Apple has finished its big event. The news? New smaller iMacs with built-in cameras and a bundled remote control to go with new photo creation software. And the new standard iPod. It is thinner. It has a 2.5-inch screen. And, as speculated, it can play video. ITunes 6.0 will let you buy music videos for $1.99 each. ABC is also partnering with Apple to sell episodes of television shows, like the hits Lost and Desperate Housewives, at the same $1.99. The iPod has a video out, so you should be able to watch the shows elsewhere too.
While the quality of the video likely isn't amazing given the 320x240 resolution of the iPod screen, it may be the beginning of a big change: legally downloadable television shows, the day after broadcast. With 200 million copies of iTunes out there, there is a huge potential audience. Watch the news on your subway trip to work; download shows that you miss due to meetings--many will find uses for the video feature.
Will this new iPod continue Apple's string of successes? Will other Hollywood studios follow and sell their shows online? It remains to be seen.
Related Stories: | Topics:Technology, technology + computers, Science and Technology, Digital Music Players, Audio and Video Devices, Electronics, Consumer Electronics |
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 4 Total
October 12, 2005 at 11:03pm by rags
I think this is a remarkable move by Apple in signing the deal with ABC to make TV programs available the very next day. Together with this content Apple made a convincing argument for video iPod. Until this morning I was thinking only music videos and did not see a compeling reason for video iPod. The TV programs is the tipping point.
October 13, 2005 at 5:18am by Ian Waring
I wonder if we brits will be allowed to download the US shows a day after US broadcast. TV Networks here seem to follow about a year behind...
October 13, 2005 at 10:17am by John
They had the opportunity to make this REALLY revolutionary by allowing you to do something like... oh, let's see... Watch the DVDs you already own on it. But they put copy crap on it that prevents you from watching these.
They could have done something REALLY revolutionary, but instead, they left it up to their users to find a way to make it revolutionary.
October 13, 2005 at 10:48am by Frank
John --
You can easily rip your DVDs down to play on the iPod: see Mark Pilgrim's HOWTO Rip DVD Movies To Your iPod Using Free Software.
I don't believe there's any "Copy Crap" except the DRM on video files you purchase from the iTunes store; I think the reason you can't buy movies yet is that, even shrunk to 320 x 240 and compressed, those files are still going to run around 600 megabytes, which will take a long time to download, even on a broadband connection.
I suppose you could make the argument that a video-enabled iTunes should be able to rip from DVD to iPod MP4, as it can rip CDs to MP3 or AAC, but there are a number of 3rd party solutions that can do that just as well.