What Is Different About The Video IPod

What is Different about the Video iPod?

At first, the new video iPod may appear wider to you than previous models. The wider screen and smaller touch wheel may be a surprise, but in reality, the video iPod is the exact same width as the models before it. Enlarging the LCD from 2' to 2.5' has resulted in a great effect, along with the other change in the layout of a smaller scroll wheel from 41.67mm across to 38.10mm, which uses Apple's own in-house scroll wheel design.

The redesign has affected the physical thickness too; the video iPod is about 39% thinner than the 40GB model and 28% thinner than the 10GB model. When you compare the video iPod to the old 40GB model, you really begin to appreciate the work Apple has done. The rounded edges on the front and rear face in the previous models are gone - now the front face is dual layered, coated with a clear resin on top of the white plastic and completely flat. Now that a hard resin instead of a plastic cover covers the LCD, it has better protection against damage and the screen images are clearer. The addition of different colors to the video iPod product line will benefit from this change, giving the entire range of models a consistent image.

One frustration with the redesign of the video iPod is the change of location for the headphone jack. It has been moved from the center of the device to opposite the hold switch. This will make several of the accessories designed for previous models difficult to use or obsolete. Now there is very little Firewire support on the video iPod, so many Mac users could be a bit put off with the new USB requirement. The word on the street is that the Firewire chipset was eliminated in the quest for a lighter, more compact design.

As for the 'video' content factor in the video iPod, the addition of the new 'Videos' menu gives you the options that are currently available; 'Video Play lists,' 'Music Videos,' 'Movies,' and 'Video Pod casts.' Nevertheless, you will not see the 'TV Shows,' menu option until you buy a TV show from the iTunes Music Store and update your video iPod. Thankfully, the interface for playing movies is almost identical to what users are accustomed to in playing music-when you click the middle wheel the first time you control the volume with the scroll wheel, the second click will put you in video land.

A very nice additional feature to the video iPod is the ability to bookmark your videos so that if you are interrupted, your video will pick up right where you stopped viewing. However, be advised that the video iPod has some pretty strict video formats and codec's requirements. Make sure you check the Apple site for the specifications, especially if you want to encode your own video. However, with the tutorials, the process is easy enough to follow using the new 'Export to iPod' option in QuickTime. One of the advantages of Apple's most recent iPods is that at what time you connect the adaptor to the firewire you will automatically be connected to iTunes. NOTE: You must download iTunes software in order to have access to all its functions and connections with your iPod. You might want to check your manual also to see if other programs are available to you.

It is wise to download music, videos, movies, games, and so forth legally. Anyone caught downloading music, movies, videos and so forth that does not own the original copies is subject to fines, cost, and possible imprisonment.