iPod So I rented a movie... ugh...

[TheSpaz]

Today I decided to rent a movie. I wanted to watch it on my TV, so I had to download it first before putting it on my iPod touch. So it took 45 minutes to download the whole movie. Then I put it on my iPod touch which took a few more minutes and then I started to watch the movie. iTunes labeled the movie as a fullscreen movie (I Think I Love My Wife) and so I accepted that and put it on my iPod. Then I went to watch it on my TV and it was indeed fullscreen but, that's what I expected. Next thing you know, it's skipping a frame or 2 every minute or so... highly annoying.

Then I sync the movie back onto my computer to see if it's the movie that skips or if it's my iPod that skips... so I play the movie on the computer... and what do you know... it's WIDESCREEN. So I went back on my iPod touch and went to the video settings... I guess the default video settings has Widescreen turned OFF! That made me mad. So now, I'm putting the video back on my iPod touch to see if it still skips in Widescreen mode... ugh... so much for the simplicity of the iTunes music store.

Edit: Apparently I'm not supposed to use the Widescreen mode on the iPod unless I actually have a wide screen because when I enable that widescreen option, it distorts the picture. However, I appear to be a moron because I forgot that I can double click on the cover-art to make it widescreen but, at first I didn't realize I had to do that because it was originally advertised as Fullscreen so I just figured it was fullscreen. By the way, even zoomed out, it still skips... it just must be high enough resolution where the iPod touch can't keep up with the processing.

 

[bc008]

looks like they still have a lot of kinks to work out.

didnt they say it would take 30 seconds to download movies?

 

[ipedro]

looks like they still have a lot of kinks to work out.

didnt they say it would take 30 seconds to download movies?

30 seconds to begin watching your movie. It's playable before the entire movie is downloaded.

 

[TheSpaz]

30 seconds to begin watching your movie. It's playable before the entire movie is downloaded.

That's all great but, I'd have to sit there at my computer screen to watch it as it downloads... which is not what I wanted to do.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

That's all great but, I'd have to sit there at my computer screen to watch it as it downloads... which is not what I wanted to do.

Yeah... which is why its good for people using their macs as home theater pcs or with Appletvs.

 

[t0mat0]

That's all great but, I'd have to sit there at my computer screen to watch it as it downloads... which is not what I wanted to do.

Hence you hook up the Apple TV, and sit in front of your TV and watch it as it streams in.

 

[JML42691]

This is the first full day that it has been out, and is going to be receiving a lot of work to get the bugs out, which as it is a new program, there are going to be a lot of.

 

[TheSpaz]

Hence you hook up the Apple TV, and sit in front of your TV and watch it as it streams in.

Oh... my bad... I simply forgot to hook up my imaginary AppleTV. Lemme go do that. Bye.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

Oh... my bad... I simply forgot to hook up my imaginary AppleTV. Lemme go do that. Bye.

Its too much for your frickin' iPod to do. Can your dish washer clean your clothes? Its not a top set box, its an iPod touch.

Hook your computer to your tv ($20 for a really long cable from monoprice.com) or live with your iPod not being able to power your TV!

 

[NightStorm]

That's all great but, I'd have to sit there at my computer screen to watch it as it downloads... which is not what I wanted to do.

I don't understand... it can download in the background, and once done, you can transfer it to your iPod. How else would this work? It's never going to be an instantaneous download of the entire movie unless you have a lot of bandwidth.

 

[notjustjay]

I don't understand... it can download in the background, and once done, you can transfer it to your iPod. How else would this work? It's never going to be an instantaneous download of the entire movie unless you have a lot of bandwidth.

I didn't read his post as expecting such, he's just grudgingly accepting the reality that if you want to transfer a movie to your iPod, you (obviously) have to let it download first, which takes 45 minutes on his connection. It was the "But Steve says it only takes 30 seconds" statement that needed clarification.

Steve always presents the best-case scenarios, anyway.

 

[TheSpaz]

I didn't read his post as expecting such, he's just grudgingly accepting the reality that if you want to transfer a movie to your iPod, you (obviously) have to let it download first, which takes 45 minutes on his connection. It was the "But Steve says it only takes 30 seconds" statement that needed clarification.

Steve always presents the best-case scenarios, anyway.

Right, I could actually start watching it as it downloaded but, then I would have had to sit in front of my computer which I don't really have set up as a TV... I'm considering one of those cables to run from my computer to my TV though... that sounds cool.

 

[vandlism]

...I put it on my iPod touch which took a few more minutes ...Then I sync the movie back onto my computer...So now, I'm putting the video back on my iPod touch...

Once it has been moved, you can no longer watch it on the computer. So...suspect.

 

[aricher]

I have my MBP hooked up to my flatscreen via a DVI to HDMI cable. Rented a movie and started watching it nearly right away during the download. Not one hiccup. Transfered it to my iPhone once DL was complete - not a problem with dropped frames at all.

 

[Stampyhead]

Once it has been moved, you can no longer watch it on the computer. So...suspect.

Are you sure that's true? I was under the impression that you could move it back and forth between devices as long as your 24 hour watching period had not expired.

 

[NightStorm]

Are you sure that's true? I was under the impression that you could move it back and forth between devices as long as your 24 hour watching period had not expired.

You can transfer it back and forth within the 24 hour period, but it can only be on one device at a time. So, if you transfer it from your computer to your iPhone/iPod, it is no longer available on the computer until you transfer it back from the iPhone/iPod -- at least that is how I understand it.

 

[TheSpaz]

I have my MBP hooked up to my flatscreen via a DVI to HDMI cable. Rented a movie and started watching it nearly right away during the download. Not one hiccup. Transfered it to my iPhone once DL was complete - not a problem with dropped frames at all.

Could have just been this particular movie I had "I Think I Love My Wife" and seemed to hiccup all the way through on my iPod touch.

 

[powerbook911]

If you have a problem with a movie skipping, write iTunes support they should refund you or give you a rental credit. iTunes support is some of the best customer service in the world. They want you to get the product you paid for, if there is a problem, they fix it.

 

[killerrobot]

Its too much for your frickin' iPod to do. Can your dish washer clean your clothes? Its not a top set box, its an iPod touch.

WTF!? Since when is it too much for an iPod to do.

A resolution worth keeping.

When you download movies from iTunes, you get a 640-by-480-pixel image that’s great for watching on your computer and positively brilliant on your iPod or iPhone.

Hmm... if Apple truly made the movies impossible to watch on the touch, or 5g ipod, then they just missed out on half their own market.

@theSpaz
That's a bad experience but perhaps it was just a bad download - I'd contact Apple, let them know for sure and either get your money back or another download.
Better luck on the next one.

 

[milo]

Its too much for your frickin' iPod to do. Can your dish washer clean your clothes? Its not a top set box, its an iPod touch.

Hook your computer to your tv ($20 for a really long cable from monoprice.com) or live with your iPod not being able to power your TV!

If it's too much for the iPod to handle, then apple needs to fix it. The iPod specs say it will play that video. iTunes says that video will play on an ipod.

If it doesn't play, contact apple tech support and let them know. And ask for your money back on that rental, if it doesn't work right you shouldn't pay for it.

My guess is that they got a ton of movies in a hurry, and this may just be one that was encoded poorly.

 

[docprego]

Yeah... which is why its good for people using their macs as home theater pcs or with Appletvs.

Except that standard definition movies (read: most movies) do not have 5.1 sound, it is stereo. I will NEVER put a source component in my home theater that lacks surround sound-this is just the biggest flaw ever in a device designed to be a source of movies. Imagine if your DVD player was stereo only?

 

[SXR]

That's all great but, I'd have to sit there at my computer screen to watch it as it downloads... which is not what I wanted to do.

Then you shouldnt have rented.

 

[TheSpaz]

Then you shouldnt have rented.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to stream it to my iPod... that was a given. I knew I wanted to download it first but, I just didn't appreciate the skipping on my iPod... it was pretty bad looking.

 

[t0mat0]

Oh... my bad... I simply forgot to hook up my imaginary AppleTV. Lemme go do that. Bye.

I hear there's a 2 week waiting list on those imaginary models, so you might want to wait it out.

 

[thechidz]

i rented 300 last night. I have high speed so it only took about 10 minutes to downlaod bit when I went to watch it it was just a blank grey screen no sound, nothing... They refunded me 3.99 but since they charged me 4.98 (wtf?) I still gave them .99 for a pain in the butt...