Having had my video iPod for almost a year now, I’ve come to some conclusions about certain iTunes pricing practices. First, the 99 cents per song marketing strategy was one of the better things to come to fruition for the consumer in the past decade. Yes we could go on another tangent in how artists seems to get less money with this distribution method but that is more a fault of the crooked record companies and not because of the iTunes business model.
Second, the video iPod has come in handy for particular viewings of shows you might have missed recording on your DVR. If you can’t wait until the DVD comes out, which is the case for shows that have a continuous plot line, and you can’t get the show via streaming online (for instance, viewing Lost on abc.com), this is the next best legal thing.
There are two snags to this though, although both aren’t deal breakers for me. The first is the fact that the iPod video screen is very small still. In fact I’m surprised Apple hasn’t introduced a widescreen iPod (like the Zune) where you can view a show sideways on your portable player, giving the full widescreen ration most shows are movies are shot on today.
The second stumbling block is the price for shows. I’m confused as to why a 30 minute show costs the same as a 60 minute show. Why should I pay $1.99 for a 22 minute comedy when for the same price I can download a 44 minute show? I think maybe it should be $1.49 for a 30 minute show and $1.99 for an hourlong show.
On top of that, watching movies on an Ipod on a 3-inch screen simply isn’t an option yet, especially when they’re charging DVD prices for it. I think for the current size of the video screen, the breaking point for a movie price is 5 or 6 dollars. I’m not going to pay $14.99 for a movie on a 3” by 2” screen.
With that being said, the video iPod is still an incredible play toy to have. To be able to have every song you own, along with your choice of TV shows and/or movies, all available in a package that fits in your hand is truly incredible. This technology is only going to get better and I can’t wait.