Digital Home Thoughts: Video iPod has Solutions for Busy Viewers

"Tinkering with an enormously popular, dominant consumer product is a bold move. So when Apple added video to the top models of its iPod, the stakes were high indeed — especially since the company is phasing out non-video iPods with big hard drives. Fortunately for music and even TV enthusiasts, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has scored yet again. The video iPod is not just cool in an abstract “look what they pulled off” way. It really works quite well...For $2 each, you can choose from a growing number of programs. There are movie trailers, music videos and — most significantly — a variety of TV shows. NBC is offering episodes of “Law & Order” and “The Tonight Show,” among other material. Additionally, there are old episodes of classics such as “Adam 12.” But can you really watch video on a 2.5-inch screen? The answer is: “Yes!” But there are a few limitations. It’s great for dramas. I had no problem watching a full episode of “Law & Order” on the small screen...But I’m not sure I’d want to watch a football game on the little screen. Following the ball could be tiresome after a while. Fortunately, Apple sells a cable connector kit that lets you play iPod video through any television set that has line inputs. (Most do these days.) This worked extremely well. And to quote Herald business editor Cosmo Macero Jr., the video quality far surpasses anything you’d stream from the Internet (what he called “stuttervision”). Played through a TV, the video quality was as good as what you’d normally get via cable."



If you're tired of a $40, $50, or $60 a month cable bill, and only want to watch a few select shows on a Standard Definition TV, the video iPod might not be such an unfeasible solution. It's no replacement for HDTV, but the quality is comparable to SD Cable reception (I can attest to this from my own experience), and you can watch your favorite TV shows anytime, anywhere. I think there needs to be a broader content pool before this becomes a viable alternative to broadcast TV (ABC and NBC are currently the only content providers), but in just a few months Apple has already surpassed every competitor in the portable video marketplace.