Apple Launches Video Podcasting For iTunes 159
phaedo00 writes "Apple has launched support for video podcasting in the Podcast section of the iTMS. Ars Technica has a decent write up of the news along with speculation on what this means in the way of a video iPod and Apple's recent application for a patent on the phrase 'iPodcast.'" From the article: "The quiet, fanfare-less launch (in fact, it's not even clear when it was launched) is a bit surprising for the company, but there may be a reason: there's not too many video podcasts out there in the wild. Furthermore, video podcasts are currently only playable on your computer, although it seems clear enough that a video iPod is on the way. If you didn't believe it before, you should definitely believe it now. For now, it looks like video podcasting support is limited."
Stupid article (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Stupid article (Score:1)
Re:Stupid article (Score:2)
I'd think that was a patentable invention.
Or maybe a magic word. Like a really good word for spells and stuff. If the word was actually a sufficiently good device for making frogs fall from the sky, wouldn't that be patentable?
Or possibly a really long string of letters, like GATTACATACGA..., which made a patentable gene? Is a gene a word?
Re:Stupid article (Score:1, Funny)
I can't be bothered to read the article either.... (Score:2)
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Stupid article (Score:4, Informative)
by technoextreme (885694) on Thursday September 15, @07:56PM (#13569616)
It's a freaking trademark that they used. You can't patent a word.
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Obviously... (Score:5, Informative)
by Otter (3800) on Thursday September 15, @07:56PM (#13569620)
(Last Journal: Wednesday September 14, @05:31PM)
Apple's recent application for a patent on the phrase 'iPodcast.'
Obviously, as the Ars Technica article correctly reads, they applied for a tr
Re:Stupid article (Score:1)
Re:Stupid article (Score:2)
Obviously... (Score:5, Informative)
Obviously, as the Ars Technica article correctly reads, they applied for a trademark on "iPodcast".
Re:Obviously... (Score:2)
Video iPod (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd be really interested to see what Apple can do for video on a portable jukebox. iRiver's implementation, while nice, seems a bit 'after the fact' so I know there is potential.
It's what you put on it (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Video iPod (Score:3, Interesting)
All the modern *color* iPods (starting with the iPod Photo models) can do video based upon the abilities built into the chipset. Apple just hasn't enabled it.
For video podcasts, I can't see why Apple won't enable it. For watching movies, well, that's a different ballgame. I think that will be limited to future iPod Video models
Re: Video iPod (Score:2)
All iPods since 3G have been able to do high-quality stereo recording, based upon the abilities built into the chipset. Apple just hasn't enabled it (apart from low-quality mono recording using an expensive add-on). I can't see why Apple won't enable that -- but they won't!
Video iPod Obsession (Score:3, Insightful)
I think it is time for the media (and public) to realize that the Video iPod ISN'T just around the corner, and that it may not be available for years yet, if ever.
I don't think a vide
Re:Video iPod (Score:2)
There are certain things that I like about this set up. Its hands free, I can just place my laptop on any flatish surface, it has loud speakers, which allow me and anyone else in the room to watch it to, and the picture quality is better than watching it on my cheap CRT TV.
I know I wouldn't want to watch an
Some video podcasts are cool (Score:5, Informative)
as is Systm:
http://revision3.com/systm [revision3.com]
Re:Some video podcasts are cool (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.filefarmer.com/techshows/ [filefarmer.com]
Re:Some video podcasts are cool (Score:2)
as is Systm"
Might as well admit you are a Kevin Rose fanboi.
Kevin's "The Broken" should also count (thebroken.org)
I myself am anxious for the proper return of television's Martin Sargent in a videopodcast version of his former show "Unscrewed." Fitting since he joined the crew of Revision3 and has his blog finally up (sargeworld.com).
Interesting Comparison (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Interesting Comparison (Score:2)
There is also a huge difference in the skill necessary to shoot video footage well and shoot still pictures well.
Re:Interesting Comparison (Score:1)
I doubt it. What with the ipod not even having a camera. Much less a video camera. Haven't seen much video recording done without a camera.
Would the Mac people please please PLEASE stop saying "[possible future Apple product] will beat [currently available non-Apple product]". It's getting tiresome.
Re:Interesting Comparison (Score:2)
nothing new here (Score:5, Informative)
The Dawn and Drew show even had a little video as part of their iTunes rss feed.
Apple already has a specialized "ipod videocasting" application - it's called iMovie.
The "news" will be an iPod designed to support video playback right out of the box.
Re:nothing new here (Score:1, Funny)
News to Rocketboom... (Score:3, Interesting)
I bet they're surpirised to hear of this "new" functionality....
I think the writeup my be a bit misleading... (Score:5, Informative)
I noticed that iTunes could handle "video podcasts" in the last version (4.7?) and there's a little writeup of the capability paired with del.ici.us [del.ico.us] over at lifehacker [lifehacker.com]:
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/entertainment/
Does it mean that a video iPod is "on the way"? Not neccesarily. iTunes has had the ability to play video for a while, and podcasting video is not much different from podcasting audio. Parse
the rss, download the associated media, add to a special playlist. I think the feature was added as an afterthought or experiment: "hey, we can add a couple lines and support this!".
The video iPod remains the white whale of Apple enthusiasts. Often speculated about, never seen.
Re:I think the writeup my be a bit misleading... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I think the writeup my be a bit misleading... (Score:2)
I Think What You Want Is ... (Score:2)
If I could subscribe to a show's cast and have each episode downloaded automatically when it was released, then this would be a service worth paying for - even if it were not quite fast enough for a live stream.
Dude, it's called Tivo.
Google it. I think you'll be pleasntly surprised.
SteveM
Re:I Think What You Want Is ... (Score:2)
Re:I Think What You Want Is ... (Score:2)
http://www.uk.tivo.com/ [tivo.com]
And doesn't cost me anything beyond the cost of the shows I want (e.g. no additional subscription fee, no requirement to subscribe to cable or satellite TV)?
Of course not. However, your home broadband connection (which requires a subscription fee, of course) cannot stream or process nearly as much video as a cable TV or satellite receiver can send. Perhaps when we all have 100 mibobit per second internet you'
Cringely on Apple's plans - July 14, 2005 (Score:5, Informative)
The overall discussion [pbs.org] was about Intel/Apple, but it seems he called this one (at least the first part) right.
Really ... (Score:2)
Where do I get one of these video iPods?
Let's not jump the gun to give credit until an ViPod actually exists, K?
And then we can give credit to him and everyone else who's thoughts went something like this:
Audio is to iPod as Video is to ViPod.
SteveM
If Apple Trademarks "iPodCast"... (Score:2)
On that point, how can the term "iPodCast" even be granted, given that a similar and close term "PodCast" already exists and is used by everyone ?
Re:If Apple Trademarks "iPodCast"... (Score:2)
Its all in trademarking for a specific class of product.
Re:If Apple Trademarks "iPodCast"... (Score:1)
PSP support (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe this is something Sony would like to collaborate with Apple on?
Re:PSP support (Score:1, Funny)
Tech Review Graph (Score:5, Interesting)
there's not too many video podcasts out there in the wild.
Actually, there is a very interesting graph in this month's Technology Review concerning podcasts. The graph shows the percentage of podcasts available by subject, versus the percentage of podcasts viewed by subject. Music is, of course, the genre that most podcasts are in, and the genre that most people view. However, erotica is one of the smallest genres by availablilty, and one of the largest by viewership. Porn driving technology again, it seems. :)
Re:Tech Review Graph (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Tech Review Graph (Score:2)
Two obvious points
Put those two together, and you have a giant potential opportunity for enterprising individuals. Lots of untapped talent, lots of potential audience... could be the
Democracy Now! is podcast in video form as well. (Score:2)
In iTunes, you open the window that shows the album art, and right there is the video feed.
Why so quiet, Apple? (Score:3, Interesting)
I have to wonder if Apple isn't promoting this feature because they're not sure how to bill it. Without a video iPod, it doesn't fit well within their "package deal" of the iTMS, iPod, and iTunes.
Bandwidth? (Score:2, Insightful)
Audio podcasts consume large amounts of bandwidth for the host; not just from the content itself, but the constant retrieval of the RSS feeds from podcast clients, as well.
Video podcasts using the same distribution methods would be highly inefficient. But, perhaps an combined solution using syndicated bittorrents would be feasable, like this guy [gotilk.com] proposes.
// J
If Apple was Smart (Score:5, Interesting)
Then, Apple could simultaniously release a new "accessory" for the Ipod. It would be a line of larger portable screens. The screens could have some sort of dock(maybe on the side) that the Ipod could snap into and feed video out to the portable screen while letting you use the clickwheel for control.
Doing something like this would give ipod owners a new "item" to purchase if they so chose. And, I imagine it would sell very well because now, in addition to entire music collections, you could have entire movie collections with an optional screen to get good viewing off of.
Of course, later apple could release a "video ipod" model as well with improved video out quality and perhaps a larger built in screen for ipod owners to "upgrade" to when their old ipods finally wear out.
It would be a win win situation for everyone and boost apple's hardware sales across the board.
Re:If Apple was Smart (Score:2)
VIdeo can be simply though (Score:2)
It's not like the iPods are going to be decodinbg MP4 files themselves for some time!
Re:VIdeo can be simply though (Score:2)
They do it today with pictures (Score:2)
The question is, why wouldn't you do it? The iPod has a rather tiny screen and it makes sense to at least simplify the video to take up less room. Not to mention that is preserves the most precious resource in small devices, battery life.
Transcoding is the future of media, to enable it to go places it might not otherwise. I think with Apple actually doing the playback in firmware they could p
Re:If Apple was Smart (Score:2, Informative)
If you actually read your sources... (Score:2)
Re:If you actually read your sources... (Score:2)
Re:If Apple was Smart (Score:2)
Re:If Apple was Smart (Score:2)
Uhh.. yeah it can. PC's don't have specific hardware for decoding DiVX files, it has software. Firmware is just software (but a little less soft
iRiver's H320 is a good example of that - there is firmware that turns the iPod-clone into a video player!
Re:If Apple was Smart (Score:2, Insightful)
Smart people already here... (Score:5, Informative)
I've been noticing all the podcasting cognoscenti in Silicon Valley are simultaneously doing their podcast and shooting video of it. What do they know or suspect that we don't?
It's so hard to believe in anything anymore. If it weren't for my lucky astrology mood watch, I wouldn't believe in anything.
Steve Martin, Comedian
Lots of Video-Casts out there (Score:2)
I don't think it will take off (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't think video podcasting will take off in the same way as audio podcasting.
It's technically pretty easy to make a decent sounding audio podcast (are we going to have to call it that from now on?). All you need is a decent microphone to record it on, a piece of software to edit it with and you're good. Recording voice so that it sounds good and natural is easy.
Making a decent video podcast is more demanding. I know good video cameras are getting cheaper and cheaper but no matter the quality of the camera you're still looking at somebody's home video unless the lighting is done properly, the sound is recorded by someone who knows what they're doing[1] and you're looking at a person who does not look like he's living in his mom's basement.
In short, a lot more can go wrong when you're moving from just sound to sound and video.
Commercial video podcasting may be interesting. It would be cool to get the news to put on your video iPod. But I think that will be made obsolete pretty quickly with some sort of wireless broadband and mobile phones.
[1] Recording sound for an audio podcast is easy. You speak directly into the microphone. If you have to film the damn thing you'd better move the microphone out of the picture or get a contact mic. Otherwise it will look extremely bad.
Re:I don't think it will take off (Score:2)
iPorn? (Score:2)
"Hello, Apple? Yes, I'd like the new Jenna Jameson iPod Nano, please."
Re:iPorn? (Score:2)
She [Jenna Jameson] already does print advertisements for iRiver.
This public service announcement was not brought to you by NBC, Sleep Train, or G.I. Joe.
why VODcasts? (Score:1)
Looks like a Nokia phone with Verizon Vcast.
I see 2 battelships coming towards each other (computer & telcom industries) and the playing field is media (i.e content providers). And the winner will be the one with the best GUI (I bet).
DTV / Broadcast Machine (Score:2, Interesting)
Videoblogging (Score:1)
Want to create videoblogs?
What this means for U.S. broadband (Score:4, Insightful)
So who would be crazy enough to publish (Score:2)
What I would like to see is some way for RSS podcast feeds to be able to make reference only to a BitTorrent s
Tiki TV (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Tiki TV (Score:1)
Witty, sexy, and full of knowledge about great drinks as well!
But enough about me, thanks for the podcast tip.
Why video iPods matter (Score:2)
Next up, I hope they consider putting a decent speaker in it. It doesn't have to be great, but it should be decent for reproducing human speech.
ViPods matter, on a plane, train or backseat. (Score:3, Interesting)
And its a democratic idea. The production values are shit (now) but the content doesn't have to be music.
Educational videos (like one I had to watch on IDMS DB) can be downloaded to a ViPod and delivered that way, instead of a bunch of us having to sit and squirm through it, mis
CODEC (Score:1)
Answers. I need Answers, or at least an effort
It's been there from day one (Score:1)
Whose got the trademark on... (Score:2)
What I would like to see... (Score:3, Interesting)
This is all easily possible today, Steve Mann has shown the way, but I haven't heard of anybody in the video blogging community doing this. Even more spectacular would be if instead of recording directly to the wearable, if it was all recorded, mixed, and streamed via (illegally auto-tapped and legal, depending on the area) 802.11 across the net to a cam server of some sort - you could have a cheap and instant roving IP cameraman/reporter set up, able to go anywhere and report on anything, provided an 802.11 link was found. At the same time, it could record to the hard drive when the link is dropped or such, but the implications for indymedia coverage would be huge. We could actually have a good source for demonstration and other coverage that couldn't be destroyed by police action - indymedia reporters would have nearly the same freedom as regular remote camera news-crews do today, without the expense (albeit, without the quality either).
Imagine wearing such a thing, broadcasting live the latest happenning in your local area, as it happens - for anyone on the internet to see. Imagine if your server capturing all of this auto-inserted paid-for advertisements, to offset you bandwidth bill and maybe also provide a little (or a lot!) of coin on the side. Basically - everyone could become an independent news (or other) broadcaster - provided they could set up the advertising deals and such.
It would be an interesting thing to do, to say the least...
Video Podcasting is what will drive Video iPod (Score:2)
Iv been watching systm for 3 weeks (Score:2)
alternative videocast apps & bandwidth prob (Score:3, Informative)
The best one so far is DTV [participatoryculture.org] (mac-only beta right now). The biggest feature this has that iTunes doesn't have is the ability to receive the video podcasts in
Unless iTunes provides some kind of automatic caching for the video files, having just a moderate amount of popularity could kill aspiring video podcasters.
Another app is FireANT [antisnottv.net], which without the bittorrent feature makes me hate it.
DTV also has a built-in directory to find video podcasts, which is pretty cool. They do a good job of making the process easy to use, although their beta is still a little wonky at times.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Score:2)
But it will be vodcast'ed !
Q: How many video-podcasts will it take to change the government ?
A: Only time will tell.
I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT! (Score:2)
I was willing to bet that the vPod was going to be announced at the Nano announcement, but I was wrong. At least I put it in writing [macslash.org] for once!
video and pdfs supported for a long time now... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Article text (Score:3, Interesting)
why read or write when you can listen or speak?
TV was made for losers like this.
LOL Trolls and dumb mods (Score:2, Insightful)
Why don't you mods try reading the whole thing before you mod?
sweetaction's Recent Submissions (Score:1)
Re:Little Zonky (Score:1)
Yes, but you can patent the business process of getting it wrong, but we're all friends here, right?
BTW Did this video podcasting really take anyone by surprise? I nearly dislocated a jaw yawning.
Re:Little Zonky (Score:1)
Beautiful.
Re:Little Zonky (Score:3, Informative)
This is exactly the sort of thing that makes one want to join GNAA or the jihad.
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Re:So what? (Score:1)
Video is downloaded. RSS is used to inform the iTune application of when new media is available. Depending on the users preferences, the new media will be downloaded or not automatically.
Re:So what? (Score:3, Insightful)
Then, of course, it all syncs with your vPod.
Re:So what? (Score:2)
Re:So what? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:a video ipod? (Score:1)
innovate - verb [ intrans. ] make changes in something established, esp. by introducing new methods, ideas, or products
Seems to me innovation includes taking something established and making changes/improvements to it. And, yes, making something falling-off-a-log easy to use counts.
Who claims that Apple invented portable digital music players? No one. But who would claim that the iPod was not in some degree innovative? I suppose only those who care onl
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
You know I've been wondering about that... (Score:2)
But its not Linux...
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
2. correction noted.
3. Arguing over the minutia of definitions instead of the actual issue is not a direction I'm willing to take further.
4. thank you, I shall tweak as the mood hits me.
5. I agree, you might have missed that my original post was intended to contain extreme sarcasm. The point being that when
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
do you work for some company that made an early MP3 player that is long forgotten? Apple never claimed to create the first MP3 player.... they seem to just be the first ones to get it right. it would not have gotten so popular at that initial price if it was a nightmare to use (like some other players of the time).
Apple was the first to market a windows based UI, so e
Re:a video ipod? (Score:1, Flamebait)
You might want to bone up on the history of microcomputers a bit.
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
But snappy comeback though. well said, you've totally disarmed my argument. I and my family are shamed for generations to come.
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
even if i was off on one little point, my post in general was obviously dead on since you had nothing else to say about it. the point of my post was that when a second or a hundredth company markets a similar product it is not always stealing. there are a
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
you are very correct, Apple was ONE of the first, but not THE first. I'd hesitate to say what first "home computer" was, since inevitably someone will say "what about the Transmungifier 3000", but I do know the Altair was available a couple of years before Apple.
Re:a video ipod? (Score:2)
that being said Steve Jobs just last week said he still doesn't see a marke