“I saw some interesting theories why three’s no video iPod. I won’t get into the argument about whether consumers want mobile video. There’s clearly a segment that does and I won’t debate that side of the argument. The argument I read today goes since Steve Jobs owns Pixar he doesn’t want illegal movies ripped. Perhaps. But that’s not the reason. It’s because unlike music, it’s illegal to rip a DVD to your hard drive, Pixar or otherwise. Simple. No same company wants to get into that legal issue with the studios and provide those tools. Not Apple. Not Microsoft. In fact, the reason MediaCenter Extenders won’t stream DVDs from your MCE to the device is that in order to do so they need to be decrypted to send the stream. That’s illegal too. Should it be? Of course not, but at the moment, it is. The only other source of legal video content is recorded TV and Apple at the moment has no interest in playing in that market. Should they? Perhaps, but that’s another story,” Michael Gartenberg writes in his Jupiter Research weblog.
Full article here.
Makes sense… a logical conclusion based on sound reasoning. When there is a demand you can bet Apple will provide the Video iPod.
All true… but I think it would be cool to watch music videos on a small screen. Downloaded from the ITMS. No interest in staring at an iPod for 2 hrs while watching a movie, but 3-4 minutes, sure. Also, link up the “iPod Video” to iMovie. Store and display on screen or with a TV connection your own masterpieces.
addition… or movie trailers. How many of us will watch video or trailers on our computers in a small Quicktime window. Those same people would be happy to view on a two inch color iPod screen.
home videos…yeah…thats what I was gonna use it for….noooo, I would never rip a dvd, you know cause even though I bought it, I dont want to have choice as to where to keep it
Ah, but how quickly the movie industry forgets that people can make their own movies with iMovie. It would be nice to share those through the iPod.
One factor that has not been mentioned is that it takes horsepower to run video, maybe more than the iPod has.
Another factor is how often would you view video? I have the ability to watch DVDs on my PB but I don’t so why would I want to on my iPod.
But Randy, how many times would you watch a trailer or a video on your iPod? My songs get listened to over and over – that’s what we do with music. But with trailers, we watch them one or 2 times (more if it’s something really cool) and then blow them off. I bet most people don’t save them in a library for later or anything.
So how many people would go through the trouble of downloading them on the computer, then loading them up on the iPod to watch?
Apple should at least give us the advantage of playing back Keynote and PowerPoint files on iPod Photo. They could be selective in what type of files can be played back on it. What I would like to see is Apple allowing a space on the iPod hard drive for Java or Native code programs. This would allow further innovation such as more gaming and dashboard-like applets. Why no microphone is built-in is a mystery to me. One may wish to add voice annotations to their photos.
Let’s not forget cartoons for the kids! Kids will watch cartoons over and over again.
“…..Let’s not forget cartoons for the kids! Kids will watch cartoons over and over again…”
eon…. I think thats the reason the iPod Photo has the capacity to play games…. Keep an eye on THAT market !
In terms of commerical video, the argument makes sense.
However, what about personal short videos? Digital cameras are increasingly able to take several minute long video with video. It’s only a matter of time before camera and memory prices are low enough that people will have as many short videos as pix on their drives. People that want to use their iPod to tote around their pictures to show on their friends TVs will soon want to share their videos that way, too. Will this demand be huge? Like the iPod Photo, probably not, but enough people will be high enough that Apple can’t afford to lose that portion of potential customers.
Of course, the technical difficulties of this mentioned above could be an issue. The key to such an iPod would be that it retains the pocket-friendly size.
Jimbo von Winskinheimer: you may be correct on the Trailers. Being old enough to have watched Mtv when they actually showed videos, multiple viewings doesn’t seem too crazy to me. One may not keep them, but maybe you get a video with an album purchase? Look at how many physical CDs now ship with DVDs containing interviews, live performaces, videos, etc. A iPod Video could bring some of those perks more to the digital side.
http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/3gpp/
And those cell phones on that Apple web page don’t have a TV output connection like the iPod. And those phones don’t have anywhere near the storage capacity as the iPod.
Yet Apple is promoting video playback on those phones with tiny screens and limited storage.
I personally would love to have a collection of music videos. I love watching VH1 and VH1 Classic for great music videos. I’d love to download, mix and play these videos.
That said, I can’t imagine doing so on my iPod. On my PowerBook maybe but preferably stream via Airport Express to my TV. Would be great for a party.
Randy wins the “most well thought out post which is not just regurgitation of well travelled disputes” contest for today.
good job Randy!
It has not been established that copying a DVD to your hard drive is a violation of any existing law. The DMCA has been and is currently facing a number of challenges in the courts and will not emerge from these challenges unchanged.
Copying a video YOU HAVE PURCHASED is your property. Many contend that transcoding it to another file format in order to back-up your own poperty or view it on devices other than a DVD player is within established “fair-useage” regardless what MPAA Lawyers say.
That said, other copying IS against the law. Plenty of software exists for every major platform to perform these very things. If the MPAA does not wake up they will find themselves in a somewhat similar mess as the RIAA. It is interesting to note that many of the RIAA companies are also MPAA members. For example Sony owns both Sony Music (Columbia/Epic) and the Columbia/Tri-Star Studios.
There won’t be a video iPod. To do so now would be to imitate which is not Apple’s way.
What we will see next however is Satellite Radio built into the iPod. Late Q1, early Q2.
This is all very silly.
The reason for no video was VERY clearly explained here… http://stream.apple.akadns.net/ at time index 00:12:30.
Actually I can see the Next addition to the iPod will be Keynote/power point presentaions.
Why? Simple a Business walks up to a tv plugs his iPod’s s adaptors into the TV, and starts his presentaion.
Of course the iRemote will have to be invented as well, but it’s a lot better solution than hooking up a laptop, and doesn’t take up as much physical room.
5- hours for playing music and scrolling photos, a 3 hour presentation should be easy. Plus it will last longer than a laptop.
Why oh why do people moan for video on the iPod. I’m glad Steve Jobs doesn’t think the way some do.
If you need something that plays music and shows video and you can do KeyNote presentations and there’s games…etc. etc. etc….get a powerbook! It makes more sense.
iPod plays your music. Really simply and elegantly. Why wish to turn it into some bloated complicated Microsoft-esque device?
I’m not completely sold on the photos (digital cameral can store photos-not your whole library-and take pics too) but it makes more sense than video.
I agree with Peragrin, the iPod Photo has a long and very useful life ahead of it as it enters our lives in yet unimagined ways.
As I posted earlier…
For those with no imaginations, an iPod Photo could be used for…
– Sales Presentations
– Instructional Aid
– Model/Artist Portfolio
– Maps
– Complex Sequence of Instructions w/ Illustrations
– Missing Children or Wanted People/Vehicle Photos for Police Officers on Patrol
– Building Plans for Firefighters
– Airport Data (Runway Configs) for Private Pilots
– Hiking & Biking Trails
– Waterway Depths and Other Map Info for Boaters
– Real Estate Sales Photos and Floor Plans
– Vendor Product Catalog
…anything that requires someone to display images and be portable at the same time.
I am currently working on developing entire business concepts based on a few of the above ideas as I bring this innovative technology to these markets.
you can go back and forth with this. the fact remains that the iPod Photo is a nich market. not everyone will want it or afford it. so would the video iPod. Some of us geeks on this forum would arguably want the video because it would be cool to have and it would be a logical evolution of the iPod. there are many arguments as to not do it. Most of them legal. the other arguments to do it would be personal such as personal videos, music videos, presentations, on-the-go Tivo, but more importantly ripped DVD. yes, we all want to be able to watch our favorite movies on the plane, or when we are spending those long holidays over Grandma’s house.
Can apple do it? i think if they turn around the music executives, stevo can definitely convince the movie guys to loosen the grip on DVD laws. but it will take time. Not next year. maybe 2006.
so i’m not buying that argument: screen too small. can’t walk and watch video at the same time. can’t drive and watch video, blah, blah blah.
Apple got burn with the “rip, mix and burn” campaign. they don’t want to go that route. and we all know that all of us here would rip a couple of DVD to carry on their iPod. So i think Apple is pushing back on this for 2 reasons:
1. they don’t want to detract from the iPod success. Milk this puppy as much as they can.
2. they are looking for a legal resolution in the mean time.
the technology is ready. the chip being used in the iPod is capable of doing both jpg and video. so you know the iPod can do it. it is just a question of timing. we are not there yet. Patience.
Good original article and comments.
The movie copyright issue is not clear at the moment so it’s best for Apple to stay away. The original video tape copying lawsuits going against the copyright holders was partly based on ‘substantial non-infringing use’ (time-shifting TV) as is the case in the recent p2p networks judgment. Would an iPod Video currently have substantial non-infringing use? Possibly not at the moment, more likely later when people use video like they do photos now.
Screen size is important here too, arguably too small for viewing which means the main use would be transporting video from one location to another to share with other people. I’m sure Hollywood et al could claim that therefore it’s a primarily infringing device.
Video phones are aimed at a different market, news flashes and the like. Phone cos laid out massive dough for the networks (including to Apple for QT) and are trying to recoup so Apple is promoting it’s use. But in the real world few people are watching video on their phones, or even sharing photos via the phone network.
Notice the nomencular that Apple is using, iPod, iPod Mini, iPod Photo, that leaves scope for iPod Video, iPod Game, iPod Notes, iPod Presents etc. None of these infringe on the original iPod’s ‘music only’ message and the device’s purpose is clearly described in it’s name.