“Once I had an 80GB iPod in my hand, I discovered that the wait for a living-room option wasn’t as far off as Jobs had indicated,” Wilson Rothman writes for Time Magazine. “It turns out, both movies and TV shows are being encoded in files that better suit TV screens. All of the TV shows on iTunes are now available in a higher-resolution format. (Note: while the files are 640×480 in resolution, widescreen movies and TV shows are letterboxed, so they actually have a height of something considerably less than 480 pixels.)”
“The 80GB iPod can play six and a half hours of it (or more); the 30GB iPod has three and a half hours, up from around two. I connected the 80GB iPod to a dock with an S-Video output, and connected that to a 42-in. high-definition Panasonic plasma. I didn’t expect a miracle picture, but I was happy to see that it was as good or better than standard-definition broadcast TV, if not as good as DVDs or HD broadcasts. I would not mind watching iPod-based movies on my TV, provided they weren’t movies whose visual effects and subtleties were crucial,” Rothman writes.
“The eagerly anticipated iTV (or whatever it will be called), slated to arrive next spring, will have an HDMI output for the simplest high-quality connection to newer high-def TVs. That bodes well for an even higher quality iTunes movie format that Apple might introduce in the future,” Rothman writes.
“The crazy thing about the 80GB iPod is that you can put even a sizable music collection on it in its entirety, and still have room for movies,” Rothman writes.
“The last new iPod feature appears on all models, from the tiny new iPod shuffle up to the 80GB warehouse of an iPod. I’m talking about the new earbuds,” Rothman writes. “pple’s new buds fit my ears without any fancy feats of physics, and for that I’m grateful.”
Full article here.
Related articles:
CNET Editor’s Choice: Apple fifth-gen updated iPod – ‘best, most attractive iPod to date’ – September 20, 2006
Analyst: iPod video tear-down suggests high Apple margins, future ‘true iPod Video’ – September 15, 2006
CNET Editor’s Pick: Apple’s new 2G iPod nano – ‘sure to be top choice among wide range of users’ – September 14, 2006
Apple debuts new iPod in 30GB and 80GB with Hollywood movies, games and new lower price – September 12, 2006
Apple intros new iPod nano with new aluminum design in five colors and 24-hour battery life – September 12, 2006
Apple unveils new iPod shuffle: world’s smallest digital music player – September 12, 2006
Mine arrives tomorrow. And since the software update last week I’m getting almost 4 hours of video on my 30gb, so they must have done something with power management in that update too.
Don’t eat the cheese.
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Apple iPod 80GB
Of course it is… Apple throws a lot of advertising dollars at TIME.
And Time actually has taste.
Andrew, are you saying you’re getting 4 hours on your 5th gen or your “enhanced” 5th gen?
RC:
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. I was on a 5 hour flight on Monday and it lasted just shy of 4 hours, which was far longer than it ever had before. (And I do this flight regularly), so I’m assuming there was something in the software update.
RC: “Andrew, are you saying you’re getting 4 hours on your 5th gen OR your ‘enhanced’ 5th gen?”
Andrew: “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I love it.
Typical Mac tools.
Hey Andrew, thanks for the response, but I was actually asking whether you have the old 5th gen or the new enhanced 5th gen? I’m assuming you have the old 5th gen?
Sorry, missed that. And yeah, I guess I am a typical Mac tool. I have the old 5th gen version right now RC which was updated last week before the trip.
It could have been a fluke but I will be trying it again next Monday.
Dells are way better.