Video iPod Review

Ars Technica reviews the video iPod – complete with taking it all apart of course. Here are some choice quotes – the last one is the most interesting:

While not a radical change, the wider screen evokes a reaction of trepidation from people who are used to the original design. Once I got an actual unit in my hands I was relieved. In reality the new iPod is the exact same width as all previous iPods

So what exactly has changed, appearance-wise, on this new iPod? The most noticeable physical update is that the LCD is larger. It's been upgraded to a 2.5" LCD from the previous 2" LCD and the effect is great. The screen is only marginally bigger, but it feels considerably different.

The new model is approximately 39% thinner than my fourth generation 40 GB model (which is pretty darn thick) and 28% thinner than my 10 GB, third-generation model.

The final change to the design of the iPod is the relocation of the headphone jack, which is now positioned opposite the hold switch. This is a departure from the headphone jacked located in the center of the device, and will make a number of accessories designed for the old iPod either incompatible or awkward, at best.

One change that has caused a lot of uproar from long-time Mac users is the lack of Firewire support on these new iPod models.

It plays video, and that's about it. Imagine your average iPod photo with the ability to play video on a slightly larger LCD or output that video to your TV and you've got it covered.

Overall I was very pleased with the video output to my standard definition TV. I'm certain that some videophiles will be disappointed with the low video resolution the device offers, but I'm convinced that a majority of Apple iPod consumers will fail to notice or care about it very much.

This chip natively decodes H.264 and MPEG4 video up to 640x480 which is noticeably higher than what Apple's specs state are the maximum allowable video resolution.