iPod iPod Classic and 576p?

[jofarmer]

So, the new AV-cable states 576p.

What does that mean? I am still on my 4G 20G iPod and would love to upgrade to the classic (no touch for me, thanks), if this news means that at last I would not have to resize my DVD videos from 720 to 640 pixels in width (which is why I never bought a video iPod up until now).

Now, we all know that the 5G could do 640 with a simple firmware upgrade instead of 320, and the classic is a hardware redesign...

As soon as anyone confirms that this pod will play 720x576 pixel progressive vidoes, I am out to buy one. If not, I will stay with my trusty 4G (that might even get a CF-card update sometime in the future)

And yes, I checked the website, and it still clearly states 640 max width.

Anyone already was able to lay hand on them and check? I might be dreaming, but as long as I can (no negative affirmation), I will.

 

[Shorties]

I believe thats just EDTV, its just SD progressive scan. 576i is SD for PAL TV's so I would assume 576p is EDTV version of PAL. But I could be wrong.

 

[jofarmer]

But I could be wrong.

Well, considering your signature you will be able to tell me. 😀

Still the iPod woiuld have to upscale the 640x480 video to deliver a valid 576p. But I hope we are not talking about just upscaling it....

 

[Tom B.]

576i is a standard-definition video mode used in former PAL and SECAM countries, and is the digital equivalent of the analogue PAL and SECAM systems.
The 576 identifies a vertical resolution of 576 lines (usually with a horizontal resolution of 720 or 704 pixels), and the i identifies it as an interlaced resolution. As some people prefer to identify an interlaced resolution by its number of field lines (rather than the number of frame lines), the format is also sometimes called 288i. Furthermore, the field rate (not to be confused with the frame rate), which is 50 Hz, is sometimes included when identifying the video mode, i.e. 576i50.
The video format can be transported by both major digital television formats, ATSC and DVB, and on DVD, and it supports aspect ratios of standard 4:3 and anamorphic 16:9.

More details here.

 

[jofarmer]

Thank you, Tom.

Now we all know about the differences between interlaced and progressive mode, but maybe I wasn't clear about what I meant.

640x480pixel (progressive, most probably) is NOT 576p (and not 576i either). Now, either the iPod Classic is now capable of 576p playback, or of upscaling his videos to 576p to deliver a valid 576p signal.

I'd like to know which one it is.

 

[swwack91]

I don't see what the big deal is. I'm work with film and video all the time and am a stickler for quality. But either way - you're watching it on a portable device... some quality is going to be lost. The difference on that size screen isn't going to be so earth shattering b/w 720 & 640.

 

[jofarmer]

... The difference on that size screen isn't going to be so earth shattering b/w 720 & 640.

Agreed. Especially since we are talking about a screen with a resoution of 320x240. But I do not want to convert every movie I have twice: once for the TV and once for the iPod. I want to have 1 Backup at the full quality the DVD offers (and an anamorphic conversion with H.264 or x264 at the full resolution and 1.5Mbps is pretty much en par with the original on the DVD) that I can take with me on my iPod. On my iPod that I can connect to a TV and watch the movie in full quality on. And I don't know about you, but to me that would be a big deal.

Thats what I expect from a video iPod. And I don't think that is too much to ask. Especially when you do the maths:
640x480=307200 is the maximum amount of pixels the iPod seems to be able to handle.
720x426=306720, which is all I need, because all movies are widescreen today and don't use the full 576pixel, and it's even less pixels than 640x480. So there is eben no need to restrict the iPod to a horizontal resolution of 640pixels.

Now all this has been discussed before I am sure. All I want to know is, if someone managed to get the iPod classic to output 576p.

I woulnd't even mind if I could not watch it on the iPod's screen, just over cable output. On the road I use the iPod as a music player only.