iPod Updated

[jofarmer]

I thought the 5G was already able to handle 640x480 movies, just couldn't display them at full resolution?

The way I understood, it was capable of playin that resolution in mp4, but not when using AVC/H.264...

 

[daneoni]

Educated guess would be "big" iPod sales will slump whilst the Nanos & Shuffles will skyrocket.

 

[LimeiBook86]

So I assume in order to play these new games and such you need to update your 5G iPod's software to version 1.2? Has anyone been able to update theirs without a total "Restore?", if so I'd be interested but, erasing my iPod at this moment isn't really something I want to do haha. I mean if you click on the 'Games' tab in the iPod summary it will tell you that you need to click 'Update' to update your iPod, so hopefully there will be a way to do this without erasing everything and starting over.

I also wonder if you buy one game if you can share that game to multiple iPods (for example if you had two 5G iPods...or if your brother does ) The iTunes update is also nice, I was quite fond of the green icon but, I'll get used to the new one. BTW, Front Row has also been updated to version 1.3 to be compatible with iTunes 7

 

[Multimedia]

Encoded H.264 Baseline Profile 640x480 Fails 2 Load On Old 5G

Am Encoding H.264 Baseline Profile 640x480 To Test Old 5G Compatability. Takes much longer. Will report success or failure when it's done in another 35 minutes - about 3:15pm Pacific.

iPod 1.2 update software made no mention of this newer H.264 maximum dimension feature. If it works it means a whole new paradigm for Video iPods. The 320x240 pixel restriction for H.264 to date made it a highly unattractive codec to use. Now it's a whole new ballgame if it works. HDTV May be encoded 640x360 max in H.264 for a much better encode. Crossing my fingers this will work. Please pray with me now.

Encoded H.264 Baseline Profile 640x480 Fails 2 Load On Old 5G

 

[Multimedia]

Encoded H.264 Baseline Profile 640x480 Fails 2 Load On Old 5G

Encoded H.264 Baseline Profile 640x480 Fails 2 Load On Old 5G

Bummer

 

[Multimedia]

Formerly H.264 Res Limit To Load On iPod Was 320x240 • 640x480 H.264 Is Huge Change

The way I understood, it was capable of playin that resolution in mp4, but not when using AVC/H.264...

Right. Mac res for H.264 WAS 320x240 way too small - only the iPod screen res. So H.264 was unpopular because of this limit. Now if the res limit works on teh existing base of 5G 1st gen Video iPods this is HUGE and changes the game completely. See above I am testing this theory now and will report on the result in about a half hour.

 

[Multimedia]

$249 for 30GB Video iPod Will Be A Huge Hit • So Will $349 80GB Model

Educated guess would be "big" iPod sales will slump whilst the Nanos & Shuffles will skyrocket.

At these new lower price points that reads pretty UN-educated to me. On secopnd thought though since many of US - not the general public - are waiting for the 640x360 widescreen video iPod, this would be a miss.

I htink it's pretty lousy of Apple not to provide the firmware update to allow original 5G Video iPods to load and play Baseline H.264 640x480 self-encoded video. I'm mad about it.

 

[dops7107]

They mention battery life, but music is still 20 hours rated, so I think they only list more battery life because they have the "BRIGHTNESS" setting now! ha-ha. So I think my battery is just as good too?

That's a good point. I thought maybe they put a higher capacity battery in, and I wondered if it could be replaced, but perhaps it is all due to the screen brightness. I thought the most energy sapping thing was the hard drive though, not the display.

 

[jofarmer]

iPod and H.264

See above I am testing this theory now and will report on the result in about a half hour.

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing the results. I just ripped a chapter to AVC using 768kps and 640x352 and playing it took my powerbook to 60%. We ARE talking about a powerful codec here.

But then again, 320x240 H.264 made my iBook G3 900 go chunky...

 

[Apple Shmapple]

At these new lower price points that reads pretty UN-educated to me.

Whoopidedoo, a whole $50 off. They HAD to do that because of the lack of actually updating anything worthy on the device. One could argue that it isn't enough of a price cut the way competitors music players are priced.

Anyone with half a brain will avoid these 5th G Part 2 devices like the plague, unless they want to waste money that could be spent 4 months later on a widescreen model.

Should we set up the thread now for the people that rush out and buy this version of the iPod then get burned just after Christmas when the real new iPod comes out? They'll need someplace to vent, and it's usually all over these threads. It would be nice to condense it.

 

[LaMerVipere]

Okay, so it appears that owners of 5th generation iPods (before the latest release) who update their iPod software to version 1.2 get a few cool features that come pre-loaded out of the box on the latest 5th generation iPods, but not all.

We get:

• Gapless playback

• Ability to adjust backlight brightness (I'm particularly excited about this, I've been wanting it for ages, I bet it increases battery battery life immensely with the brightness turned way down)

• When rapidly scrolling through ARTISTS we get overlayed alphabet letters which correspond to where we are on our list

• Ability to play games bought from iTunes

We don't get:

• New search function

** Video playback details yet to be determined

 

[daneoni]

Whoopidedoo, a whole $50 off. They HAD to do that because of the lack of actually updating anything worthy on the device. One could argue that it isn't enough of a price cut the way competitors music players are priced.

Anyone with half a brain will avoid these 5th G Part 2 devices like the plague, unless they want to waste money that could be spent 4 months later on a widescreen model.

Should we set up the thread now for the people that rush out and buy this version of the iPod then get burned just after Christmas when the real new iPod comes out? They'll need someplace to vent, and it's usually all over these threads. It would be nice to condense it.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[LimeiBook86]

iPod Update 1.2 now available

I just quit iTunes, and reopened it. I got a message about the new iPod update. So now everyone should be able to update their iPod without restoring it.

Update: I just noticed that when connected to the computer the iPod's display is now a dimmer backlight. I like that, not as bright. This is very good

 

[Chef Medeski]

Kind of a huge gap, don'cha think? For an extra $100 I can nearly TRIPLE the capacity? Why would I even consider a 30 GB model?

Or you could purchase a 8GB Nano for the same price which is less than 1/3 the capacity.

 

[Multimedia]

You're Right • Waiting for Widescreen 640x360 Video iPod Too

Whoopidedoo, a whole $50 off. They HAD to do that because of the lack of actually updating anything worthy on the device. One could argue that it isn't enough of a price cut the way competitors music players are priced.

Anyone with half a brain will avoid these 5th G Part 2 devices like the plague, unless they want to waste money that could be spent 4 months later on a widescreen model.

Should we set up the thread now for the people that rush out and buy this version of the iPod then get burned just after Christmas when the real new iPod comes out? They'll need someplace to vent, and it's usually all over these threads. It would be nice to condense it.

Agreed. But I do love the new Shuffle and will probably buy one when they go refurb for $49 - assuming refurb means with a new battery.

 

[mikes63737]

Can you say "One More Thing 2"?

I'm glad that Apple isn't forcing all you with 5G iPods to buy new ones for the new features.

 

[macfan881]

With The New Get Album artwork is it possible now to update the Artwork to the ipod now? cause i dont see any of the artwork that i have gotten on my ipod

Anyone??

 

[FlyNolJ]

???

Christ, a $50 dollar price cut is a year of innovation? WOW.

 

[damienvfx]

I hate the size of the 60 now

Kind of a huge gap, don'cha think? For an extra $100 I can nearly TRIPLE the capacity? Why would I even consider a 30 GB model?

I imagine the 80 is about the same size. I'd go with the 30 if I was in the market for a regular iPod. Honsestly though, I can't stand feeling the hard drive move in my hand with the regular iPods.

 

[Multimedia]

And We Don't Get H.264 @ 640x480 Load And Play Capability?!?!?! Outrageous!

Okay, so it appears that owners of 5th generation iPods (before the latest release) who update their iPod software to version 1.2 get a few cool features that come pre-loaded out of the box on the latest 5th generation iPods, but not all.

We get:

• Gapless playback

• Ability to adjust backlight brightness (I'm particularly excited about this, I've been wanting it for ages, I bet it increases battery battery life immensely with the brightness turned way down)

• When rapidly scrolling through ARTISTS we get overlayed alphabet letters which correspond to where we are on our list

• Ability to play games bought from iTunes

We don't get:

• New search function

** Video playback details yet to be determined

And we FAIL to get ability to load 640x480 H.264 Baseline encoded video "...because it cannot be played on this 11month "old" iPod." What a crock! It's a load of bullocks I tell ya!

I take it that your conversion is over and the old iPod cannot play "Hi-Res H.264" and my asumptions prior in this thread where right :/

And as I already pointed out, that owners of "old" iPod 5G will have to reconvert movies and TV series and EVERYTHING they download from this day an, since all movies and tv episodes will be in 640x480 from now on.

Geez. Unlike M$ Apple has never been to much concerned with backwards compatibility, users without at least 10.3 Panther don't get much new fun these days. But like this....?

Yeah. They don't even let us put them on the "old" 5g iPod.

It's gotta be a simple firmware update that they should give us. What good is that new capability to the Store if they won't load and play on the large base of first adopters' units out there? I am very perplexed at this revolting development.

Makes no sense to me at all. Anyone else understand it?

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Decent update. Good new features.

I just wish the upped the 30GB to 40GB and kept the price the same.

 

[Apple Corps]

Agreed.

Agreed also, also. I am suffering through the never ending wait for the Rev B MBP. Purchasing one of these iPods sounds like the same feeling one would have if purchasing the Yonah MBP today - good chance of regrets in the near future.

The stock market was not very impressed by SHOWTIME - it rose only 10 cents, and that was on a good day for the market with some analysts "upping" their rating on Apple.

I am starting to sense that Steve's "Reality Distortion Field" is not as effective as it used to be. Gonna ship iTV, downloads with LESS than dvd quality, outdated cpu in top of the line MBPs - we are not that impressed and neither was the market.

 

[jofarmer]

iPod and H.264

And we FAIL to get ability to load 640x480 H.264 Baseline encoded video "...because it cannot be played on this 11month "old" iPod." What a crock! It's a load of bullocks I tell ya!

I take it that your conversion is over and the old iPod cannot play "Hi-Res H.264" and my asumptions prior in this thread where right :/

And as I already pointed out, that owners of "old" iPod 5G will have to reconvert movies and TV series and EVERYTHING they download from this day an, since all movies and tv episodes will be in 640x480 from now on.

Geez. Unlike M$ Apple has never been to much concerned with backwards compatibility, users without at least 10.3 Panther don't get much new fun these days. But like this....?

 

[macfan881]

i still think theres one more piece to this i tv that we didnt see i think that we will probbaly see either before or during the relase of this itv a 40+ inch flat screen display with a hdtv Tunner and would make sense then appple would truly be multimedia Center king

 

[wpwj40e]

Kinda bummed. I really, really wanted a wide screen.....And since my 5g ipod ended up with my son - was in the market for one.

What to do...buy the 5.5G or hold off a little longer - maybe there will be a wide screen yet this year....

I do like most of the new features and even games. Was not impressed with the rest of the announcmeent.