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iPod Video Coming to a Car Near You
_am99_ writes "In the "one more thing" media event today, an iPod that can play Video was announced. The initial content seems to be music videos that can be purchased from the iTunes Music Store." In related news aquachannel writes "Apple has just updated their iPodYourCar page to include a slew of new car companies. This means that there'll be a lot of cars that you can buy off the showroom floor and use your iPod with your car - right off the floor and out of the box."
This would be a big hit if they can stick to that price of $1.99 per video and have variety in the content provided. Already they have a winner with music videos and Pixar offerring six short films. MTV has turned in to a channel that has nothing to do with music. Also I don't have to put up with all the crappy vidoes with MTV stupid logos and artwork, assuming Apple is going to just give me a clean video. Along with that it'd be nice if they can provide other content like stand-up routines or I'd love if Jon Stewart could force comedy central to provide it's videos for video ipod.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/12/tech/mai n937689.shtml
I think the *biggest thing* is the fact you can now download TV shows, like Lost, for $1.99 an episode. I think that's pretty earth shattering...a 3 minute pop video, or a 45 minute TV show for the same price?
Act I: The iMac G5. We sold over a million of them in its first year. What better place to put the computer than right behind the display? Today we're introducing and all new iMac. [It looks extremely similar] Three great new features.
... from your sofa. We've done a remote control, Apple style. It's got six buttons. [Demo: He presses remote and a menu for Music / Photo / DVD / Video zooms in. There's a giant iPod-style interface for music. "I can enjoy my music from across the room and see the artwork."
... it's on an iPod! New silhouette ad with Eminem -- it's not silhouette but a limited color palette. Steve likes the ads so much he runs each one twice. ]
(1) It's even thinner. The 20-inch is now thinner than the 17 used to be.
(2) iSight videocam. The new mac has an iSight built in. The camera has even better specs. Right out of the box videoconferencing without any extra stuff. We wrote a new app called PhotoBooth. [Demo: It has a built in flash - the entire display flashes. There are special effects including "Warhol" and effects that morph your face goofily.]
(3) Front Row. It s a new way to experience the media on your computer. It's an incredible way to enjoy your music, your videos, and your photos
Photos navigates through everything in iPhoto with slide show effects for albums.
"Now, a lot of people watch DVDs in their iMac, and it would be nice to control them from across the room. Now you can." [Loads DVD of The Incredibles with menu that blurs out the typically unusable menu on the DVD with an iPod-style menu. Movie posters and trailers in HD format streamed from apple.com] This remote control, I just wanted to point something that to me captures what Apple is all about. [Shot of huge button-congested remotes next to the tiny 6-button Apple remote]
Specs: Bluetooth, Superdrive, Mighty Mouse standard. 17-inch $1299. 20-inch $1699. Available today.
Act II: The iPod. We announced yesterday that we had shipped almost 30 million iPods. Our market share, 75% of all MP3 players shipping. Five weeks ago we introduced the iPod nano. And you know what? We shipped over a million iPod nanos in the first 17 days, and we could not meet demand. But what about the white iPod? It's been a huge success for us. And therefore, we're going to replace it. The new white iPod. And yes, it does video.
Specs: Same width and height as current model, but thinner. QVGA (324 x 240) pixel 260,000 color 2.5-inch display. h.264 and MPEG-4 at 30 fps. TV out. 30GB and 60GB models. Same width and height. 30GB is 31% thinner than the curent 20GB model [Making it 0.44-inches thick--say wha?]. 60G is 12% thinner than 20GB. 30G up to 75 hours of video, $299. 60G up to 150 hours video, $399. Shipping in one week.
And, by popular demand, we make it in black. They also come with a nice carrying case, to keep 'em all perfect. [Thin plastic sleeve--aw shucks]
[AD: U2 performing live. Oh wait
The new iPod will be 30% thinner than the current 20GB iPod (making it 0.44-inches thick--say wha?), and will feature a 60GB version (which should be thinner than the current 0.63-inch thick 20GB iPod), and editions of both in black.
What's the device named, you ask? The iPod. That's it, just The iPod. Well spare you the Prince jokes. The iPod will have TV out.
Stevie has iTunes 6.0 up there--only about a month after introducing iTunes 5.0.
iTunes 6.0 will also feature video and the iTunes Music Store will feature Fairplay DRMed video downloads (big surprise, right?).
At launch over 2,000 music videos will be made available at a cost of $1.99 apiece. You can download iTunes 6.0 starting today.
Oh, and one more thing...
It's not only music videos you can buy. No, Apple's set up to allow you to purchase TV shows for $1.99 apiece. Get Desperate Housewives or four other ABC shows premiering on iTunes at two bucks an ep. Videos are native QVGA resolution.
More details to come...
"Scientists don't change their minds, they just die." -- Max Planck
And here I thought they were finally releasing the successor to the Apple IIGS.
/// even better this time. Or they bristled at the term "Apple ][ Minus" and went back to Integer BASIC without Autostart. Or they followed up on that Pippin console.
Or they fixed up the Apple
Quiet you, it could still happen.
The coolest voice ever.
no bluetooth. doesnt support ogg vorbis. lame.
Has anyone begun selling Video iPod pornography yet?
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
According to Stuff magazine:
"You'll be able to buy TV shows from the iTunes Music Store - Desperate Housewives, Lost and more shows from ABC and Disney." I guess that means Terry Hatcher will be getting into MY pants!
I'm wondering if the resoution of the videos/shows they will be selling will be sufficient enough to watch not only on the V-Ipod but also on your computer, or on a TV (not only with the TV out)? What about burning to DVD?
- My question is: Can Slashdot be Slashdotted? -
Even though Apple seems to be doing great with DRMed AAC files on iPods, iPods would have totally failed if they didn't support mp3s to begin with. I wonder if the video iPod will be able to gain traction without supporting the large collections of TV episodes, music videos, and movies that users already have in their collection in Divx format.
Talk about unexpected... that Apple sure can keep a secret!
TV shows (like Lost) one day after they air, and you know damn well what's next... movies.
A video airtunes device didn't materialize, but a dock with video out and remote control did.
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
You would think that there would be safty concerns with users able to watch videos on their IPod while driving. That would be a bigger distraction than a cell phone. I really don't think this is a smart move on Apple's part. What if two years down the line, some guy kills someone because he wasn't paying attention to the road, and sues Apple for distracting him. If someone can sue McDonalds for making them fat, then this could and probably will happen.
Yes, but can I play xvid or divx encoded videos? You know, all the ones that I created from DVDs I own?
This is ridiculous. I'm sure I'm not the only one of the several thousands who must have submitted all the OTHER news:
-iTunes 6
-New iMac with built-in Firewire camera
-New app called FrontRow for playing media from your sofa, 6 button iPod-like remote -compared to Microsoft Media Center's 40 buttons
-New PhotoBooth app for taking pictures that actually uses iMac's screen as a flash
-Television shows and music videos for sale through iTunes at $1.99.
Etc....
Instead, we get "Yeah, they mentioned iPod video today, and here's a lame car link. Disregard all the other news, like Apple taking Microsoft on directly in the living room..."
"Sufferin' succotash."
I noticed on Apple's page that the eMac is gone. It is no longer on Apple's hardware website (except under "eMac for Education"), and it is no longer sold at the Apple store.
I guess the Mac Mini must have made the eMac a bit redundant, so sales of the eMac must have dropped tremendously.
Don't forget iMovie; Apple is big on people creating their own video.
Looks like Handbrake just got a lot more popular.
"For every right, an equal responsibility..."
I think the coolest part are the somewhat reasonable prices on the new iMacs.
For $1299 you get 17" LCD, built in good quality webcam, 1.9 GHz G5, 512 MB, 160 GB, dual layer slot load DVD writer, Radeon X600 Pro, 802.11g, bluetooth, a wired funky MightyMouse, a remote control, and a bunch of preinstalled software.
My PSP doesn't play Divx (or XVID, or WMV, etc.) But that doesn't stop me from watching a lot of my weekly video content on it. With an app like PSPWare to do the conversion from a myriad of formats to the quality setting of my choice, I don't have a problem. As the iPod with Video plays H.264 and MPEG4, I would imagine a similiar application will work just fine to do the conversion and loading for you.
[UID-HeinzIntel]
These units have a dock connector in the glove box, and allow you to control the iPod using the stereo controls on the steering wheel.
I want to shoot the messenger!
Don't forget the best reason to use iTunes 6--they softened the sharp window corners. :)
Seriously though, they smoothed out the sharp corners of the whole interface. It was actually bugging me in version 5, as trivial as that is. I didn't like the really sharp corners at all, and I know a lot of people were complaining about that. When you're using an app all the time like iTunes, it helps to have it look and feel nice.
"Sufferin' succotash."
Uh, on the apple main page it shows how you can put your home movies on the new iPod... Also, the iPod supported mp3 and non-drm AAC since day 1, why wouldn't they support the same with the video iPod....
Monstar L
There's a few options for the IPod in the MINI Cooper.
1.(cheapass). for $30, you can get a basic AUX port that works with any mp3 player
2. (not so cheapass) if you have the multi-function-steering-wheel(500 bucks) and the true "ipod adapter"(150 bucks), you can switch volume & tracks with the steering wheel buttons.
I just wish they would come out with an FM transmitter(or through the audio port if possible) that displays the currently playing track on the MINI's radio. It(along with other BMWs) tells you the track(RDS?) if the radio station supports it. Most around the twin cities do.
itunes has played video (mov) since 4.x
Gone!
Not sure, but I think most of them actually have a dock connecter and some limited software integration that allows you to pause, skip, ect with the stereo controls. Some even display song title and playlists, ect, while others treat the ipod as a CD changer.
So far I feel like I've ben gut punched....NO powerbook upgrades? I don't give a rats ass about watching music videos on a 320x200 screen for 2 bucks each! Apple! PLEASE! Do something with the powerbooks!
On a music iPod you only need the screen for navigating. On a video iPod the screen is used to watch stuff.
Can anybody tell me why 60% of the device's front-side real estate is white plastic?
yes, we have no bananas
According to the Apple Store, the iPod 30GB will support "Over 75 hours of video." The 60GB will support "Over 150 hours of video."
Okay, the new iPods and such are nice, and you should understand that I'm a bit biased, as I'm typing this on a 500 Mhz TiBook that desperately needs replacing:
Where are the upgraded PowerBooks and PowerMacs? We seem to get a new iPod model every two weeks, but no new PowerBooks for over 10 months?
Grrrrrrr!
I just took a look at the iPodYourCar page. It's really a shame that not a single American auto manufacturer is in that list. I think it's also an indicator of just how bad American cars are and how distant their products are from what consumers want.
As long as I can put my own videos (e.g. recorded with a TV capture card) on the iPod, this is awesome. If it's for the store only, forget it.
sulli
RTFJ.
All iPods with a Dock connector work with the FrontRow remote. All you need is their new "Universal Dock" with a remote receiver.
For more information, click here.
Does anyone else see the camera in the imac as a little bit like 1984?
Anyone know if iTunes will now burn your video files you buy onto a DVD that will play in a standard DVD player?
If i buy every episode of a tv show, I may want to burn them to a dvd to watch when someone else is using the computer. or if i'd rather watch it on my huge 40 inch plasma tv (if I had one).
ABC has LOST and Desperate Housewives up for $1.99 in itunes right now...
see flickr photo of LOST page
i mean it'll have to be a much more extensive library, but it is an interesting baby step in the right direction... (that is till we find out the DRM times out/expires or something... wondering what I'm *buying* for $1.99 exactly)
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
Does anyone know if FrontRow (and remote) will be available for anything other than the new iMac?
I can't find any info about this on Apple's site.
I read
Its only 3 hours of batter life.
I read
See the original thread from the time of the original iPod launch.
Drill baby drill - on Mars
---Well, they are in the middle of a massive shift to intel x86 based processors. That might have something to do with it.---
If that's the case, then why upgrade the iMac now, the Mini a few weeks ago, the Xserve last month, and the iBook in July? None of these feature x86 processors yet, and they seem to have managed to increase performance for them.
And whatever happened to those dual core and low power G5 chips that IBM claimed to have?
It's also a way for the new management to kiss up to Steve Jobs, who happens to be the CEO of the successful animation company that walked away from Disney recently because of the old management...
"Sufferin' succotash."
Hey, perhaps this will allow that whole internet disributed fan financed "TV" show idea that gets dug up again every time someone's favorite cult show gets axed.
#include <signature.h>
DivX is a CODEC which implements the MPEG-4 bytestream format. Like XviD and the QuickTime MPEG-4 encoder, it produces MPEG-4 bytestreams of the form playable by the iPod (assuming it satisfies the bitrate / resolution constraints, and has an audio stream that the iPod can play, e.g. MPEG-4 AAC) and any other MPEG-4 player.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
2x2=4
320x240=76800
640x480=307200 (VGA)
320x240 is QVGA for quarter VGA
it has 1/4 the pixels and data.
From there, the sky's the limit, because you own purchased video forever. Watch as many times as you choose, share between five computers, burn to data CDs or sync to the new iPod.
Sounds like it's exactly like the DRM for music, except you can't burn actual DVDs. Until someone posts the workaround next week.
Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
I wonder if those videos will have commercials? Not that you couldn't skip those either now...
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
Maybe it's because this article is quite new but why hasn't anyone actually said anything about the fact this is just a normal ipod with a 2.5"(!!) screen that can play video? If you want to watch videos on the move then why not go for a real PMP like anything from www.archos.com as they at least have a 3+" screen so you can actually see what you are trying to watch... I mean seriously a 2.5" screen and one video codec supported(?). This isn't exactly a great PMP, but ho hum, this is apple so I'm not surprised no one has critisized it
Why waste a DVD on 320x240 video? CDs will do fine. Apple saves on space and it saves time for consumers if the video is smaller.
Then again, if you take it in and ask nicely and they say "no", ask louder and gripe more. If they still say no, whine and cry and gripe and ask for the manager.
Then you'll be surprised. :)
The real story is content distribution. Apple just broke into the video distribution market in a huge way. Add this video itunes service with the new iMac remote control and you can guess were apple is headed. They are headed straight to your living room. MicroSoft has the same strategy to dominate the living room. MS has chosen another route with their Media Center version of Windows. I would say Apple just took a huge lead. It will be interesting how this play out...
Just what everyone needs on our highways... video while driving. This is almost as good as drive through liquor stores!
Finance tutorials and more! Understandfinance
What amazes me is that Disney (owner of ABC), which was the last major media company to start selling DVDs, was the first company to provide downloadable video to Apple this way.
Granted their partnership with Jobs' Pixar Animation Studios was probably a big reason they agreed, but nevertheless -- this is a big switch (IMO) from the Disney I used to know. Hopefully it won't be long before other studios and networks see the download numbers for "Lost" and jump in. I bet if HBO can be persuaded to offer their shows on the iTMS (iTunes Media Store, now, I suppose), sales at the Store would skyrocket.
'Cause you know, I get really bored when I'm driving alone, and it would be really great if I had something to WATCH to help pass the time!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
How is an encumbered DVD, with its CSS DRM that you can bypass with DeCSS, different from Apple's AVC (H.264) with FairPlay DRM, which can be similarly bypassed?
With a DVD, you'd have to rip it, then reencode it into DIVIX or something appropriate for a portable, which takes a LONG time. Apple's solution seems rather smart, and looks like a very natural extension of the iTMS.
I like options:
If you want high quality media, you continue buying CDs and DVDs, and rip them yourself at whatever bitrate makes you happy.
If you want the convenience of an online store (the new "Just for you - Beta" looks pretty cool) and instant access to lots of pop content, you can pay a small fee and download smallish, ready to go files.
Apple is offering both options to fit the desires of a broad swath of people.
Compare this to Microsoft's WMP, which sought to kill MP3s entirely, and replace them with locked up WMA files with brutal restrictions, and very limited playback options.
This looks damn cool. But I've seen similar things before--friends have had mp3 players with video screens, and so on, and in all cases, video had to be reencoded to be watched. Is that still true? Because I've got a couple hundred gigabytes of...ahem...perfectly legal video data ripped off DVDs I own as backups...and while it'd be awesome to be able to just seamlessly drop my Scrubs/Buffy/NIN videos onto a new iPod and watch it (2 inch screen isn't great, but better than nothing) if I have to reencode it for a couple hours first, then count me out...
When apple came out with Quicktime 7.0.2 many mac users had problems with MATLAB and other programs. I specifically had problems with MATLAB (would crash on start) the fix was to roll back to 7.0.1 using a reinstaller on apple's website. Anyways this new Itunes 6 seems to update to 7.0.3 (thats what is says on my xp box)- I don't know if it will cause problems. Mac users might want to check www.macfixit.com to see if their programs are affected. For myself I am just going to avoid upgrading- as I need to use MATLAB more than I need to watch Lost!
As long as I can put my own videos (e.g. recorded with a TV capture card) on the iPod, this is awesome. If it's for the store only, forget it.
You can add any digital video to iTunes 6 (and to iTunes 5?), as long as it's Quicktime-playable. Presumably anything you have in iTunes will then sync with your iPod. So yeah, it looks like any video you record yourself can go to your video iPod.
Yup! It's lousy for movies and television. However, for getting information on your way to work... much like a news program ornews paper it's great! I run a website called http://www.storypipe.com/StoryPIPE. that is all about short-form narrative and music content. We're hoping that peoples' time constraints and short attention spans will play into this new device.
We will be setting up a "video blog"... I know I hate the term too, but we will have an RSS feed shortly that will be updated with new content daily that is perfect for your morning commute or a "sanity break".
I've been going on for months that this device would come out and they kind of hamstringed us by getting it out so early. I'm busy scrambling to re-encode everything to play on it right this very second.
Pooty tweet
No, no, no.
That's not what he asked.
The iPods may work with the remote, but the question is why can't they act as the remote?
It's a good question. The iPods are already pretty close to a good remote interface. Add a new main menu item for 'Front Row' and let it control the iMac from there, or something.
It's definitely an interesting idea.
...mmmm. Batter life.
The genius move with the video iPod is that it's not a separate range. From now on, the regular iPod plays video too. That means that millions of people who would have just bought an iPod are now getting a video iPod. Millions will by a video player almost by default.
Up until now, no-one has managed to shift portable video players because the customer doesn't see a need for them. But some time someone will work out how to make video on the move work, whether it's as a mobile movie library or some watch-on-the-move content. When that time comes, Apple will be in an unassailable position because they will have a virtual stranglehold on the videoplayer market already.
You have to hand to Steve.
The author of this post asserts his moral rights.
I just downloaded Lost. I figured $1.99 was worth seeing the video quality, finding out out the file size, and watching my favorite TV show of the season while I work. ;-)
;-) ). The video is very watchable.
The file is indeed 320x240, and for 43 minutes and change, is 197 megabytes. The download took a little time; I'm not sure how much since I forgot to clock it.
The video is compressed very well. It looks clear and crisp, and the audio sounds great. In fact, I scaled it up to full screen and had a cluster of people watching a few choice scenes (we were trying to identify the manufacturer of the reel-to-reel drives
This will be interesting... I wonder what sorts of bonus material they will include?
Also, its interesting to note that video is not very well integrated into iTunes (for Windows). For example, when I right-click on the file, it still says "Show Song File." Also, you'd think that Apple, being Apple, would stick my downloaded videos into another folder than "My Music" in "My Documents."
These are small things. However, these are the things that Apple generally gets right.
~ Mike
Michael C. Hollinger
Strange that at the same time they released a video-capable iPod, they release an iMac with a built-in webcam. It's the ultimate porn combo!
Sounds like it's exactly like the DRM for music, except you can't burn actual DVDs. Until someone posts the workaround next week.
If it is quicktime video all you have to do is just convert it to an *.m2v or some other MPeg2 format. You can buy a Quicktime codec to do this or use Final Cut Pro. Then you have make a DVD image through some type of program than can ecode a DVD disc. (like DVD Studio) If you actually have paid for DVD Studio Pro you can then burn it to DVD. Otherwise, you can use roxio to burn the image and I think later macs support this nativley...
However, you can most likely find third party apps to do this all for free because if you actually paid for Final Cut Pro and DVD studio like I did then you out of $2,000 right then and there and just to make DVD out of stuff you download from the net is just not worth that price tag (making your own videos/movies is, but I sometimes wonder why I didn't just buy alcohol instead seeing my creative talent was not that great)
However it would have just been nice if Apple supports burning to DVDs through iDVD, but I doubt it.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
One of the new features just introduced in the iTunes Music Store is "just for you" (beta) - a suggestion service which, given a record of what music purchases you've already made, will list some other albums you might like to try.
Apple, being Apple, have approached this problem in a different way to the rest of the industry. Where their more pedestrian competitors might offer albums similar to the ones you already own, Apple's groundbreaking system leads me in a much more creative and original direction, offering albums from genres entirely unlike the albums I've bought so far.
You bought The Shadows, Live at the Paris Olympia. We recommend Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash.
You bought Vangelis, Heaven & Hell. We recommend Motörhead, Iron Fist.
I think the internet will soon be abuzz with compliments to this most innovative scheme.
From the iTunes 6 readme - "After purchasing music from the iTunes Music Store with iTunes 6, you will also need to upgrade your other computers that purchase music from the iTunes Music Store to iTunes 6"
Is this something new? I have an old computer running iTunes 4.8, and I'd rather not upgrade unless I find something worth upgrading for. I'd like to give iTunes 6 a spin on my iBook, though.
Have they upgraded the DRM or something?
i forget
One thing I noted was that I couldn't find a way to get the video to full screen from within iTunes. I opened the file from my paid copy of Quicktime to go full screen.
Anyway, as you say, the compression is impressive. For 100mb less than what you'll find on bittorrent (albiet not in 16:9) you get the whole program without ads, and also (and this is in my opinion pretty big) no intrusive messages along the bottom or top of the screen placed by the television network. It's one of the most obnoxious and annoying practices on U.S. TV (a network bloated with advertising places MORE advertising along the screen's margins during programming? No thanks.) If you were to download what is basically a TV rip from Bittorrent, these advertisements are unavoidable even if the normal ads are cut.
The quality looks just as good as what you're likely to find on BT, as is the sound. I even put it on fullscreen on my 23" cinema display, it still looks great. I give this a thumbs up. Not having seen more than a couple epsidoes of the original Lost, I'm tempted by the $34 download of season 1, a little cheaper than the DVD, but no extra features and lower res... Decisions decisions...
Yup...
As I posted 4 days ago, Steve Jobs said in the keynote last year that he had some reasons to not release a video iPod.
Size -- other poratables are too big.
Weight -- they also also too heavy.
Content -- there is no content to put on it. Copyright issues are everywhere!
Output screens -- they are simply too small for video.
"So how could that change?" I asked.
Simple!
The iPod video is smaller than the previous iPod photo; it is also lighter.
In terms of content, Steve Jobs has managed to secure a couple of deals to get music videos and TV shows into the iTunes store, and has provided home-grown content in the form of video pod casts. To help facilitate the production of video podcasts, he has included the iSight into every new iMac.
Watching the video is also as he wanted -- you can watch it on your computer in a unified interface via front row (with remote!), watch it directly on the iPod, or even watch it on a TV-out cable they have for the iPod video.
I think it also hints at where he'll be going in a few years. Now that you can get a nice H.264 movie trailer on your TV via front row, who's to say you won't be able to buy a complete movide for 6-8$? I'd love to be able to get a high quality, digital movie online. New release movies on DVD are about 20-30$ CAD -- too much for what you get. Hell, I could go to the theatre for less even with watery drink!
But if I could get movies that just came out for 6-8$ and watch them on my wonderful home theatre, I think I'd do it. I'm not too into 2$ music videos, but 2$ for a TV show isn't too bad. Why should I spend 80-100$ on a DVD box set of a TV show, when I'd much rather have a digital version of it for 20-30$.
With no manufacturing costs, the content providers get all the money -- no more middle men in China making all the DVDs and shipping them back and forth across the ocean!
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
No, it is 4:3. Another strike against it. Like I said, this is no where near ideal, but I think it is worth checking out and I might support it (i.e., start getting Lost) just so we can get closer to that ideal. The quality isn't great, but it is good enough for now and within a year, if this goes well, we should see some huge shifts in content. Unlike the RIAA, the TV studios have a *huge* incentive to do this. Their shows are already paid for, so this is pure profit for them. And this could be huge for small cable channels that produce their own content. Obviously HBO is a prime candidate, but I think that Comedy Central would make a ton of money with the Daily Show (and perhaps the Colbert Report). I know a bunch of people like me who don't get cable or don't have Comedy Central, but love the Daily Show and beg me to show them any I've downloaded. I would much prefer to download them legally, especially since I could get a few friends to pitch in to defray the costs. This could allow shows that aren't commercially viable in a broadcast or cable environment to get made. This is going to be a huge shift in content creation, because viewers are going to start deciding what gets made, not advertisers. If this were available a couple of years ago, Firefly, the Family Guy, and Futurama would never have gone off the air.
No, as the new iTMS doesn't have any movies on it.
(yet...)
What it does have, are music videos, Pixar shorts, and five TV shows, according to Steve's presentation.
Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
Help me out, because I'm genuinelly curious. For four more dollars you get the DVD with no DRM, which you can rip with free software down to a portable format, which comes on its own physical media in case you ever have to free up some harddrive space, which has all the extras (if you care). So in other words, you spend an extra 4 dollars and you get both versions.
I don't get why you'd even consider the download. I see the value added in buying tonights episode of Lost if you missed it and want to watch it on the train tomorrow, but once it's out on DVD I'd need a much better price break than 11%... personally I would've expected pay per view kind of prices, 3-5 bucks for a movie, maybe 10 bucks for a season of Lost, I dunno if that would even cover cost of bandwidth, but it's about what it's worth IMO.
Now, the real nice gadget is the Tivo (or whatever DVR) to IPod dock, so people who already have a DVR can take their TV shows on public transit and airplanes and such without paying again.
Double-click to get a separate quicktime window from iTunes, then right-click or ctrl-click on the title bar and click 'full screen'.
Hey presto, full screen video.
-- "It's not stalking if you're married!" My Wife.
Well, the reason I'd consider it is that it's just so damn convenient. However, I've also considered your points and I agree with you. Buying the DVD is a much better value when all is said and done. (I'm actually going to borrow the first season DVD from a friend. If I find that I can't live without it, I'll buy it.)
Before downloading the first episode of Lost I'd never even seen it, and I wouldn't have bothered to buy, rent, or borrow it. I've downloaded the second episode on the strength of that, but as I said, I'm going to borrow the DVD. The point is that this is a great way to check out TV shows that I wouldn't watch otherwise and wouldn't go out of my way to watch.
I normally watch very very little TV; one hour a week for me is a lot. I discontinued my cable last spring. TIVO isn't interesting to me because I don't watch enough TV to warrant owning a PVR (The idea of TIVO is interesting to me however). So, something like this is perfect. even if I never buy a Video iPod.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
Didn't Pixar decline to renew their contract with Disney?
Yes, because Jobs and Eisner hated each other (and from what Eisner has done to Disney I'd say he wins the lothesome person award by a mile).
However Pixar and Disney are talking again because Eisner is gone, as in not even on the board anymore. I'm sure that's what made this deal possible.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Apple have been pretty smart with this new iPod. The old mantra is "no-one wants to watch a movie on a portable player". Might be true - but Apple have sidestepped that issue by selling TV shows, not movies, at launch. TV shows are shorter (less tiring to watch on a small screen, quicker to download) and more profitable (TV shows already make money through advertising - this is just extra cash for them); and they don't compete so directly with DVDs like downloadable movies do (most of these shows will be offered for download before they're even available on DVD).
Very smart.
I think that the killer app for the new iTunes/iPod is old TV shows. Have you ever wanted to watch an old TV show that isn't on DVD and isn't carried in reruns? There are plenty of shows that have followings, but aren't worth it for the networks to play. So, hire a team to go through your archives and digitize old TV shows and put them on iTunes. Instant revenue off of an already existing product. The hang-ups of course are paying to digitize them and figuring out how to pay all of the residuals to the actors.
I don't think the cost would be overly excessive, considering that it is a one-time cost. And I'm guessing they have ways of figuring out residuals from their experience putting old shows on DVD.
Just my 2 cents, but I would be willing to pay $2 for an episode or two of some old shows to watch. Plus, I could take them on the plane with my new video capable iPod.
Like puzzle games? Warehouse51 for iOS
It's only tomorrow, but:
Instructions for ripping a DVD to an iPod-compatible quicktime movie.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.