Is an iPod Classic still a good buy?

[Rii]

One that achieved its present position through virtue of being the choice of pirates everywhere.

It's odd that Microsoft and Sony would choose to support DivX and XviD playback on Xbox 360 and PS3 if those formats exist only to facilitate piracy. Someone should let them in on that.

 

[Hermiod]

^The ability to playback XviD, a far more common format for pirates than DivX, files is only a side effect of being able to play DivX files.

The fact is that the iPod supports the video formats Apple needs it to support, in particular a non-proprietary format that it is easy to convert to using readily available tools.

 

[Rii]

^The ability to playback XviD, a far more common format for pirates than DivX, files is only a side effect of being able to play DivX files.

Before XviD took off, DivX was the format of choice for pirates.

The fact is that the iPod supports the video formats Apple needs it to support

Unfortunately I'm a consumer, not a multinational corporation.

The format that it in particular a non-proprietary format that it is easy to convert to using readily available tools.

 

[Hermiod]

Ahem.

 

[Rii]

Oh I'm sure it works at least 70% of the time, however it's not something consumers should have to do, iTunes itself should incorporate such functionality.

 

[Hermiod]

^It does. Copy a file in to iTunes and right click (or Cmd-Click on a Mac) and select "Convert for iPod".

 

[Rii]

Copy a file in to iTunes...

Brick wall right there, I can't import XviD files into iTunes.

 

[Hermiod]

^You can if you have the correct plugins for Quicktime.

 

[Rii]

^You can if you have the correct plugins for Quicktime.

I can import XviD files into iTunes if I have the correct plug-ins for Quicktime? That's just brilliant.

No thanks, I'll stick to using my iPod for audio, with which it "just works".

 

[firehawk12]

If you're on Windows, you can try SUPER or the Ipod Video Converter. It's an option, anyway.

Also, how is expandability or battery access a BAD thing? I know Apple thinks we need to throw these things out every two years to update to the latest, sexiest thing, but really? Is a SDHC or even microSD slot really that bad?
I also won't trust hard drive based portable devices - especially if you're listening to files that won't fit into the pre-cache memory.

 

[ATimson]

^You can if you have the correct plugins for Quicktime.

Which aren't freely available on Windows.

 

[Hermiod]

^You can if you have the correct plugins for Quicktime.

Which aren't freely available on Windows.

Which is not Apple's fault.

 

[ATimson]

^You can if you have the correct plugins for Quicktime.

Which aren't freely available on Windows.

Which is not Apple's fault.

No, but it's disingenuous for you to tout conversion from XviD/DivX as a feature when it requires components that don't exist.

 

[Hermiod]

No, but it's disingenuous for you to tout conversion from XviD/DivX as a feature when it requires components that don't exist.

No, what's disingenuous is expecting a commercial business to support a proprietary format (which is what DivX is) not of their own invention just because pirates use it a lot.

Tools are available to convert pretty much any video format you care to throw at them in to iPod compatible video, thus Rii's argument is flawed.

Windows Media Player, for instance, lacks such functionality also, and will not play DivX format video without additional software.

 

[firehawk12]

This is why, sadly, the best players in terms of playback functionality will be the small brand ones.
Like, Sandisk probably doesn't have a locked down loseless codec to force on people, so their players probably support FLAC.

 

[Hermiod]

^Looking at their website, their players do not seem to support any lossless format. They seem to be locked to what Windows Media Player 11 supports as standard.

 

[firehawk12]

Ah yeah, fair enough.
I'm pretty sure I remember seeing that some non-Zune/iPod player played at least FLAC if not XVID as well though.

 

[Hermiod]

^I'm sure there's some player out there that does. Of course, we could go all Slashdot and complain that this hypothetical player can't be hacked to run Linux and doesn't support Ogg.

And that's who that kind of player is aimed at. The kind of people who get upset when Sony patch an exploit that prevents them from installing "homebrew" software when we all know they want to be able to install pirated games and emulators that allow them to run pirated ROMs.

 

[firehawk12]

Audio snobs pretty much agree that FLAC is the best audio codec though. I'm sure there are people with thousands of CDs converted to FLAC just because that's what they do.

 

[Rii]

No, but it's disingenuous for you to tout conversion from XviD/DivX as a feature when it requires components that don't exist.

No, what's disingenuous is expecting a commercial business to support a proprietary format (which is what DivX is) not of their own invention just because pirates use it a lot.

I don't expect Apple to do anything, least of all live up to their carefully crafted image. I'm simply unwilling to jump through hoops to take advantage of the iPod's ostensible video capabilities.

There are many "legitimate" videos in DivX/XviD format, I have stacks of them on this PC, mostly machinima.

Windows Media Player, for instance, lacks such functionality also, and will not play DivX format video without additional software.

Now there's a sales pitch:

iTunes: It's no worse than WMP!