Video iPod is here

It was more or less expected. I dont know if this will really get you excited, but the video-playing iPod is here. At an invite-only event held at the California Theater in San Jose, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs showed off the new iPod, which will be offered as a 30GB model for $299 and a 60GB version for $399. The 30GB device will also be 30 percent thinner than Apple's current iPod models, while the 60GB version will be 12 percent thinner. Both models feature a 2.5-inch 320x240 pixel display with realtime decoding of MPEG 4 and H.264 video. It only has 260,000 colours but it does have video output to connect to TV.

Apple also announced the immediate availability of iTunes 6, only a few weeks after the arrival of iTunes 5. This version works hand in hand with the new video iPod by offering 2000 music videos ( I thought music videos were for promotion of songs, well thanks to Apple, record companies will laugh all the way to bank), 6 short films from Pixar, and popular ABC TV shows Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Night Stalker, as well as Disney Channel favorites That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Before you get too happy about catching up on latest episodes of Lost, television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. The iTunes new version also allows users to "gift" iTunes purchases to others, and allows customer reviews and ratings of music- Amazon-style.

So is iPod video the next best thing? I dont know. There certainly are some drawbacks.

1. The screen is too small compared to other portable video players like Archos AV 700. But then Apple is clearly not positioning it as a video player but just an iPod which can also play video. Whatever that means!
2. The 2 hour video battery on the 30GB model is poor, but again Apple says that this a player designed for short video bursts, not full movie-viewing.
3. The video content available on Apple Store can be downloaded only at a size that fits the iPod's screen. This means it will look ridiculously bad on TV. Why would anyone buy an iPod-only content and pay so much for it?

But $299 for 30GB and $399 for 60GB model, with all its flaws, is extremely good value. And then its an iPod, so its going to get sold anyway. Now all I have to do is to wait for it to hit our shores so we can experience the new iPod firsthand.

Till then, enjoy the new iPod ads.