Video iPod coming next week?

[Brian]

The Apple rumor site AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has begun production of a video iPod, and it could be announced as early as next week. According to anonymous reliable sources, the device is similar in size to the current 60GB color iPod, a bit thinner, and sporting a smaller iPod Nano-sized clickwheel that allows for a much larger high resolution color screen suitable for watching videos.

A major update to iTunes Music Store is also expected to coincide with the release of the Video iPod, offering music videos and short format video content, according to AppleInsider. AppleInsider is also reporting sightings of a device similar to the AirPort Express but with the addition of video-out that would provide streaming video to a display or TV.

If and when a video iPod is released, new capabilities could include much more than video playback. The current version of iTunes also supports Adobe PDF documents. A Booklets category in addition to Music, Videos, Audiobooks, and Podcasts leads one to wonder if Apple will offer e-book content at the iTunes Music Store for reading on a video iPod device. Current iPods include an address book, calender, text notes, an alarm, timer, and games. In addition, recent job postings at Apple include a handwriting recognition software engineer, and a software engineer position to manage third party software, with required experience in protocol stack software for mobile devices.

With over 22 million iPods sold to date, thousands of iPod accessories and over a dozen automobile manufacturers offering factory iPod integration, the iPod has become a platform. As the iPod platform continues to evolve, mobile computing capabilities will become more likely. Current iPod integration provides audio playback through factory sound systems. Could video playback on factory entertainment systems be next? How about video travel guides for popular vacation destinations?

Update: According to iLounge, Apple has announced a "One More Thing" media event on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at 10:00AM PST, adding more fuel to the speculation about an imminent video iPod release:

"Apple has announced a “One More Thing” event on October 12, 2005, at the same California Theatre venue in San Jose where the iPod photo and U2 Special Edition iPod were announced last year. The event, promoted to select media, will begin at 10:00am Pacific, and is named after the famed oratory trick of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who uses the phrase as a prelude to a bombshell announcement at the close of a keynote speech."

Read the full article at AppleInsider here.

[Jimmie Geddes]

I've already got a video iPod
http://www.gadgetsonthego.net/2005/0...pod-video.html
lol, Apple is really making it hard these days to be happy with your newest iPod for more than a week I agree that it's now a platform, cool article. I am looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us. Since most iPods can use ipod linux for video playback, I wonder if we'll get an iPod update to allow this, who am I kidding,lol.

[Brian]

Engadget has a possible leaked photo of the video iPod here. Looks pretty real, but as these things go, you never know if it's a Photoshop job. The edges of the screen look a bit off/crooked to me..

I guess we'll know for sure next Wednesday.

[Pride Of Lions]

Apple would be smart to improve the iPod line. Facing market saturation, they really need to find new products to keep the people upgrading. My Z2 handles video well for me, but I am hoping that an iPod that does video will also have a ginormous hard drive (80GB+) to store me entire music collection.

Time will tell. The iPodLinux project is proving that video on the iPod is possible. Even though Steve Jobs said that they weren't interested in doing a video iPod, maybe Apple is running out of innovative ways to improve the iPod revenue stream. They'll be able to sell video's through the iTunes Store and (maybe) not face the same strict greed from the record companies because the videos aren't competing with the existing CD sales.

OT: You know, 5 years from now all of this rampant speculation and rumor-mongering won't amount to much. It's amazing how much we put into each little smidgen of info., true or not. I include myself, of course.

OT: Brian, you're doing a great job of finding information for us. Keep up the good work.

[gadgetguru]

Personally, I don't think a video ipod will set the world on fire the way ipod nano does. Just as Steve Jobs said last year, video is not ready for primetime then, and I doubt it is now. Music video on portable devices is more a novelty than anything else, movies probably will require lengthy download or conversion, that it would take much fun away from viewing it. Besides, most special effects will be muted on small screens, so less fun.

I will probably pass on this rumored video ipod unless, it has at least 80GB, and cost cheap...$400 or less, then I might get it as a big music ipod/external storage combo...

[Laurens]

Originally Posted by gadgetguru

Personally, I don't think a video ipod will set the world on fire the way ipod nano does. Just as Steve Jobs said last year, video is not ready for primetime then, and I doubt it is now. Music video on portable devices is more a novelty than anything else, movies probably will require lengthy download or conversion, that it would take much fun away from viewing it. Besides, most special effects will be muted on small screens, so less fun.

I agree totally.

Also, listening to music is something you can do "in the background". Watching video (or reading text) requires you to stop and pay attention, not something you can do while driving your car or working out at the gym.

I'd rather see an iPod with built-in WiFi for listening to internet radio.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Laurens

Also, listening to music is something you can do "in the background". Watching video (or reading text) requires you to stop and pay attention, not something you can do while driving your car or working out at the gym.

As I mentioned in the article, I think one of the main areas of mass market appeal for a video iPod is all of those LCDs in mini-vans and SUVs that are becoming increasingly popular. A video iPod wouldn't be aimed at front seat passengers, but rather the passengers with those LCDs in front of them, especially kids. I could easily envision Apple teaming up with the likes of Pixar (*cough*), Disney, the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon so that parents have an easy way of putting Sponge Bob, Rugrats, and Nemo on those screens.

I also mentioned video travel guides. Digital mobile video in the form of travel guides would also become a reality, and imagine the possibilities if iPod integration were to include vehicle navigation integration for "location aware" guided tours, for one. It might sound pretty far-out, but it's just one example of what mobile video could offer.

Even though watching a movie or reading is active and not passive like listening to music doesn't mean that portable video won't become very popular. Frequent fliers and commuters on trains and buses (who are numerous in large cities) would all be able to watch portable video on a PVP like the iPod video. I also think that watching video using the video iPod won't necessarily be limited to it's own screen as it will probably have video out capability for displays and TVs in addition to those in-car LCDs I mentioned earlier.

Apple will hit the digital video market hard and will do so in unique and new ways that have mass market appeal while differentiating itself from the rest of the market. The main reason they'll be able to do so will be due to the content they'll be able to provide thanks to the iTunes Music/Movie Store combined with the fact that the iPod is now a platform. Don't limit your thinking to feature length movies, but rather shorter format video content like music videos, videocasts like NerdTV, Quicktime movie trailers, TV shows, etc. A typical 30 minute TV show without commercials is just over 20 minutes, a perfect length for video on the go, not to mention a much smaller download.

Originally Posted by Pride Of Lions

Brian, you're doing a great job of finding information for us. Keep up the good work.

Thanks .

[patmet]

Just imagine that: un IPOD with wifi connection/bigger screen/camera/microphone and an Apple made skype-type network behind ... delivering an on-the-road Itunes connection, including video download, IP voice and video communication (video phone). That is not science fiction, just bringing pieces together with strong software and brand.

[Antoine of MMM]

Honestly, I'd see this as a nearly PDA iPod and Apple going to elimate the Life Drive from market with at leat a 6GB drive, possibly flash just to piss on a few other folks who do PMPs.

[Chaos]

I don't think video would sell well among non-techie crowds, as it is difficult and time consuming to convert DVDs to video files... Not to mention in, at the very least, the legal grey area to do so in the USA with the DMCA.

And Apple is a US-based company, so it's not like they'd really want to risk it, by providing easy-to-use video-conversion software, either...

Now, larger hard drives, certainly. Larger hard drives, and smaller iPods - very possible. Most people can find a use for an external disk, which is what an iPod usually doubles as - seriously, who needs to carry that much music at once, that you fill a 60+ GB iPod?

[Brian]

It's official, and I was right about Disney and Pixar, but you can add ABC TV shows to the mix too . Disney owns ABC Networks.

[Pride Of Lions]

It's the smart move. Also, it ties in to Apple's idea of combining media app's, so now home users can edit video content with iMovie and show it on their iPod. The bigger screen really opens up the visual real estate (it'll be great to port Linux over to this screen).

I'm disappointed that the largest size is just 60GB, I was hoping for at least 80GB. People will need it when they realize how big video content is. It's deceptively easy to fill an iPod, all you need is to have a few uncompressed formats (for photos or music or, now, video.) And if people insist on using their iPod as a firewire drive, they'll need even more space available to them.

Apple is doing a great job of providing products for everyone's tastes. From the teeniest of iPod's to the tiniest to the full-sized, Apple has completely dominated other companies in this market. It's also been very sucessful in driving sales of new Apple hardware. This all combined with Microsoft's laggardness, can we be seeing the turning of the tables?

[Brian]

I just finished watching the webcast of today's "One More Thing" event with the new announcements, and it was a class act that indicated to me that Apple, more than any other personal computing company, really gets it.

I'm sure more networks like Nikelodeon, The Cartoon Network, etc will be eventually join up. Apple has proven with the iTMS that networks and content providers should partner up with Apple, or they'll lose out.

I'm also pretty confident that the TV out on the new iPod will come into play soon with all of those glowing LCD screens you see on the highway in SUVs and minivans.