$1.99 isn't bad for a video I guess. $1 for audio, $1 for video. I downloaded Thriller
Just in time for Halloween
madmaxmedia said:I just downloaded the first episode of Lost. I have a 15" AluBook.
While obviously it can only look so good, I am actually extremely surprised that it is quite watchable full screen. There is enough trickery going on (interpolation, etc.) so that the video is not blocky. It's not razor sharp either, but from a normal viewing distance (maybe 2 ft.) I am actually impressed (again considering the original resolution.) I will say that the 2x viewing is better. I recommend you try it, it's only 2 bucks.
For output to a regular TV set, I think these shows will look just fine. On anything better, of course you're stretching it!
The problem here is that the tech is not ready for 800 x 600 H264 decoding in a iPod. So if you offer better resolution in the store, you then have to re-encode to transfer to iPod, which is a hassle. A major reason why any of this is taking place is because of the iPod.
In a year or so, I am sure they will up the resolution of the iPod and the video content (maybe VGA?). The iPod itself will still only display 320 x 240, but will be able to output say VGA to a TV set. Maybe the average broadband connection will be faster too, so download time won't be so bad with the bigger files.
jettredmont said:It depends on if you do the CSS decryption.
You can copy the contents of any DVD to your hard drive. That's not the problem.
The problem is going from CSS-encrypted video to viewable video. While there are gray-market apps which do this (handbrake looks legit, but IIRC decoding CSS without a CSS license is illegal), Apple wouldn't want to get into that business, correct.
HOWEVER, the iPod CAN get classified as a CSS device, just like any DVD player can get itself so classified. All Apple has to guarantee is a "protected" (MacroVision) output stream, and following the various other tits and niggles of the DVD consortium (region coding support, forbidding fast-forward etc when the disk says to, etc).
That having been said, the "direct" route takes up a lot of iPod disk space per movie. The "indirect" route of decoding on the computer to a lower-bitrate codec/resolution for storage on the iPod would be trickier (you then have to guarantee that no one can get between the unencoded copy and the re-CSS step to capture the video), but not at all impossible.
CSS was designed for DVD players, but it is not limitted to DVDs. The DVD consortium hasn't permitted any other usages of it to the best of my knowledge, but there's nothing in their rules stating that this wouldn't be possible.
'Course, it would require a license fee per iPod from Apple, too. But I think that's pretty small these days (and the MPEG-4 license is, IIRC, larger than that anyway).
Southernlad said:Sorry to correct you but the new ipod is THE EXCACTLY THE SAME SIZEG as 4th gen, only difference is bigger screen makes it look wider. I think it looks great especially after seeing the u2 advert the video quality is good, and in black looks even beter. Cant believe i bought my 20gb black and whit only 7 months ago!!!! Milliuons of ipod owners will be very pissed off at how frequent these updates are, but hey i cant get a new one (just hoping this one breaks before guarantee!!!)
Loge said:So the new iPod supports voice recording settings:
Low (22.05 KHz, mono)
High (44.1 KHz, stereo)
This is new, right?
JOD8FY said:Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but has anyone else noticed the lack of the communications port found on the "older" 4G iPods? On my iPod (the revision before the color display), the port sits right next to the headphone jack. Was this port discontinued when the color screen was introduced or just with the latest revision? Don't a lot of devices use this port?
Once again, sorry if this has already been stated.
JOD8FY
jmelrose said: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.
autrefois said:iTalk uses the extra port, and it apparently was still on the iPod photo since iTalk says it's compatible with iPod photo.
plastikimo said:has anyone noticed that the iPod no longer comes with FireWire? I recharge my current iPod through FireWire, will the new iPod be charged through the USB cable? And is USB 2.0 just as fast as firewire, or what?
A shame I agree, but they are only abandoning people who meet ALL of the following:bankshot said:That does suck, since Apple is essentially abandoning a large percentage of their faithful installed Mac base, in favor of selling to the almighty Windows market. However as others have said, this must be due to either cost or size constraints.
You're right--but what's interesting to me is that docking connector has all along been able to do all the same things:JOD8FY said:Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but has anyone else noticed the lack of the communications port found on the "older" 4G iPods?
Why should pro updates HAVE to be included in this consumer event? Why is that the only way to introduce pro updates? I think it's not.Lebowski said:way to show your loyalty to your customers apple.... now, lets get another 10 versions of ipods out before another pro user update!!!!! keep it up.
nagromme said:You're right--but what's interesting to me is that docking connector has all along been able to do all the same things:
- Carry remote control signals.
- Carry audio.
- Deliver power from the iPod's battery.
- (Plus video, USB, artist/track info for external displays, etc. etc.)
So new accessories will just have to rely on the dock connector alone--like the newest iTrip does--making them more universal.
I like the trend towards making all iPods more compatible with the same accessories. One connector now instead of two, and a Universal Dock!![]()
joe_adk said:So, I notice that they have a IR remote, but, one of the best features of my current iPod (3G) is the connected remote so i dont have to reach into my pocket/bag when i want to change songs. With the new iPod I can change songs from accross the room, but not from my pocket.
It was very convenient to skip or change volume...
swingerofbirch said:Before Apple introduced videos and these new iPods, I thought that if Apple ever did video they would wait until they could do it in a big way to revolutizonie it. Jobs always talks about the scalability of H264. I conceived of some mechanism by which a user might downlaod a show or movie in high def and as it's being sycnhed to an iPod it's down scaled in quality (much as i THINK occured with the ipod photo????).
On the iPod front, the new models are probably nice, but the whole thing looks pathetic. All the arguments against a video iPod have already been made by Jobs time and time again. Who wants to look at a tiny screen? Who can walk and watch a TV show, or drive and watch a TV show? If you're sitting, why not just watch a TV! Or your laptop if you're on a plane! Laptops have better battery life for playing back video and the screens are exponentially larger.