My Video Ipod

I managed to fry the 1st generation Nano that my mom got me a couple years ago at Christmas, so I had to get a replacement. Got the new Gen 3 version -- complete with video capability.

Now, I've always mocked the idea of watching video on an iPod. At a time when TVs seem to be getting bigger and bigger, why would I want to watch TV on a 2" screen? But, I figured, now that I can do it, I should see what all the fuss is about.

And now I understand.

I have to note here that when you register a video-capable iPod, iTunes gives you a cartoon short, a TV show, and a music video for free. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting my iPod registered -- it finally went through a week ago. I kept getting an "iTunes Store Not Available" message, even though it was (grrr.). In the meantime, I downloaded a few videos from YouTube, thanks to KeepVid, and they were OK to watch, though I think I didn't set the quality high enough. I still watch them every so often, and it's not a big strain on my old eyes to watch them on the small screen. "OK," says I, "But what about a TV show?"

I thought that it would remain an unanswered question, since I wasn't willing to shell out even two bucks on iTunes to download a TV show that I may only watch once. Then they went and offered the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles pilot for free on iTunes. So I downloaded it, and tried it out.

And I liked it. I really liked it. I like the convenience. I like the portability.

Now, I've tried it with other things that didn't work so well. I received a BUNCH of DVDs from A&E to review over at Blogcritics, and converted one over to watch on the iPod. It was decent, but any time any text showed up on the screen, it was impossible for me to read. For most shows, it would be OK, though. I also can't imagine watching a full movie on my iPod -- I'd rather have better sound and a bigger picture when I'm watching a movie.

But on the whole, video on an iPod isn't too bad. My wife laughs at me, reminding me of the "Bah, Humbug" attitude I used to have. And I am not afraid to admit when I'm wrong -- and I was wrong. Video on a 2" screen isn't bad at all.

Posted by: Warren Kelly at 06:35 PM

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