Slashdot Mirror
No Video iPod Coming?
Fuzzball963 writes "ThinkSecret is reporting that a video iPod is not going to be released on Oct.12th. Instead, the announcement will be an 80 GB update to the iPod, along with size improvements on the color models. The analysts seem to say that the video iPod is in development, but that lack of a licensing agreement between Apple and the studios has made it a no-go for now." From the article: "While a video-capable iPod remains in development, without the agreements nor infrastructure in place to deliver movies to customers through a store-like interface, Apple sees little value in releasing such an iPod at this time. Apple insiders have also said executives see consumers needing the capability to easily import the DVD movies they own to a usable format (similar to the encoding functionality provided for audio CDs with iTunes) in order for a video iPod to be truly successful. The complexity to date of accomplishing such a feat has meant only a minority of computer users have dabbled with watching full-length movies on their computer, with most of those having acquired the content through file sharing services."
Its called the iPod-Linux. If you install Linux on your iPod Photo, it will play video. It takes 24 bit uncompressed AVI files and splits up the sound. It takes each frame separately and stores it as a slideshow. Next, it goes to the slideshow and accelerates the frames to 30 frames a second while playing audio in the background. Voila! Although the screen is small, no screen is too small for the Boondock Saints.
It comes with every new Apple computer.
"Did Apple suddenly create a magical algorithm that cut the size of a 30 minute show to less than a gigabyte, even if only at 320 x 320 resolution?"
Well, they didn't INVENT Mpeg-4....
You can rip a DVD using Apple's Disk Utility program. What you get is disk image, suitable for burning if you have big enough blanks, or playing using DVD Player by mounting the image. Sure, it isn't a small file, but an 80 GB iPod could hold several. The problem is when you want to encode that into a different format.
But if you're just using an iPod for storage it makes much more sense to just buy protable hard drives
Even easier is the MEncoder GUI on OS X, where I just pop a dvd in, select "dvd rip" and get a nicely packaged rip in any format I want.
-Glitch "We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds." - Linus Torvalds
Then why exactly would one buy a $350 (or something) iPod 80GB instead of a $130 external 300gig harddisk with Firewire? You could even get the $130 hard disk AND the what, $200, iPod Nano, and get more capacity to carry files, still enough for your music, AND save money.
What gives?
follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/moeffju