Codecs, Videos, Converting formats! Breaking through the idiocy

[Jadzia]

Well my laptop goes with me almost everywhere, so I always have the option of using it to watch video on. It's nothing special really, an ibook g4. But it comes with me to my office; and I have it on my couch on an evening, like now.

I mean, its an 80gb disk, but its much more versatile than any 80gb portable media players, yet it costs about the same. I only really use it for internet

 

[A beaker full of death]

I just don't understand the appeal or the need for handheld video.

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

 

[backstept]

With the recent update the zune marketplace now has TV shows, in addition to all the video podcasts

the Zune is equal to, if not better than the ipod, and I'm very pleased with mine
Apple may have a very solid line of DAPs but they certainly aren't the only makers of quality players

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

I just stuck a 2GB memory card into my Sony Ericcson K800i and forgot about replacing my old stolen MP3 player. Works just fine, I can't see why I need an 80GB player, unless it was the sole repository for all my music.

 

[Garrovick]

I just don't understand the appeal or the need for handheld video.

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

I only put parts of movies and small podcast videos on my iPod, like the Trek fan films, trailers and short documentaries. I can't see sitting for two hours watching a small screen. I've done that only twice in over a year. But, if the video is processed correctly, for me, it's pretty clear and well defined.

But I won't buy another hard drive based mp3 player again because of video capability.

 

[Arrqh]

I just don't understand the appeal or the need for handheld video.

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

It's entertainment. What does "important" have to do with it?

 

[A beaker full of death]

I just don't understand the appeal or the need for handheld video.

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

It's entertainment. What does "important" have to do with it?

It had better be worth losing your eyesight (and missing all the details). Entertainment should be enjoyable, though you'd never know it looking at today's offerings.

 

[TerriO]

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

It's entertainment. What does "important" have to do with it?

It had better be worth losing your eyesight (and missing all the details). Entertainment should be enjoyable, though you'd never know it looking at today's offerings.

How many people in their late 30s-early 40s have or have had eyesight problems from sitting too close to the TV to play the Atari in the early 80s?

Same notion, different generation.

 

[Arrqh]

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

It's entertainment. What does "important" have to do with it?

It had better be worth losing your eyesight (and missing all the details). Entertainment should be enjoyable, though you'd never know it looking at today's offerings.

The resolution you find on many portable players is near or the same as that on broadcast TV. The player is obviously smaller but the viewing distance is much shorter so the perceptual quality isn't nearly as low as you suggest. The eyesight thing is just silly, unless you're equally concerned with people losing their eyesight from reading books which are frequently held at similar distances.

 

[Jadzia]

Book worms often wear glasses. I think that's where the the intellectual association with glasses comes from.

Forcing the eyes to focus close up may aggravate short sightedness.

 

[Arrqh]

The point is, until I see a study saying otherwise, I see no reason to believe that watching video on a portable player is any more harmful to one's eyes then activities that people are commonly engaged in anyway.

 

[Jadzia]

Oh I never suggested it was. My only comment on portable video is that I have no need for it, and don't understand its appeal. If I'm sat waiting anywhere for a few minutes, I'm happy to sit and wait, or if I want to do something I'll chat with whoever's sat next to me. If there is nobody else around then I'll chat to myself If I'm stuck anywhere for some time and want entertainment, I'll probably have my laptop with me.

 

[Jim Steele]

I'm with you. What could be so important that you need to squint at it for two hours just to see the broad outlines?

I watch plenty of video on the go, and you're wrong.

I can understand why someone wouldn't understand the appeal or need for it, but what your suggesting is just plain ignorance.

 

[Danoz]

Just as with the iPod, use SUPER from erightsoft.

It's FREE and will convert any video to any other format:

http://www.erightsoft.net/SUPER.html

Convert any input video format to a Zune file. Convert a Zune file to any other video format.
The rendered Zune files are created using a fully compatible WMV7/8 and WMA format.

If you mess with video, you want a copy of SUPER on your PC...

Tried it, not compatible with Vista (says it when you start encoding, files end up corrupted).

 

[Danoz]

With the recent update the zune marketplace now has TV shows, in addition to all the video podcasts

the Zune is equal to, if not better than the ipod, and I'm very pleased with mine
Apple may have a very solid line of DAPs but they certainly aren't the only makers of quality players

Right, but I want to turn my DVDs and Divx files into a format that works on the zune... and I'd rather not purchase some expensive video conversion "suite."

 

[Danoz]

Oh I never suggested it was. My only comment on portable video is that I have no need for it, and don't understand its appeal. If I'm sat waiting anywhere for a few minutes, I'm happy to sit and wait, or if I want to do something I'll chat with whoever's sat next to me. If there is nobody else around then I'll chat to myself If I'm stuck anywhere for some time and want entertainment, I'll probably have my laptop with me.

You don't live in the D.C. metro area with two hours a day in transit .

 

[Jadzia]

^ You're right I don't. Now I understand.