IF I had a flat panel TV, could I play movies from an IPOD vidieo? I'm thinking about the ultimate sailors entertaiment system (without selling the farm mind you) Compact, easy on the amps, easy on the wallet, and multitasking! We've migrated from 8-tracks to cassettes to CDs to MP3 compatible CDs and now its time to move to the IPOD. SO! If I had a stereo with an MP3 input and a flat screen TV, could I plug the Apple Video IPOD in to both and watch a movie? And speaking of that, would a 30Gb IPOD hold a movie (or 2 or 3). Should I think Apple only or consider some other brands for this project-say Zen Vision, Zune, or whatever? I'm kinda of an old salt but a neophyte when it comes to these electic gizmos-but I do enjoy good music when sailing and sometimes its nice to watch a video at anchor or in port. What the heck, while we are at it, seem like we could download some Maps on the IPOD and "put it on the screen Mr. Scott". Beam me up!
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It's fairly straight forward..
All you need is one of these: http://www.macconnection.com/ProductDetail?sku=5598873&SourceID=k40132 This is a much better way of getting movies to your TV than buying an external DVD player but a 30gb, depending on how much music you have, will not hold very many. I have close to 26gb of music on my 30gb iPod and I can barely fit one movie... An 80gb is a much better choice! The best choice is a 15 or 17 inch LCD with a built in DVD player that can run on 12 volts..
All you need is one of these: http://www.macconnection.com/ProductDetail?sku=5598873&SourceID=k40132 This is a much better way of getting movies to your TV than buying an external DVD player but a 30gb, depending on how much music you have, will not hold very many. I have close to 26gb of music on my 30gb iPod and I can barely fit one movie... An 80gb is a much better choice! The best choice is a 15 or 17 inch LCD with a built in DVD player that can run on 12 volts..
Short answer, yes
What you need is the iPod A/V cable. It connects to the headphone port on the ipod and has 3 RCA plugs on the other end. Normally, yellow is the video channel, and red and white are the two audio channels. A few older TVs only support one audio channel, but that is beside the point. Having said that, the last time I saw this cable I think the three RCA plugs were all white, to conform to Apple's color scheme, so it would require some testing to figure out which plug is for what channel. If you are connecting to a stereo system to listen to music, I would recommend using this cord, as well, because the fidelity and quality through the RCA jacks is going to be much better than through a microphone jack with the regular 1/4" plug. Of course, that also depends on the system. I happen to use an old 2.1 (2 speakers and subwoofer) system for computers that provides the 1/4" plug which I put straight into the ipod, but most home stereo setups have input ports and RCA is almost always one of them. And by all means, plug the video channel into the flat pannel and the audio into your sound system for a sort of surround sound! But here's the rub--the ipod video format only supports video to 640x480 resolution. I'm gonna guess that flat-panel of yours supports HD. 640x480 is the resolution supported by your average-joe-23-inch-cathode-ray-tube-hotel-TV, a lot like my TV. You'll get a picture, but it will not be DVD-quality. On the other hand, it won't be any worse than VHS. Most likely, the quality will fall somewhere in the middle because you have the advantage of digital fidelity over VHS. All of this, of course, depends on what ipod you have or are considering. It must be a fifth-generation "Video iPod" model because only these have the composite video/audio headphone jack. They were made with 30, 60, and now 80GB capacities. According to Apple, 30GB gets you 3.5 hours of video. In my opinion, too many variables affect that number positively and negatively, so consider it very rough estimate. This says nothing about the effect different file formats have on capacity and quality, though I can post more on that. Lastly, two issues often creep up with this. First, you get no picture at all. If this is the case, then TV-OUT under video settings on the ipod is not ON. Make sure TV-OUT is ON. Second, the picture is is black and white. There are two possible causes: also under the video settings TV SETTING must be to NTSC which is the standard video system for the United States. The other reason may be a/v cable. I've never seen any, but I am sure other companies have made cables to compete with Apple's own product, but it is my understanding that only the Apple A/V cable is color-compatible with the ipod. And charts: charts are just big pictures. Video ipods support pictures in .jpeg, .bmp, .gif, .tiff, .psd, and .png formats. I believe most charts are coded as jpeg, tiff, and occassioally png. Select the picture (chart) and view it on the big screen. What would I do? Well, I really can't say for sure without seeing the video quality. I have the means to get videos, format them to ipod if they are not yet the correct format, and store them on my computer, which addresses the ease of just keeping DVDs on hand and dropping them in the DVD player. It is tough to make a recommendation without knowing exaclty what you have because an entertainment system is just that, a system. Everything is interrelated and the smallest component may change your course entirely.
What you need is the iPod A/V cable. It connects to the headphone port on the ipod and has 3 RCA plugs on the other end. Normally, yellow is the video channel, and red and white are the two audio channels. A few older TVs only support one audio channel, but that is beside the point. Having said that, the last time I saw this cable I think the three RCA plugs were all white, to conform to Apple's color scheme, so it would require some testing to figure out which plug is for what channel. If you are connecting to a stereo system to listen to music, I would recommend using this cord, as well, because the fidelity and quality through the RCA jacks is going to be much better than through a microphone jack with the regular 1/4" plug. Of course, that also depends on the system. I happen to use an old 2.1 (2 speakers and subwoofer) system for computers that provides the 1/4" plug which I put straight into the ipod, but most home stereo setups have input ports and RCA is almost always one of them. And by all means, plug the video channel into the flat pannel and the audio into your sound system for a sort of surround sound! But here's the rub--the ipod video format only supports video to 640x480 resolution. I'm gonna guess that flat-panel of yours supports HD. 640x480 is the resolution supported by your average-joe-23-inch-cathode-ray-tube-hotel-TV, a lot like my TV. You'll get a picture, but it will not be DVD-quality. On the other hand, it won't be any worse than VHS. Most likely, the quality will fall somewhere in the middle because you have the advantage of digital fidelity over VHS. All of this, of course, depends on what ipod you have or are considering. It must be a fifth-generation "Video iPod" model because only these have the composite video/audio headphone jack. They were made with 30, 60, and now 80GB capacities. According to Apple, 30GB gets you 3.5 hours of video. In my opinion, too many variables affect that number positively and negatively, so consider it very rough estimate. This says nothing about the effect different file formats have on capacity and quality, though I can post more on that. Lastly, two issues often creep up with this. First, you get no picture at all. If this is the case, then TV-OUT under video settings on the ipod is not ON. Make sure TV-OUT is ON. Second, the picture is is black and white. There are two possible causes: also under the video settings TV SETTING must be to NTSC which is the standard video system for the United States. The other reason may be a/v cable. I've never seen any, but I am sure other companies have made cables to compete with Apple's own product, but it is my understanding that only the Apple A/V cable is color-compatible with the ipod. And charts: charts are just big pictures. Video ipods support pictures in .jpeg, .bmp, .gif, .tiff, .psd, and .png formats. I believe most charts are coded as jpeg, tiff, and occassioally png. Select the picture (chart) and view it on the big screen. What would I do? Well, I really can't say for sure without seeing the video quality. I have the means to get videos, format them to ipod if they are not yet the correct format, and store them on my computer, which addresses the ease of just keeping DVDs on hand and dropping them in the DVD player. It is tough to make a recommendation without knowing exaclty what you have because an entertainment system is just that, a system. Everything is interrelated and the smallest component may change your course entirely.
A little more info
I agree with everything Peter said, but let me add this... Get a video-to-iPod converter program such as Cucusoft (www.cucusoft.com) which will let you convert most DVDs (including copyrighted) to iPod format, and in the file size you wish (large = fewer videos, smaller = more video space). I have this software and it works well. The capacity mentioned here is not what I am experiencing, however. I have a 60G iPod with actual space of 55.8G (iTunes 7.0 tells you this when you plug the iPod in, and also shows what space is being used for what on the drive). I have a little over 12G of music, around 3500 songs, and I have the 7 released seasons of Seinfeld (all episodes) + Cars + Nemo on my ipod and I still have 20G of free space! Lastly, we watched Nemo on a 42" Sony HD DLP recently and while it was not DVD quality, it was more than acceptable. If I had converted it at a higher file size it would have been better, but I try to keep the files around mid-level on the Cucusoft converter so I can fit more on my iPod. Cheers, Tim
I agree with everything Peter said, but let me add this... Get a video-to-iPod converter program such as Cucusoft (www.cucusoft.com) which will let you convert most DVDs (including copyrighted) to iPod format, and in the file size you wish (large = fewer videos, smaller = more video space). I have this software and it works well. The capacity mentioned here is not what I am experiencing, however. I have a 60G iPod with actual space of 55.8G (iTunes 7.0 tells you this when you plug the iPod in, and also shows what space is being used for what on the drive). I have a little over 12G of music, around 3500 songs, and I have the 7 released seasons of Seinfeld (all episodes) + Cars + Nemo on my ipod and I still have 20G of free space! Lastly, we watched Nemo on a 42" Sony HD DLP recently and while it was not DVD quality, it was more than acceptable. If I had converted it at a higher file size it would have been better, but I try to keep the files around mid-level on the Cucusoft converter so I can fit more on my iPod. Cheers, Tim
until friday
Changed my mind after reading post from Tim and others, I'm buying the 80g ipod next friday when I get paid.
Changed my mind after reading post from Tim and others, I'm buying the 80g ipod next friday when I get paid.
I-pod video...bad
I-pod video is fine for the small screen...but it is not ready for prime time if you are looking for DVD or better quality on your flat screen. Either stick with real DVD's or record 'em to a hard drive for playback from/through your PC. You said "ultimate" system in your post. The I-pod won't give it to you. A $39 throwaway DVD player will provide both better sound and picture. I-pods are great for storing music in bulk and playing it back but video is really not the strong point.
I-pod video is fine for the small screen...but it is not ready for prime time if you are looking for DVD or better quality on your flat screen. Either stick with real DVD's or record 'em to a hard drive for playback from/through your PC. You said "ultimate" system in your post. The I-pod won't give it to you. A $39 throwaway DVD player will provide both better sound and picture. I-pods are great for storing music in bulk and playing it back but video is really not the strong point.
Other Choices
There's alot of new stuff that has hit the marketplace and soon to hit so you may want to spent some time researching all the alternatives. We use the Modix HD3520(see link) for all of our AV needs at home and on the boat. Slightly bigger than an external 3.5" hardrive it can hold up to a TB drive with the ability to plug in additional USB external drives. We have all of our several hundred cd's in Wav files plus some uncompressed DVD movies and HD TV recordings on it. Wr just unplug at home take take it to the boat and plug it into the stereo and LCD monitor. It plays all the video formats up to 1080i with DD 5.1 and DTS audio. $240 plus the cost of the hardrive. We are very pleased with its performance. If you truly are a neophyte beware that these gadgets are complicated and can be very frustrating to setup and operate while Ipods are somewhat idiot proof.
There's alot of new stuff that has hit the marketplace and soon to hit so you may want to spent some time researching all the alternatives. We use the Modix HD3520(see link) for all of our AV needs at home and on the boat. Slightly bigger than an external 3.5" hardrive it can hold up to a TB drive with the ability to plug in additional USB external drives. We have all of our several hundred cd's in Wav files plus some uncompressed DVD movies and HD TV recordings on it. Wr just unplug at home take take it to the boat and plug it into the stereo and LCD monitor. It plays all the video formats up to 1080i with DD 5.1 and DTS audio. $240 plus the cost of the hardrive. We are very pleased with its performance. If you truly are a neophyte beware that these gadgets are complicated and can be very frustrating to setup and operate while Ipods are somewhat idiot proof.
What size screens are you putting in your boats
William - what size is the screen in the shot you posted? Any particular brands that stand out for this use?
William - what size is the screen in the shot you posted? Any particular brands that stand out for this use?
monty...
That is exactly what I've been looking for...looks like I can get 1/2 a terrabyte of storage and play in HD for less than $500. Over 200 DVD's!! As I understand it: 1. I would put a DVD into my PC and use software to convert it to a file on the units hard drive which would be connected to pc by usb. Right? There is no conversion from a standard DVD player outputs to storage on the unit right? 2. The unit would them simply plug into my flat screen via component video inputs right? What about digital audio 5.1 is there an optical/coax output? No HDMI out right? 3. Any issues you are finding with the unit or recommendations? Do any stores carry it here? Can you hook up other external hard drives and access them on the fly with this unit? Sorry for all the questions but this is exciting and the site wasn't all that clear. Thanks in advance.
That is exactly what I've been looking for...looks like I can get 1/2 a terrabyte of storage and play in HD for less than $500. Over 200 DVD's!! As I understand it: 1. I would put a DVD into my PC and use software to convert it to a file on the units hard drive which would be connected to pc by usb. Right? There is no conversion from a standard DVD player outputs to storage on the unit right? 2. The unit would them simply plug into my flat screen via component video inputs right? What about digital audio 5.1 is there an optical/coax output? No HDMI out right? 3. Any issues you are finding with the unit or recommendations? Do any stores carry it here? Can you hook up other external hard drives and access them on the fly with this unit? Sorry for all the questions but this is exciting and the site wasn't all that clear. Thanks in advance.
camaraderie
1. I use DVDfabDecrypter to rip movies (ISO files) from my notebook to the Modix via USB. The movie files are uncompressed and are around 8GB's each. The Modix supports MPG, MPEG, AVI, DIVX, WMV9, VOB, MP4, TS and TP video formats. You could use different software to compress the files to half that size. So about 60 uncompressed movies or 120 compressed movies on a 500 GB drive. You can not capture a movie directly from a DVD player. I also use a Fushion USB HDTV tuner and TitanTV scheduler on my notebook to capture OTA HDTV programs on the Modix. One hour of HDTV equals 8 GB. 2. Composite, component and s-video are the supported video connections. L/R Stereo PCM and mini Toslink are the audio outputs. I use a component to rgb converter to plug into a PC LCD monitor. Right no HDMI, although I did see another product on the internet that does HDMI or atleast DVI. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the company. There are several new products out there. AVSforum dot com is a good resource. 3. You can connect a single external drive directly to the unit or up to four through a USB hub. Issues? Sure, its a new product by a Korean company. The remote sucks, the display is too small and I have to reboot it when it freezes. I still really like it. Visit the support forum on the link below. I hope this helps.
1. I use DVDfabDecrypter to rip movies (ISO files) from my notebook to the Modix via USB. The movie files are uncompressed and are around 8GB's each. The Modix supports MPG, MPEG, AVI, DIVX, WMV9, VOB, MP4, TS and TP video formats. You could use different software to compress the files to half that size. So about 60 uncompressed movies or 120 compressed movies on a 500 GB drive. You can not capture a movie directly from a DVD player. I also use a Fushion USB HDTV tuner and TitanTV scheduler on my notebook to capture OTA HDTV programs on the Modix. One hour of HDTV equals 8 GB. 2. Composite, component and s-video are the supported video connections. L/R Stereo PCM and mini Toslink are the audio outputs. I use a component to rgb converter to plug into a PC LCD monitor. Right no HDMI, although I did see another product on the internet that does HDMI or atleast DVI. Sorry, I don't remember the name of the company. There are several new products out there. AVSforum dot com is a good resource. 3. You can connect a single external drive directly to the unit or up to four through a USB hub. Issues? Sure, its a new product by a Korean company. The remote sucks, the display is too small and I have to reboot it when it freezes. I still really like it. Visit the support forum on the link below. I hope this helps.
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