Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, Video
Do you watch video on your iPod?
I'm a big iPod video watcher. I love watching my shows while waiting on slow lines or at the dentist or at the DMV. My kids watch video when we're carpooling and my husband has a boatload of old John Wayne movies digitized that travel with us when we go to hotels. Perhaps we're not the most normal iPod users on Earth, but we use the iPod video features a lot. More than we even use the audio.
According to a recent study by Nielsen, we're completely out of step with most people.
Ars Technica reports that the demand for iPod video features is greatly overblown--if you believe Nielsen. After following 400 iPod users for a month, Nielsen concluded that a very small number of iPod users are interested in the video functionality of their iPod.
Now before you jump to any conclusions, keep in mind that those 400 users weren't all using video iPods--nearly a third didn't own or use video iPods. The Nielsen numbers suggest that only about 1% of the content played on the iPods they surveyed was video, a pretty pathetic showing. Even after restricting iPod use to video iPods, that number only rose to 2.2%.
Surprising, isn't it?
So what about you, TUAW readers? Do you use your iPod for video? Or are you mostly music listeners out there? Let us know in the comments as we conduct our own unscientific and highly skewed poll.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Jeff said 9:15AM on 11-22-2006
I don't watch video on my ipod nearly as much as I did when I first got it. It is a nice feature to have and I will watch occasionally, but I do most of my video watching on my laptop. The thing I listen to the most on my ipod are podcasts. About 80% of my ipod listening time is spent with podcasts.
Reply
Matthew said 9:18AM on 11-22-2006
There's a lot of criticism being written about Nielsen regarding this report, suggesting that it's inaccurate, out of touch. Perhaps.
But even if they're off by 10%, or five times their original finding, it's clear that video on iPods is not a big deal to this point. But it doesn't mean anything more than that.
What I'm more interested in is the growth rate of video on iPods.
When services like YouTube are integrated into the iTunes Store podcast section, the viewing of video on the iPod video will explode. If Google's relationship with Apple (Smith on Apple's BOD) includes some exchange of content, perhaps Google Video will be making its way to the iTunes Store very soon.
Reply
schwa said 9:19AM on 11-22-2006
I'm about to hop on a plane for Thanksgiving with nothing but my iPod and this week's Economist for company; if I was ever going to watch video on my iPod, this would be when. And I'm not planning to; especially for someone who wears glasses, half an hour plus staring at that tiny screen is just too uncomfortable.
Ironically, I've got a whole bunch of short videos (sketch comedy, things from YouTube) that I probably *would* watch on my iPod if it weren't for the fact that all the utilities to convert them require me to shell out yet *more* money.
Reply
Chris said 9:27AM on 11-22-2006
The report didn't really surprise me. Most of my office now has the Video iPod and for the most part we all agree that music is the main content we access on our iPod. Maybe it is because iPods are mostly on our belts or attached to our cars. There's not a lot of time for watching it when you're busy.
Even at home, I hardly watch the video - only the Ze Frank Show when I remember. The main reason I got an iPod was to have all my music at my finger tips. It has nothing to do with the video.
Reply
Joel Ivory Johnson said 9:34AM on 11-22-2006
I'm not using an iPod but I do have a video capable PMP. I never thought about my video habits until I read this article, but I only use it to play video when I am travelling via plane and want to catch up on my TV shows, which isn't that often.
Reply
Cameron Campbell said 9:26AM on 11-22-2006
I got a Video iPod about a month ago, I figure I spend about 25 - 40% of my time watching videos on it.
The Nielson methodology seems a bit odd based on the articles I've read.
They followed 400 iPod users, I can't figure out what percentage of which were video models. They then report a global percentage of video use from a sample group that isn't all video iPods.
A more realistic sample would be based on 400 Video iPod users.
Reply
Simon said 9:27AM on 11-22-2006
Don't ever use it as another user said I watch videos on my macbook after ripping them with handbrake
Reply
Jacqui Cheng said 9:31AM on 11-22-2006
Technically the report said that a third of those who said they had EVER watched a video on iTunes or their iPods didn't own a video iPod. There was no data given as to what percentage of the total group used video iPods.
Nielsen also indicated that they would be conducting another panel later this year, and (I believe) yet another next year. So whatever problems they may have had may be corrected in the next few rounds, and/or we might be able to see some trend changes in that time.
To answer the question, I almost never watch video on my iPod. I have done it occasionally for novelty purposes or to show it to a friend, but it's not a regular habit.
Reply
Adam Whitlock said 9:40AM on 11-22-2006
I remember when I got my video iPod that I put a couple of BSG episodes on it, though didn't watch it. It was sheer novelty. I may watch something on it someday, though trying it out doesn't count.
I'm a no.
Reply
Jesse said 9:31AM on 11-22-2006
I tend to watch videos every so often. It was a nifty thing when I first got it, played with it all the time. Now its when I am bored away from a computer. I am more likely to waste time playing Zuma.
Reply
Steve Coulson said 9:36AM on 11-22-2006
I guess I must be in the minority, because my split is probably 70/30 video to music, mostly on the bus during my commute every day.
Reply
john said 9:36AM on 11-22-2006
I picked up the video iPod when it came out for the increased capactity. I watched a few videos (music videos...Dark Side of Oz) but never really got into it. It's kind of like the ability to dump RSS feeds into the notes section...if I rode public transit I'd probably love the feature...but I don't. I couldn't imagine watching a whole movie on it, but if I was going on a long trip I'd throw on some Aqua Teen, Sealab, Trailer Park Boys, and Mr. Show episodes for sure.
Video podcasts are okay, but I don't like that I have to select them from the Videos section to watch them.
Reply
Muzz said 9:38AM on 11-22-2006
I was all about it when I picked up my 5G a year ago. Now, it's nothing more than a novelty IMO.
Reply
jim said 12:41PM on 11-22-2006
i have videos on my ipod but have only watched them while i was having blood drawn at the doctor
Reply
Niklas said 9:40AM on 11-22-2006
schwa, you should try iSquint, it's a free and simple utility: www.isquint.org
I am still enjoying my iPod mini, so no video on my iPod... Though I have quite a few movies in my iTunes library.
Reply
PlanetaryGear said 10:06AM on 11-22-2006
My single biggest use for the video features is in the car. I have tossed the DVD player that came with the 2 little screens for the kids and just plug them into the iPod. Ripping all our kid DVD's to the iPod was a no brainer with handbrake.
And it is SO much easier to control! You try navigating through the menus to find the actual movie when you can't actually see the DVD screen and your kids dont want to watch 10 minutes of adds and previews before they end up at a menu where pressing play again doesn't necessarily guarantee that the movie will actually play, you could get lost in scene selections or something. i HATE HATE HATE HATE the menus and previews and other CRAP on DVD's.
But I just pull the main movie out, select it from my iPod list and it plays on the screens in back for the kids. Couldn't be easier. I highly recommend the iPod for this exact use.
Reply
David said 9:54AM on 11-22-2006
I attempted to watch a short video podcast on my laptop once and could barely stand it. I bought the iPod because it was the best audio player, I didn't buy it for some basic video support.
Reply
sean said 9:54AM on 11-22-2006
I love the iPod for video...especially when travelling.
Reply
Brian Peat said 9:54AM on 11-22-2006
I have about 9 movies on my iPod right now, all ripped from DVDs I own via Handbrake. The only thing keeping me from watching stuff when I'm out is I don't have a good pair of small headphones (my normal phones are the same Sony 7506's I use for video editing). But I use the thing in the car to make long trips seem short (though I try my best not to actually WATCH the movie). I also use it on plane trips (though I need one of those external batteries). I LOVE having that capability on the iPod (and I do wish the iPod had the screen from the Zune, however flawed that player is)!
Reply
Allan Leedy said 9:56AM on 11-22-2006
I watched a movie once; it was fine. But on a long flight, I can get 10 or so hours of audio entertainment, vs. 90 minutes of video. No contest.
Reply