Next Generation iPod (Video) Product?

[MacRumors]

Apple continues to work on their "next generation iPod" products as evidenced by this Job Listing at Apple for a Playback Firmware Engineer.

Apple is "seeking a highly motivated engineer to develop next generation iPod product. Must have experience in overall system design of audio and video products."

Seems the next generation iPod developer will have to be familiar with both audio and video compression standards.

Title: Playback Firmware Engineer
Req. ID: 2075781
Location: Santa Clara Valley, California
Country: United States

Seeking a highly motivated engineer to develop next generation iPod product. Must have experience in overall system design of audio and video products.

- Requires a thorough knowledge of multimedia file formats (MPEG-4, QuickTime).
- Minimum 5 years of development in embedded system environments.
-Strong C, C++ and RISC assembler is required, experience with DSP
programming is highly desired.
- Knowledge intricate interfaces details associated with audio and video codecs.
- Familiarity with audio and video compression standards (MP3, MPEG-2, H.263)
- Work seamlessly with third party vendors.
- Familiarity with overall architecture of consumer electronics products.

[mikeyredk]

why in the world would apple post stuff like that in plain view come on where is the secrecy

[arn]

Originally posted by mikeyredk
why in the world would apple post stuff like that in plain view come on where is the secrecy

I guess you have to hire people with the right skills.... eh?

arn

[idkew]

just hope that if apple adds video to the ipod it a) does NOT affect battery life and usability or b) offers an audio only iPod in addition to the new A/VPod.

i still miss the point of video on a 1" screen.

[sabbath999]

Video Good

[byamabe]

Does anyone know how long it takes to RIP a DVD and then transfer it over firewire to another device?

[Toe]

Oh yeah. A Mobile IP Video Phone. Now that would be killer.

Combine in a roving User Data storage device and an MP3 player and hopefully a PDA, and I dunno who wouldn't wanna buy that thingy.

And knowing Apple, they'll call it "iPod."

[COS]

Steve J. has repeatedly said that he thinks the ipod's form factor is too small to display video.

I agree.

However, the ipod could act as a device for integration with video on a tv or computer.

Hypothetical example...

The iPod could incorporate a wifi card so as to act as a means of communication between your computer, the internet and your television. The ipod would allow you to order movies by sending a request to your computer to make a movie purchase (or rental), the computer would stream (not download but stream) a purchased or rented movie to your television.

Your computer and ipod would act as an alias to all the streamed movies that you purchased and also display others that are available for purchasing or rental.

The key here is allowing the ipod to be the mechanism that extends the products they already own... rather than trying to make the ipod be an "everything-in-one" device.

[iChan]

i guess the chances of seeing a video iPod in MWSF in three is slim to none now, seeing as Apples are only advertising this job now...

what do you think??

I think it would take about 45 minutes to transfer a dvd over firewire... depends on a few things though, like how fast your drive is, FW 400 or 800, processor speed, Amount of RAM... basically, the higher the number, the faster! haha..

also, you can get single layer and dual layer dvd disc... dual layer would take twice as long...

[mac.edu]

I could use a video iPod...I have to travel a long distance this Christmas, I just know that the weather is not going to cooperate. If I had a sweet little viPod the lay-overs in the airports wouldn't be so terrible. I could listen to music, watch a movie, or play Tony Hawk ( you know they would have some awesome games to play with a viPod). Awesome. Keep up the good work Steve

[greenstork]

Originally posted by idkew
just hope that if apple adds video to the ipod it a) does NOT affect battery life and usability or b) offers an audio only iPod in addition to the new A/VPod.

i still miss the point of video on a 1" screen.

I think you're making one big assumptions about any video iPod. That is, you're assuming it's being designed to actually watch video on. While I don't rule out the possiblity of a screen, as a matter of fact, I think it's likely, the iPod could simply be a portable video player that has a docking station to a TV.

Drop 5-10 of your favorite movies on to your iPod, drop it in the docking station next to your TV and play. This actually ties in quite nicely with a new wireless remote, pretty snazzy.

[mrsebastian]

things that make you say hmmm... of course this could just be for r&d in case they have to one up the competition in the future. kinda makes you wonder though, wherre will apple take the ipod from here? what does apple think the consumer wants?

[bensisko]

This doesn't nessessarily mean anything special. They could just be looking for somebody that has a wider range of skills that could be transferred to another department should the need arise.

It sounds like they're looking for someone with a wider base of skills and not just spiciifc to compression.

As long as we're going for the conspiracy theory though, here's mine: The video iPod does not mean viewing videos ON the iPod, rather FROM the iPod. The video iPod will come with A/V Out to connect to a TV or a monitor so that you can use the iPod as a remote control of sorts to view video contained on the hard drive.

[greenstork]

Originally posted by iChan
i guess the chances of seeing a video iPod in MWSF in three is slim to none now, seeing as Apples are only advertising this job now...

what do you think??

I think it would take about 45 minutes to transfer a dvd over firewire... depends on a few things though, like how fast your drive is, FW 400 or 800, processor speed, Amount of RAM... basically, the higher the number, the faster! haha..

also, you can get single layer and dual layer dvd disc... dual layer would take twice as long...

You're assuming that a movie would have to be stored on your iPod in it's DVD compressed format. I would venture to guess it will be a codec like Divx, or perhaps more likely, some codec Apple creates for highly compressing video. And no, pixlet is not designed to compress down that much but it could be a derivative of pixlet.

[JoeRadar]

BestBuy is carrying a portable DVD player for $179 with a 5" LCD. The prices for these systems are coming down.

I would think that spinning a hard disk and reading compressed (MPEG-4?) video would burn less battery than spinning a full DVD and reading (relatively) uncompressed DVD movies. If this is true, then a HD and MPEG-4 based movie playback player would get a lot more mileage (play time) than the current portable DVD players.

5000 songs and 10 movies on my iPod AV?

It would sure help on flights, commutes, etc.

[mrsebastian]

Originally posted by greenstork
I think you're making one big assumptions about any video iPod. That is, you're assuming it's being designed to actually watch video on. While I don't rule out the possiblity of a screen, as a matter of fact, I think it's likely, the iPod could simply be a portable video player that has a docking station to a TV.

Drop 5-10 of your favorite movies on to your iPod, drop it in the docking station next to your TV and play. This actually ties in quite nicely with a new wireless remote, pretty snazzy.

you know you have a good point there. considering that what was once aiff (cd format) music is now mp3 and aac. apple could be following the same path with downloadable video service or something to that affect. in the same repsect as mp3s, p2p video sharing is just as rampant as music. dl your movie(s) to your ipod, plug it in, and watch it on your tv at home.

[Stella]

When Apple release a Video iPod, that is when I'll buy another iPod.

The difference between the 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen iPods are too little. They both play music....

I want an iPod that I can look at my iPhoto collection, and, of course, Video.

[mikeyredk]

Originally posted by arn
I guess you have to hire people with the right skills.... eh?

arn

but that gives away all there future products if you know what to look for

but this is off topic

[painandgreed]

If Apple really is trying to become an appliance company, how aobut an Apple branded DVD player that is also an MP3 player and text reader. that would be exactly what I need for those long plane and car rides. Complete entertainment system with video and audio out so you can carry it over to friends houses and plug it into their entertainment system for movie night or a party.

[the_mole1314]

I can tell you that there will be no video iPod ever.

But who said Apple won't make something else that plays video? Mabey, not an iPod?

[greenstork]

Originally posted by mikeyredk
but that gives away all there future products if you know what to look for

but this is off topic

It's only the hawks at rumors sites who really have some insight into what's coming.

Besides, isn't that the fun of rumor watching, piecing together the puzzle before Apple actually releases anything. I know that's what keeps me coming back here every day.

Cheers to arn, happy holidays!

[TomSmithMacEd]

Originally posted by mikeyredk
why in the world would apple post stuff like that in plain view come on where is the secrecy

Well most people aren't like us and don't check on Apples company webpage to see new jobs availbe then apply to rumors.

[Mr.Hey]

Guess the Sony Handheld PS2 got their butts moving into high gear. But if Sony can get h.264 for video playback why can't Apple?. I hope Apple develops more games for the 4G iPod....as the young people say.....that would be sweet!!!.

[copperpipe]

Get yourself the 12" powerbook...

[CraigS]

- Familiarity with audio and video compression standards (MP3, MPEG-2, H.263)
H.263

The video iPod isn't for playing movies. It's for portable video-conferencing. Think iChat AV-iSight portable video phone. My theory anyway.