Comments on: Apple videos hint at film ambitions

iTunes is already bulking up with music videos. Is a movie store and movie device in the works?

Hmmm

Perhaps we'll see an AirVids added on to the Airport Express, a video iPod, HiDef movies being purchased over an application named iStation, and the downfall of worthless encodings such as REAL and Windows Media.

I think, if anyone will do it, it WILL be Apple. The industry has faith in him and his company and engineers. They will, no doubt, be the ones to bring us our entertainment.

[Darwin Hall]

Revenge of the Newton

We all know the video iPod is coming, but are we overlooking
something? 4200 rpm just doesn't cut it for my tastes. What is the
PSP running? Archaos?

[Christopher Hall]

re: PSP

The PSP is hard-driveless. The UMD mechanism is the only movable part that reads the memory; all other memory is accessed by Memory Stick Duo, which is a solid-state interface.

That OS that is used is proprietary Sony.

I'm confused, though, how the PSP pertains to the 4200 rpm hard drive.

As if Apple was first?

Apple is not even the first entrant in this area yet the media acts like the other products don't even exist. What about companies like iRiver? Guess their video players don't count?

Give me a break. The iPod does one thing and does it well, but there are better products out for a better price.

Name one

Name one product that produces superior sound, and a better user interface. You can't because there are none. I've played with MP3 player on the market and none of them are as intuitive as the iPod. NONE. Dell? Slow-scrolling, clunky. iRiver? Useless interface. Sony? Sure, let's take an hour ot get to the bottom of my library. PFT.

[Juster444]

It's not that Apple is the first, it's that...

they expect Apple to do for portable video players what Apple did for portable audio players. The market for portable audio players was already around before Apple came out with iPod, but it wasn't going anywhere until iPod burst onto the scene along with its iTunes software and music store, and the rest is history.

The portable video player market is at the same stage as the pre-iPod mp3 player market. It's there, but sales are low and there's nothing real exciting taking place. If Apple enters the market, then it will have to be seen if the iPod phenomenon can be recreated. I doubt it. watching videos is not a passive action, as is listening to music, that can be done while doing other activities.

Very young people may like watching videos on a 2-inch screen, but Steve Jobs has already predicted that most people won't go for it. Will he prove himself wrong by coming out with a top-end iPod that plays videos?

[iKenny]

How I'd like it:

Here's how I'd like an Apple movie service to work:
1) Find movies on store (iMovie store??)
2) Pay $8 or so and download movie to hard disk
3) Be given option to burn x number of DVD copies of movie at
full quality (H.264 can accomplish this at low data rates and file
sizes)
4) Movie can also be put on video iPods, streamed around the
house

I think the DVD option would be crucial, because for many
people who've invested already in DVD players, they'd like to be
able to keep using DVDs and not have to stream everything,
although that would be an appealing option as well. Most Macs
have DVD burners now, and PCs are catching up, so it wouldn't
be difficult. The downloaded data could include the data for the
menu and stuff.

[hatandglasses13]

Mac Mini?

"The pint-sized $499 computer looks and works more like a
media PC than a laptop or desktop."

How does it *work* more like a media PC? It functions exactly
the same as any other Mac. It might look more like one because
of its size, but I can't see how it works being used to predict
Apple's entry into digital video sales. It has the same Mac OS X
operating system and the same iLife applications as any other
Mac... so that would mean that every Mac "works more like a
media PC than a desktop or laptop," which is not the case.

Poor argument, Cnet.

[miketkrw]

Macs are media PC's

Replying to your comment, so that would mean that every Mac
"works more like a media PC than a desktop or laptop," which is
not the case.", I must beg to differ. I think every mac is much
closer to a media PC than a desktop. The combination of OSX
and ILife make the Mac a natural digital entertainment system.

I think that although there may be a video IPod, an Apple move
into downloadable and streaming video content is much more
likely to be tied to their computers. This could likely be a big
part of the Intel switch.

[Christopher Hall]

Can someone please explain "podcasting" to me?

I don't understand what it is or how it works. If it's not too much trouble, may I ask for some assistance? Thanks in advance.

[Llib Setag]

Podcasts info

http://www.apple.com/podcasting/

Unless you are from Redmond, WA. then the term "podcast" is illegal on the MS Campus, then you must use the term "blogcast" or "MS-Mediacast" or "Longhorncast"...

[Llib Setag]

iPod + Broadcasting = Podcasting

World wide radio via internet, published on the internet.

Podcasts are like TiVo for Radio.
Digital, on demand listening via subscription to radio broadcasts on your schedule. (free with Apple's iTunes software Mac + PC)

Also, YOU can be the DJ or host, & "podcast" your show up to the Internet via feed link / RSS...

Have fun!