Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family
Video iPod: Could it really happen?
Discussing the possibility of Apple releasing a video iPod is certainly nothing new, and this morning the Wall Street Journal has chimed in (subscription required). According to the article, Apple has been in talks regarding the licensing of music videos for sale through
the iTunes Music Store, fostering speculation about the release of a video-capable iPod, possibly by September. From the article: "Any foray into video
would represent a major gamble by Apple that it could translate its
smash success in digital music into a broader entertainment franchise.
If successful, such efforts could help create a significant new source
of income for media companies that are stepping up efforts to
distribute video content on the Internet, in part to counteract the
growing volumes of pirated movies, television shows and other programs
being traded online." I know what you're thinking, we've heard all of this before. I certainly agree, and I've even said that I don't see the usefulness of a video iPod, but now I'm rethinking the whole thing. More after the jump.This morning at Apple Matters, James R. Stoup published an article in which he discusses the possibility. Mr. Stoup foresees an Apple-branded video download service with a set up similar to that of the iTunes Music Store. For a set price of, say, $10, you could download a DVD of Rocky II to your video iPod, plug it into your TV and enjoy the film. Perhaps the DRM worked into the deal would prevent burning a movie to DVD and require iPods to act as surrogate DVD players. An interesting idea, and my very brief synopsys does not do Mr. Stoup's article justice, so I recommend you go and read it.
He's got me thinking, tough. I've been wanting a television download service for ages now. If I suddenly have the urge to watch the Chinese restaurant episode of Seinfeld, followed by the season premiere of Monk and then The Simpsons, I simply navigate to each, purchase them and make a "lazy afternoon" playlist (or "viewlist?"). I'd also love to take my favorite television shows with me when I travel without having to lug along a slew of DVDs.
When the iPod photo was initially introduced, I failed to see the point. Then I remembered sitting around the slide projector when we were kids to view my father's slides. Connecting an iPod photo to a television is simply a contemporary equivalent, and I've found that people really like viewing photos this way. If I could carry several movies around with me on this tiny device I certainly would.
I also make lots of home videos of the kids. Imagine a future release of iLife with built in video iPod integration. Complete your iMovie project and export directly to your video iPod. Or better yet, send an iDVD project over, and view it on you television, complete with DVD menu controls that can be selected with the iPod's click wheel. Sure, you could still watch video on the iPod's tiny screen, but the real fun is the tremendous convenience of bringing countless photos plus comercial movies and home made videos with you in such a tiny little package.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Billy K said 11:23AM on 7-18-2005
I think Apple's gonna have to make an iPod Video - just to keep the competition from getting a leg up on them. However, I still think this is a pointless device, and will not be a big seller.
People just think they want a iPod Video. There is very little practical application for such a beast, unless it had a decent-sized screen. Oh wait - Apple already makes one of those. It's called an iBook.
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DerekJ said 11:26AM on 7-18-2005
That's only the first step. This will happen, but consider this possibility.
Apple has mentioned integrated iPod docks in their patents. So...
What if all Apple computers came with an integrated dock?
What if technology progressed to the point that iPod hard drives could run and sustain at the speeds of laptop or dare i say, desktop hard drives. Then we wouldn't really need internal hard drives anymore. (The safety of backup aside)
No more worrying about file transfers to the iPod, because it would BE your hard drive.
And what about when our iPods can fit 2GB of memory or more into them, with a 5.0GHz processor, 500GB hard drive, and run OS X...
Then our home base would just have to be a display with a dock.
I know some people are going to just blow this off, but just imagine...
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Ryan said 11:34AM on 7-18-2005
Derek, as stated above your post: the device you're looking for is an iBook. They start at $999 at the Apple store.
Of course, your idea is already possible. You CAN put OSX on an iPod and run it from there. You'll need the rest of the computer to do so and it'll end up killing your iPod hard drive prematurely if you do it a whole lot, but it can be done. Putting all the parts of a computer into something the size of an iPod would be nice, but that's a long way off. I couldn't see that happening for 10 or 15 years.
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Michael Christenson II said 11:38AM on 7-18-2005
I know a lot of people are saying that an iVideo (an iPod Video) would pointless, but I really would love to have one. I'd watch video more than listen to music, any day.
For instance, given the chance to watch TV or Listen to the Radio broadcast of the same program, which do you choose? If you said TV, millions of people across the US would agree with you, and have voted with their cash to the tune of billions.
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Pedro said 11:46AM on 7-18-2005
This could be good now I've got handbrake to create copies of my DVD's. But the screen would have to cover the whole face of the ipod to make it worth while. So then you would have to create a touch screen interface. Then it would look like a PDA, so who knows what other functions you could make it do.
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christine said 12:00PM on 7-18-2005
i dont know guys. i feel like an ipod video will be such a battery hog.
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Guilhas said 12:09PM on 7-18-2005
I would say to Apple to don't mess up with Ipod. Make a new device call it Iwhatever and make it similar to Epson P2000 with Iphoto integration and, in case they really want to sell videos, with Itunes or add video support to Iphoto...that I think it would be a nice device for all photo pros that really like mac's.
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Joe Stillwell said 12:47PM on 7-18-2005
I wouldn't mind an iPod Video that I could store multiple movies and tv shows on. I wouldn't want to watch them on a tiny screen, but if I could dock it in the minivan for the kids back seat screen and then dock it into any television I think it would be great. Hotels would have to jump on board with docks.
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Jordan said 1:01PM on 7-18-2005
An iPod video is something I've been waiting for for quite some time now. Apple's reluctance to bring it to the market is very smart: in order for the device to succeed, it needs content. An iTunes Video store is logical - more logical will be the marketing tie-in with iMovie. For people working in the internet video industry (myself included) the iPod video is going to be an amazing thing. I've got a small library of short videos that are perfect for downloading and watching on an iPod. It's going to single handedly do what products like the Archos Gmini 400 aren't able to do - deliver a portable, affordable platform for quicktime based movies.
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Blue Balloon said 1:06PM on 7-18-2005
there are two problems I wouldn't be happy to have tiny screen which subtitle is no good and DSL/Cable would take quite long time to download to purchase movie. Only solution, would able to purchase like.. download the movie from Apple store or Best Buy.
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Purong Noypi said 1:13PM on 7-18-2005
iPod with video? Definitely a battery-drainer, but looking forward to it (that is, if it ever comes out).
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Tony said 1:36PM on 7-18-2005
I'm not sure who gets your news tips, but I sent this aricle in the other day. PBS's Robert X. Cringely wrote an online article on July 14 stating the iTunes video store and video iPod are foregone conclusions, and he links it to the Intel deal (http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050714.html).
"Press releases aren't written lightly or without nuance. In the ClickStar announcement. Intel was declaring its intention to introduce, presumably in time for Christmas, a family of Intel-branded home entertainment devices. If they had meant devices from Dell or HP, they would have written that.
Now take a look at the ClickStar web site. It isn't clickstar.com, but clickstarinc.com, which tell us that the name is probably a placeholder. If they really intended to use the trade name "ClickStar," they would have tied-up the domain prior to the announcement. When the service finally appears, then, it will probably be called something else.
I think it will be called the "iTunes Movie Store.""
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Jordan said 2:03PM on 7-18-2005
#10: this is why we're going to see an emphasis on a different kind of content - short movies, music videos, as well as the emphasis on home movies and the iMovie connection. Shorter movies equals smaller file sizes equals faster downloads.
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Jordan said 2:26PM on 7-18-2005
#10: this is why we're going to see an emphasis on a different kind of content - short movies, music videos, as well as the emphasis on home movies and the iMovie connection. Shorter movies equals smaller file sizes equals faster downloads.
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James said 3:05PM on 7-18-2005
I think iPod video would be nice, but the killer will not be a portable device but will be an iTunes based set top box. Look at the direction that vodcast.nl points us to. The promise of subscription to on-demand television streams is much bigger than the promise of portable video.
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Billy K said 3:14PM on 7-18-2005
"For instance, given the chance to watch TV or Listen to the Radio broadcast of the same program, which do you choose? "
See, here's the problem...I can't work, drive, walk, etc. while I watch a video. I mean, I suppose you can kinda check in now and then - modern TV/film doesn't require a whole lotta attention - but it really defeats the purpose. And since most movies are geared toward looking cool rather than being interesting, that's kind of lost on a 2" screen. Jobs has already said all this, and he's right.
Anybody ever watch a movie on a PSP? I can't see the screen getting any bigger or any better resolution than that. Is that really what you want?
Look - it'd be fine and nice and maybe even fun to be able to play a little clip or a video on an iPod, but is that really a "killer feature?" Nah...
I'm sure Apple will add this functionality, just to keep from Sony or Creative having the upper hand, but this is not going to be a big thing. It'll be like "hey guys, look what I can do on my iPod,' and in a month you'll have forgotten about it as you listen to your music.
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Robert Knight said 3:45PM on 7-18-2005
I think a video ipod is coming soon (within 12 months) because that is simply where things are moving. Home internet connections are getting faster and video content delivered over the web is becoming more popular. I think Dave hit it on the nose with the statement about making movies about the kids. Sure, the Technophiles are going to want to have all 6 Star Wars films or all 3 Lord ofthe Rings films on their vPod. And certainly video compression technology will be available down the line that allows you to do that. But those of us who make short films of our own want to be able to share those things where ever we go with friends and family. CK could have used one on his vacation and he wouldn't have had to drag his PSP along on the airplane.
In my opinion, Sony and Palm pushed the issue and I've held off buying (begging for) either a PSP or a LifeDrive because I know Apple can and will do it better.
That said, it HAS to be on a bigger screen. If the vPod arrives on that teeny tiny screen, I'll just keep waiting.
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DerekJ said 4:06PM on 7-18-2005
What kind of vision would I have if I were only think of what they are working on for now? or a year from now?
The iPod 10 years from now will play videos just because tech allows it to. Don't think about technical limitations because they will fade soon, they already have begun to.
It won't drain batteries because it will get more from less, and use less power to boot.
It will process quicker, store more, be easier to use, and cost less.
C'mon people, if we are going to dream about these things, lets really try to.
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Harry Richman said 4:15PM on 7-18-2005
DerekJ, along those lines you could say almost anything. If we want to look 10 years, or 20, or 50 years into the future it becomes the realm of sci-fi. We could say in 20 years processors will be so tiny they wil able to be embedded in a contact lens... but that isn't what this is about, its about speculating what Apple will do NEXT, where the iPod will progress to, not what the 15th Generation iPod in ten years will be like.
But what you are saying is very true, battery lives have got noticeably better, even since the introduction of the iPod 1st Generation to now on the 4th, and hard-drives have go smalle rin size and larger in capacity as well, so the introduction of a next genration iPod is feasible.
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bryan elkus said 4:16PM on 7-18-2005
i have been waiting forever for a video ipod i was very dissapointed when the iphoto came out and did not have video capibilities. i really want a way to show off the videos to my friends when were just out and about, instead of havign to have a computer around or an internet connection to dl the files and hope they have the right codec.
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