Filed under: iPod Family, Video, Reviews
5th Generation iPod: First Impressions
I've only spent a few hours with my new 5th generation iPod so far, but I wanted to give you some more details about the device than were included in my first post about it.First off, before you ask: I don't know how it looks when hooked into a TV. They didn't have any of the new peripherals (like the new Dock) available in the Apple Store and I didn't want to risk spending the extra loot on a 3rd party video adapter cable that I wasn't sure would work. I talked to one of the Apple Store employees who recommended that I order the Dock and cable online. I thought, Good idea, I better grab this iPod before they all sell out, and ran.
The screen is amazing. To continue my previous musings on the iPod vs. the PSP, while I think it really is like comparing Apples and oranges, I can at least say something comparatively about the video and the screens. The iPod's screen is not as large as the PSP's but the video quality when playing back iTMS-purchased video, like the Lost episode I watched on the commute home, is as good as watching a UMD movie on the PSP, and it is superior to all the videos I have converted to Memory Stick for my PSP. That extra hard drive space on the iPod really makes a difference in the quantity and quality of the video you can squeeze in there. There were no artifacts whatsoever, and no odd burps in the playback. The video is crisp and clear and I will be watching much more on this little wonder.
More after the jump...
Unlike with the nano, the connection via USB on the 5th generation iPod is fast. I mean, pretty blazingly fast. Every episode of Lost had moved successfully over to the iPod before I even thought to check on the progress. I thought, I wonder if its made it through more than 2 or 3 episodes yet?, and there was the whole thing. Evidently the slowdown of transferring the songs and images over to my nano was a bottleneck caused by the flash memory drive in the nano and not by the USB connection. This hard drive based iPod shoots through file transfers, so I'm not missing the Firewire that much.
However, there are some file transfer problems. One of the malformed videos in my iTunes Library stopped the transfer of everything listed behind it *twice* before I figured out what was happening. It gave an error about the file, and gave the option to find the file or cancel. Since the file was missing I hit Cancel, which evidently stopped the transfer (even the iPod kept acting like it was moving the files over for a little bit). I was also shocked to find that when there aren't any TV shows on your iPod, the TV shows menu doesn't show up. This makes sense, but it still freaked me out when I thought I had just transfered over a bunch of shows and there wasn't even a TV option.
Also, the little "case" that is included is actually pretty nice. Before getting mine, I thought, "That's just a piece of crap sleeve, not a real case!" However, after using it for a bit, it's nice. You can slide the screen out of the case and watch your shows. The sleeve is thin enough that you can still manage to control the iPod with ease while watching in this manner, and it keeps the iPod clean and polished. The cloth is soft on the inside and works well as a chamois cloth for cleaning off that beautiful little screen.
Speaking of the screen, lets get back to it for a second. I watched an entire episode of Lost, holding the iPod in my lap while on the train and I could see everything clearly with no squinting necessary. There's no need to hold the screen right up to your eyes, as some people have claimed would be the case. Then, after I arrived home, I propped up the iPod in the kitchen as I cooked dinner. I simply turned the audio up all the way and dropped the earphones in a little cup (nice acoustics trick there for a lo-fi amplifier) and could hear everything nicely as I cooked up my steak for dinner.
Overall, this is a great iPod. Get one. Get one now. I'm actually revising my last month's proclamation of the iPod nano as the best iPod ever. The 5th generation is the best iPod ever now. I'm selling my 4G and my nano. I'll have another more detailed review after I've run this thing through the full gamut this week.
However, there are some file transfer problems. One of the malformed videos in my iTunes Library stopped the transfer of everything listed behind it *twice* before I figured out what was happening. It gave an error about the file, and gave the option to find the file or cancel. Since the file was missing I hit Cancel, which evidently stopped the transfer (even the iPod kept acting like it was moving the files over for a little bit). I was also shocked to find that when there aren't any TV shows on your iPod, the TV shows menu doesn't show up. This makes sense, but it still freaked me out when I thought I had just transfered over a bunch of shows and there wasn't even a TV option.
Also, the little "case" that is included is actually pretty nice. Before getting mine, I thought, "That's just a piece of crap sleeve, not a real case!" However, after using it for a bit, it's nice. You can slide the screen out of the case and watch your shows. The sleeve is thin enough that you can still manage to control the iPod with ease while watching in this manner, and it keeps the iPod clean and polished. The cloth is soft on the inside and works well as a chamois cloth for cleaning off that beautiful little screen.
Speaking of the screen, lets get back to it for a second. I watched an entire episode of Lost, holding the iPod in my lap while on the train and I could see everything clearly with no squinting necessary. There's no need to hold the screen right up to your eyes, as some people have claimed would be the case. Then, after I arrived home, I propped up the iPod in the kitchen as I cooked dinner. I simply turned the audio up all the way and dropped the earphones in a little cup (nice acoustics trick there for a lo-fi amplifier) and could hear everything nicely as I cooked up my steak for dinner.
Overall, this is a great iPod. Get one. Get one now. I'm actually revising my last month's proclamation of the iPod nano as the best iPod ever. The 5th generation is the best iPod ever now. I'm selling my 4G and my nano. I'll have another more detailed review after I've run this thing through the full gamut this week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Vanessa said 11:50AM on 11-02-2005
Hi, im new at this, but i just purchased my 5gen ipod and am loving it to death. ONLY problem is, is that my home videos [sound included] wont convert them with sound when i use QT 7 pro.
Any suggestions on why this is happening?
Maybe this isn't the only case?
Thanks in advance,
Vanessa
Reply
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Tony said 8:29PM on 11-10-2005
i may be the first person to have serious problems with my black 5th generation iPod 30gig. after 10 days of my purchase i put it on my computer as i normally do and then it starts stuffing up. i tried to put an album onto it and my iTunes froze.. so i took my iPod out and reseted it... Next thing my iPod wont show up on iTunes or even my computer... Also i am unable to play any of my songs... but when i look in the "About" section of my iPod it says there is 0 songs but there is 12.5 gigs of space available... i have reset it many times now, put it in disk mode, and tried to update and restore. i sent it back i juz hope apple fixes my problem... Man hasnt even been 2 weeks and my iPod is stuffed
Reply
denny said 12:17PM on 11-18-2005
Is there ny news on the 5th generation IPOD of a way to do audio recording with it like the 3rd and 4th Gen.?
Reply
Bonny Kamen said 11:03AM on 12-03-2005
5 generation Ipod is really great. However I bought Logitec Bluetooth headsets that I was told would be compatible but no dice. They had a little dock connector close to the headset pin which did not have a place to be plugged in. Your supposed to use an extra wire plug which is awful because the adapter is left hanging off like a waving flag. Could not get it to work anyhow and returning. Would like to hear if anyone has found blue tooth technology headsets for 5th G that are working?
Reply
jim said 3:18PM on 12-05-2005
Yo, looking for some help with the 5 Generation iPOD. !the backround- a WINDOWS XP OWNER.QUICK TIME 7 & iTUNES.All updated with the latest files.USB connection ok.sync ok for music downloads to iPod.
iPOD will not accept video podcast.The podcast (on iTUNES)has been downloaded to a iPOD with a MAC.MESSAGE APPEARED on my pc/ iTUNES:"Some of the video's in your iTunes Libeary.....cannot be played on this iPOD".The particular podcast has been correctly encoded H264.ANYBODY GOT A suggestion what to do next please.??
Reply
duncan Hopkins said 9:23PM on 10-18-2005
have you tried adding any ripped video in m4v or mp4 format?
either from QT 7.03 or others?
Reply
Caleb Dewberry said 9:24PM on 10-18-2005
sounds cool. i bought a 40gb ipod photo from best buy way back when, and then they stopped making the 40gb and my ipod freaked out and they upped me to 60gb cause i got a warranty. im hoping my new(ish) ipod freaks out to so i can get a free 5th gen. lol i know im cheap. are there any ways to break an ipod without voiding the warranty? (never thought id say that)
Reply
C.K. Sample, III said 9:24PM on 10-18-2005
Duncan, yes. An episode MP4 works swimmingly. So far, none of the h.264 files I'd converted work.
Reply
duncan Hopkins said 9:27PM on 10-18-2005
have you tried adding any ripped video in m4v or mp4 format?
either from QT 7.03 or others?
Reply
duncan Hopkins said 9:33PM on 10-18-2005
not good to hear - i have several files waiting when my arrives - what about converting the h.264(.mp4) in QT "export to ipod" - .M4v?
Reply
Grappik said 9:38PM on 10-18-2005
C.K., I ordered the iPod A/V cable from Apple, and it works fine for connecting the 5G iPod to my TV. It is the A/V cable they came out with for the iPod Photo. Has a special headphone connector, and plugs into the headphone jack.
The picture quality on my 36" TV was fine. Nothing majorly noticeable in the way of artifacts. However, crappily encoded video still looks crappy.
Reply
C.K. Sample, III said 9:40PM on 10-18-2005
Grappik, now I am angry with the guy at the Apple Store. Grrr... but thanks for the info! Going to go buy a cable tomorrow. w00t!
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jimmie said 10:55PM on 10-18-2005
C.K. why oh why must you do this to me?lol. You've convinced me. Thursday is pay day.
On a funny note I wanted to see if the Apple store in my area had them in yet (I am not getting one,yet) when the salesman answered I asked, "Do you have the new iPod in?" to which he responded "What new iPod? only kidding, we've only got a few 30GB white ones."
http://www.gadgetsonthego.net/2005/10/mac-website-proclaims-new-ipod-best.html
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bobbyc said 11:01PM on 10-18-2005
Looks great but I still have a problem with the short battery life for watching videos-- 2-3 hours right?? It's not even long enough for a Chicago to L.A. plane flight.
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deranged dude said 11:00PM on 10-18-2005
Start your Handbrake, ladies and gentlemen. Back up those DVDs.
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Tom said 11:02PM on 10-18-2005
Almost makes me mad I spent my money on a nano...but ever since my old 4G 40GB semi-crapped out on me after I ran with it (yes, I know, I shouldn't have) and now skips constantly (so much that I can't even keep it in my pants pocket) I'm wary of hard drives. Go flash memory! Thanks for the great roundup though C.K., look forward to more impressions.
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Zsolt said 11:17PM on 10-18-2005
I bought a 30 GB black one at the South Coast Plaza Apple store in California. Waiting for my 10 GB library to transfer over USB 1 from my TiBook. No power adapter included, bummer.
Zsolt
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Jon said 11:36PM on 10-18-2005
This question must have been asked before, so sorry if people have seen it umpteen times already, but:
Approximately how big are the TV show files from iTunes?
I'm just wondering how much of a TV / music ratio we are going to have to decide on. I mean I'm not too fussed about quality but if we are talking 300-500mb an episode, that's going to wreak havoc on your music collection, especially if, like me, you kinda like the idea of being able to carry a whole season of Lost around with you.
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Reid Bode said 12:12AM on 10-19-2005
I was in the Apple Store Southdale (MN)for a while today, and they had a few (3?) white 30gigs out on the floor. Only 1 had anything on it, as they had yet to be set up (they came in today). It sounded like they had more, but I didn't ask if they had any for purchase yet.
What I'm wondering is what you all paid for tax.
MN sales tax in 6.5%, and if my calc widget is correct that's an extra $25 for my black 60GB. I'll order online and get the video cable instead.
Oh, do the album video download extras work on the iPod?
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