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Media (Apple) Media

More Rumblings on Apple Video iPod 297

Posted by CmdrTaco from the only-a-matter-of-time dept.
Chris Holland writes "Beyond the WSJ Story, Om Malik gives us inside information obtained by Business 2.0 Magazine about the Apple Video iPod. 'Steve Jobs has spoken with Disney President and soon-to-be CEO Bob Iger about ways to license various Disney content for a video iPod, according to an internal Disney email I have obtained. That could include anything from clips from ESPN and ABC News to short cartoons.' "
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More Rumblings on Apple Video iPod More

More Rumblings on Apple Video iPod

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  • No adequate thing as earplugs for video (Score:5, Insightful)

    by derphilipp ( 745164 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:30AM (#13102314) Homepage
    I don't like these tiny videoplayers - there is no adequate thing for video like an earplug for audio. The only thing where it comes handy if you can connect a TV or a Display to it.

    • Re:No adequate thing as earplugs for video (Score:5, Funny)

      by peterih ( 855651 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:35AM (#13102338) Journal
      You could carry a really big magnifying glass with you at all times :)

    • Re:No adequate thing as earplugs for video (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Eclypser ( 618863 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:46AM (#13102387)
      Does nobody remember the video googles? I know Sony made a pair and there were a couple other versions that were available at places like Sharper Image. They had some that you could wear and walk around, but there was a 60" tv projected in front of you. These were terribly expensive and they came out before portable DVD players.
      I think that this is the time for that technology to make another attempt at the marketplace.
      • " They had some that you could wear and walk around, but there was a 60" tv projected in front of you"

        This might cause fights in a crowded bus. Additionally, the sight of some guy walking down the street with a 5-foot-wide pornscape projected at all times in front of him will become common. You think there are a lot of complaints now over 5 INCH porn displays inside cars?

        Someone needs to invent eyeplugs

        • Re:Eyeplugs now! (Score:5, Informative)

          by AnObfuscator ( 812343 ) <onering AT phys DOT ufl DOT edu> on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:06AM (#13102503) Homepage

          No, that's not how the tech works. "Video goggles" (at least, the types I've seen) don't actually project an image out in front of you. They use the glasses as a screen, and project a very tiny image on the glasses, which *looks* as big as a 60" TV, and is completely private. in a sense, they *are* "eyeplugs".

          Depending on the implementation, the images have varying degrees of opacity, and with most of them, you could theoretically walk down the street while watching Futurama.

          • Re:Eyeplugs now! (Score:3, Interesting)

            by Cus ( 700562 )
            ... or playing pacman [bbc.co.uk]

          • Re:Eyeplugs now! (Score:3, Interesting)

            by killtherat ( 177924 )
            Depending on the implementation, the images have varying degrees of opacity, and with most of them, you could theoretically walk down the street while watching Futurama.

            Studies have shown that driving while talking on a cell phone is four time more dangerous [kyw.com], I can only imagine the problems involved with watching TV.
            Most people can't multitask media consumption and other activities. I know that when I'm on the phone, I have to turn off the TV, other wise the person I'm talking to doesn't get a very int
      • Does nobody remember the video googles?

        I "inherited" a set, but have never used them. Why, you ask?

        Because they have a stereo jack for sound coming off them. And a composite video jack. And a power cord, going to the brick that plugs into the wall.

        It's very possibly the worst implementation of a good idea I've yet seen. I'm not sure how to make it better, but hopefully Apple knows. :-)

    • Amen. I travel on Airplanes - A lot. What I like about the iPod (or any portable media device, but my weapon of choice is iPod), recline my seat the whoppin 3 or so inches you get and tilt my head back.

      With current implementation of video devices I'd have to hunch over and squint through my contacts at a little screen, or, a big screen that lasts 30 min without a power cord.

      What i'm hoping the Video iPod will be is a mini-DVR. Preview capability maybe on the tiny screen but mainly ment as a DVR for the masses to attach to computers or TV screens like the iPod Photo/New iPod do today.

      We'll see, Apple has always managed to surprise me recently (I was a 'no way they'll go Intel as a CPU camp') and I'd like to see what they come up with. Steve J. has said repatedly that he has no intention of doing a video pod.
      • It seems to be a running meme with Steve Jobs that the more he denies something, the more likely it is to happen.

        They've been saying they'll never go Intel for over a decade, and yet, here we are, with DRM and market realities (plus speed) to thank for their switch. Personally I never liked anything beyond the 9500 hardware-wise, probably due to IDE and other crap that got added.

        With the switch to Intel we'll get to see Apples with SATA and SATA Raid, dual core chips, higher bus speeds, PCI-X, etc. I
    • You know how we've all grown to hate when we're in public places and people are sitting there, talking loudly on their cellphones?

      Now, we're going to get to the point where we're sitting in public places and see all these little video screens, playing video that we can barely make out enough to know what it is, but just enough to have a shiney spot in the corner of our eye that's distracting and making it so that we can't concentrate. Marvelous.

      Luke
      ----
      Help your boss understand what you're talking abo
      • Yes, but at least (most of the time) when people are watching movies, they aren't YELLING at the same time. ;-)
    • Are we going to get an update on Video iPods everyday until they come out? It amazes me how every single apple story makes it as news. "Apple news today, Jobs considers light green for iPod video color."
    • HUH? these things are awesomely useful.

      I get to watch the news on the way to work, (ok it was the early morning edition that day but hey) and pick one of the TV shows that was piling up on my replayTV to watch. Nothing like a good episode of mail call or good eats or even SG1 reruns to pass the time, also I am no longer tempted to waste time at home. the commute is a huge time sink, you can not get any real work done during it so use your favorite time waster during that period.

      The day's I drive I simpl
    • The only thing where it comes handy if you can connect a TV or a Display to it.

      You mean like those ipod things can do?

      http://www.apple.com/ipod/color/musicandmore.html [apple.com]
    • Assuming a video iSomething is coming, what is the most likely form factor?

      1. current iPod
      2. portable DVD player
      3. iBook
      4. a screenless gadget you attach to your TV to manage video content from your Mac

      Only 2 and 4 seem plausible to me.

  • Enough (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I vote that we stop giving free hype fuel for the apple hype machine.

    • Re:Enough (Score:5, Funny)

      by shotfeel ( 235240 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @11:25AM (#13103763)
      I vote that we stop giving free hype fuel for the apple hype machine.

      I agree. Let's get back to real stuff like Longhorn, an easy to use Linux GUI, and all that SCO code in the Linux kernal!

      \... Runs and hides.

  • ESPN content, now there's something useful... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by jmp_nyc ( 895404 ) * on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:31AM (#13102321)
    While I wouldn't want to watch feature films on a 45 minute bus ride to work, it would be great to have a podcast of the hilights of last night's games to watch...
    -JMP

    • Re:ESPN content, now there's something useful... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by buro9 ( 633210 ) <david&buro9,com> on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:48AM (#13102396) Homepage
      I used to work for Premium TV and was the poor bugger largely responsible for creating their searchable video archive which included the ability to create videos from clips of soccer games.

      Basically video arrived in and was edited down to highlights, and meta data applied to describe each clip within that highlight. The video and meta data is then uploaded, and the end user can search it to watch a specific clip or construct their own highlights packages (want to build a movie of your 20 favourite goals ever? sure thing, etc).

      Anyway... this was all designed for the web. The problem that we encountered that I think will be encountered here is the usefulness of the web to display content that has been created for a different medium.

      Film of soccer games was specifically created to be viewed on a television. With various presumptions about the size of a viewers TV set.

      When reduced in size to fit within a 320x240 area on a web page, and then encoded to be streamable and downloadable with convenience, what do you think happens?

      Well firstly, that player who looked huge is only an inch high. Next that white ball he was kicking has become a dot. The ball disappears occasionally. The picture is mostly green.

      What needed to be done is that the video should have been reshot with the destination in mind. Wide shots of the pitch do not work when you have a few inches of available on the viewable device. Fast action moments (when most of the skill and elegance of a player is executed) blurs and is not clear when encoded too much.

      The same thing applies to almost any other sport.

      And importantly... it applies to music videos.

      Most music videos are designed for TV playback, a large viewing area. They will not instantly work when transferred to a very small screen. Though they do have a better chance than films which were designed for even larger viewing areas.

      On a tangent, Premium TV now work with Playboy TV and the searchable archive I created has been refactored to accomodate porn. Now that is true recognition of the value of the tool I built ;)

      On another tangent, imagine video podcasts. Especially when combined with the "build your own highlights" type thing that I mentioned above. iPods would be good devices for talking heads, and to construct documentaries and news from multiple sources and catch up on the latest on the way to work would be cool.

      So not all great, but there are some silver linings to such a product.

  • Music videos are the new mp3? I think not. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Willeh ( 768540 ) * <rwillem@xs4all.nl> on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:33AM (#13102327)
    Not to sound all doomy & gloomy here, but i seriously question the appeal of video clips on an ipod. Are people really going to sit in the subway/ train and look at britney spears strut her stuff on a teeny tiny screen? For (rumor) 2 bucks a pop?

    Especially when MTV and VH1 already pump out the same drek day in, day out.

    Ofcourse this is a double edged sword, if the ipod plays itunes clips only that severely limits the appeal (i sure as hell won't pay for videoclips) of the vPod. Then again if the vPod is as open as the iPod is (calm down, ogg users) then Apple stands to gain almost nothing in the way of being a new contect provider.

    And i don't think videoclips will be the new iTunes hot item. People want to pay for music because they've been doing it for decades and they are inherently lazy. Clicking together a few songs to listen on the commute to work is a whole different ballgame than downloading videoclips at an even higher pricepoint, especially when this is a "new" type of content. A type of content which has a too narrow appeal of the same techno hipster show-offs who insist they keep their iPod mini's in their hands so they can show it off to the world.

  • Is there demand? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by illtron ( 722358 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:37AM (#13102348) Homepage Journal
    While I occasionally see gadget-obsessed teenagers whining for something like this, I really wonder if there's any real demand.

    If the iPod has the raw power to play video, I see no reason why Apple shouldn't put the software on it to do so. At the same time, I think that a lot of companies and people are overestimating the appeal of watching pirated movies on a 2-inch screen.

    On the other hand, video podcasts would be nice.

    On the other other hand, if Apple expects anybody to actually watch video (not just as a novelty), they're going to have to rethink the external interface of the iPod. You can't have a good sized screen and the vertical orientation of the device like it is now. There will have to be some big changes, and I really wonder if Jobs is willing to do that.

    • Re:Is there demand? (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      How many hands do you have?

    • Re:Is there demand? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by NickCatal ( 865805 )
      If the iPod has the raw power to play video, I see no reason why Apple shouldn't put the software on it to do so. None of the current gen ones don't have the power required to display video. A hardware (H.264?) decoder would most likely be required and thus new iPods would need to be released.

    • Re:Is there demand? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by wootest ( 694923 )
      I'm personally concerned, more than the size of the screen, battery life (every full-size iPod provides "up to" 5 hours of "slideshows with music") and acquiring content, about the hard drive. Will these smaller hard drives hold up to the high activity over time? Even with efficient codecs like H.264, DivX or XviD or what have you, most clips would probably be big enough to not fit in cache, which would mean, performance-wise, kicking the HD in the fucking nuts.

    • Creating the Demand (Score:4, Interesting)

      by GuitarNeophyte ( 636993 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:59AM (#13102455) Homepage Journal
      There are too many companies who get really famous because of the fact that they looked at the market, saw the need, and filled it. There was a need for the iPod. Apple filled it. Joy of joys. People used to take their CD-players and tape players around, but many couldn't get the full use out of them because they could only hold one CD. Radio was too restrictive because you couldn't choose the content. Enter the iPod. Nice stuff!

      Enter the knockoffs. The companies that can't read the market, because they're too big to have real risk-taking guts.

      Then the iPod gets big and Apple somehow loses touch with the market. It's a rarity (except for long trips and sharing with friends) that people say, "Man, I wish I could watch a video clip right now." Or at least wanting it to the point that they would pay money for each clip that they put on it. Full Movies, yes, but ESPN recaps, no (though, a few bucks for all ESPN recaps this month would be very impressive).

      Step 1: Read the market
      Step 2: Find what the market needs
      Step 3: Do it
      Step 4: Profit
      Step 5: Lose the market view
      Step 6: Make a new product to ride on your popularity, with a market that doesn't exist yet
      Step 7: Cross your fingers

      But then again, if they weren't willing to fail, they'd be in the ranks with the big dogs that we tend to not like because they don't take risks (they just copy others). So, uh, even though I won't buy one, best of luck to them. If the market isn't there, at least their operating system rocks :-)

      Luke
      ----
      Help your boss understand you: Send them to ChristianNerds.com [christiannerds.com] (The Free Online Computer Encyclopedia)
      • Enter the knockoffs. The companies that can't read the market, because they're too big to have real risk-taking guts.

        Apple wasn't first with the iPod, and if they do end up creating a potable video player - they won't be first with that either.

  • the ge annual report had info on this (Score:4, Informative)

    by droops ( 807432 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:40AM (#13102356) Homepage
    this is a pic with a video ipod pictured, from the ge annual report that a listener to my show submitted. now its a mini, so this may just be annual report fluff. http://infonomicon.org/images/ge.jpg [infonomicon.org]

  • Movies are Shared Experiences (Score:4, Insightful)

    by reporter ( 666905 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:41AM (#13102359) Homepage
    Movies are shared experiences. Most people watch movies as a group so that they can laugh together or cry together, at each entertaining scene that unfolds on their television or the silver screen.

    When the video cassette recorder (VCR) became popular and economical, theater owners issued dire warnings that the end of the theater was at hand. These warnings were wrong. People go to the theater for reasons beyond just viewing the latest movie. People patronize the theater for social reasons; it is a place to enjoy a shared experience with your friends.

    For this reason, the video iPod will not rival the success of the audio iPod. Music is something that many people enjoy by themselves. Witness all the cars equipped with stereos: the lone occupant of the car listens to music on her way to and from work.

    The only exception to the above reasoning is pornography. Many people do, indeed, watch pornographic movies alone.

    Here's an idea. To spur sales of the video iPod, Apple could offer 10 free jars of Vaselino for each purchase of a video iPod.

    • I disagree... I hat watching movies/tv-series with company, I'd rather watch them my self, and I know I'm not the only one.
    • "When the video cassette recorder (VCR) became popular and economical, theater owners issued dire warnings that the end of the theater was at hand. These warnings were wrong."

      It did not happen with the VCR, but there are signs it might be happening now with its successor, the DVD. The current "Hollywood Slump" is being partially blamed on viewers wanting to view the movies on DVD in their home theatre instead. This could really put the regular ol' movie theatre into a tailspin of doom (think bowling alley

    • Music is something that many people enjoy by themselves. Witness all the cars equipped with stereos: the lone occupant of the car listens to music on her way to and from work.

      Yep, when you're right, you're right. There's nothing like listening to someone enjoy their music in their car on their loud-ass stereo and their insanely loud base that's rattlin' my fillin's.

      Yep, they're certainly enjoying it by themselves, 'cause me and the other commuters who can't hear ourselves think aren't.

    • Movies are shared experiences. Most people watch movies as a group so that they can laugh together or cry together, at each entertaining scene that unfolds on their television or the silver screen.

      You could say the exact same thing about music. Most people I know love to share music with friends and expose one another to new bands/sounds. This type of "private vs. group" idea can be applied readily to both movies and music. I enjoy watching certain movies with friends, and certain movies on my own --
    • You're totally wrong on this. I'm sure you've been to a symphonic concert or a live rock show or whatever. Music is meant to be heard live with people around you. Listening alone to a recording is SO much weaker, but we often have no other choice than to do so. Don't you ever wish your friend is there during your favorite part of a song so they can experience the same adrenalin/seratonin rush as you?

      I think the real difference between video and music is that you can do other things while listening to m

    • People patronize the theater for social reasons; it is a place to enjoy a shared experience with your friends.

      See, taht's where the argument breaks down. You automatically assume "watching video" equates to "watching movies". Not always true; people have television sets in their bedrooms for a reason. (And the reason is not necessarily porno).

      To spur sales of the video iPod, Apple could offer 10 free jars of Vaselino for each purchase of a video iPod.

      Guess we're in different markets (and culture

  • arg... this is not new tech (Score:3, Informative)

    by idiotdevel ( 654397 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:42AM (#13102364)
    man... there already is video playing on the original ipod: http://ipodlinux.org/Video_Player [ipodlinux.org] I'm masturbating to videos on it right now... it's not bad with the backlight turned on - almost seems like there is color; I could use computer, but this is just so damn cool
  • Although I don't see the sale of music videos taking off, I can see a subscription based service doing well. If apple were to create something akin to Avantgo, where people could set preferences of the type of content they would like to receive I think it would be well received. One could sync their Ipod before going to work and watch News/Entertainment clips on the subway/bus.

  • Who said video is for an iPod? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by amichalo ( 132545 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:44AM (#13102372)
    What I don't get is how these analysts are making the leap that because Apple is negotiating video content, it must be for the iPod.

    OS X Tiger shipped with Quicktime 7, and H.264 which delivers awesome HD video. Slap a beefier processor in the Mac mini that can keep up and you have yourself an Apple DVR.

    MP3s. AAC. Music Videos. Disney Cartoons. The Matrix Reloaded Again For The Second Time. What have you. It will play it all.

    So enough of this "Apple selling video = iPod Video" nonsense.
    • Rather than a beefier CPU, I would expect an external device. Picture something like the Airport Express with a H.264 decoder chip in it. You plug it into your TV and speakers and forget about it. When you want to watch H.264 content, you stream the H.264 bytestream to the device and watch it on your TV.

      Ideally also add a remote control and a browse interface so it can direct the computer to stream a specific show, pause, fast forward etc.

      • Sounds great. I've seen existing devices like this, but... well, lets just say, the idea of "Just works" does appeal a lot :)

        In particular: If Apple can give me a device that sits underneath my TV, and let me buy episodes (or a licence to watch an episode twice) of TV shows, I'm sold. I can leave the computer to grab the few shows I like, while I'm at work, and watch them when I'm ready.
    • Amen! The Slashdot reaction to this information just goes to show how effective Apple's iPod marketing has been. It's taken five short years to create "Apple + multimedia = iPod" in even a techie crowd's minds.

      I heard that Apple was going to start making computers, and some of them might even have monitors attached that you could use to watch video. Anyone able to confirm?
    • Agreed.

      Curiously though the Mac mini has within it what appears to be most of the circuitry for an iPod dock connector [theregister.co.uk].

      So if we do have an Apple DVR based on the mini then the iPod would appear to have a role in this world as a portable storage unit, and for good measure it will probably also be able to play movies.

  • vPod Shuffle (Score:5, Funny)

    by Eclypser ( 618863 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @08:59AM (#13102454)
    So after the video iPod has been out awhile will Steve announce an ultra portable version without a screen?

  • Dear Apple (Score:5, Insightful)

    by PinkX ( 607183 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:06AM (#13102499) Homepage
    I've become a very loyal customer in the last 2 years. From being a lifetime PC (Linux) user I've completly made the switch, by getting an iBook G4 first and a Powerbook later. I've since then migrated all of the PCs of my small company to Mac computers, and I constantly predicate about the digital lifestyle that you promote.

    However, I'd like to request you that please, please, PLEASE add gapless playing to the iPod. How good can it be to listen to the Dark Side Of The Moon (or any other Pink Floyd album for that matter) if there is a frickin' gap between every track, cutting out all the inspiration of such masterpieces. I don't mind if it's added as a global option or as some sort of metadata hack for each track, I want gapless playing on my iPod (and iTunes too).

    I can't stress enough how important this feature is for me as for many other users, I think it's by far the most requested one (even than OGG playback!)

    Truly yours, a happy but desperate customer.

    • Re:Dear Apple (Score:2, Informative)

      by xirtam_work ( 560625 )
      I agree with you. However, Slashdot is not the best forum for your request. There is an option in iTunes for sending feedback to Apple. Please by all means use it. I have sent several requests and much feedback to Apple this way, including asking for iPod playback of FLAC and Ogg Vorbis.
    • If you are speaking of mp3s, this is actually a fairly hard problem to solve perfectly due to the fact that the gaps are part of the mp3 itself [pretentiousname.com]. However, the Rio Karma I guess solves it all right.

    • Re:Dear Apple (Score:3, Funny)

      by jvalenzu ( 96614 )
      Dear PinkX;

      Album rock is dead. Time to move on.

      Sincerely,
      Apple

  • iRiver H300 (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Sidane ( 900934 )
    The iRiver H300 series has had video on it for over a year now through a firmware upgrade, so this is nothing ground breaking. Granted it's 220x176, 10fps on a 2 inch colour screen but it's very watchable. I have several films, tv series and music videos on mine. Ok I don't use the video side of my iRiver that much, but on a long flight or train journey I would. iPod ain't the only MP3 player out there, it wins on style but for functionality it's lagging behind. Shop around people.
    • Oh, there are loads more; as I've been mentioning elsewhere on this thread, most smartphones in the market now can actually play video. So yes, I agree; a video iPod is no great shakes really, in fact, it's more in terms of catching up with the times.

      On a slightly different note, is it me, or is Slashdot always super-negative when it comes to new portable devices? Quite a surprisingly conservative reaction, must say, especially for a self-assembled geek community. Perhaps it's got to do with a sort-of gene

  • Video isn't the killer app. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by alistair ( 31390 ) <[alistair] [at] [hotldap.com]> on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:11AM (#13102547)
    I don't think video is the killer app for these things, but photos are with video as a useful secondary function.

    I know they have a iPod photo already, but it is essentially a iPod which happens to be able to display photos in a small screen, there photos are clearly the secondary app to music. Yet digital photography is clearly dominating the photo market but most people still struggle to find the right way to carry and display these photos. Printing them out is time consuming and expensive, either at home or the photo lab.

    The ideal solution is a device with a screen of a similar size to a standard print which you can pass around friends and family to show off your collection. The interface should be so simple grandparents can use it, and Apple have a clear lead in this area. Add in an interface to iPhoto which rivals the iTunes interface and I think you have a winner.

    If you can then watch movies on it then I think this will be a useful secondary app, but not what the real selling point will be for most users.
    • The ideal solution is a device with a screen of a similar size to a standard print which you can pass around friends and family to show off your collection. The interface should be so simple grandparents can use it, and Apple have a clear lead in this area. Add in an interface to iPhoto which rivals the iTunes interface and I think you have a winner.

      Does Apple have a clear lead here? hmmm. I'm not so sure. Have you seen this? [playstation.com]

      The interface is beautiful and simple. it plays videos flawlessly, and I th

  • I would like to take this wonderful opportunity to recruit for the iPod Linux crew...if they could get some more hackers, perhaps we could see video playing of ALL video files, not just DRMed videos.
  • This is interesting. Esp considering the recent breakup of the Disney/Pixar relationship. (Isn't Steve Jobs still a major player at Pixar?)
  • Am I the only one who thinks that this whole idea of a "video iPod" isn't quite a tiny drive with a screen for personal use? Apple knows (and Steve Jobs has said) that the iPod isn't a worthwhile video player. But what if the video iPod isn't really an iPod as we know it? I think it's more a household appliance, likely with some kind of wireless connectivity for use with AirPort Express. Think more like a remote control with built-in content. Look at what's come up in the past. AirPort Express comes out w

  • Burying the Lead (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DannyO152 ( 544940 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:38AM (#13102754)

    I find it more interesting that Jobs, simultaneously head of Pixar, went and discussed any thing with Iger of Disney. As we recall Pixar and Disney had an acrimonious split and this, reportedly, bothered the market and Disney shareholders. And, Eisner is still putatively running Disney, so talking things over with Iger seems to be a slap at Michael.

    Time Warner would also have a huge catalog of animated shorts, so did Jobs talk to them? Have those talks stayed confidential? Could this WSJ report be placed in order to send Time Warner a message to not miss the boat? Is this a thaw in relations and reconciliation between Pixar and Disney? Is Toy Story 3 still in production? Could this be any more soap opera?

    • I find it more interesting that Jobs, simultaneously head of Pixar, went and discussed any thing with Iger of Disney.

      Most of the industry scuttlebutt that I've read has it that Jobs hates Eisner and his attitude, but has nothing against the Disney company per se. It's been a good relationship, although more and more one sided as Pixar scores hit after hit and Disney puts out junk (ala Home on the Range)

      That said, perhaps Steve is using such a position to his advantange... getting Disney on board with a

  • Say hello to your new video collection. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by AHuxley ( 892839 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:39AM (#13102758) Journal
    Will Apple want to sell movies via "itunes" to just any drm 'box' that can do h.264? All that we know about owning video will change with better broadband. Adsl2 and better cable will allow any .com to put a h.264 chip in a drm box and connect it to the end of their fat pipe. A quick download and you have your new or classic movie. The trick will be how to deal with the h.264 data when it moves to the end user. That is where Apple will come in. Do you want to rent it for a day or a week in a .com black box or 'own' it on your Mac for a few $? End users want to be able to find and click on any past download and play it - just like a dvd or cd you own now. No waiting for 5 -15 min for your 'next' rental.

  • Handheld on the throne... (Score:3, Funny)

    by borschski ( 665381 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @09:54AM (#13102871)
    Phew. The *great* thing about a video iPod is that I'll no longer have to be in the bathroom trying to watch pr0n and balancing a huge laptop with one hand!

  • mtvpod (Score:2, Funny)

    by pintomp3 ( 882811 )
    i hope itms doesn't go the route of mtv and start off with music videos and later keep rerunning "the real world - cupertino".
  • I believe that Apple are using Music videos as a catalyst to start their video service off. They already have good relations with the recording companies due to the success of the iTMS. Music videos are virtually advertisements for their product.

    Watching the latest movies on a portable device is not where the market will be at, unless you can plug it into your TV, Plasma/TFT or Projector. The market will be with TV shows and Video-Podcasts.

    Music videos are simply a way of getting the ball running.

  • Who said anything about a 2" screen? - 16x9 (Score:4, Insightful)

    by infofreako ( 194212 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @10:13AM (#13103064) Homepage
    It seems a lot of folks are making the presumption that the current iPod screen would just become color for a video iPod - is that based on anything beyond the photo iPod?

    Turn your iPod sideways and flip it over to the nice chome area. I don't have mine in front of me, but I'd guess you could get a 5"-6" 16x9 screen there. Has everyone noticed Apple's dedication to HDTV protocols with iMovie, iDVD, Final Cut Pro, etc. ? Somehow it would be contrary to their mission to give a video iPod a 4X3 when everything else there doing is designed for the future (16x9).

    just my 10.

    -pjc

  • Forget September (Score:4, Informative)

    by intmainvoid ( 109559 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @10:32AM (#13103249)
    It's coming on the 19th of October [macpredict.com]

  • WTF? No Ogg Theora support? (Score:3, Funny)

    by saddino ( 183491 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @10:42AM (#13103329)
    Relax, I kid!

    Just getting the inevitable out of the way... ;-)

  • anything? (Score:4, Funny)

    by jafac ( 1449 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @11:03AM (#13103563) Homepage
    Actually, since Apple switched to Intel chips, basically, any crazy rumor anyone told me about Apple now, I'm likely to believe.

    For instance, you could tell me that Steve Ballmer inserted a brain parasite into Steve Jobs' ass, and now Steve Jobs is Microsoft's puppet, and Apple will be building Palladium support into OS X, I would believe it.

    Never in a million years did I once think Apple would actually switch to x86 chips. I mean - I thought that MAYBE they'd pursue a dual-platform strategy: x86 for iMacs, laptops, and Minis, PPC for servers and high-end workstations. Never thought they'd dump PPC entirely. Just too surreal for me.

  • The Verdict (Score:3, Funny)

    by CrazyTalk ( 662055 ) on Tuesday July 19, 2005 @01:24PM (#13104828)
    No Bluetooth. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.

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