iPods offer video on the go
Apple, Echostar push portable
By Paul Sweeting and Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 10/14/2005
OCT. 14 | For once, the rumors about Apple Computers’ next move proved true last week as the company unveiled a new video-capable version of its popular iPod music player and debuted its first major video programming deal for its iTunes download service.
The new iPods feature a 2.5-inch screen and will come with either 30 GB or 60 GB of storage. The 30 GB version sells for $299 and the 60 GB for $399. In a first-of-its-kind deal, Apple has inked an agreement with Disney’s ABC Network to offer downloaded versions of some of the broadcaster’s top shows one day after they air on TV. The first shows covered in the deal are Lost, Desperate Housewives and Night Stalker. Also covered are two shows from The Disney Channel, That’s So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Each commercial-free episode can be purchased for $1.99 and can be viewed on the iPod, on the computer used to download them or on a TV using an optional connector cable from the portable unit. Unlike songs purchased from iTunes, however, the TV shows cannot be burned to a disc. “This initiative is a perfect example of us applying our strategic priorities, namely marrying great content with cutting edge technology to more effectively distribute our content while enhancing the experience for our customers,” said Disney CEO Robert Iger. “For the first time ever, hit prime time shows can be purchased online the day after they air on TV.” Recently, TV producers and networks have offered free Internet streams of full-length TV episodes to promote new shows. Last month, UPN offered a free Internet stream of the first episode of Everybody Hates Chris, and Yahoo! featured a free stream of the first episode of the WB’s Supernatural. Those programs could not be stored for later viewing. The Disney/Apple initiative comes at a time of growing interest in portable video, spurred by the success of Sony’s PlayStation Portable. One day before Apple’s elaborate press conference in San Jose, Calif., satellite TV provider EchoStar Technologies unveiled the PocketDish portable media player, which allows users to record TV programming onto a handheld device by connecting it to their Dish Network set-top box. The players work like portable DVRs and come in three sizes: a 2.2-inch screen model with a 20 GB hard drive, a 4-inch screen model with a 30 GB hard drive and a 7-inch model with a 40 GB hard drive. Player prices range from $329 to $599. The PocketDish players are made by France-based Archos, which also markets portable media players under its own brand name. “Dish Network is expanding its leadership role in digital video recording by giving consumers portability,” said EchoStar president Mark Jackson. “With PocketDish, we are again changing the way people watch TV.” Unlike the new iPod, PocketDish players are limited to the programming available on EchoStar’s Dish Network service and cannot download programming on demand from the Internet. The PocketDish also cannot record pay-per-view movies ordered by Dish Network users because those transmissions are encrypted to bar recordings. On the other hand, the picture quality is likely to be higher on the PocketDish because it doesn’t face the same bandwidth constraints as iTunes. Video programming on the Apple service will be delivered at a resolution appropriate for the 2.5-inch iPod screen, or 320x240 lines, roughly equivalent to VHS quality. Sony also is stepping up its efforts in the portable video arena. One day after Apple’s announcement, Sony released a new firmware upgrade for the PSP that supports copy-protected video downloaded from the Internet. The move follows an earlier upgrade that added an enhanced Web browser to PSP, signalling growing interest on Sony’s part in the emerging download-to-go market. E-mail Paul Sweeting and Jennifer Netherby
