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More Rumblings on Apple Video iPod
Chris Holland writes "Beyond the WSJ Story, Om Malik gives us inside information obtained by Business 2.0 Magazine about the Apple Video iPod. 'Steve Jobs has spoken with Disney President and soon-to-be CEO Bob Iger about ways to license various Disney content for a video iPod, according to an internal Disney email I have obtained. That could include anything from clips from ESPN and ABC News to short cartoons.' "
I vote that we stop giving free hype fuel for the apple hype machine.
While I wouldn't want to watch feature films on a 45 minute bus ride to work, it would be great to have a podcast of the hilights of last night's games to watch...
-JMP
Especially when MTV and VH1 already pump out the same drek day in, day out.
Ofcourse this is a double edged sword, if the ipod plays itunes clips only that severely limits the appeal (i sure as hell won't pay for videoclips) of the vPod. Then again if the vPod is as open as the iPod is (calm down, ogg users) then Apple stands to gain almost nothing in the way of being a new contect provider.
And i don't think videoclips will be the new iTunes hot item. People want to pay for music because they've been doing it for decades and they are inherently lazy. Clicking together a few songs to listen on the commute to work is a whole different ballgame than downloading videoclips at an even higher pricepoint, especially when this is a "new" type of content. A type of content which has a too narrow appeal of the same techno hipster show-offs who insist they keep their iPod mini's in their hands so they can show it off to the world.
Will wank off Linus Torvalds for fame.
If the iPod has the raw power to play video, I see no reason why Apple shouldn't put the software on it to do so. None of the current gen ones don't have the power required to display video. A hardware (H.264?) decoder would most likely be required and thus new iPods would need to be released.
-nick
I think that apple have already started to look at alternate forms for the ipod ... I remember a bit a go seeing some patent applications for a tablet like device maybe it was for the ipod video? Granted it I would pretty much never carry such a behemoth around with me but there must be appeal somewhere... Also it is possible at the moment to pipe out of an ipod, my 30gb photo will (if I have the right adapter) show my pics on a TV ... maybe its closer than we think?
Does nobody remember the video googles? I know Sony made a pair and there were a couple other versions that were available at places like Sharper Image. They had some that you could wear and walk around, but there was a 60" tv projected in front of you. These were terribly expensive and they came out before portable DVD players.
I think that this is the time for that technology to make another attempt at the marketplace.
The comment has already been made. Let's move it along people. Nothing to see here.
There are too many companies who get really famous because of the fact that they looked at the market, saw the need, and filled it. There was a need for the iPod. Apple filled it. Joy of joys. People used to take their CD-players and tape players around, but many couldn't get the full use out of them because they could only hold one CD. Radio was too restrictive because you couldn't choose the content. Enter the iPod. Nice stuff!
:-)
Enter the knockoffs. The companies that can't read the market, because they're too big to have real risk-taking guts.
Then the iPod gets big and Apple somehow loses touch with the market. It's a rarity (except for long trips and sharing with friends) that people say, "Man, I wish I could watch a video clip right now." Or at least wanting it to the point that they would pay money for each clip that they put on it. Full Movies, yes, but ESPN recaps, no (though, a few bucks for all ESPN recaps this month would be very impressive).
Step 1: Read the market
Step 2: Find what the market needs
Step 3: Do it
Step 4: Profit
Step 5: Lose the market view
Step 6: Make a new product to ride on your popularity, with a market that doesn't exist yet
Step 7: Cross your fingers
But then again, if they weren't willing to fail, they'd be in the ranks with the big dogs that we tend to not like because they don't take risks (they just copy others). So, uh, even though I won't buy one, best of luck to them. If the market isn't there, at least their operating system rocks
Luke
----
Help your boss understand you: Send them to ChristianNerds.com (The Free Online Computer Encyclopedia)
Amen. I travel on Airplanes - A lot. What I like about the iPod (or any portable media device, but my weapon of choice is iPod), recline my seat the whoppin 3 or so inches you get and tilt my head back.
With current implementation of video devices I'd have to hunch over and squint through my contacts at a little screen, or, a big screen that lasts 30 min without a power cord.
What i'm hoping the Video iPod will be is a mini-DVR. Preview capability maybe on the tiny screen but mainly ment as a DVR for the masses to attach to computers or TV screens like the iPod Photo/New iPod do today.
We'll see, Apple has always managed to surprise me recently (I was a 'no way they'll go Intel as a CPU camp') and I'd like to see what they come up with. Steve J. has said repatedly that he has no intention of doing a video pod.
As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.
The iRiver H300 series has had video on it for over a year now through a firmware upgrade, so this is nothing ground breaking. Granted it's 220x176, 10fps on a 2 inch colour screen but it's very watchable. I have several films, tv series and music videos on mine. Ok I don't use the video side of my iRiver that much, but on a long flight or train journey I would. iPod ain't the only MP3 player out there, it wins on style but for functionality it's lagging behind. Shop around people.
I don't think video is the killer app for these things, but photos are with video as a useful secondary function.
I know they have a iPod photo already, but it is essentially a iPod which happens to be able to display photos in a small screen, there photos are clearly the secondary app to music. Yet digital photography is clearly dominating the photo market but most people still struggle to find the right way to carry and display these photos. Printing them out is time consuming and expensive, either at home or the photo lab.
The ideal solution is a device with a screen of a similar size to a standard print which you can pass around friends and family to show off your collection. The interface should be so simple grandparents can use it, and Apple have a clear lead in this area. Add in an interface to iPhoto which rivals the iTunes interface and I think you have a winner.
If you can then watch movies on it then I think this will be a useful secondary app, but not what the real selling point will be for most users.
Am I the only one who thinks that this whole idea of a "video iPod" isn't quite a tiny drive with a screen for personal use? Apple knows (and Steve Jobs has said) that the iPod isn't a worthwhile video player. But what if the video iPod isn't really an iPod as we know it? I think it's more a household appliance, likely with some kind of wireless connectivity for use with AirPort Express. Think more like a remote control with built-in content. Look at what's come up in the past. AirPort Express comes out with digital audio support, Apple claims expansion ability. Apple obtains a patent for a remote control device for home applications with wireless connectivity. Apple begins talks with audio content providers to begin to discuss the possibility of video content, after grooming them on the DRM for audio. Now they're talking to Disney. Why would Apple waste their relationships with content providers on a tiny screen? They wouldn't.
I find it more interesting that Jobs, simultaneously head of Pixar, went and discussed any thing with Iger of Disney. As we recall Pixar and Disney had an acrimonious split and this, reportedly, bothered the market and Disney shareholders. And, Eisner is still putatively running Disney, so talking things over with Iger seems to be a slap at Michael.
Time Warner would also have a huge catalog of animated shorts, so did Jobs talk to them? Have those talks stayed confidential? Could this WSJ report be placed in order to send Time Warner a message to not miss the boat? Is this a thaw in relations and reconciliation between Pixar and Disney? Is Toy Story 3 still in production? Could this be any more soap opera?
Will Apple want to sell movies via "itunes" to just any drm 'box' that can do h.264? All that we know about owning video will change with better broadband. Adsl2 and better cable will allow any .com to put a h.264 chip in a drm box and connect it to the end of their fat pipe. A quick download and you have your new or classic movie. The trick will be how to deal with the h.264 data when it moves to the end user. That is where Apple will come in. Do you want to rent it for a day or a week in a .com black box or 'own' it on your Mac for a few $?
End users want to be able to find and click on any past download and play it - just like a dvd or cd you own now. No waiting for 5 -15 min for your 'next' rental.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
... or playing pacman
Depending on the implementation, the images have varying degrees of opacity, and with most of them, you could theoretically walk down the street while watching Futurama.
Studies have shown that driving while talking on a cell phone is four time more dangerous, I can only imagine the problems involved with watching TV.
Most people can't multitask media consumption and other activities. I know that when I'm on the phone, I have to turn off the TV, other wise the person I'm talking to doesn't get a very interesting converstion ('uh huh.. uh huh.. yeah... right....')
The real thing that's going to be cool is the Airport Express Video, coming out in January (my prediction)!
With iTunes (software + store) already supporting video, the next logical step is to make a way to stream the video on your computer to your TV(s) over the network.
This is what's going to be awesome: Go to iTMS (they may need a new name!), download a movie for $5, organize with iTunes, watch in HD on any real TV(s) in your house whenever you want, as often as you want, forever!
Thinking people won't watch video on a small screen is just wrong. We watch video on small screens all the time right now, on camcorders, portable DVD players, pocket TVs, game devices, and web pages.
And don't just think in terms of feature films. Most things we see on small screens are short form. Movie trailers, music videos, demonstrations, news, video podcasts. It's videos of a couple of minutes that are best suited to watching on the commuter bus or train. But even feature films can work. Try watching Spider Man 2 on the Sony PSP's bright, wide 4" screen. It's really not bad!
No, Apple's vPod won't be the current iPod playing video on its two inch screen. Think different!
Take a PSP and chop off the game controls on the two ends, leaving just the screen. That's about the right form factor. Remove the UMB drive and put in a hard drive. Leave WiFi and the replacable battery in, replace USB with FireWire video I/O. Perhaps use touchscreen, or take the iPod control wheel and put it on the back of the unit. Don't look at me funny like that, think about it!
For functionality, let it play music and video. Let video go out thru FireWire for playback on other devices. Sync and stream in/out thru FireWire or WiFi. And add two more chunks of software: A Web browser so it can connect to the Web over WiFi when you're in the airport or Starbucks. And _Apple Remote Access_ so it can serve as a portable remote screen on any Mac it can see via WiFi. This lets it be a remote control for (or be controled by) any Mac (or VNC PC) in WiFi range or across the Internet world wide. This is big!
Now THAT's a cool, useful, elegant device, and it can be done with decent form factor, cost, and battery life right now. And the iTMS/iSync/ARA infrastructure is already in place. One more thing - use a good OLED screen for it. Those are thinner, brighter, lighter, and use less power than a backlit LCD. The one remaining problem of that technology - limited screen lifetime - is just about solved at this point.
I see it happening next year.
Mike from www.myallo.com/blog
Probably a single Firewire cable with digital audio (compressed of course), video, and power all together?
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