September 2007 Archives

Have you ever missed a TV show and wished that there were an easy, legal way watch it? Okay, maybe the legal part didn't cross your mind, but I'm sure the easy part did.

Loading up your Bitorrent client and downloading a show can sometimes be a labor of love. And by labor, I mean finding a tracker that's still seeded well and then waiting for the entire file to download before you can start watching the video. Your cable provider might offer ondemand services, but the offerings are limited and sometimes expensive. That's where online video services like iTunes and Amazon Unbox come to the rescue. Sort of.

Right now we're in the wild, wild west stage of internet video delivery. Much like the radio boom of the early twentieth century, everyone and their Uncle are starting videocasts (aka. Podcasts) or offering up video download services. You can never have too many video shows about how to do a video show. I'm subscribed to about 12 of them right now. One of the latest additions to this crowded internet video field is Amazon Unbox.

For the most part, internet video is limited to display on your computer. I don't know about you, but watching a television show on my computer monitor is like going to church. I sit on an uncomfortable seat, have to fight off massive back spasms, and am overcome by waves of fatigue. Call me crazy, but sitting on my couch watching a big screen HDTV is a touch more desirable. Enter TiVo.

TiVo and Amazon Unbox have found the perfect partnership. TiVo, losing ground to cable company DVRs with ondemand, can offer subscribers a vast library of video. And Amazon Unbox unshackles their videos from the desktop computer. But is it a win, win?

Did I just write, "ribbed for your pleasure"? No, no I didn't. Oh, God ... I did!

Best quote, "ICEWEAR iPhone utilizes our patented rib technology." I'm surprised that God didn't have this patent already.

Visit TUNEWEAR.

Well, the Toyman broke down and picked up a new iPod Touch from Best Buy. It's a week 38 model (see previous post) and all is good. The video quality is so much better. I tested with two of the same videos that I used before, "Rear Window" and Pixar's "Lifted." Details were visable in dark scenes that weren't visible before. Even better, the dreaded negative effect is gone.

By the way, I've written this post on the iPod. Not bad.

Over the weekend I returned my iPod Touch to Best Buy. I was having the same "negative black" issue that many users have been complaining about since the device hit the street. For those that haven't heard, some of the iPod Touch screens have difficulty playing dark video scenes or photographs. The dark areas take on a grayish quality and the darkest areas will sometimes go light gray. The result is similar to looking at a film negative, hence the name "negative black effect."

Bottom line: it makes watching video difficult.

From the reports iPod Touches that were built in week 36 or 37 suffer from the problem. While the latest builds are still having screen issues, the numbers are diminishing. To find out what week your iPod Touch was manufactured, look at the serial number. It should start with, "9C7." The two numbers that follow "9C7" are the week it was built.

All of this is why I returned my iPod Touch. Now I wait, wait for the word that the screen issues are resolved.

• Mac Rumors - Apple Addressing iPod Touch Screen Issues
• Apple Touch - iPod Touch Screen Problem Negative Black Effect
• Engadget - iPod Touch Having Display Issues
• Apple Discussions Thread

I was able to pick up an iPod Touch this weekend. In the coming days I'll post a review, but here are my initial impressions.

• The packaging is classic Apple. Minimalist and beautiful.
• It's far thinner than I was expecting, but also heavier. Odd.
• My experience with the iPhone has been limited, so the "wow factor" is still in effect.
• So far it's the best iPod I've ever used. There's no way a clickwheel, or any other mechanical input device can match a touch interface.
• Getting it online was a snap.
• It's beautiful.

PC Magazine has posted an early review for the iPod Touch, and they loved it. 5 out of 5 stars. Considering that the iPod Touch is basically an iPhone, and many have called the iPhone the best iPod ever, I'm not too surprised.

Any doubts of my iPod Touch preorder have vanished after reading this review.

I've got a 2 1/2 year old 60GB iPod Photo that I've wanted to replace for some time now. Adding video playback to my iPod's bag of tricks has been on my wish list for months. Many, many months. The only thing that has held me back was the small screen of the video capable iPods. I kept telling myself, "Oh, just wait. Apple will create something fantastic with the next version." So I waited.

Then the iPhone came out and I just about burst with excitement. However, I don't use or even like cellphones, so why would I want to pay $60 a month for a large touch screen iPod? So once again, I waited.

Yesterday, my waiting paid off ... sort of. The new iPod Touch fulfills almost all of my requirements: large screen, longer battery life, video playback. And the extra perks aren't too shabby either: touch screen, wifi and web browsing. [Cue the needle scratching sound.] But the iPod touch tops out at 16GB of storage.

One thing I've come to love about my 60GB iPod Photo is that I can carry my entire music and podcast collection with me at all times. If I get in the mood to rock out to Led Zepplin's "When the Levy Breaks," I can rock on out. With only 16GB of space on the iPod Touch, those days are over.

Decision time. iPod Touch or iPod Classic? Or do I wait again in the hopes of a larger capacity iPod Touch?

Well, last night I pre-ordered a 16GB iPod Touch and here's my rationale. The Apple TV has prepared me for this moment. With only 40GB of space, I have to be selective about what I put on my Apple TV. The concept of smart playlists and filtering what is synced has been growing on me. Using the iPod Touch isn't going to be much different.

Second, I'm going to keep my iPod Photo for those times that I want my entire collection handy. Let's say I'm going on a long road trip, then the iPod Photo will be dusted off and tossed into the car.

This isn't the perfect solution, and I know I'm not alone in my disappointment, but this solution could work just fine for me. I'm looking forward to trying the iPod Touch for day to day use and reserving the Photo for longer excursions. Who knows, maybe I'll upgrade the Photo to an iPod Classic at some point in the future.

Yes, I know ... the Toyman has a sickness. So sue me.