Apple iPod 5G (30GB, video)
Manufacturer: Apple Part number: MA002LL/A
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Get the affordable, sleek, and sexy 5G Apple iPod for its audio virtues. Although video looks great, poor video battery life and a relatively small screen hamper its appeal to video heads.
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CNET editors' review
Apple iPod 5G (30GB, video) price range: $299.99
- Reviewed by: James Kim
- Edited by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 10/21/2005
- Released on: 10/12/2005
The good: Incredibly thin and intuitive design; beautiful LCD; supports photo and video playback; seamless integration with iTunes, which boasts the world's biggest music catalog and a new video store; smooth video; lots of extra features, such as a world clock, a stopwatch, and PIM applications; a galaxy of accessories designed for the iPod; great overall value.
The bad: No extras included, such as a dock, A/V cables, or a power adapter; poor battery life for video; slight delay when playing video; no guarantee that your non-iTunes Music Store video will play on an iPod, even after using converted third-party software.
The bottom line: Get the affordable, sleek, and sexy 5G Apple iPod for its audio virtues. Although video looks great, poor video battery life and a relatively small screen hamper its appeal to video heads.
Those who follow gadgets know that Apple didn't invent portable digital video; companies such as Archos, Creative, and iRiver have produced good if not stellar products that play back video--and on larger screens with better battery life. But if Apple can do for video what it has done for audio--that is, deliver a hardware/software ecosystem that offers a decent choice of content and makes it easy to get video on to the iPod--then this device, like it or not, will be remembered as the one that started the portable digital video revolution.
The 5G iPod, which is available in white or Nano black and comes in 30GB and 60GB capacities for $299 and $399, respectively, is the best one we've used to date. Yet because it has added a major extra feature--video playback--to its solid, audiocentric foundation, there's room for improvement.
In this era of seemingly unstoppable technological progress, the Apple iPod was due for an update both physically and featurewise. And the 5G iPod is much more than a simple update. As with the Nano before it, you have to see and touch the iPod in person to appreciate it. The 30GB body, which measures 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.4 inches and weighs only 4.8 ounces, is baby-soft to the touch, and while design elements such as the Click Wheel and a polished silver backside are familiar, this iPod has an added sexiness, thanks to the larger screen that dominates its upper half.
Apple somehow shrunk the width of the iPod body so drastically that the 30GB version is 31 percent thinner than the 20GB iPod. The 60GB version measures only 0.55 inch, meaning it too is thinner than the 20GB iPod. Personally, we think the older model, with its softer edges and added thickness, is a tad more hand-friendly. The Click Wheel, which utilizes in-house technology (Apple abandoned Synaptics tech starting with the Nano), is actually smaller--by about a quarter-inch diameter--than the 4G iPod, which means you won't get as much scrolling action with each stroke of the thumb. The select button, which was slightly raised before, is now flat. The headphone jack has moved to the far right, and the smart jack, which was used by a host of accessories, such as the Apple in-line remote, has disappeared. The hold switch has moved from right to left, while the dock connector remains bottom center. Overall, the physical design is simpler and more refined though slightly less ergonomic. Basically, you'll definitely get tired of holding the iPod in the 28th minute of viewing video.
The 5G iPod is available in black or white, and its polished backside gently slopes in from the front of the player, so it glides into pockets. The most noticeable trait of course is the 2.5-inch, 260,000-color display with a crisp 320x240-pixel resolution. The extra half-inch diagonal not only does wonders for photos (now you get a six-by-five grid of thumbnails), album art, and the interface in general but also makes viewing videos a reasonable if not pleasurable experience.
A word of caution to prospective buyers: Scratches and smudges accumulate quickly, and they really show up on the black version. Blemishes are par for the course for all iPods, but they are much more noticeable on this big-screen iPod, especially since the display will be stared at for several minutes at a time. While watching the latest episode of Desperate Housewives, we kept noticing a sliver of a scratch in the middle of the screen.
Viewing angles are decent, but the lack of a built-in speaker, as well as the screen, which is small by portable video player standards (most have 3.5- to 7-inch screens), makes the iPod an intensely personal device. We'd also love to see a user-replaceable battery, along with a quick and dedicated way to control volume. The interface itself hasn't changed too much, though you'll find some new choices when it comes to video: a video option in the customizable main menu, as well as extended options such as Video Playlists, TV Shows, and Movies. You can also customize settings such as NTSC/PAL and a wide-screen mode, though there is no option to adjust brightness or contrast. However, the big, bright screen--which looks great outdoors, where a backlight is not necessary--makes for a clean and joyful user experience.
Along with streamlined packaging, the 5G iPod has a trimmed-down bundled-accessories list. Basically, you get earbuds, a USB cable, a semisoft case, and a plastic adapter for use with certain accessories. Glaringly missing is a power adapter ($29)--out of the box, your only powering option is via your computer's USB. Also, we'd love to see A/V cables ($19) and a dock ($39). This is critical for many of us who find the iPod uncomfortable to hold for extended periods of video viewing.
First, the basic stuff: The 5G iPod plays MP3, AAC, protected AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, and Audible audio files. It is at root a music player and includes all the same audio features, plus more, of the previous iPod. The 5G iPod still lacks the coveted FM tuner, and it cannot record audio out of the box. Still, with album art, a plethora of EQ choices, lyrics support, on-the-go playlists, and a dedicated place for audio and video podcasts, as well as audiobooks, the iPod manages to be a complete audio player.The 5G iPod is also a decent photo viewer, and you can listen to music while you browse photos or watch a slide show; the iPod has excellent slide-show options, including a variety of transitions and customizable music. Photos look stupendous on the new screen, and in thumbnail view, you get five extra photos. And thanks to the Click Wheel, you can whiz through thumbs and full-size photos. In addition, you can splurge on the Apple iPod Camera Connector ($29) if you'd like to transfer images over from a digital camera.
The 5G iPod also features all the little extras of new to the Nano, including the world clock (you can view four clocks at a time) and the screen lock, plus the tried-and-tested contacts, calendar, games, and other ancillary extras.
Now that the trailers are finished, we can get to the main feature. Videos of all types, except for full-length movies, are available in the new iTunes 6, which has been retooled to serve as an iTunes video store. Within this store, which is virtually guaranteed to explode with content, there are a couple thousand music videos, plenty of movie trailers, a handful of Pixar shorts (including For the Birds and Gerry's Game), and of course the highly publicized, commercial-free TV-show offerings from ABC (Lost and Desperate Housewives) and Disney (That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody). The 5G iPod is able to play video encoded in H.264, MPEG-4, M4V, and MOV up to 768Kbps, 320x240 pixels, and 30fps. What differentiates the iPod from video competitors such as Cowon and Creative is that legal video is easily available within a familiar interface, plus the fact that it doesn't take a genius to get them to play on the iPod; incompatible video files won't even get transferred to the device.
Of course, purchasable video is just half the story. The video universe includes home movies, content picked from P2P networks, ripped DVDs for personal use, and video podcasts. All but the last type will probably not play natively on the iPod, which means you'll have to painstakingly convert the video using a utility such as QuickTime Pro 7 ($29.95, Mac and Windows). The tediousness of this process has been a stumbling block for video players in general; iTunes simply can't rip a DVD like it would an audio CD. Now if iTunes had a built-in video converter, it'd be another story. As for legal full-length movies, they'll come but only after some serious legal dealings. Don't expect them soon, though that might be a good thing, considering the iPod's poor video battery life (see Performance).
Once there's video on the iPod, you have a full set of entertainment options in your pocket. We love the fact that the iPod will automatically bookmark any number of videos so that you can return to a show on your evening bus commute. We also like that you can assemble video playlists. While you can fast-forward or rewind using buttons or by scrolling, we'd prefer the ability to skip back or forward in 10- or 30-second increments. We've seen more advanced video options on portable video players such as the Archos AV500, which has the special ability to record video, but for an MP3 player, the iPod does a commendable job with the video experience.
Upon selecting a video to play, you will notice a 3-second delay, and the processor works overtime when you scrub through large chunks of video. But while watching an hour-long show on the 5G iPod's screen can get tiresome for your eyes and hands, we can only praise the screen's performance. It's lively, and it never skips frames. Plus, dark areas of video content (at least in H.264) are a rich black, you get instant playback after a pause, and viewing angles are decent. Basically, watching the "iTube" is the equivalent of watching TV in a typical bedroom--that is, from a 12-inch TV about 10 feet away. If you decide to pipe out the video to a TV (and you should), know that the 320x240 resolution will look compressed and grainy on a bigger screen.The 5G iPod's processor performance for audio and photos is solid, with only occasional drive delays; this is typical across the MP3 board, though we've noticed that the 4G is slightly faster than the 5G when skipping tracks. Audio quality is quite good and probably better than the previous iPod's, with reasonable bass, distinguishable mids, and shiny highs, plus the audio-output power is quite good. We do wish that the equalizers had more extreme sound-shaping qualities or even offered a preview before selection. Audio is especially noticeable while watching video, as most people aren't used to hearing bassy passages in a show such as Desperate Housewives. They say if you have good audio, it doesn't really matter how small the screen is.
Transfer time for audio files is never an issue with the 5G iPod. Our transfers over USB 2.0 on a Windows computer was good enough at 3.52MB per second but not as fast as those of some iPods of past. Video, because of its sheer size, will take much longer than you're used to. Simply downloading a 43-minute TV show (193MB) from iTunes took more than 2 minutes on a corporate broadband connection; the same video file took 25 seconds to make it over to my iPod.
For audio, Apple rates the 30GB and 60GB iPods for 14 and 20 hours per charge, respectively. CNET Labs was able to muster 14.7 hours of audio-only battery life for the 30GB version. As for video on a 30GB model, we were pretty disappointed with the 2 hours, 31 minutes we got playing back an iTunes TV show. You should expect a video-only battery life of about 4 hours on the 60GB version; the extra battery life makes the 60GB version a coveted item, particularly because it's still slimmer than the 4G iPod. However, battery life will always be an issue with a video device. We watched the same show a bit more than two times; the $1.99 was well spent, but we'll probably never watch that episode again. Plus, DRM prevents us from copying the show to a watchable DVD. You'll barely get a movie in, and your audio battery life will sink if you watch just one music video; do note, however, that because the screen turns on by default when you control the iPod, and because the screen is bigger, your realistic battery life will seem lower than in our tests. Our advice is to disable the backlight completely when using it in daylight since it's not necessary for viewing the iPod inteface. Battery life will no doubt be improved in subsequent versions, so if you're eyeing the iPod as a video device, either wait or get an Archos or a Creative player with a bigger screen and better battery life.
User reviews
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Video Ipod + $1.99 per download = Archos AV420 minus numerous features
by Chris131 on October 13, 2005
Pros: Gives me the opportunity to throw away $48 on an entire season of LOST
Cons: Paying for free TV, Non-user serviceable battery AGAIN?
Summary: Let me start by saying that I'm not an Apple hater. I think they are a smart company and make a decent product. What I'm trying to understand ...
Summary: Let me start by saying that I'm not an Apple hater. I think they are a smart company and make a decent product. What I'm trying to understand is... Why there is so much hype surrounding this "video capable" IPOD ?
I think people should do some research before they shell out hundreds of dollars on a unit like this one. I know I did before I made my decision and I couldn't be happier.
I own an Archos Av 420, and have for over 6 months now.
I have thousands of songs on the unit, numerous photos and a bunch of TV shows. And Yes folks, the shows I have were free. I didn't pay $1.99 for each show. The Archos AV420 allows the user to set it like a TIVO. I have my unit turn on several times throughout the night to record numerous shows on different channels. I then watch those shows during my commute into NYC the next morning. Try doing that with the new IPOD. If I get tired of my TV shows and I don't wat to listen to any of my Mp3's, I can listen to FM radio. I guess Apple forgot to include that feature too. The Archos AV 420 has a 3.5 inch screen and a user serviceable battery. Do I need to keep going ?????
There are options out there people Apple is not the only game in town.56 out of 77 users found this user opinion helpful.
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good for music, not so good for videos
by benzslrpee on November 8, 2005
Pros: user friendly, bright screen, slim, good sound
Cons: i suppose the lack of radio and recoding capabilities, mediocre battery life, comes with bare bone accessories
Summary: alright, there are way too many whiners, complainers and idiots that have reviewed this item. and you know what? it gives no friggin useful information to anyone...so let a ...
Summary: alright, there are way too many whiners, complainers and idiots that have reviewed this item. and you know what? it gives no friggin useful information to anyone...so let a wise guy give the definitive review here to silence the squables.
audio...excellent. no big suprise here. all of the ipod series have produced good quality music even with so-so head phones/earphones/earbuds on. there are plenty of EQ settings to keep people happy, i know there are a few that want manual EQ settings...but seriously, the amount of people that can hear the difference between the "Rock" setting and if i eased the treble up one notch are few and far between. if you can, you should probably go work at Bose or something.
battery life...the biggie here. its not great, if left running continously, according to CNET it will run 14 hours. with the way i listen to, changing songs about ever 7 min or so, it lasted me....i'm guessing 12 hours (i had to recharge it after day 3 with about 3-4 hours of listening per session). that was achieved with close to the loudest setting and no backlight. your mileage may vary, but whichever way you cut it you can always use more battery life..
video...the culprit of the whole bash sessions i read here. i tried the video, and honestly, i'll go with steve jobs here. its just an extra damn bonus...nothing more, nothing less. before y'all get your knickers in a twist, watching a tv show on a 2.5 inch screen was already tedious...lets not even get into watching a full length feature film. yes i know there are other PVP players out there, or MP3 players with video capability and i'll still say the same thing. you're nuts if you're gonna watch Lord of the Rings on a screen, any screen, maximum size of your hand. i let my friends try to watch videos on it and we all eventually held the ipod closer and closer to our faces. so did it matter to me that with video the battery life gets cut down to 2 hours? nope. for those who posted on here saying how great some other PVP or MP3 player with video capabilities has made their life...seriously, you're watching a tv show/movie on a screen smaller than the size of sliced bread. how comfortable is that anyway? i agree it makes for pleasant distraction for those who utilize mass transit systems frequently but for those who got the ipod for jogging/studying/easy listening/or drive their car to work...i doubt they will give a bunny fart about watching some tv show they missed. that being said, watching a music video on it...ok. watching an episode of sex and the city...err do-able. watching a ripped dvd/vcd/whatever...your eyes will die long before the ipod's battery dies.
user interface...if my tech challenged parents could use it so can you. if you can't, then my friend, you and i need to have a serious talk about your scholastic/academic/mental capabilities. jesting aside, it's hopelessly easy. you either scroll up or down, press the button (the big fat white thing in the middle) to select the option/menu you want and press back to get back out.
things i don't understand...why can't apple stick a radio on their? i see how it maybe ironic to have 30 gigs of music and still need a radio but who knows right? bare bones acessories? what the hell is going on here? i shell out 300 bucks the least they can do is give me a decent case, dock and charger to go along with it.
as for the rest who complain about how apple is a great big evil company...well get over it cafone. either you never took a course in business or your just too stupid to realize the most basic rule of business...to make money. if you have lots of shareholders, then you must make lots of money. of course they are going to change the ipod around at some point forcing other companies to either renew their contract or something. of course they are going to pump countless millions in PR to get their product out in the open. of course they will charge you money to buy video/music to go along with their products. and if they are really competitive they will limit their products to be only compatible with the videos/music they offer.
you don't like that? well tough luck. i'm not saying this because i like/dislike apple. to quote the Godfather on this, "it's nothing personal, it's just business" whether you folks out there like it or not, microsoft, apple, creative, iriver, samsung...are all about making money first. do you not think, that given the chance, creative or anyother company would kill to do exactly the same thing? but sadly apple was the one company that beat all others to the step.
and finally, to quote a previous reviewer...most people want to be able to plug their mp3 players to their computers and have it sync without extra configuration. ipod does that. most people want to get videos on their ipod by just plugging it in. apple does that. most people don't care whether it has video streaming, bluetooth, wifi, infra-red, manual equalizer, dolby digital, PIM tools, mpeg 1,2,3,4,....1098354 support, wma, ogg, rma and God knows what else. all they care about is that its easy to use and it works. apple does that. yes you can smirk with your all knowing smile thinking that 75% of the people out there are idiots for buying an ipod. you can smirk till you're blue in the face and it won't change the fact that the ipod, as hated as it may be, is still a very good MP3 player. but the truth is, in the end, will your superior wonder gadget be obsolete within 2 years, most definitely. will the ipod? yes. so whats the difference really?
this is the best and most freaking complete review so far that is UNBIASED. so i better not see anymore of you pezzanovantes come up with another smart remark about this subject. that's it boys, watch your backs and keep your noses clean.26 out of 34 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Hold off for one year. Not the "Next Big Thing"
by simon82 on October 13, 2005
Pros: Finally can do video.
Cons: The true video iPod will be out sometime next year (ThinkSeceret)
Summary: ThinkSeceret stated that this is not the "killer app" that Apple has planed to come out in 2006. Steve Jobs said that the iPod will succeed because its primary app ...
Summary: ThinkSeceret stated that this is not the "killer app" that Apple has planed to come out in 2006. Steve Jobs said that the iPod will succeed because its primary app is still music, and the market is still not ready for video, acording to NY Times
I agree with ThinkSeceret in that they are working on a true video iPod, and that this is just a really cool iPod with video capablilty. When the "real thing" comes out it will have a widescreen, and the next "iTunes" will have full length movies.16 out of 30 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Ipod Video? Not so Visual...
by bluelightning510 on November 21, 2005
Pros: shape,memory,color screen, photo viewer, video player, width
Cons: cannot play every video file, scratchers easily, battery life is shot when viewing photos
Summary: This is my first time owning something from Apple. I bought it yesterday at the Apple Store on Bay Street, Emeryville. When I brought it home, i uploaded some of ...
Summary: This is my first time owning something from Apple. I bought it yesterday at the Apple Store on Bay Street, Emeryville. When I brought it home, i uploaded some of my songs, but my wma songs had to be converted, which took a long time. And then when i tried to drag my video files into itunes, it did not work because it wasn't in the right format. So i checked on the apple website and found a quicktime Ipod Video guide, and it said that my files could have been converted through quicktime. I downloaded quicktime and tried to convert them, however that feature was avaible on Quicktime PRO which costs 19.99$. So i upgraded it, and converted one of my 30mb files, it took an 1hour and 30 minutes. When it was done, i uploaded it to my Ipod, and there was no sound,whatsoever. So I ended up buying the same exact video file on Apple.com for 1.99$
Video-not a fun feature.
Afterwards, i spent an hour or so listening to my ipod and was scroling through my photos which shot the battery life down 50%. The Ipod gets hot sometimes and it scracthes soo easily.
**Sugestion: Think about it. not for a few days, but for a few months before buying it for yourself, or as a gift.**4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Insanely great.. best iPod ever. Don't miss the point..
by reeltime on October 19, 2005
Pros: Beautiful, incredible screen, video, almost perfect in every way.
Cons: Still want a radio tuner. Earbuds don't do the sound justice.
Summary: Just got my black one today. Let's do the music player first.. As expected.. everything you love about the iPod is here.. best-in-class interface, great sound (though those earbuds ...
Summary: Just got my black one today. Let's do the music player first.. As expected.. everything you love about the iPod is here.. best-in-class interface, great sound (though those earbuds still aren't up to par). The new screen is a stunner. Bright and big. Photos are better than ever. It's the best small-format screen I've seen.
But let's face it.. the sell here is the video component. Here's what nay-sayers are missing: quality, content, and ease-of-use. No other player delivers on quality the way this player does. It plays at 30 frames-per-second. Many other players will only do 15. The codec is clean and playback smooth. Desperate Housewives looks fantastic on the screen. It's not blocky or blotchy at all. Motion is fluid. Compare with other players before you think you know what you're talking about.
Now.. the most important point that everyone who dislikes this iPod is missing: CONTENT. Yes, $2 bucks for a music video is silly, unless it's a concert performance. But Apple has put together a delivery system that makes sense, and the implications should not be missed.
Imagine missing your team's ball game or a favorite T.V. show and downloading it the next day for $2 bucks for playback on a T.V. or checking out over a lunch break. That's the future. And you do all of this legally, and you own the video. The long-term implications of all of this are pretty amazing. How about downloading a video of the Green Day concert you went to last night.. again.. they have a delivery path that makes sense.
The last part of my argument is ease-of-use. Ever try and encode/decode/compress a video for a music player? Not simple even in it's kindest form. The Apple way? Push a button and it's yours. Just copy it to the iPod. Simple, easy and fun. You can't do this with other players. This is an impressive display of technology. Kudos.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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this is an audio player, not a PVP!!
by neto!... on October 21, 2005
Pros: Best audio player ever, itunes, sleek, sexy, black and white, lots of accesories, also photo and video
Cons: doesnt include an power adapter or anything extra...
Summary: when will people understand that this is not a personal video player, you cant set this like a tivo like those archos things, this is just and ipod, remember last ...
Summary: when will people understand that this is not a personal video player, you cant set this like a tivo like those archos things, this is just and ipod, remember last month! there wasnt even an Mp3 player this size that is mainly audio that also supported video, just like a 4gb flash player, apple came up with all this stuff and its really inovative so if u dont like all this new stuff that probably would take a while to exist if it wasnt for apple, you apple haters should go somewhere else!!..
peace3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great! Take advantage of student discount
by phsdancer37 on November 1, 2005
Pros: Color screen, music/video quality, video capability
Cons: no belt clip included, no dock, or nice case
Summary: I had been looking at upgrading from a mini to a ipod, and as I was looking, all of a sudden Apple introduced this ipod, so I decided I had ...
Summary: I had been looking at upgrading from a mini to a ipod, and as I was looking, all of a sudden Apple introduced this ipod, so I decided I had to get that one. I have had it for a week now have explored all the capabilities. I upgraded from a mini, and I must say I'm glad I did. The color screen is great, and the video playback is pretty good. And unlike all the reviews, I get very good battery time for my playback of videos, TV shows, and music videos. Oh and although most of the older accessories don't have video ipod as being capatable with, MOST are (NOT ALL!), car charger and players, cable for stereo, etc. Oh and if you are a student at a college and have a college id (which these days what college doesn't require one?), use it!!! Online or in the apple store you can get a discount. You get 10% off, which is $40 for the 30gb. Oh and putting your own videos on aren't to hard. They say you have to use quicktime pro ($30), but if you are a college student (like me), PSP video is a great app that converts the video into the right file so it can be put on the ipod (ipods and psp both use same format). I definately recommend this!
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great product, bad service. Use a T.V Tuner and record shows.
by RRssXX on October 15, 2005
Pros: Small, lightweit, fits anywhere, easy to use, big color screen, clickwheel and packed with features.
Cons: Bad service from iTunes Music/Video Store
Summary: This is a great product, it can fit anywhere easily and has lots of space for music and videos. It has a big color screen for its' size. Yes, there ...
Summary: This is a great product, it can fit anywhere easily and has lots of space for music and videos. It has a big color screen for its' size. Yes, there are other products out there like the Archos AV 480 with a bigger screen etc... But will they fit in your pocket? I don't think so. Also, they are about three times more expensive than this iPod! That's why I think this gets the job done better than any other portable "media center" for a much cheaper price.
The bad thing about it though is that music videos cost 2$. Who would buy a music video for 2$?? The price for the shows are reasonable though (also 2$), but its still money going out of you pocket. I get them free.
What I did was this: Using a T.V. Tuner I record every show I know I am going to miss, and keep it on my iPod.
Overall, I think the product itself is perfect.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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id rather take gmini400/402+free irc music videos
by jtpinhead on October 13, 2005
Pros: smaller than gmini scrollwheel 30gb
Cons: music videos $2.00 each??? cant play longer video
Summary: i have a gmini 400 that I use to play music videos that i download for free off irc networks (kobravideos, videopimp.com, ramvideos). these networks are free and have ...
Summary: i have a gmini 400 that I use to play music videos that i download for free off irc networks (kobravideos, videopimp.com, ramvideos). these networks are free and have no viruses and i think they are legal. the gmini comes with a converter for all the videos on your pc, including downloaded and those from your camcorder. the video ipod you ahve to buy it for an aditional $30. a pvp deos not make sense without support for divx like an music player that doesnt support mp3. i also use fairuse wizard to put my dvd movies and tv box sets onto my gmini to see movies and tv shows on the go. the ipod video does not support that. then theres other advantages to the gmini for example the gmini has better games and even has a emulator to play sms games!
i recomend to anyone the gmini400 or any archos pvp over the video ipod unless you are an ipod fanatic or have to be 100% sure your downloading music videos legally2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very pleased
by miketkrw on July 23, 2006
Pros: Simplicity, functionality, design
Cons: Dock and power connectors are extra
Summary: I've been thinking over getting music player for almost two years. I finally took the plunge and got the 30g 5g. I own an iMac and a Powerbook but ...
Summary: I've been thinking over getting music player for almost two years. I finally took the plunge and got the 30g 5g. I own an iMac and a Powerbook but even so I was still surprised by the ease of use and quality of the iPod. Now my wife wants one!
I decided on the 5g 30g because at just $50 more you get almost 8 times the storage of the nano. I have A LOT of music. I did not really care about the photo and video aspects but while setting it up and transferring my music I loaded some of my photos and one of my home videos. I was astonished at the quality of the video.
I realize that Apple has its fan boys and its haters. The simple fact is that from Macs to OSX to iLife to the iPod, they create a simple intuitive user interface that is second to none. Yes, they are proprietary and not the cheapest in any category, but the get how people interface with technology.
I highly recommend the iPod 5g.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Part number: MA002LL/A
- Description: Witness the evolution of the revolution. First it played songs. Then photos. Then podcasts. Now iPod plays video, changing the way you experience your music and more. Again. In lighter, thinner model the iPod is music to your eyes. Time for the world's best music player to take the stage for another encore. Yeah, you've heard that tune before. Only now, you can watch it, too. With support for up to 150 hours of video and a 2.5-inch color display, the iPod lets you take music videos and TV shows on the road. Now you can put all your music in your pocket and still have room for, well, practically everything else. Catch up on your reading with audiobooks. Browse your memories with photo slideshows, complete with music. Watch video podcasts, music videos and your favorite TV shows. Consult your calendar or look up an email address. Even check the time in another city or time your fastest lap. The iPod keeps it all close at hand.
General
- Product type Digital player
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Flash memory installed None
- Digital storage Built-in 30 GB Hard disk drive
- Weight 4.8 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 2.4 in x 0.4 in x 4.1 in
- Color White
- Voice recording capable Yes
- Included accessories Docking station adapter,
Soft case - Software type Apple iTunes for Mac,
Apple iTunes for Windows - iPod Generation 5G
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards Apple Lossless ,
WAV ,
MP3 ,
AIFF ,
Audible ,
AAC - Playback modes Random play / shuffle,
All tracks repeat,
One track repeat,
Playlist - Edit functions Erase
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Supported bit rate 16 - 320
- ID3 tags support Yes
- External hard drive function Yes
- Additional features Variable bit-rate compatible
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Diagonal size 2.5 in
- Resolution 320 x 240
- Backlight display Yes
- Display illumination color White
- Display menu language Danish,
Korean,
Chinese (traditional),
Chinese (simplified),
Swedish,
Finnish,
Norwegian,
Italian,
French,
Dutch,
Spanish,
English,
German,
Japanese Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Timer Wake,
Sleep - Built-in clock Timer,
Digital clock - Alarm wake-up modes Playlist
- Additional features Photo wallet,
Hold button,
Phone book,
H.264 playback,
Battery level indication,
Calendar,
Upgradeable firmware,
Rechargeable capability,
MPEG-4 playback,
Built-in games ,
Date display,
Playback speed control ,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Notes Video Playback Features
- Video playback support MPEG-4
- Still image format JPEG,
BMP,
GIF,
TIFF,
PSD,
PNG CD System
- Playback modes Program play,
Skip playback,
Random play,
Repeat one/all - Digital audio standards supported MP3,
WMA,
AAC
Equalizer
- Equalizer factory preset qty 20
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode [Sep 14, 2011 from CDS: Audio Output] Stereo
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Impedance 32 Ohm
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included 1 x USB cable - External
- Connector type 1 x Docking station,
1 x Headphones / remote control / composite video Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
- Mfr estimated battery life 14 hour(s)
- Recharge time 4 hour(s)
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices [Jul 2, 2008 from CDS: System Requirements] USB port
- Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2 or later,
Apple MacOS X 10.3.9 or later,
Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 or later
Product series
-
Apple iPod (60GB, video, white)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 60 GB,
None,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
2.5 in,
1,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
20 hour(s),
Digital player -
Apple iPod (60GB, video, black)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 60 GB,
None,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
2.5 in,
1,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
20 hour(s),
Digital player -
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 30 GB,
None,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
2.5 in,
1,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
14 hour(s),
Digital player -
Apple iPod (30GB, video, black)
Manufacturer: Apple
Specs: 30 GB,
None,
Apple Lossless,
WAV,
MP3,
AIFF,
Audible,
AAC,
2.5 in,
1,
Player battery - Rechargeable - Lithium ion,
14 hour(s),
Digital player
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Apple products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Apple
- Address:
One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014 - Phone: 1-408-996-1010
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