Yesterday Apple introduced a new line of iPods. The most salivating thing for me is that they've introduced an 80 GB iPod for $349. That's $50 less than I paid for my non-video 40 GB model two years ago.
But Apple downplayed this announcement. Instead they were rejoicing over the decision to make movies available through iTunes for $14.99 a pop.
What?
Not that video iPod isn't nifty and $1.99 shows through iTunes aren't helpful (it's the only way I was able to catch up on "Lost") but why pay the same price as a theater admission for a copy worse than VHS? You can own a 2 disc set of Pirates of the Carribean for $11.99 or you can fork over three more bucks for a pixelated pan and scan version with no hard backup. Tell me why I should be excited.
This is just a stepping stone to that magic business model of downloading movies straight to your tv. With theaters consolidating in the face of declining audiences and dvd sales leveling off, this has to seem like the fatted calf to the studios.
In the midst of all this video clamor, I have a simple question. When can I load my dvds into my iPod? I have a mammoth dvd collection and I'd sure like to watch an episode of "The Simpsons" or "The X-Files" on the N train now and then. If you couldn't listen to your own cds in the iPod, it never would have taken off. Now's the time to do the same for video. Make it propriety if you have to, but make it happen.
2 comments:
did you see the size (or lack of size) of the new ipod nano? The thing's as small as a business card, and not much thicker. hey, btw, I posted some metal crap from the turn of the century for ya. Check it out.
The big problem is not just that DVDs are copy protected, but bypassing the copy protection for any reason is illegal.
It's not a copyright violation to copy your CDs to you computer for personal use.
It's also not a copyright violation to copy your DVDs to your computer or iPod.
It is, however, a federal crime to bypass copy protection on any DVDs, even if it's for a legal purpose.
The DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) is really an abomination in this respct.
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