This is what I think of the iPod video. Pay close attention to the new Apple iPod when you get one in your hands. Most of you will notice a design that's thinner, lighter, and sexier than its as well as a new screen that dwarfs the Click Wheel. A few of you will notice subtler differences, such as the absence of the smart headphone jack, a smaller Click Wheel, and the iPod's super flat face. Experienced iPod users may complain that essentials such as a power adapter and A/V cables aren't bundled with the device. But despite the fact that it is an audio player first and foremost, and that the term is overused, all of you will remember the fifth-generation iPod as the video iPod.
Those who follow gadgets know that Apple didn't invent portable digital video; companies such as have produced good if not stellar products that play back video, and on larger screens with better battery life. But if Apple can do for video what it has done for audio, that is, deliver a hardware/software ecosystem that offers a decent choice of content and makes it easy to get video on to the iPod, then this device, like it or not, will be remembered as the one that started the portable digital video revolution.
The 5G iPod, which is available in white or Nano black and comes in 30GB and 60GB capacities for $299 and $399, respectively, is the best one I’ve used to date. Yet because it has added a major extra feature, video playback, to its solid, audio centric foundation, there's room for improvement.
Features of Apple iPod 5G (30GB, video)
First, the basic stuff: The 5G iPod plays MP3, AAC, protected AAC, Apple Loss less, WAV, AIFF, and Audible audio files. It includes all the same audio features, plus more, of the previous iPod. The 5G iPod still lacks the coveted FM tuner, and it cannot record audio out of the box. Still, with album art, a plethora of EQ choices, lyrics support, on-the-go play lists, and a dedicated place for audio and video podcasts, as well as audio books, the iPod manages to be a complete audio player.
The 5G iPod is also a decent photo viewer, and you can listen to music while you browse photos or watch a slide show; the iPod has excellent slide-show options, including a variety of transitions and customizable music. Photos look stupendous on the new screen, and in thumbnail view, you get five extra photos. And thanks to the Click Wheel, you can whiz through thumbs and full-size photos. In addition, you can splurge on the ($29) if you'd like to transfer images over from a digital camera.
The 5G iPod also features all the little extras of new to the Nano, including the world clock (you can view four clocks at a time) and the screen lock, plus the tried-and-tested contacts, calendar, games, and other ancillary extras.
Now that the trailers are finished, we can get to the main feature. Videos of all types, except for full-length movies, are available in the new iTunes 6, which has been retooled to serve as an iTunes video store. Within this store, which is virtually guaranteed to explode with content, there are a couple thousand music videos, plenty of movie trailers, a handful of Pixar shorts (including For the Birds and Gerry's Game), and of course the highly publicized, commercial-free TV-show offerings from ABC (Lost and Desperate Housewives) and Disney (That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody). The 5G iPod is able to play video encoded in H.264, MPEG-4, M4V, and MOV up to 768Kbps, 320x240 pixels, and 30fps. What differentiates the iPod from video competitors such as Cowon and Creative is that legal video is easily available within a familiar interface, plus the fact that it doesn't take a genius to get them to play on the iPod; incompatible video files won't even get transferred to the device.
Of course, purchasable video is just half the story. The video universe includes home movies, content picked from P2P networks, ripped DVDs for personal use, and video podcasts. All but the last type will probably not play natively on the iPod, which means you'll have to painstakingly convert the video using a utility such as QuickTime Pro 7 ($29.95, Mac and Windows). The tediousness of this process has been a stumbling block for video players in general; iTunes simply can't rip a DVD like it would an audio CD. Now if iTunes had a built-in video converter, it'd be another story. As for legal full-length movies, they'll come but only after some serious legal dealings. Don't expect them soon, though that might be a good thing, considering the iPod's poor video battery life.
