Article
Ask iLounge 2-22-07
By Jerrod H.
Contributing Editor, iLounge
Published: Thursday, February 22, 2007
Category: Ask iLounge
Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.
How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?
Click here for the answer.
How do I put DVDs on my iPod?
For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.
The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)
The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)
Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)
Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)
Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)
Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)
Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)
A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!
Q: Can I remove the entire “Store” category, including the “iTunes Store” icon, from iTunes’ interface? I’ve found that I very seldom go to the store, and so I’d rather use the space in the left column for more playlists. I understand Apple is likely reluctant to allow this, but I thought I’d ask.
- Anonymous
A: Sure. Although it isn’t obvious how, it is very easy to do. In previous versions of iTunes, one could simply uncheck the iTunes Music Store in an obvious list of viewable items in iTunes’ preferences. In recent versions of the software, this list doesn’t exist, but you can achieve the same result by imposing parental restrictions on yourself. Simply open the “Parental Controls” tab of iTunes’ Preferences, and select “Disable iTunes Store.”
When this is checked, you’ll notice that the entire “Store” category disappears, unless you’ve downloaded items from the iTunes Store, in which your “Purchased” playlist will keep the category active. Delete this playlist to get rid of the entire category.
As can be seen in the figure above, you can also disable access to Podcasts, Radio, and Shared Music in the Parental Controls preferences window.
Q: I accidentally deleted the built-in “Recently Added” feature of iTunes. I need that feature badly since I manually upload to my iPod, and it was handy to see what needs to be uploaded next. Now without it, I’m forced to recall which songs I have yet to upload. Can I still get that feature back?
- Bud
A: Absolutely. In fact, that feature is merely a simple smart playlist, which you can create yourself very easily. First, select “New Smart Playlist...” from iTunes’ “File” menu. Then, change the settings and conditions so they appear as below:
Click OK, rename the playlist as you want, and you’re done! Smart playlists have endless possibilities for helping with management of your library and more enjoyable learning. - it is definitely worth learning how best to use them. To do so, read our tutorial How to Create Smart Playlists in iTunes, or visit SmartPlaylists.com for cool ideas.
Q: I updated my iPod and iTunes completely, but it still is not letting me load my 2GB iPod nano more than about half full. I do not have any extra features on my iPod - not even album artwork - yet it is displaying about a gigabyte of “Other” content filling my iPod. How can I make more room for my music?
- Alexa
A: Without being able to see your iPod directly, we can’t begin to speculate what’s taking up space on your iPod, or how it got there in the first place. It could be data placed on the iPod as a hard drive, abandoned music stranded after corruption of the iPod’s database, or countless other things. However, the problem should be trivial to fix: simply “Restore” your iPod to factory condition using the tool built into the iTunes’ iPod pane:
This will erase all content from your iPod (music, videos, data and all), reload the iPod’s software, and reset it. This cures many iPod issues, and will almost certainly solve your missing space problem. If this doesn’t immediately cure your problem, take your iPod to an Apple Store, as the issue could only then be hardware related.
Q: I’ve read instructions on viewing iPod video content on a TV by using an Apple A/V Cable connection. Will a Sony A/V cable like those they include with their camcorders work also? What is the difference?
- Nancy
A: Though cables with 1/8” miniplug to RCA cable connections are indeed fairly standard between hardware manufacturers, Apple has for some reason chosen to be sneaky about it. They like to consider their iPod A/V cable proprietary, although the only thing that makes it so is that they’ve switched the red and yellow cables, relative to what most other companies do. Thus, you can make a Sony camcorder A/V cable work simply by swapping the red and yellow cables at the connection to the TV.
Q: Regarding the Apple TV, will it only work with the new Airport Extreme (802.11n) base station, or will it work fine with my now outdated UFO-shaped Airport Extreme (802.11g) base station? I don’t want to buy an Apple TV only to find that I need to also buy a new Airport. Thanks!
- Andrew
A: First of all, let’s clarify your question for other readers: an Apple-branded Airport device will never be explicitly required - Apple TV requires only an 802.11-based wireless network (or an ethernet connection) to function - the manufacturer of the router powering the network not important.
Second, the Apple TV will indeed work with any Wi-Fi connection of the b, g, or n variety for much of its functionality. Video streaming - especially for 720p HD content - is the one mode of operation that Apple’s technical specifications page specifically states requires “either 802.11g or 802.11n”.
To definitively answer whether 802.11g is truly sufficient for streaming 720p video to an Apple TV in a real-world environment, however, we’ll have to wait for hands-on testing with a shipping unit. Our gut instinct is that Apple TV users looking to stream 720p content will likely want to have an 802.11n network for reliability, even though under ideal conditions, 802.11g should technically be able to handle the stream. In either case, an 802.11n setup will certainly be helpful for very high speed syncing of the Apple TV’s hard drive with your iTunes library.
We’ll be conducting full tests of the Apple TV as soon as our unit arrives - stay tuned!
Q: I bought 5 iPod games from the iTunes Store, and when I connect my iPod to the computer, it says, “Some items, including [games] were not added to this iPod because they are not authorized to play on this computer.” Can you help me with this issue? Thanks!
- Pat
A: Given that iPod games cannot be played in iTunes, it seems odd that the user is required to attempt to show a game in iTunes before it will transfer to the iPod, but indeed this is the case. To authorize iPod games from an iTunes account to be played on your iPod, simply open iTunes’ “iPod Games” container, and click on one of your games. An authorization window will appear as it does for your inaugural iTunes music purchase, and ask for your Apple ID and password. Complete the form to authorize this game, and your iPod will then automatically accept all iPod games (not just this one) that you’ve purchased under that account.
Ask iLounge Archives:
7-4-08: Recovering a corrupt iPod, Hard cases for iPhone, Reimporting CDs into iTunes, iPod shows only Other content, Managing multiple audio formats in iTunes, Optimum iPod video output cables
6-27-08: Creating Smart Playlists for Purchased items, Keeping place in multi-track audiobooks, Backing up iTunes before a reformat, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Editing CD tracks before import, Getting Album Artwork automatically
6-20-08: Third-party iPod management tools, Transferring large files on iPod, Shuffling On-The-Go Playlists, Removing played podcasts from iPod, Continuously playing one track, Moving iTunes from PC to Mac
6-13-08: Artists not appearing on iPod, Unchecked items do not play in iTunes, iTunes shows incorrect CD track information, Podcast support on older iPod models, Upgrading to a new iPod, Photo albums on iPod touch
6-6-08: Downloading YouTube videos onto iPod, Selling old iPod models, Fit iTunes Window to Screen, Handing down an iPod, Dock Compatible iPod cases, Problems transferring music from iPod to Mac
Shop in the loungeStore for iPod + iPhone Accessories.
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1
i lost all 1700 songs on my ipod!!!
what does it mean when it says, “the file or directory \ipod_control\artwork\temp file i corrupt and unreadable. please run the Chkdsk utility.”
Posted by alan lee on February 27, 2007 at 8:04 AM (PDT)
2
Is there any wat to sort and view the musics in library by more than two fields, say album by year and artists? Thanks!
Posted by mango's on February 28, 2007 at 11:51 AM (PDT)
3
I recently lost my hard drive on my iBook. I got the music back on my computer, but not my photos. How can I get my photos back?
Posted by nicksteinmann on March 6, 2007 at 4:02 PM (PDT)
4
Can I load songs from a second computer without losing the songs I already have?
Posted by toolgirl621 on March 12, 2007 at 8:14 PM (PDT)