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Apple Now Selling Expensive, Restricted TV Shows Too

Overhype

from the cue-the-fanboys dept

Wed, Oct 12th 2005 11:31am — Carlo Longino
The long-running rumors of a video iPod proved to be true, with Apple today announcing new iPods with a bigger (though still small) screen that can play video, and the availability of music videos and Pixar shorts through the iTunes Music Store for $2 a pop, as well as episodes of some ABC and Disney TV shows. This seems fairly pointless when DVRs are so popular and so cheap now -- although, of course, getting your DVR content onto a portable device is another matter. There doesn't seem to be a lot to get excited about here, when Apple's selling a small collection of rather uncompelling video content in a format that's locked to the iPod thanks to Apple's copy protection (though you will be able to watch your pricey downloads on your TV, in stunning QVGA resolution). Part of the success of the iPod and iTunes was the ease with which it rips CDs, and organizes and transfers music. For a video iPod to be successful, Apple needs to come up with some software to make video ripping, conversion and transfer just as easy -- the idea that the only video content people will watch on their gleaming new iPod is content they buy from Apple is way off base. It's not the case with music, and it won't be the case with video either.
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26 Comments

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  • identicon
    Jeff, 12 Oct 2005 @ 11:47am

    You can put home movies and stuff on it, but there

    You must own Quicktime 7 Pro. At least according to the iPod tech specs.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      ceejayoz, 12 Oct 2005 @ 12:51pm

      Re: You can put home movies and stuff on it, but t

      I just purchased the latest Desperate Housewives and it plays fine in iTunes once you download the free Quicktime 7.0.3.

      I suspect that's the case for the iPod video, too. I SERIOUSLY doubt Apple would be idiotic enough to hamper their iPod video by requiring you to get Quicktime Pro after purchase.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        ted, 13 Oct 2005 @ 7:33am

        Re: You can put home movies and stuff on it, but t

        to Make videos out of home movies you need to have quicktime pro. i SERIOUSLY doubt you read and understood the comment before you replied :-)

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          tom dunham, 26 May 2006 @ 11:54am

          Re: Re: You can put home movies and stuff on it, b

          Quicktime is a way to convert video, not the only way. Anything that renders MPEG video is fine and there plenty of freebies out there.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Jay, 12 Oct 2005 @ 2:25pm

      Re: You can put home movies and stuff on it, but t

      afaik, the iPod comes with a quicktime pro + itunes CD

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      oktay, 13 Jan 2006 @ 4:27pm

      oktayatko79@hotmail.com

      c ai cia c

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    RANDDICKSON, 12 Oct 2005 @ 12:25pm

    Niche market that can expand

    I see the viability of this. The ipod costs no more than the previous model so that's plus. You don't have to take advantage of the video feature. However, I can see where anyone who has a commute might want to grab an episode of 'something' for the hour or longer trip. Also, kids !!! This would definitely make the school bus rides go by quicker. The apple-Pixar connection will help here and kids still lovvveeee Disney material.

    I don't see this being a major feature ... yet. But let showtime or HBO or ESPN (hey, they're part of ABC) join in and a lot of adults who are constantly on the go will opt for this over something that might sit on their DVR for a few days and be old news by the time they get for it. Hey, take sportscenter with you on your ride to work or just to sit on watch on your lunch break. Everyday ?? No but maybe on Monday after the Sunday football is over.

    This is all said with out trying it out yet so there may be a major gotcha in here but on the surface, I can see a niche.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      jackson, 28 Nov 2005 @ 7:34am

      Re: dvd to ipod converter

      Cucusoft iPod Video Converter Suite is an all-in-one iPod video Conversion solution. that helps you to convert video and DVDs to iPod video MP4 formats.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    SSGT Stokes, 12 Oct 2005 @ 1:02pm

    No Subject Given

    I'm in the process of converting some TV season sets to H.264 for the iPod. It's going to be a long and tedious undertaking to do it, but it is doable. Apple seriously needs to release an all in one freeware program that will do this for you if they really want the video aspect to appeal to everyone.

    As it stands right now in order to do this the official way, you need buy QT Pro. And you can not use protected content like I'm doing now with DVDs you currently own.

    I might hire some people to stand guard and alert me to any HALO drop by the MPAA.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Oliver Wendell Jones, 12 Oct 2005 @ 1:03pm

    Story of my life....

    I just bought my first iPod last week and they've already come out with a new one...

    The video doesn't really appeal to me that much, as I've already got a Treo 600 that will play video and I still have my aging iPaq 3765 with a much bigger screen than the iPod so I've already got a gadget to do to that if I ever really need it.

    But, still... not even a week old and it's obsolete...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      RANDDICKSON, 12 Oct 2005 @ 1:19pm

      Re: Story of my life....

      Odds are pretty good you can return it for a newer one if you so desire.

      Remember when the consumer cycle used to be about 18 months ? Think it's down to 3 months now and getting shorter and shorter as companies race to keep up with each other.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Josh, 14 Oct 2005 @ 4:24am

      Re: Story of my life....

      Return it if you can =)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Your Mom, 23 Oct 2005 @ 6:01pm

      Re: Story of my life....

      Obsolete? Look up the meaning of that word with your precious state of the art Treo or maybe your aging iPaq... I would hardly call anything that was brand new a week ago "Obsolete"

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Logan renz, 12 Oct 2005 @ 1:15pm

    Firmware Upgradable

    Was reading through the formats that were supported for video and I was upset that there was no DivX support. Then I noticed they made a point to say that he firmware is upgradable so in the future *cross fingers* we will be able to play all our DivX movies.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Albert Fackler, 12 Oct 2005 @ 2:02pm

    iPod videos

    You're correct on your statements in general, but you opinion isn't anything new. Steve Jobs has not been excited about a video iPod either. When you look at this little box that has storage and playback, he decided to use it for the audio market. The only thing this does for Apple is cut Microsoft's "iPod Killer" project off at the knees. If you want to bash a company, why not go after one that has acted like an ugly thug with no creativity in its DNA
    like Microsoft. We should fully support innovation, not pushed demand. Pushed demand will never help our country's economy only support monopolists who stifle innovation.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Michael Pate, 12 Oct 2005 @ 2:12pm

    Kinoma Producer

    I suspect the people who make it really easy to put video on my Treo 650, Kinoma, will make it just as easy to put things on this new iPod. After all, they already support the PSP.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    can of spam, 12 Oct 2005 @ 2:40pm

    this is not a bad thing

    Cheap, ad-free TV shows. That's what you all wanted, right? Well, now it's here, and people are already whining about the fact that they use Fairplay.

    I know that free, ad free TV shows and terabit ethernet to each house is what everyone wants, but that's not the case right now. $1.99 per show isn't bad.

    This is not a bad thing. This is a pretty cool thing. For example, being able to watch a TV show on your iPod while on BART is a good thing. BART is usually too crowded to whip out a laptop, but a video iPod is small enough.

    Also, you can put your own videos onto the iPod.

    "Apple needs to come up with some software to make video ripping, conversion and transfer just as easy"

    I hate to tell you, Mike, but Apple got a LOT of grief for the "Rip, Mix, Burn" campaign, courtesy of the RIAA. If Apple ventured into the "here, you can convert DVDs!" market, the MPAA would have an absolute heart attack.
    Besides, Roxio already makes software for that, so why kill off their market?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Randdickson, 13 Oct 2005 @ 8:26am

    Expand the market

    Ok, got it. As soon as someone figures out how to create movies that can be uploaded to the ipod, the porn folks will be all over this. Porn on the go. Porn made the VHS tape deck big, it made the internet big, and if some site starts providing downloads that can go on the iPod Video, it will be the 'must have' toy for men.

    Apple can cover the kids (disney) ... someone else can step up for the 'adult' content and send this over the top.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    princessfrozen, 13 Oct 2005 @ 12:12pm

    No Subject Given

    http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2005-10-12-abc-ipod-iger_x.htm

    Of course the dyed in the wool entertainment industry types are having mild strokes right now. "What about over-the-air viewing?" "What about ratings?!" Apparently, this announcement is akin to the sky falling for them, which pleases me. All they can think about is advertisers and their standard business model. Maybe this will knock them out of their oh so precious dream life and understand that media and the way people consume media is changing and will continue changing.

    Locked to the iPod or not, this is a good move in the way of digital media. Putting power shows in the lineup of available content will make sales steady which will in turn make other networks and media outlets see the viability of this form of distribution. Although it may be a small step in the way of change, it is still a step, where before there was nothing but stubborn resistance.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Robert, 19 Oct 2005 @ 10:54am

    This thing is SwEEt

    I Bought my video iPod today, and my first impression out of the box was that this device is GORGEOUS. Nevermind whether or not it can play video or not, this is the thinnest and most elegant iPod yet. The screen (for an iPod) is enormous, (I don't see how it could get any larger without changing the physical dimensions of the player all together, thus thwarting the pocketability of the player all together). I loaded an episode of Desp. H-Wives from iTMS on it (more on that later) and the playback is very sharp and there are no defects in playback. The iPod picked up right where I left of viewing the show on my Powerbook. Even if you don't want to use it for video, this iPod is by far the best iPod yet for music or photos. On the iTVS (iTunes Video Store), I think it is one of the best ideas Apple can have to offer TV shows for 1.99 a pop. No Commercials? I'll pay for that. And we all know that the quality is going to get better, so settle down critics. I'm just waiting for TiVo to get the desktop software back to Tiger so that I can save my other non-iTVS shows onto my iPod (it's really easy using QT Pro.) In conclusion, the new iPod Video ROCKS!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Caroline, 2 Nov 2005 @ 8:27am

    QT Pro

    Just wondering if anyone knows another method to covert movies to a format that is compatable with the ipod other than quicktime pro? Also, i know that the ipod doesnt support DVD's DIVX (whatever its called) but cand i convert DVD's using QT Pro?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John Connor, 5 Dec 2005 @ 3:40pm

    I can't wait to put my own mpegs & tv shows I mad

    I was really happy to get a 60GB iPOD video player, for a present. I was angered, when I loaded iTUNES, which gladly shows my MPEG Video & TV shows[Which I have worked hard, converting with my PVR PC] in their perspective places, Video, TV, Music...
    But I can't load them onto my iPOD??!!
    This is outrageous. I can't wait for the free-source community to create some way for me to be able to load this content, on my iPOD.
    Yep I bought the 7 Night Stalker TV series, so I could see how great it looks. I'm not even mad that songs are a buck, just that I can't even transfer them from one desktop to another, to load different things from different PC's
    Apple needs to get off, it's protected content high horse, just as Sony(bmg) needs to get off it's loading DVD's with that stupid copy prevention software, that makes a PC think the disk has redundancy errors(AnyDVD 5.5.3.1 took care of that anyway)
    Just my opinion,
    John C
    Pittsburgh

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 9 May 2006 @ 12:39pm

    Fuck tou Bitch

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    tomka, 4 Aug 2008 @ 9:47am

    re

    megaupload search Hi! i found a lot of films here, of course if you are using rapidshare premium account http:// megauploadfiles.com

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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