“You’ve got the whole TV world in your hand — if that’s where you want it. By now, you probably know that those industrious iPodders at Apple have added TV to their music box, streaming Apple Store-supplied video onto a screen that’s roughly the size of a small Post-it Note. And all you need to join this brave new TV world are good eyes, a steady hand and a desire to see some very tiny Desperate Housewives misbehave in your palm, which does have a certain undeniable appeal,” Robert Bianco writes for USA Today.
MacDailyNews Note: Just to clarify: Apple doesn’t really “stream” video to your iPod. You download videos from Apple’s iTunes Store to your computer (Mac or Windows PC) where you can watch it (you also can connect your computer’s output to other monitors via a $19 cable from Apple) and also sync it to your video-capable iPod to take with you to watch. The iPod can then also be connected to external monitors for viewing via a $19 cable from Apple.
Bianco continues, ” No one really thinks a 2.5-inch display makes an ideal TV screen, just as no one thinks, say, the back seat of a crowded bus is the ideal place to catch up on Lost. The gizmo truth is that many people want to watch TV on their iPod not because they should, but because they can — the techno ‘wow’ at work… What you’ll get for your roughly $2 an episode is an image that is bright, clear, crisp and, of course, small. While the picture’s sharpness is at first a pleasant surprise, it’s also a viewing drawback for TV shows: The iPod’s exaggerated contrast works against scenes shot in either bright sunlight or shadow. Which means, for example, when the Lost castaways are all sitting around the fire, pretty much all you’ll see is the fire.”
Bianco writes, “The video iPod is a supplement to your TV, not a substitute. So the only real issue is whether, given its ease of use and portability and its undeniable cool factor, the iPod provides an acceptable viewing experience. As with so many TV questions, the answer depends on the show. With Desperate Housewives, for example, I’d say yes, with reservations. With Lost, probably not.”
Full article here.
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