PortalPlayer Photo Edition Platform

[MacRumors]

eeTimes reports that PortalPlayer Inc will be launching a new "Photo Edition" of its media platform which will help companies develop new portable media devices aimed at supporting photo/video content.

PortalPlayer currently enjoys a large marketshare with their current music-player based platform which is used by 80% of the current audio players on the market -- including Apple.

The new Personal Media Platform, Photo Edition, offers JPEG, motion JPEG playback with music soundtrack. Additional features include TV out, color display, USB 2.0, Firewire and Ethernet support.

Although there is no guarantee that Apple would utilize the updated reference platform, The Register speculates that it could pave the way to a "Picture iPod".

 

[Gizmotoy]

No mention of Bluetooth support. That seems like it would provide more interesting possibilities than a simple photo viewer. Although both would be better! Good news, in any case...

 

[AirUncleP]

Color iPods

Sounds like iPod gen. 4 is in the works. I give it a year though.

 

[wPod]

boo. . . who needs pictures taking up space and color screens taking up battery power? iPod should be the same iPod . . . maybe there should be a vPod for pictures and video

 

[swissmann]

Originally posted by wPod
boo. . . who needs pictures taking up space and color screens taking up battery power? iPod should be the same iPod . . . maybe there should be a vPod for pictures and video

If someone had both pods and were plugged into them 24/7 they would be plugged into an apple produced IV. For some junkies true life blood.

I'll wait to buy any pod if it is more like a PDA or it is <$100.

 

[coumerelli]

apple and portable video

it's going to happen some day...don't know when, could be a couple of years yet. But the pieces are slowly, but (very) surely coming together...just wait.

 

[kiwi]

Already doing it..

On my Gen 1 Archos multimedia. Records, jpeg, avi and mp3 too. Now they're at Gen 3.

 

[the_mole1314]

I doubt that the iPod will ever be able to show pictures on it's screen. It's just a nich market for something like that. It's technology for technology's sake. Now, if those pictures were ablum art, it would complement and help the iPod sell.

 

[usingmac]

niche market.....ISite+IPod = camcorder +Niche

Umm.. What is to stop apple from plugging an ISite on top of the Ipod and having a camcorder. Now you hav a camera, camcorder for video.

And the price area is perfect. 699 for a digital camcorder...... oh yah.....

 

[ennerseed]

I hope mpg4 is going to be included... motion jpg is "not" all that. Otherwise I think this is great news, and a great thing to add to the iPod. While some people think the iPod should stay as a digital music player and nothing else, I believe that the future is laid within the convergency of our digital devices (I really don't have enough frickin pockets, and people laugh at my my man purse). -now can we get some sort of input please.


-it a european carryall, dammit.

 

[ennerseed]

Re: niche market.....ISite+IPod = camcorder +Niche

Originally posted by usingmac
Umm.. What is to stop apple from plugging an ISite on top of the Ipod and having a camcorder. Now you hav a camera, camcorder for video.

And the price area is perfect. 699 for a digital camcorder...... oh yah.....

NO JOKE! WTF

 

[the_mole1314]

Re: niche market.....ISite+IPod = camcorder +Niche

Originally posted by usingmac
Umm.. What is to stop apple from plugging an ISite on top of the Ipod and having a camcorder. Now you hav a camera, camcorder for video.

And the price area is perfect. 699 for a digital camcorder...... oh yah.....

Uh, no. We've been through this. The iPod uses PortaPlayer chipset for music. It can't play video, it can't take in video. It's WAY to processor intensive for that processor.

 

[ITR 81]

One day IBM will probably make embedded chip small enough to run inside the iPod to do just this or someone else will.

The new 4gen iPods have been said to have longer lasting batteries meaning something better then 8hrs like the current 3rd gen.

My 40Gb will do 8hrs and 10mins on med. vol., no extra turned on.

 

[Flowbee]

Re: Re: niche market.....ISite+IPod = camcorder +Niche

Originally posted by the_mole1314
Uh, no. We've been through this. The iPod uses PortaPlayer chipset for music. It can't play video, it can't take in video. It's WAY to processor intensive for that processor.

I think we're talking about "in the future."

 

[martin]

Re: Re: niche market.....ISite+IPod = camcorder +Niche

Originally posted by the_mole1314
Uh, no. We've been through this. The iPod uses PortaPlayer chipset for music. It can't play video, it can't take in video. It's WAY to processor intensive for that processor.

The new Personal Media Platform, Photo Edition, offers JPEG, motion JPEG playback with music soundtrack.

 

[iChan]

does anyone actully think that apple would release a portable video player without mpeg 4?

I mean, who cares if motion Jpeg isn't good? it's not going to be the only format supported when and if it comes out.

 

[iChan]

what i want to see is the iPod evolve into a "jack-of-all-trades", for video, text, contacts, music, photos and anything else you care to think of and then i'd like to see a new version of the iPod...

ones focussed solely on music.

 

[martin]

I agree. That's why I was surprised that MPEG4 wasn't mentioned. Apple made a big deal about it and you'd think they had some influence with teh manufacturer.

I would buy a vPod in an instant (funds allowing ). The ability to consolidate any playlist of photos and short videos onto one gadget would be the ultimate "show mum and dad ('mom and pop' for the US readers) the latest baby photos" toy. It would sell like hotcakes in the 25-40 year-old-with-kids demographic.

 

[iChan]

hell, why not throw in a 2 megapixel camera on the back and have the screen as a viewfinder...

flash would be a problem when it comes to battery life though.

 

[martin]

That'd make it twice as thick, and chances are that it wouldn't be a great camera in order to keep costs down.

 

[Jerry Spoon]

If this were available, and the price weren't too outrageous, and I actually had two dimes to rub together, I'd buy this thing.
This is actually what I'm waiting for in an iPod device from Apple. Until then, they don't get my money.

 

[martin]

IF available, IF the right price, IF i had money ... hmm, that's my list of IFs too

 

[midwestshooter]

iPod Photo recorder and display

I would welcome an iPod that could serve to display and store images from my digital camera. It's a Kodak DCS Pro back for a Hasselblad and it shoots at 16 megapixels and 16 bits of color depth. The files are huge. At present I store them in 2 IBM 1 GB Microdrives. The Kodak LCD is pretty lame, and an iPod with good color, resolution and brightness would help me see the images and store them, instead of lugging around my 15" Al PB.

 

[martin]

I reckon the Archos would be just the thing for you.

Things stopping me buying the Archos:
- price. It's not cheap in the Land Down Under
- I want an iPod, not just another MP3 player
- as soon as I buy it, Apple will release the vPod with the best look, best interface and best tie-in with iPhoto and iMovie.

Apart from that, the Archos certainly looks good.