. So now I have iTunes 6 but cannot use the video. :confused:
Go to the Quicktime download page. It doesn't say 7.0.3 on the page, but it showed up on "About Quicktime" after I installed it.

Cheers

blockheads88

Oct 12, 2005, 03:50 PM

areyouwishing

Oct 12, 2005, 03:52 PM

Ok, now having gone through the whole process of updating iTunes, and Quicktime, and buying a video I can share my thoughts.

1.) Videos should be stored in JUST the "Videos" of iTunes, not the entire music library... this makes things murky.

2.) Front Row needs to be sold separately, the already have the Apple remote separate.

3.) The video feature on all fronts is a nice addition, Apple clearly left room for improvement, I downloaded the pilot of lost and it ran smoothly on my 466 tower. Make sure to download quicktime separate for the videos to work. Hopefully Apple will fix this.

4.) New iPods are nice. Although there is a big gap between the Nano and the video iPod, the product line looks good given current technology constraints.

Edit: Has the iMac always been 1440x900 res?

noty

Oct 12, 2005, 03:54 PM

danr_97070

Oct 12, 2005, 03:54 PM

Watching an entire TV show on a 2.5 screen is pretty strenuous, but $2 is a great deal.

With H.264 you should also be able to get reasonable quality watching missed
tv shows on your computer so even if you can't afford (right now) a new
iPod, you should still benefit.

Aqua Structure

Oct 12, 2005, 03:55 PM

I'm impressed, but cannot help but think this is a stop-gap / watch-and-see device until the full-fledged video iPod emerges. iPod photo began as a "special" type of iPod which morphed into a feature available in all color iPods. Hopefully this will follow suit.
The video is not a "special" type of iPod. The iPod video has replaced the previous iPod color line.
One of the wonderful things about the original iPod up to 4G was the reserved battery life. Yea, it's short compared to other players, and it's non-removable, but it worked well and allowed enough time to enjoy before recharging. How is video going to drain the battery now? Is the battery improved to compensate?
Steve says up to 20 hours of battery life.

ps:
I hope us 4'gers are given some type of updates even if not video on the color/photo versions. New software? More efficient battery usage? Apple innovates, but also cannot abandon its earlier adopters (and not expect the purchase of new devices for new features)... one can only dream.
I'm sure a firmware update with video support will be available in about three months.

jettredmont

Oct 12, 2005, 03:55 PM

Watching an entire TV show on a 2.5 screen is pretty strenuous, but $2 is a great deal.

Hopefully you'll find watching it on a 20" screen (new or old iMacs) to be less strenuous ... or even via you PowerMac/PowerBook's DVI to a 50" DLP screen or so (although this is sub-DVD quality, essentially VHS resolution video).

ftaok

Oct 12, 2005, 03:55 PM

To all of those bemoaning the loss of Firewire on the new iPods ....

Has anyone actually confirmed that these new iPods will or will not work with FW? It's quite easy for Apple to leave out features that their devices have in the Tech Specs. After all, there are a bunch of Mac mini's out there with faster processors, more VRAM, etc. than what is listed on Apple's site.

Also, to anyone who has downloaded a video. Can you post what kind of Mac you're running. I have an iBook 500 and would like to know if I'll be able to watch the videos. I'm guessing that 320x240 isn't too taxing.

Aqua Structure

Oct 12, 2005, 03:56 PM

Although there is a big gap between the Nano and the video iPod, the product line looks good given current technology constraints.
I'm telling you, they're going to bring back the mini at Macworld.

To all of those bemoaning the loss of Firewire on the new iPods ....

Has anyone actually confirmed that these new iPods will or will not work with FW? It's quite easy for Apple to leave out features that their devices have in the Tech Specs.
Also true. The new iPod just comes with a USB cable and has been ever since the Click Wheel iPods. But if you have a Firewire dock connector cable, it should work fine.

ftaok

Oct 12, 2005, 04:00 PM

Also true. The new iPod just comes with a USB cable and has been ever since the Click Wheel iPods. But if you have a Firewire dock connector cable, it should work fine.
That's what I'm hoping for. My iBook only has USB1, but it does have Firewire. My wife's Dell laptop also only has USB1 and FW.

So unless I buy a new Mac, I'd wouldn't really enjoy using this new iPod.

kiwi-in-uk

Oct 12, 2005, 04:00 PM

This whole suite - Keynote; iLife incl iTunes with video; iPod with slideshow, video & remote ... are very powerful business tools.

Put all the presentation material on an iPod, set up the dock, plug into a projector, with remote ... complete portable AV presentation kit in a couple of pockets (apart from the projector). Beats carrying a laptop!

tiramisu

Oct 12, 2005, 04:00 PM

hello, i wounder if front row is installable for powermacs and powerbooks. still i miss the tv control and record functionality...

this new imac mac a lot of sense to catch the normal people (coach potatos) ;-)

jettredmont

Oct 12, 2005, 04:01 PM

Watch, I'll go get one anyway.

Here's what bites about it. It's not the smallish screen (that they could've made bigger if played on it's side). It's the A/V out options. I have a HD-ready Aquos. S-Video and composite looks like CRAP on it. I was hoping it'd have HDMI or DVI-out. The video doesn't have to be HD, but if it's at least at 480i quality (like a DVD), it'd look nice on my set... but not if it's going through the old S-Vid/composite ports.

The "iPod native" video resolution is VHS-range, not DVD-range. You wouldn't notice a difference with a DVI output. Maybe once the iPod support decoding SD H.264 at 30fps then something besides SVideo/Composite will make sense.

Another thing I personally think is dumb is the pricing on TV shows. First of all, I can get them for free via EyeTV. Second, $1.99 is WAY too much per episode. That's $52 for a full season... might as well wait for the DVDs to come out. And besides... doesn't everyone have a DVR now anyway?? If not, just get EyeTV-200 (in the US) and export it to a format that's iPod-friendly. It'll pay for itself quickly if the other alternative is $2/show downloads.

DVDs tend to run more in the $65 range for the ones I've looked at. Plus they aren't available until the entire season is done. Plus they don't rip to my iPod (although I hope that hurdle gets passed soon!). DVRs are great if you set them up. But if you hit an episode of a show mid-season, like what you see, then want to get the "back story" you are stuck either trying to record and watch reruns, or waiting until the NEXT season so you can buy this season's DVD.

shyataroo

Oct 12, 2005, 04:02 PM

I think that was podcasting, no?

Anyway, I assume by current 60 gb will play videos, right? You don;t have to have the new ones to watch video, I hope.

You just may... and if podcasting/a newer crappier(streamlined my rear) interface was the sole purpose of iTunes 5 then here is what (in my opinion) they should have done... updated iTunes 4 to give it the ability to play podcasts and than waited till today to introduce iTunes 5 with all the previous features introduced in iTunes 5 and 6. it would be much less confusing for people who "need" to get the latest version of everything....

mi5moav

Oct 12, 2005, 04:02 PM

Hopefully, we will also be able to download football, baseball, and other sports programs... though probably would have to sign an agreement with each franchise first.

fed-ex

Oct 12, 2005, 04:03 PM

I don't understand why people think $1.99 for a TV show is a good deal. These aren't HBO or Showtime shows, these are shows that anyone with a TV can watch on ABC. Give me a easy way to transfer my Tivo'd shows to my iPod, then I'll be intersted. And $1.99 for a music video is beyond ridiculous.

Well considering you already pay 99 cents for that same song, without video, how is 1.99 a bad deal. figure for argumentative purposes that a music video is double the content of just the song, so why not double the price. It's not that bad a marketing price.

crazydreaming

Oct 12, 2005, 04:04 PM

Once again I'm very happy I bought my Rev D Powerbook a long time ago :D

However, I wish I wouldda waited on opening the iPod mini :mad: ...

I don't REALLY need videos on the go, but it would be cool. :rolleyes:
I can see myself downloading the LOST episodes I miss, and then watching them on my Powerbook. Sorry if this has already been discussed, but can ripped DVD's be played on the iPod? Think about it, carrying around a library of movies to your freinds house in your iPod. Say goodbye to the DVD Binder!

All in all, some great announcements today. Apple has opened up a whole 'nother direction.

iBeard

Oct 12, 2005, 04:06 PM

How much thinner are the new iPods compared to gen 4?

EDIT: new 30GBs to old 20GBs

vincentf

Oct 12, 2005, 04:08 PM

Anyone know if FrontRow will be available for other Macs?

It seems silly not to make this available for Mac Mini users. The Mac Mini would make a much better digital hub than the iMac. With FrontRow, it would be the perfect replacement for my EyeHome. It fits nicely in my TV stand.

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 04:08 PM

I'm sure a firmware update with video support will be available in about three months.

Doubtful. Regardless of whether the 4th generation can do it (probably can), this is clearly a feature designed to sell more new units. I'll be surprised if any generation older than this new one will ever play video with an Apple firmware.

There's only one thing I want in a firmware update (not video), and I'll even settle for a new "feature" only available in new models that I have to buy (nevermind that every model, back to the 1st generation, is capable of doing it). Didn't appear to happen in this update, so I'm just gonna have to harrass Apple until they give in. :p

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 04:13 PM

So how does one download a music video or a TV show??? Beats me.

The music video link just goes to videos you can view for free (not that I dislike free, but they're not downloadable).

For TV programs: I can get to 3 episodes of "Lost" but can't find other TV programs.

Maybe the 2,000 video thing was a typo and it should have been 3.

I see they now have a "Just for You" part of the music store. In other words, the system is analysing my purchases. It's so sweet of Apple to want to offer me music I might like, how thoughtful of them! But I'd rather you didn't spy on my purchasing patterns to do so. Thanks, but no thanks, Apple.

But besides that, I am actually rather happy with the announcements. I wanted to be able to download TV shows and videos and can (or eventually I will be able to I assume). The iMac with built in iSight sounds great (this surprised everyone I think, so no one can say they expected all of this). The remote and two new apps also sounds good, I hope they will be available to other users soon. And the new iPod, très cool. Overall a home run as far as I'm concerned, once they get everything working online.

EDIT: Well now at least they have a link to "TV Shows" even if it doesn't work yet...

EDIT 2: Well isn't that special? The new links have disappeared! There was a link to TV Shows and Pixar (it had several clips from Pixar) and the Music Videos link had "New" next to it as well", but when I went back "Home" the links had disappeared! Not good to have quirks in your store when millions of people worldwide are just getting the news and they can't access the new stuff...

nxent

Oct 12, 2005, 04:16 PM

Yay! But...$2.00 for a music video??? Uh, no thanks.

well, it's a dollar for the song... why by the song when you can get the video for twice the cost?

duhliterate

Oct 12, 2005, 04:17 PM

how exciting...another ipod!

Neuro

Oct 12, 2005, 04:17 PM

Seems to me that whether or not Apple wanted to do a video iPod, they had to, because their competitors would if they didn't. Apple has performed another great coop here.

By being first with video / TV etc, they will again own the mindshare (like with music) - even if someone else does it better afterwards. After all, what they have released today is version 1 of their video strategy. It can only improve, but is already sexy. The new iPod made me want one even though I already own one that suits my needs...

Many people have said they need wireless streaming to their TV etc. Elgato already supply this as a really slick mature product (I use their DTT/Digital Radio product). Surely, you could just factor this into your media solution?

The Mini is bound to get the 'Front Row' experience when it goes Intel and will be a formidable media box by then.

Microsoft MCE has been around for years, but just doesn't capture people's interest, unless they are an enthusiast. The Xbox 360 is probably far more likely to be good at this sort of thing. I can see the next-gen Mini competing with it head on. But, the whole Apple approach may provide better integration between devices and software. The Xbox 360 will probably be held back by DRM, or the fact it's not an open-ended computer, as such.

AtHomeBoy_2000

Oct 12, 2005, 04:18 PM

Can the new iPods play ANY content encoded in MPEG-4/H.246?
Or is it only content downloaded from the Video Store?
Can it play resoultions HIGHER than the screen? (example: full 480i out to a TV but only screen resolution on the iPod)

Gjunkie

Oct 12, 2005, 04:19 PM

I think this is pretty ridiculous. I mean, Im all for the video on an iPod, but Apple used to be all about high end, and now, selling video at a mere 320x240 resolution to put it on a 60 gig iPod it seems like Apple is going for the mallrats who don't care about quality.

"oh my gosh, Kimberly, did you, like, totally download the new Desperate Housewives episode?"
"OH MY GOSH! YES! It was sooooo good! lets go to the mall!"

I have an entire 250 gig external filled with video footage... what am I supposed to do with a 60 gig iPod?

As supposed to having a choice at which resolution to download the episodes, Apple is assuming that they no longer have people who care about quality. If they're using that new Perpendicular (sp?) tech. to have higher density HDs while being thinner, why not make 120G iPods just as thick? and in turn be able to put bigger video files on it? And what if I want to download an episode to watch it on my computer, and not on my ipod? which I would definitely do if it was at at least 640x480.

You're paying $2 an episode which at the end it will cost you the same as buying an entire season at DVD quality video... Sorry Apple, I for one, never thought I would say this, and even though I think its a really cool device, and it marks the begining of a new digital age, I am disappointed
:(

snowmoon

Oct 12, 2005, 04:20 PM

video specs are on the iPod page. h.264 up to 768 kbits QVGA 30fps mpeg-4 up to 2.5 mbps 480x480 30 fps.

qzak

Oct 12, 2005, 04:21 PM

well, it's a dollar for the song... why by the song when you can get the video for twice the cost?

bc a music video and a song are two different things. unless, i dunno, can you add both music videos and songs to a playlist. that way if your walking you can just listen to it, but if your sitting down you can watch the videos too when they come up on the playlist?

monolith

Oct 12, 2005, 04:21 PM

http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html

Look at the specs. I'll post the relevant ones. You can forget putting your movie library on the iPod and hooking it up to your friends tele, and watching them. Pay attention to the resolution. And check out battery life.

H.264 video: up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

MPEG-4 video: up to 2.5 mbps, 480 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 Khz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats

30GB: Up to 14 hours of music playback; up to 3 hours of slideshows with music; up to 2 hours of video playback

60GB: Up to 20 hours of music playback; up to 4 hours of slideshows with music; up to 3 hours of video playback

I bought my iPod photo 60gb about a month ago, and I don't feel burned at all by the update. 320s240 h.264? 480x480 mpeg4? No thanks.

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 04:22 PM

You're paying $2 an episode which at the end it will cost you the same as buying an entire season at DVD quality video... Sorry Apple, I for one, never thought I would say this, and even though I think its a really cool device, and it marks the begining of a new digital age, I am disappointed
:(

I personally don't WANT to buy a whole season of most shows. There are a couple good episodes I like, but I'm stuck with paying for the whole DVD set. I think this gives consumers a choice: you want a few episodes, fire up the ole iTunes. If you want the whole season, then get the DVD when it comes out.

Gjunkie

Oct 12, 2005, 04:23 PM

I personally don't WANT to buy a whole season of most shows. There are a couple good episodes I like, but I'm stuck with paying for the whole DVD set. I think this gives consumers a choice: you want a few episodes, fire up the ole iTunes. If you want the whole season, then get the DVD when it comes out.

Thats fine, but if I download an episode, which I would rather do, I would like to be able to SEE it.

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 04:23 PM

My other question is what connection does the Apple Wireless Remote use? I would guess infrared, because of the front, but I see no infrared port on the front of the new iMac. Oh well, time will tell.
I too wonder where the IR port is on the iMac, and am disappointed it's not BT. But by being IR, it can work with the new iPod docks, too (without the docks having to be more expensive).

$1.99 for a music video is beyond ridiculous.
I'd spend that on french fries I can only eat once. We're down to pennies here. If $1.99 is beyond ridiculous, then what would merely ridiculous be? $1.49? :p

If the quality is decent, I'm glad to have a way to get a few. ONLY a few would interest me, but that's fine.

zap2

Oct 12, 2005, 04:24 PM

what tv shows??

come one CSI and Survivor!!

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 04:24 PM

By being first with video / TV etc, they will again own the mindshare (like with music) - even if someone else does it better afterwards.

First?? Not even close. Other products have had video for years (Archos springs to mind). The only thing Apple was first with (again) was bundling it in a small, attractive package. That alone will gain tons of mindshare, but I still remain skeptical that portable video is such a killer app. It's a cool gimmick. A set-top box that connects to your Mac over wireless or ethernet would be far more useful!

EasyB

Oct 12, 2005, 04:27 PM

Or is it? Is the output quality good enough for a 30" hotel TV?

I travel allot for business and often miss a show I like. Currently I BT them, then play them on the tv via my powerbook. But I hate using my system resources by playing a video when I am using my PB for other things. I was going to get one of those 2.5HD with video outputs, but man I would rather pay $2, plug my iPod into my TV and be done with it.

Either way I like it, Because you know it will only get better with time.

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 04:27 PM

I think this is pretty ridiculous. I mean, Im all for the video on an iPod, but Apple used to be all about high end, and now, selling video at a mere 320x240 resolution to put it on a 60 gig iPod it seems like Apple is going for the mallrats who don't care about quality.
What makes you think the TV shows are sold at 2.5-inch iPod quality? iTMS doesn't mean you have to use an iPod.

The ability to play these videos/shows on your iPod is just an extra perk. It's not the main point of this. Watch the shows on your Mac--or on TV. That's what most people will do.

whatever

Oct 12, 2005, 04:27 PM

I would rather that we just cut the iPod out of the equation totality. And build Front Row into Airport Express. Then I can just stream everything from my Mac to Airport and view it on my Home Theater or anywhere else in my house.

I've looked at similar devices and they bigger than the Mac Mini and cost a couple of $1,000. All we're missing here is a remote and video streaming!

Apple is so close to taking this market.

Whatever

Have it do all that, and let you stick your iPod in it -- like the current/new Universal Dock does, only it also displays your iPod's library UI on the TV screen.

powerbook911

Oct 12, 2005, 04:27 PM

I'm trying to buy an episode of lost, but it says the store is down. Is that true?

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 04:28 PM

I too wonder where the IR port is on the iMac, and am disappointed it's not BT. But by being IR, it can work with the new iPod docks, too (without the docks having to be more expensive).

An even better reason for the remote to be IR - my home theater remote can learn its codes.

While I'm certainly underwhelmed by what Apple's offering today, I hope this is their dipping the toe in the waters of home theater. I want to see them jump in and offer a more complete solution (set-top box) sometime in the future. The market is there, Steve, not in portable video! :rolleyes:

powerbook911

Oct 12, 2005, 04:28 PM

What makes you think the TV shows are sold at 2.5-inch iPod quality? iTMS doesn't mean you have to use an iPod.

The ability to play these videos/shows on your iPod is just an extra perk. It's not the main point of this. Watch the shows on your Mac--or on TV. That's what most people will do.

Right the guys on CNBC need to understand this. Most people will watch the TV shows on their computers.

Gjunkie

Oct 12, 2005, 04:29 PM

What makes you think the TV shows are sold at 2.5-inch iPod quality? iTMS doesn't mean you have to use an iPod.

The ability to play these videos/shows on your iPod is just an extra perk. It's not the main point of this. Watch the shows on your Mac--or on TV. That's what most people will do.

Read this:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2005-10-12/#4609

Pipian

Oct 12, 2005, 04:30 PM

That's what I'm hoping for. My iBook only has USB1, but it does have Firewire. My wife's Dell laptop also only has USB1 and FW.

So unless I buy a new Mac, I'd wouldn't really enjoy using this new iPod.

It doesn't show connectivity with FW :-(

Neuro

Oct 12, 2005, 04:31 PM

Apple used to be all about high end, and now, selling video at a mere 320x240 resolution to put it on a 60 gig iPod it seems like Apple is going for the mallrats who don't care about quality.

Apple sells iTunes songs at 128Kb. This is not high-end!

They have realised most consumers (ie the vast majority of iPod buyers) dont care about quality, just convienience and style...

ifjake

Oct 12, 2005, 04:31 PM

Gjunkie

Oct 12, 2005, 04:34 PM

Apple sells iTunes songs at 128Kb. This is not high-end!

They have realised most consumers (ie the vast majority of iPod buyers) dont care about quality, just convienience and style...

Yeah, and before the iPod, Apple customers were ALL high end. I dont know why apple sells at such a low bitrate. I would much rather buy them at at least... AT LEAST 193.

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 04:35 PM

So does it actually support QT movies, or just mpeg4, etc etc.

Because if it supports QT, QT supports Flash...could you run .swf files on it? Interactivity? GAMES?

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 04:36 PM

Read this:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2005-10-12/#4609

Doesn't look like Apple is listing the specs on their site anywhere (if macbidouille is right, then I can understand why since other people will be upset, too). So then you will have two advantages of buying a DVD over iTunes

• cheaper cost per episode
• DVD-quality

The advantage of buying through iTunes

• cheaper if you want only some episodes
• easier to get it onto your computer and/or iPod.

AtariMac

Oct 12, 2005, 04:36 PM

Not to toot my own horn, but my guess last week was pretty darn close.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1787019#post1787019

Its almost as if I knew somesomething on the Disney/ABC guess. One will never know :)

Pete

nomad01

Oct 12, 2005, 04:37 PM

$1.99 for a music video...lame
$1.99 for a TV show(hour long) NICE!

Hmmm... £1.89 for the same thing in the UK. I think the exchange rate must be doing REAAAAL bad right now!

Even so, I don't think it's a bad price for an hour (approx) TV show and assuming the UK store gets some interesting content, I'll be buying.

New slim look works for me and a 20 hour battery life for music on the 60GB model is great. Can't wait to get my hands on one. Although maybe I'll wait for a screen cover to be released first. :rolleyes:

Anyone else see the footage on BBC News 24? Screen looked bigger than I expected.

Pixarian

Oct 12, 2005, 04:37 PM

The new features need a little work. I wonder why it's Beta :p

http://tinypic.com/eiqrnd.jpg

Gjunkie

Oct 12, 2005, 04:38 PM

Doesn't look like Apple is listing the specs on their site anywhere (if macbidouille is right, then I can understand why since other people will be upset, too). So then you will have two advantages of buying a DVD over iTunes

• cheaper cost per episode
• DVD-quality

The advantage of buying through iTunes

• cheaper if you want only some episodes
• easier to get it onto your computer and/or iPod.

If I were Apple, I would sell the videos at a decent resolution and then when transferring to the iPod, "optimize" the video for iPod... so basically shrink it... might take a while, but I would rather do that.

macorama

Oct 12, 2005, 04:38 PM

Not to toot my own horn, but my guess last week was pretty darn close.

Not bad, but MacPredict got the video ipod release right to the day! (http://macpredict.com/)

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 04:38 PM

heh. there seems to be problems all over this launch. iTunes 6 says i need Quicktime 7.0.3 and to check software update. software update says i'm up to date. links appearing and disappearing in the iTMS. there new beta just for you thing doesn't work. i'd say the whole iPod/iTunes aspect of this was a letdown. not looking too hot.

the iMac looks more interesting. it needs a tuner for TV and other TV stuff. but so far so good.

If you go to Quicktime's site and download it, you'll get the right version.

Whenever they update a program like iTunes, they've always had it listed on the site before Software Update registers it. It's happened for every launch of iTunes and Quicktime. They do it so they can reach Windows users as early as possible rather than dinkering around with Software Update for an hour, then putting it up on the site.

WestCoastpdx

Oct 12, 2005, 04:39 PM

it's not surprising that that gear heads don't like this.

to the mass market, this is an AMAZING day.

why? Because it's easy to use. You buy iPod, which you already know about, and the same place you get music, you get TV and short movies.

that's it. it's perfect

-------
they will sell boat loads of these, rapidly.

dazj

Oct 12, 2005, 04:40 PM

Hmm, not having much luck this end.
Did all the updates to Quicktime and iTunes, but the video "previews" are a bit hit and miss.
In the UK (where the "Music Videos" still links to the old lay out) I can just about access the Madonna back-catalogue (thrilling). For some reason though, sometimes it'll preview a video and then others it'll do nothing but iTunes will say it's playing...

Let's hope the iPods don't do this!

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 04:41 PM

They have realised most consumers (ie the vast majority of iPod buyers) dont care about quality, just convienience and style...

Yep. And it's insanely frustrating for those of us who do care about quality, and who remember the Apple that cared. Now it's all about style and popular functions over total quality. Adding a nonessential feature like video was all about maintaining popularity as compared to the competition. In my opinion, it wasn't about doing what's right to improve on the product and experience. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, just superfluous. ;)

The iPod offers far and away the best overall music listening experience, which is exactly why it frustrates people like me so much when Apple skimps on one little aspect of quality (see sig). There's no viable alternative because all of them are so far behind in overall experience, and it's clear that Apple is willing to continue to skimp. The majority of the buying public doesn't care, so why should they? Such is life with a mass market product. :(

mashinhead

Oct 12, 2005, 04:43 PM

Yay! But...$2.00 for a music video??? Uh, no thanks.

yeah video content should be subscription based, why the f**k am i going to pay for a show that my DVR is recording for me to watch tonite again? THis is like sony with their UMD Discs, "Yes now you can pay for the same movie you just bought on dvd on umd.!" yea right. sign me up.

powerbook911

Oct 12, 2005, 04:44 PM

Videos must have broke iTunes cause it won't let me buy anything!!!

Anyone else?

phishndave

Oct 12, 2005, 04:44 PM

-No firewire is lame
-It says on the website that it comes with a" Dock adapter for use with Universal Dock"...what the crap is that?

friggen website doesnt even work.

Mac_Freak

Oct 12, 2005, 04:45 PM

Here is something for people that complained that their nanos got scratched (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71902/wo/Qg6hKnnT6QA43dtHGuE2u8uoriZ/5.SLID?mco=580B06DA&nplm=TF270LL%2FA)

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 04:47 PM

Yep. And it's insanely frustrating for those of us who do care about quality

If you care so much about quality, encode it yourself! Why is that so hard? If you care, you'll take the time to do it, thus defining how much you care!

The rest of us DONT care and its stupid for Apple to sell songs with better compression because it ups the size, thus making their iPods look inferior because it only holds 500 songs on a 30gb iPod. Its called marketing, but it also doesnt make the hardware any less.

Some people complain just to complain.

jmelrose

Oct 12, 2005, 04:47 PM

First, a moment of silence for the U2 iPod and the "We-Hardly-Knew-YE" Harry Potter iPod.

Ok, moving on from there.

First, there are lots of perhaps shady but still possible ways to rip video from a DVD and encode it for use on these new video iPods. I'll start on the Simpsons when I get home. A decent-quality MP3 or .H348gksh thingy should be about 40-50MB. Not GREAT, but certainly watchable. So, at 100+ episodes, I can get the entire Simpsons collection to date on my iPod in 5GB of so. For another couple gig's I can carry all my Family Guys as well...

So, the next question: Are there playlists for videos?

Also, will there be "video albums" with an artist's greatest hits videos packaged together for a discounted price? That would be nice.

I read someplace that the iPod photos currently in stores are software crippled to not play video, and they should be fully capable. Kinda frustrating.

However, not as frustrating at Tivo-To-Go being Windows only. Steve should have offered to make a Tivo-To-Go client that DRMs video taken off the Tivo the same way the Windows software does, so we can enjoy it on our Macs and iPod photos, and especially now that the iMac has this faux-media center aspect.

Which, for all the naysayers about the iMac's new features, let's remember that it doesn't cost buyer a DIME more than the old one did, so there's really not a lot to complain about other than wanting more, more, more. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's very American, but just to put a little perspective on things.

Finally, yes, I am also unable to access the story. Menus load lickety-split, can't get to any content. I am wondering if perhaps some server overload is taking place with all these Macrumors forum users downloading video to check out the quality (so they can complain about it on here). But really, with 2000 videos, an iTunes update and a QT update, that's a LOT of content those servers are slinging around the world. Let them catch up a bit before we write off the launch as "a mess" or disasterous or whatever.

ncoffey

Oct 12, 2005, 04:48 PM

Yep. And it's insanely frustrating for those of us who do care about quality, and who remember the Apple that cared. Now it's all about style and popular functions over total quality. Adding a nonessential feature like video was all about maintaining popularity as compared to the competition. In my opinion, it wasn't about doing what's right to improve on the product and experience. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, just superfluous. ;)

The iPod offers far and away the best overall music listening experience, which is exactly why it frustrates people like me so much when Apple skimps on one little aspect of quality (see sig). There's no viable alternative because all of them are so far behind in overall experience, and it's clear that Apple is willing to continue to skimp. The majority of the buying public doesn't care, so why should they? Such is life with a mass market product. :(

Only solution at the moment is the buy the DVDs, and use handbrake to rip them to H.264 format before importing to iTunes. (I haven't tried this yet so I'm not sure if it's possible)

MovieCutter

Oct 12, 2005, 04:48 PM

Now all I need is my Dual Dual Core Power Mac with PCI Express and DDR2 to encode all my 24, Firefly, Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy Episodes to H264!!!!

Frisco

Oct 12, 2005, 04:49 PM

Nice iPod lineup! But I still think their is room (a market for) the iPod mini.

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 04:49 PM

-No firewire is lame

Many, many windows machines dont use firewire. Its a selling point. USB 2 is fast anyway

Chopper

Oct 12, 2005, 04:50 PM

Doesn't look like Apple is listing the specs on their site anywhere (if macbidouille is right, then I can understand why since other people will be upset, too). So then you will have two advantages of buying a DVD over iTunes

• cheaper cost per episode
• DVD-quality

The advantage of buying through iTunes

• cheaper if you want only some episodes
• easier to get it onto your computer and/or iPod.

Also, the DVD won't be out until after the season, while the iTunes version might be out a day or two later.

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 04:51 PM

First, a moment of silence for the U2 iPod and the "We-Hardly-Knew-YE" Harry Potter iPod.

Harry Potter iPod is still available, but for a "limited time." It's still on the Apple Store, in the US at least.

DellIntosh

Oct 12, 2005, 04:51 PM

The top controller port is gone, as another member mentioned. However...

Voice Recording is gone! I expected an upgrade to quality and integration, not an entire removal of the "extra(s)"!!! WTF!

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 04:51 PM

Okay, frankly, from a college student's perspective (generalizing here), this is a HUGE thing.

My main argument: College students could care less about quality, the majority of them, they would prefer to have things they want now. They hate being restricted by time for the sheer fact they have a lot of stuff to do. Expanding on this, a student spends a lot of time in the library or in their dorms doing work. We tend to take breaks, and love taking breaks. Now, if this new iTunes & iPod translates into our being able to catch up on the latest episode of a favorite TV show while studying in the library or dorms, this is amazing. It seriously frees up time and gives everyone an easy, quick way to keep their lives in check without having to conform to a predetermined time.

The ability to keep time to yourself and not have to conform around someone else's is a massive, massive factor. These new developments are huge, particularly for college students. And guess what-there's the target market for selling new Macs.

capsLOCK

Oct 12, 2005, 04:53 PM

iPod with video support.. ive been waiting for this!

ipoddin

Oct 12, 2005, 04:55 PM

yeah video content should be subscription based, why the f**k am i going to pay for a show that my DVR is recording for me to watch tonite again?

Perhaps if you missed an episode or forgot to record it? Or perhaps you want to take it with you on the go?

Obviously if you're going to watch it on your DVR you don't have to download the same episode again on your ipod.

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 04:56 PM

Voice Recording is gone!

Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't notice that. Well I guess I'll be hanging on to my current iPod for a while then...

whooleytoo

Oct 12, 2005, 04:58 PM

QuickTime 7.0.3 just became available via Software Upgrade! (10 minutes ago, 7.0.2 was the latest ,and that's what I installed.. grrr..)

No episodes of Lost on sale here (Ireland), which is a pity, as the other shows I'd have little interest in.

No Firewire means no video iPod for me either, though the new iMacs look very, very tempting so perhaps USB2 here we come.

MikeAtari

Oct 12, 2005, 04:58 PM

I cant believe how lame this is. Everyone at MS must be laughing their asses off right now.

Nobody gives a da*n about Microsoft. Get back to work fixing bugs in Visual Studio.

And i hate MS products!

Sure you do.

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 04:58 PM

Perhaps if you missed an episode or forgot to record it? Or perhaps you want to take it with you on the go?

Obviously if you're going to watch it on your DVR you don't have to download the same episode again on your ipod.

Exactly. I've missed the first few episodes of West Wing this year, caught sunday's, but I'd love to be able to see the first few without having to: 1) put money out on a DVR, 2) get crappy illegal videos, 3) waiting to buy the season, and 4) dishing out $40 so i can see 3 episodes.

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 05:00 PM

If you care so much about quality, encode it yourself! Why is that so hard? If you care, you'll take the time to do it, thus defining how much you care!

I did a double-blind listening test with several diverse selections from my music library. I found the bitrate where I couldn't tell the difference between source and encoded, and I use that for everything I import. No complaints there. Quality is absolutely superb.

My quality issue is not with encoding, and it cannot be fixed adequately without a software update from Apple. Nothing I can do, except try to convince other people to join me in giving Apple feedback about it. Maybe if enough people let them know, they'll pay attention.

Sorry you felt the need to get upset. :)

topherchris

Oct 12, 2005, 05:01 PM

After updating Quicktime, in Quicktime Pro, if you do an Export, you get

Movie to iPod (320x240)

as an export option

Bengt77

Oct 12, 2005, 05:01 PM

Darn! Awfully great iPod update, but it's not for me. I'm one of those many, many people that has a Mac with both FireWire and USB, but alas that's only USB1.1 and not USB2.0. Very lame to not put FireWire on this new iPod. It looks great. I want the black 60GB one, but I can't connect it to my iMac. Well, I can connect it, of course, but the connection will be painfully slow.

This is lame from Apple. And a bummer for me.

I have a duo-cable (both USB and FireWire) and hopefully this iPod works with FireWire even though Apple doesn't mention it as a feature or even a possibility. Here's to hoping while knowing better...

vincentf

Oct 12, 2005, 05:03 PM

yeah video content should be subscription based, why the f**k am i going to pay for a show that my DVR is recording for me to watch tonite again? THis is like sony with their UMD Discs, "Yes now you can pay for the same movie you just bought on dvd on umd.!" yea right. sign me up.

You may not want to buy an epidode, but somone without a DVR who just missed an episode of their favorite show sure would. And, if you ever leave your house, you may not have access to your DVR. Think about it a little more.

rxse7en

Oct 12, 2005, 05:03 PM

Enough with the iPods already!

New Powermacs next Tuesday.

aafuss1

Oct 12, 2005, 05:04 PM

LaMerVipere

Oct 12, 2005, 05:04 PM

I just bought a 60GB iPod 3 weeks ago.

I am exactly 1 week beyond the 14 day return cut off.

...

F******************ck.

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 05:05 PM

-It says on the website that it comes with a" Dock adapter for use with Universal Dock"...what the crap is that?
What's the harm in it? It means you buy ONE Dock and it will work with ALL your (current generation) iPods--that's what the little adapter is for that comes with nanos and the new iPods. Third parties can use it too. It's a great convenience all around.

AND the new universal dock has a receiver for the Apple/iMac remote!

I agree that no FW is a shame, but it added cost and had near zero demand. Such is life.

(Does anyone have confirmation from Apple that the videos/TV shows download at 320x240? I know that's the size on the iPod, but I'm skeptical that they would be that size on the computer. iTunes videos were always bigger than that when they were free.)

BTW, regardless of quality, a way to pay and see a show I missed (occasionally) is a VERY nice option that I hope grows. For some shows, missing an episode is a real shame.

kiwi-in-uk

Oct 12, 2005, 05:05 PM

The top controller port is gone, as another member mentioned. However...

Voice Recording is gone! I expected an upgrade to quality and integration, not an entire removal of the "extra(s)"!!! WTF!
No it hasn't. Have a look at the bottom of the specs page (http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html)

fred_garvin

Oct 12, 2005, 05:07 PM

Watch, I'll go get one anyway.

Here's what bites about it. It's not the smallish screen (that they could've made bigger if played on it's side). It's the A/V out options. I have a HD-ready Aquos. S-Video and composite looks like CRAP on it. I was hoping it'd have HDMI or DVI-out. The video doesn't have to be HD, but if it's at least at 480i quality (like a DVD), it'd look nice on my set... but not if it's going through the old S-Vid/composite ports.

Another thing I personally think is dumb is the pricing on TV shows. First of all, I can get them for free via EyeTV. Second, $1.99 is WAY too much per episode. That's $52 for a full season... might as well wait for the DVDs to come out. And besides... doesn't everyone have a DVR now anyway?? If not, just get EyeTV-200 (in the US) and export it to a format that's iPod-friendly. It'll pay for itself quickly if the other alternative is $2/show downloads.

Hopefully the MoviePlayer for iPod from Nyko will be able to do component, DVI, or HDMI out. If it does, I think I'll just get an old 40GB iPod and the MoviePlayer.

I'm in the same boat. I do not want to watch on a 20" iMac from the sofa. I want to watch from a 37" or 45" Hi Def TV. Give me the iMac sans monitor, bigger than the mini for $999 to make a home theater pc.

At least update the pro line someday.

Sky Blue

Oct 12, 2005, 05:08 PM

After updating Quicktime, in Quicktime Pro, if you do an Export, you get

Movie to iPod (320x240)

as an export option

i don't see it?

baleensavage

Oct 12, 2005, 05:09 PM

For all you muggles out there. Looks like the Harry Potter model has been updated after all. Its the 30 GB version with the same engraving...
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71108/wo/Pq656UJNnpYA2Z5AsIqYexpCeU8/2.SLID?nclm=snape&mco=CA9BED07

CubaTBird

Oct 12, 2005, 05:09 PM

gotta love steve jobs and his contradictions.. i mean heck its hilarious! one day he says one thing another day its something else. this just proves that you can never take his word on anything he says.. and if you do, he is probably going to do the exact opposite! i think i have figured out the business mogul that is the "steve jobs".. entrepenuers, take notice... hehe :o

ipoddin

Oct 12, 2005, 05:09 PM

just started itunes 6 again and there are now links to music videos, pixar movies and tv shows.

music videos and pixar movies works. But when clicking on tv shows, it goes to browse mode and no tv shows are to be found.

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 05:10 PM

You may not want to buy an epidode, but somone without a DVR who just missed an episode of their favorite show sure would. And, if you ever leave your house, you may not have access to your DVR. Think about it a little more.

Yep. This would have been handy the other week when Adelphia had a major outage, causing millions of customers to miss 'Lost'. I didn't care, but my wife did, so she ended up going to a friend's house to watch a tape of it. She would have gladly paid the $2 to download via iTMS and watch on the computer.

Of course, ABC heard about this and later decided to re-show that episode, so none of this would have been necessary anyway. :rolleyes:

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 05:11 PM

Found a way to get to the videos!
When you see the image on the front page for the music store, click on Garth Brooks' image. You'll go to the page for the videos. Now, go down and on the left you'll have genres. Congrats. Click it, and you'll get to the browse videos feature, bypassing the fact there isn't a way to go to it via browse other than this.

vaprof

Oct 12, 2005, 05:11 PM

Where are the damn 80GB iPods already???? Esp. now that they want us to save video? Uh, DUH!!! Definitely not happy or impressed with this.

danny_w

Oct 12, 2005, 05:11 PM

Also true. The new iPod just comes with a USB cable and has been ever since the Click Wheel iPods. But if you have a Firewire dock connector cable, it should work fine.
You may be right, but I somehow doubt it based on the nano. The nano can be CHARGED via FW, but it cannot be SYNCED via FW.

Cfg5

Oct 12, 2005, 05:12 PM

I notice the 60GB iPod has 20 hours of battery life compared to the 14 hours of the 30GB. Why is that? :confused:

Xgreed

Oct 12, 2005, 05:12 PM

What a great product anouncement today!

But unfortunately not from Apple :-(
Check out this new breath-taking Nokia E61: (http://europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,81719,00.html#).

It even has the same screen resolution QVGA and orientation as the new iPod. Apple should better ready their Smartphone project soon.

S_Chandler

Oct 12, 2005, 05:12 PM

I can't download the videos here, but for those of you who have downloaded a TV show from iTunes, what is the quality (bitrate) of the video? And what resolution?

Porchland

Oct 12, 2005, 05:13 PM

Anyone know if FrontRow will be available for other Macs?

And why iTunes 6? Why not just 5.1?

It's all marketing. My guess is that Apple wanted to mark "6" as the introduction of stand-alone video downloads to the store. Also, it makes sense to have 6 out now so that Apple can have an all "6" lineup when iLife 6 comes out in January; iTunes probably will not change significantly between now and January when iLife 6 will probably be announced (based on the last two Januarys).

williedigital

Oct 12, 2005, 05:14 PM

so far after messing around with itunes and some files i had lying around. You can import movies of higher resolution than the ipod (h.264 files at dvd resolutons work fine), but you cant import mpeg-4 content (divx or xvid) in any container (.mp4 or .avi) lame.

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 05:14 PM

Since .mov supports .swf playback, can you now play .swf's on your iPod?!!?!?!?!

Im dying to know!!!!!!!!! That would be HUGE!

bankshot

Oct 12, 2005, 05:15 PM

I just bought a 60GB iPod 3 weeks ago.

I am exactly 1 week beyond the 14 day return cut off.

...

F******************ck.

Do you really want or need portable video? Sell it and buy a new one. Otherwise enjoy what you have. It's win-win, and either choice is better than having it stolen like my 60 GB was a few months ago... :eek: ;)

MrSugar

Oct 12, 2005, 05:17 PM

Okay, okay. Let's all take a deep breath. It seems a lot of people are getting ancy and frustrated about this iPod update, and clearly some of you just aren't thinking right.

First, don't look at this as an iPod video, look at is a new iPod that now has an added bonus of playing video, only (and I emphasize this) if you want! They aren't charging more money so is there really anything to complain about?!?

Let's look at the bright side ---

for the same price as a 30 or 60 gig photo cost yesterday, you now get:

- Larger crisper higher color screens
- Thin and sleek looks that come in at just around a half an inch thick
- Black and White color offerings
- Video out, and video playback
- Ability to buy videos and TV shows from iTMS
- Longer battery life
- New iPod remote

Apple did it perfectly. They released a video iPod with content that is really solid. The idea of having TV shows at your finger tips any time, and keeping them as long as you want is pretty slick. Plus, keep in mind this is just the beginning. There is a high chance we will see more TV shows added, and maybe even eventually movies. Plus, in the end, the iPod is still an iPod!!! It's simple, sleek, sexy, and used to listen to music.

People need to realize what Apple just did, it's not like they are bludgeoning young children or something. Really, they just upgraded the iPod in a hell of a lot of ways for the exact same price. I don't give a damn about what people say, these new iPods are a great deal for the money. Regardless if you plan to watch video or not you are going to be happy with a half inch thick iPod with a nice crisp screen.

Can anyone logically argue that I am wrong?

quackattack

Oct 12, 2005, 05:17 PM

Now I am really torn, I am really happy with the video cap. and the smaller size. But I was counting on 80GB. I know if I buy it now, an 80GB will sneek out right after christmas.

Grrrr... I'll probaby just buy it anyway.

When I get off work I am going to download some TV episodes, I am really wondering about the quality.

The export to video in QT was a good find, I hope it works well.

Peace

Oct 12, 2005, 05:18 PM

Please be patient as the iTunes store is still updating all the new features.

scryber

Oct 12, 2005, 05:19 PM

Well, Steve Jobs did say this would be the year of QVGA.

phishndave

Oct 12, 2005, 05:19 PM

What's the harm in it? It means you buy ONE Dock and it will work with ALL your (current generation) iPods--that's what the little adapter is for that comes with nanos and the new iPods. Third parties can use it too. It's a great convenience all around.

AND the new universal dock has a receiver for the Apple/iMac remote!

so you are saying that i dont need to purchase the dock separately?? im co sonfused...

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 05:20 PM

I got to the TV shows page, similar to Pixar's, so it's up there, but not linked correctly. Hopefully they'll start adding other shows soon, there's only about 5 different ones available.

liketom

Oct 12, 2005, 05:21 PM

new option in Quicktime Pro for export to iPod

Mike Teezie

Oct 12, 2005, 05:23 PM

I might get one, a friend just offered me $200 for my Nano.

$100 for a Black, 30gig, video iPod would be pretty sweet. I'm going to sleep on it and see what I think tomorrow.

mdelrossi

Oct 12, 2005, 05:24 PM

I can't download the videos here, but for those of you who have downloaded a TV show from iTunes, what is the quality (bitrate) of the video? And what resolution?
I d'ld weapon of choice (Christopher Walken dancing)
it is 19 MB 25fps bit rate 679.81 and compressed as mv4 AVCO Media codec.
looks good till about double size 640X480
don't go full screen on a 23"er kinda fuguly. But should look just fine for regular ntsc output, not to mention the viPod.
mdr
Ps
Tried to export it to regular quicktime no go some sort of protection thing :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

eXan

Oct 12, 2005, 05:25 PM

Yes! Video iPod! Very thin! :)

One thing will hold be of from buying it though - its USB-only. As you probably figued out, my eMac has USB 1.1 and it would take AGES to fill up the new iPod. So I keep my U2 1st gen with FireWire cable until I get the new Mac (no new Mac for me for at least half a year... :( )

Why they get rid of their VERY good technology (FireWire)???

faintedlife

Oct 12, 2005, 05:26 PM

If you're interested, there's a link to the special event via quicktime.

http://stream.apple.akadns.net/

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 05:26 PM

I notice the 60GB iPod has 20 hours of battery life compared to the 14 hours of the 30GB. Why is that? :confused:
Making the case thicker for the larger HD would create some free space--so they must have made use of it :)

Since .mov supports .swf playback, can you now play .swf's on your iPod?!!?!?!?!
I'd guess that with QTPro (or maybe even without) you might be able to convert SWFs to an iPod-playable pre-rendered-frames format. But no interactivity.

so you are saying that i dont need to purchase the dock separately?? im co sonfused...
The dock's not bundled (hasn't been for a while now), but it DOES work with both the nano AND the new iPods, as I understand it.

thejedipunk

Oct 12, 2005, 05:26 PM

Front Row + Mac OS X Tiger = Microsoft Windows XP Media Edition

vPod - FireWire = Failure.

amirite guize?

jiv3turkey748

Oct 12, 2005, 05:27 PM

wow these things are sweet i just wish it looked diffrent, the click wheel doesnt look right under a screen that big
i cant belive theyre only $299 ill be ordering one soon

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 05:27 PM

Video page works now, yay!! Just clicking on Bono's picture (where it says 2,000 videos) on the Home page worked for me.

EDIT: TV shows is now accessible too. (If you've clicked on Bono first, the link on Home still hasn't appeared for me.)

They only have five different programs?? Lost, Desp. Housewives, Night Stalker, the Suite Life, and That's So Raven. Hopefully more will be added soon...

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 05:28 PM

But no interactivity.

Thats what I suspect too.... :(

lawrencewinkler

Oct 12, 2005, 05:29 PM

2.5 inch screen
320x240
260,000 colors
MPEG4, h.264 Video Support
Video Out to TV
Holds over 150 hrs of video

:confused:

150 minutes, maybe, but not hrs. Yeh, Apple's website says this!

Anyone care to explain why this is not an error?

mk_in_mke

Oct 12, 2005, 05:30 PM

Black, 60Gb

I am soooo excited

Michel

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 05:31 PM

vPod - FireWire = Failure.
Who is demanding Firewire on an iPod???

Me! :D I want to be able to boot from my iPod! And FW is faster than USB2 for big backups. (Hardly makes a difference for small music syncs though.)

But I don't think we have a failure on our hands here :) You and I want FW, but I'm sure Apple is very aware that we are the exceptions.

Remember, in order to be worth adding cost (and maybe size) so the iPod could keep FW, Apple only has to care about one group: not just those who WANT Firewire, but those who would REFUSE to buy without it. And who who would truly buy one WITH it. (A lot of people with older Macs would like to have Firewire--but how many were in the market for a high-end iPod anyway?)

There ARE some of those people out there, but the business reality is, not enough to be worth putting it in the iPod.

It will remain on Macs, iSight, camcorders, external drives, etc. etc. Fear not.

williedigital

Oct 12, 2005, 05:32 PM

ATD

Oct 12, 2005, 05:32 PM

Nice but disappointed. I make money working on my computer so that I can buy and enjoy things like an iPod. Not the other way around. Pro systems Please!

phishndave

Oct 12, 2005, 05:32 PM

The dock's not bundled (hasn't been for a while now), but it DOES work with both the nano AND the new iPods, as I understand it.

Okay, so if it doesnt come with it then what is the mention of the "dock adapter on the buy iPod page?

agreenster

Oct 12, 2005, 05:32 PM

Is it just me, or can you hook in an old iPod cable to make it firewire?

??

:confused:

nagromme

Oct 12, 2005, 05:36 PM

Okay, so if it doesnt come with it then what is the mention of the "dock adapter on the buy iPod page?
The adapter is the piece that allows different shapes of iPod (nano vs. today's models) to work with the same dock. It's a simple plastic insert.

AtHomeBoy_2000

Oct 12, 2005, 05:36 PM

i exported a dvd resolution h264 movie (1hr 15 min) to ipod in quicktim 7.03 in well under 5 minutes (1.5 mac mini). i was really shocked and surprised, expecting it to take hours. Also, the h264 was from a nero digital encode, so that confirms they aren't blocking that content out... they need to merge quicktime and itunes though. seems weird to have to use two programs to do this one thing.

I think the VIDEO aspect of the new iPod will be more useful than people think. I have a Palm Zire 71 with a display similar to that of the new iPod. Photos look GREAT on it. WHy cant video look great as well? Once i have a chance to look and play with one, I may buy it.

That being said, I may hold out a little longer until more comes out

DellIntosh

Oct 12, 2005, 05:38 PM

No it hasn't. Have a look at the bottom of the specs page (http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html)

Indeed! You're a better man than I...

Voice recording settings:
Low (22.05 KHz, mono)
High (44.1 KHz, stereo)

STEREO!

dan-o-mac

Oct 12, 2005, 05:40 PM

What I really hope is that HBO gets involved. I can watch standard cable/broadcast shows through other means, but don't get HBO. Curb Your Enthusiasm, anyone?

HBO boxing baby!

mongoos150

Oct 12, 2005, 05:41 PM

And I just downloaded iTunes 5 a few weeks ago... such is life on dialup.

So, I guess that means no 40/80 GB iPods.
So sorry Altivec - my download took 25 seconds! You seriously need cable internet man...(DLS doesn't hold a candle to the 4mbps down 768kbps up stream speeds I get on cable).

autrefois

Oct 12, 2005, 05:41 PM

No it hasn't. Have a look at the bottom of the specs page (http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html)

I see the specs do say this. I guess it's through the headphone jack?! But in any case, looking at the pictures I can see that accessories like iTalk or Belkin's voice recorder won't work anymore.

snowmoon

Oct 12, 2005, 05:43 PM

Where are the damn 80GB iPods already???? Esp. now that they want us to save video? Uh, DUH!!! Definitely not happy or impressed with this.

Yep, I'm a little dissapointed, but I think Apple will pull another mac mini on us. The new toshibas come with 40GB platters... so it's stupid to have 30/60 units... i think when they run out of stock of the 30 and 60 gb drives they will suddenly become 40/80. I bet this will happen in the next month or so timeframe. Same prices, but until all retail units are sold no change in merchandizing.

They will change over BEFORE thanksgiving to give the christmas shoppers a boost.

fordlemon

Oct 12, 2005, 05:44 PM

Ok, everybody on the planet knew they were going to release a video iPod so nothing new there, no big news. A video iPod is the stupidest thing I can think of, but hey there are a lot of stupid people out there that will probably spend $300 on one. Apple use to make computers didn't they? Oh yeah, they became a slave to Intel so they gave up on being the forefront innovators of the pc market. Where is the commercial for the Apple switch to Intel? Like I've been saying since the announcement of the SWITCH, Apple has just become another DELL. What am I going to use for live recording now? x86 processors just can't handle the bandwidth. Apple is dead. AppDell lives.

whooleytoo

Oct 12, 2005, 05:45 PM

Thats what I suspect too.... :(

Technically, I can't think of any reason why Flash interactivity would be troublesome apart from the input method - how do you click a Flash button with just the wheel and buttons?

My guess is they won't include Flash support in whatever "QuickTime Lite" is on the iPod for this very reason.

MontyZ

Oct 12, 2005, 05:45 PM

reybart

Oct 12, 2005, 05:50 PM

I hate apple for making me want everything they make. :(
We are on the ssame boat! Apple is making me poor everytime they release a new product :(

Bengt77

Oct 12, 2005, 05:50 PM

So sorry Altivec - my download took 25 seconds! You seriously need cable internet man...(DLS doesn't hold a candle to the 4mbps down 768kbps up stream speeds I get on cable).
What about 20Mbps DSL2? You can get it here in Europe for extraordinarily low prices. About €25 including free VoIP internet telephony and with some ISPs even with digital television. Can your cable connection hold a candle to that?