Well, it will work on computers too (Mac & Windows). But you are right that they won’t work on other portable devices. (until the DRM is cracked if it hasn’t by now)
Brian
I will take this (rare) opportunity to agree wholeheartedly with rjung.
I don’t get it. But then, I’m in my 40s, so maybe that explains it.
Can it hold a 1 hr TV show? I saw ads with “Lost” on the video iPod.
Still, it seems like a very unusual situation where I’d want to watch TV on a tiny screen like this.
I honestly don’t understand why anyone would buy an MP3 player with 40 or 60 gigs of storage space. Does anybody out there have 40 gigs of music that they actually listen to on a regular basis? My understanding is that most people with high-capacity players put every single song they have on it, but only ever listen to like 10% of them. I guess I just don’t see why someone would spend hundreds of dollars on a huge player that’s going to be used mostly as a musical junk drawer.
In preparation for a future MP3 player purchase, I went through my CD collection, ripping only the songs that I actually like, and leaving the crappy filler songs on the CD. I came up with about 300 songs, taking up less than a gig. I also have a bunch of songs that I purchased from Napster, which bump the total up to about 1.5 gigs. Sandisk just came out with 2 and 4 gig flash-based players. I’m going to wait and see what else comes out before Christmas. I probably won’t buy an iPod, partly because I don’t want to convert all my WMA’s into inferior MP3 files, and partly because iPods don’t give you many features for the price. Pretty much every Windows-based player made today can work as a radio, and many have a built-in microphone that lets you make recordings. (For me, this will probably be something like, “I’m parked in lot E-3, near the light post.”) I’m not interested in podcasts; I don’t watch much TV anyway, and there aren’t any network shows that I’d pay to download. I’ve still got a VCR gathering dust under my TV, in case I absolutely must record a program for later viewing 
Actually, the 60GB holds up to 150 hours, so I would assume the 30GB holds 75 hours of video.
Hmmm, Looking at the video specs st. pauler posted, it looks like I could encode a movie right now from one of my DVDs that would be compatible with this unit. I’m a little annoyed that it won’t play MPEG4+MP3 AVI files, but I can live with MPEG4+AAC MP4 files. Count me very intrigued.
John Mace, assuming you get the 60 gig version, you’d be able to hold a lot more than a single 1 hour TV show. If my calculations are right, you’d be able to carry around all 7 seasons of Buffy on one iPod with room for Firefly, as well.
Well, my actual music MP3 player is only 6 Gb and my music collection takes up only about two-thirds of that.
The 40Gb unit I mentioned does a lot more than just play music. As mentioned, it does video and it does pictures as well. The main reason I got it is to go with my digital camera. My camera is an 8 megapixel so the image files from it are large.
My unit has a compact flash adapter. I can plug in the CF card from my camera and transfer all the images from it to the unit. This lets me clear the card and use it again. Just as an idea, I took over a thousand pictures on my last trip and transfered every one of them to the Archos.
It also came with a video module that lets me record TV shows (and has VCR like programming capability to start at a certain time). So, I grab shows to put on it to watch on the plane, then use it to store my pictures when I get to where I’m going.
The fact that it plays MP3s is almost secondary…
I would love it because I could (if they were able to be downloaded/acquired and put on) put Law and Order episodes on and watch while I’m at the gym. God, that would rock.
In past threads on the Nano I expressed my concern at why IPods were unable to play video. I held off buying one because I figured the tech would come out soon.
But THREE FREAKING WEEKS?!?
The rate tech is growing makes even me feel old.
I have about 3000 albums taking up about 200 gigs of space. I don’t listen to every album on a regular basis, but you never know when you’re going to be in the mood for something you haven’t heard in a while. I have a 30gb iPod now and its a pain that everytime I get a new disc I have to remove something else.
Lemme see. Videos only available in America. Only American TV programs. Fat internet pipes more-or-less required. Humm, call me when it is ready.
Even then, I could imagine buying TV programs to play on my large-scree computer, but why would I want to carry a little movie screen with me? I would not use it even on the plane.
I certainly would not get one.
[QUOTE=Diceman]
I honestly don’t understand why anyone would buy an MP3 player with 40 or 60 gigs of storage space. Does anybody out there have 40 gigs of music that they actually listen to on a regular basis?
[/QUOTE=Diceman]
Easily. I have hundreds of gigs of mp3’s that I listen to on a regular basis, as well as thousands of CD’s and vinyl records. The main reason I haven’t bought an Ipod is that even the 60gb one seems positively puny to me. Show me an Ipod that can hold a terabyte and play vinyl, and I’m in. 
Return it! Quick! Even if you don’t like video, you get 10G extra space, a smaller form factor, and better music quality!
You’re right; I think the smaller click-wheel threw me off.
August 2005: Media Center PC Sales Skyrocket in U.S. Retail Market
I’d love to rip all my DVDs to my Mac, hook it up to my TV and turn it into a multimedia jukebox. Hell, I might even get a new Mac if it were designed for that purpose. Makes quite a bit more sense than a video iPod (or PSP or whatever).
Now that you mention the PSP, iPod and PSP are clearly going more and more head-to-head in this area. I know a lot of the PSP kids like to carry around their favorite videos on the PSP, so that’s probably where this is coming from. PSP also has a video distribution network being set up, already active in Japan.
Also, the PSP has just released new firmware (2.50) to work with the LocationFreePlayer:
http://products.sel.sony.com/locationfreetv/owners/psp.html
This means that if you have access to wireless and have half decent internet at home (300kb(it) p/s upload required, and a wireless connection with similar download performance), you can control your terabyte holding computer at home with it and jukebox or pick songs from there, watch MTV on your PSP through your own tv or cable connection, even control your home radio and so on.
If this is the kind of thing you’re into, then that makes a lot more sense. You can even just stick to your default PSP memorycard of 32mb, as all it needs to store are the codes for your remotes at home.
Certainly, the PSP has one of the best screens out there for small, portable video. It already supports AVC (.264) / MP4 out of the box too. And a 3rd party (Datel) HDD option is being released before Christmas.
Not to mention it can do a gazillion things anyway. 
If I buy a video iPod, it is entirely your fault.
No-can-do. Its personalized.
Unless theres someone else out there with my name and cell phone number that would want it.
The Mac rumor mill is whispering that content providers are hiking up to Cupertino toot sweet to make negotiations with Apple to put their stuff online as well. MSNBC is rumored to be next, with episodes of their various reality TV shows.
Call me when they get The Daily Show; since I don’t have cable, that’s the only thing that’d entice me enough to drop $2 for a vid.
I’m personally waiting for Fox to jump on board with “Family Guy”. I don’t have cable, and my antenna reception of Fox is sketchy at best, so that’ll probably be my first choice. I think they’ll jump on pretty soon, as they are one of the few networks with podcast summaries of their shows.
I hope that House is the next show one may access with the new iPod. I’d get one in that case - I’ve been wanting one, but there wasn’t quite enough incentive for me to get one. I’ll try to stay posted.
Call me stupid, but what’s “Cupertino”?
TygerD