Ask iLounge 5-11-07

Article

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.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

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, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

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!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

Q: I’m using EyeTV 2.4 and an Apple TV and am wondering if there is really any advantage to converting standard definition TV shows using the “Apple TV” setting instead of the “iPod” setting. They look the same to me either way, even though the Apple TV conversion produces twice as large of a file, so what’s the point?

- Eric

A: In reality, there is probably little difference in converting most standard broadcast TV content for Apple TV versus iPod, although this may be somewhat dependent upon the source material.

Standard North American television signals use 480 visible lines of screen resolution (which is what the “480” represents in 480i and 480p video standards). While analog TV signals do not have a concept of horizontal resolution, a standard television show when recorded onto a computer will produce a 640x480 resolution frame size.

You’ll note that this is the same resolution as the video format supported by the iPod itself, which means when you’re converting a video for the iPod using any of the more recent conversion tools, you’re getting a 640x480 frame size anyway (although we should note that some older conversion tools may still use the older iPod format of 320x240).

Although the Apple TV supports resolutions of up to 1280x720, if your source material is still only 640x480 (which any standard definition TV broadcast will be), then the converted video will still only be 640x480, since none of the existing conversion tools will actually do any kind of up conversion on the video.

Therefore, no resolution is gained by converting to Apple TV format. What does increase, however, is the bit-rate of the video stream. The Apple TV is capable of handling more than twice the bit-rate that the iPod is, and video converted to Apple TV with most encoders is encoded at bit-rates of up to 3000kbps. Whether or not this makes a difference will be entirely dependent upon the source material, and most analog TV content are not going to benefit from a higher bit-rate. In our own tests with newer shows from some of the better analog TV stations, the higher bit-rate resulted in slightly smoother video playback, however these differences were not really noticeable except under close observation.

One other factor to consider when encoding content is whether you actually want to watch it on your iPod. Naturally, content converted for Apple TV will not be viewable on the current line of 5G iPods, although we’re certainly hoping that Apple will raise the bar in this area with the next generation iPod model.

However, the bottom line is that if you’re encoding content from standard definition TV broadcasts, there is probably very little advantage in converting this content for Apple TV versus iPod, particularly when you consider the additional storage requirements for the larger files.

Note that this does not apply to DVDs, however. Even a standard-definition DVD will benefit greatly from the higher bit-rate available on the Apple TV. Further, since most standard-definition DVDs are in a widescreen format, you’re actually only getting a 640x360 image in iPod format due to the aspect ratio, which is a reduction in the overall DVD resolution (720x480). On the other hand, the Apple TV format will take advantage of the full resolution of the source DVD (720x480), and encode it with a higher bit-rate. Although the differences were still not dramatic (particularly in light of what the Apple TV is actually capable of), it made enough of a difference in our own tests to sacrifice iPod viewing compatibility in favor of the better output quality on the Apple TV.

Q: I have a large music library and everytime I get new music it doesn’t show up in my iTunes library. I manage my music manually and don’t have a separate iTunes folder for my music. Sometimes I get a bunch of music at once and it’s ridiculous to have to put each song/album in my library separately just so I can add them one at a time in iTunes and have them show up correctly. Is there any way to designate a folder for my music, like I do right now, and have the songs/folders I drop in my music folder just show up in iTunes when it loads? Seems other programs work like that, I have to be doing something wrong.

- Anonymous

A: No, you’re not specifically doing anything wrong. Rather, this is just how iTunes works. There has never been a specific “watched folder” concept in iTunes, as the normal design philosophy of the application expects that you will add the music through iTunes itself, and then allow it to copy your music for you if you so desire.

If you’re letting iTunes manage your music library in its own folder, adding music is generally as simple as dragging the new tracks onto the iTunes window, and allowing iTunes to copy and organize your tracks for you. On the other hand, if you keep your music in a separate folder and use your own organization system, you can add the tracks to iTunes in the same way - drag and drop them into the iTunes window, but you’ll need to ensure that the option to Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library is turned OFF in your iTunes preferences (this setting can be found under the “Advanced” tab). Further, you’ll need to ensure you’ve placed your music in its final location before doing this, since if you later rename these tracks or move them to a different folder iTunes will lose track of them.

Fortunately, for those who do want to implement a “watched folder” solution, there are a couple of third-party tools that can assist with this process: iTunes Folder Watch will watch a specified folder and automatically add any new music found there to your iTunes library, and iTunes Library Updater takes this a step further by keeping your iTunes library synchronized with an external directory structure of music files. We should note that these are third-party solutions, and therefore not supported by Apple in any way, although you can find more information at the developers’ sites above, as well as discussion of these and other similar solutions in our Third-Party Software forum in the iLounge Discussion Forums.

Q: The iTunes Store doesn’t have the album I want to purchase. What legal sites do you endorse for the purchase of music via download.

- Robert

A: While iLounge doesn’t specifically endorse or promote any specific music download sites, the most common legal alternative to the iTunes Store for iPod compatible music is eMusic which uses a standard MP3 format, so their music will play on any digital audio player.

Although there are a number of other online music stores available such as Napster and Yahoo Music, most of these stores use the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format and protect their tracks with digital rights management. These tracks will therefore not be playable in iTunes or on the iPod, since the WMA format is not supported by the iPod, nor is it possible to convert DRM-protected tracks except by burning them to CD and re-ripping them, which can be a time-consuming process.

There are also many more sites popping up on the Internet these days offering legitimate free music downloads. You can find more information on this and some good options for free music in our article, Free Music for your iPod.

Q: I’ve noticed that there certain songs that I can find on the “All” songs list on my iPod but cannot find if I look under the specific artists. For example, if I go through Artists->Michael Jackson->All, the iPod will only list Billy Jeans under the album name. However, if I go to the list of all Songs, I can see the rest of the Michael Jackson songs. I’ve already made sure they were spelled the same for artists and that there are no extra spaces in the artist or album name in iTunes. Any other suggestions on how to fix this?

- Maling

A: Assuming that artist and album names are in fact spelled correctly and match up with each other, the other possibility is either that the tracks are marked as part of a compilation, or that they do not have any album name filled in.

When browsing through the music on your iPod by artist, tracks with no album listed will be omitted from the track listing for that artist. The iPod does not provide an entry in the album listing for blank album names, and these tracks therefore end up being inaccessible through the artist/album menus. The solution to this is as simple as adding an album name to these tracks in iTunes - even a tag like “Single” or “Unknown” will work if the album name is not specifically known.

Further, if any tracks are labeled as “Part of a Compilation” the iPod may group these tracks under their album name within the “Compilations” section in the music listing, depending upon whether the Compilations setting on the iPod is enabled (found in Settings, Compilations). The “Compilations” option is intended to group tracks together that may come from mix albums (ie, “Various Artists") or have a number of “featured” artists (ie, “Michael Jackson with Paul McCartney"). Often this flag is set on tracks downloaded from the iTunes Store, even if all tracks are listed under the same artist.

Since both iTunes and the iPod have their own “Group Compilations when Browsing” option, it is possible for these tracks to appear as part of a compilation on the iPod, but still appear under their artist in iTunes itself.

Changing the “Compilation” flag is as simple as selecting the track in iTunes and choosing File, Get Info and UNchecking the box that says “Part of a compilation.”

Alternatively, you can do this for multiple tracks at once by selecting multiple tracks before choosing the File, Get Info option. You would be presented with a dialog box similar to the following, and can choose the drop-down menu beside “Compilation” to change the setting for all selected tracks at once:

Q: I am looking for the best iPod Bluetooth connection between my iPod & my Apple iPod Hi-Fi docking player so that I can play my music wirelessly. I know that Belkin says they will be coming out with the Bluetooth iPod docking transmitter but that will be realesed sometime in September. I have looked all over and the only devices I have found are iPod transmitters that will transmit to a Bluetooth headset or cell phone. Do you know of anything available right now or should I just wait?

- Aaron

A: Two good options in this area are the Belkin TuneStage 2 (iLounge rating: B+) and Griffin Bluetrip (iLounge rating: B+) which are both available now. However, these options do not use the Dock Connector and therefore require a separate unit to be attached to your speaker system via a normal audio cable, as well as requiring a separate power connection.

At this year’s Macworld Expo, Belkin announced their Bluetooth Dock Adapter for iPod, which received an iLounge Best of Show award for Innovation, and iSkin was previewing their Cerulean TX+RX Stereo Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver (see our First Look here).

Both of these devices should be available relatively soon, and have the advantage of fitting on the iPod Dock Connector on speakers such as the Apple iPod Hi-Fi, eliminating the need for additional cables and/or power connections. As neither of these devices have yet been released, we have not done a full review of them, however our initial experiences with them on the floor at Macworld were quite positive in terms of usability and sound quality as compared to similar devices.

At this point, the form factor would appear to be the major differentiating factor between the two devices. The Belkin Bluetooth Dock Adapter is the same size and shape as a 5G iPod, meaning that it will be more effective for use in speakers such as the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 speakers (iLounge rating: A-), which are designed specifically to accommodate a full-sized iPod. On the other hand, the iSkin Cerulean receiver fits very nicely atop the Dock Connector on the iPod Hi-Fi speakers.

At this point both of these products look particularly promising, and we feel that it would certainly be worth waiting, particularly if you want a simple and portable solution for wireless Bluetooth connectivity to a device such as the iPod Hi-Fi.

Q: Could you tell me what, if any, improvements/differences there are between the iHome iH5, and iH8 alarm clocks? I’ve looked and can’t find any information on the iH8 on iLounge.

- Will

A: You can find our First Look on the iHome iH8 here. The main differences between this unit and the iH5 system are improved sound quality, better control over the unit’s display brightness, the addition of a basic equalizer, dual-alarm capabilities, and RF-based remote control.

The iH8 is in fact the successor to the iHome iH7 Dual-Alarm Clock (iLounge rating: A-), so many of the differences between the iH7 and iH5 would also apply to the iH8, which is basically a “tweaked” version of the iH7, and our review of the iH7 highlights many of these improvements.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

8-22-08: Cleaning up applications in iTunes, Playing back all songs on iPod, Excluding podcasts from Smart Playlists, Bookmarking tracks, Playing tracks back at a consistent volume level

8-15-08: Transferring play counts back to iTunes, Playing iPod while charging, Customizing iPhone alerts, Syncing movies to iPod nano, iTunes not recognizing new CDs, Sudoku reviews

8-8-08: iPhone and SIM card contacts, Syncing iPhone contacts, Hiding SMS previews on iPhone, Playing iPod touch on secondary computer, Syncing photos to iPod, Resuming interrupted iTunes WiFI Store downloads

8-8-08: iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz responds to reader questions on all things iLounge, including technical issues related to iPhone 3G, and behind-the-scenes editorial issues

8-1-08: iPhone Edition: Switching between apps, Car charging accessories, Activating older iPhone models, Sending MMS, App Store in wrong language, Excel and A2DP support

See the rest of the Archives...

7-25-08: MobileMe on iPhone for Calendars only, Buying iPods for International use, Voice recorders for 4G iPods, Free Music for iPod, Problems transferring purchased content to iPod, Playing AAC files in Windows Media Player

7-18-08: Ask iLounge iPhone v2.0 Edition: Installing apps on multiple devices, Converting videos for iPhone 3G, Activating first-gen iPhones, Saved photos on iPod touch, Push e-mail support

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

5-30-08: Burning iTunes purchases to an MP3 CD, Playing iPhone via computer, Pre-loading a gift iPod on another computer, Music Video playlists on Apple TV, Music videos on 2G iPod nano, Importing existing MP3 and WMA files into iTunes.

5-23-08: Finding and backing up purchased music, Syncing duplicate tracks to iPod, Restoring 4G iPod and AC power, Syncing iPod to a laptop when travelling, Finding photos on iPod, Storing a large iTunes library in multiple folders

5-16-08: Using the iPhone with integrated in-car Bluetooth, Problems with iPods and depleted batteries, Transferring content to a new iPod, iPod displays audio but no video, Removing photos and album artwork from iTunes, Overdrive Media and iPods

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

7-26-07: Transferring photos from iPhone, Using iPhone speaker and dock, Song volume adjustments in iTunes, Transfer from a Mac-formatted iPod in Windows Vista, iTunes Other category and TV show syncing, Printing track lists from iTunes

7-19-07: Importing MP3 CDs, Using two iPods on one computer, Showing current track in Windows Messenger, iPod nano accessory compatibility, Keeping content only on the iPod, Transferring between two iTunes libraries

7-12-07: Sorting in iTunes 7.3, Joining CD tracks, Selecting TV Shows for sync, Recovering photos from iPod, Tagging multiple video tracks, iPhone activation requirements

7-5-07: Managing your iPod content with Smart Playlists, External hard drives and iTunes, Problems getting CD info from CDDB, Grouping by Album Artist, Using iPod as a removable hard drive

6-28-07: Manual mode and preventing auto-sync, Transferring iTunes library, Burning, ripping and sound check, Saving your place in multi-track audiobooks, Renaming your iPod, Resolving lost iPod content, Drivers and Software for 4G iPods

6-21-07: Smart Playlists for Podcasts, Incorrect track info when importing CDs, Deauthorizing computers revisited, Problems transferring purchased tracks, Transferring photos from iPod to computer, Deleting On-The-Go playlists, Songs not appearing under Artist name

6-14-07: Problems syncing re-ripped MP3s in iTunes 7.2, Grouping albums with multiple artists, Radio tuners for older iPod models, Managing Podcasts, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Selecting items for synchronization, iTunes not showing full iPod capacity

6-7-07: Using two iPods with the same library, Converting to AAC to Apple Lossless, Corrupt iPod errors, Sound Check and Crossfade, Exporting from iMovie to iPod and Apple TV formats, Copying from DVR to the iPod

5-31-07: iTunes Plus DRM-free music, Using iTunes songs in Windows Movie Maker, Storing notes on the iPod, Restoring the iPod, Synchronizing Watched TV Shows, Adding music from a second library, Viewing iPod menus on a TV screen

5-24-07: Storing artwork on an external hard drive, Nike+iPod kit and treadmills, Setting up a new iPod with an existing library, Using the iPod as an alarm clock, iTunes fails to transfer all tracks to the iPod, Syncing selected items to iPod, Identifying iPod models

5-17-07: Converting e-books for iPod, Problems Syncing Selected Playlists, Normalizing volume between tracks, iTunes truncating long filenames, Sorting tracks properly within albums, Pausing and remember playback position on the iPod

5-11-07: Video conversion: iPod vs Apple TV format, Automatically adding music to iTunes, Finding iPod-compatible music online, Organizing tracks on the iPod, Bluetooth speaker accessories, iHome speakers

5-3-07: Tagging content for your Apple TV, Organizing your Music Videos, Duplicate copies of your iTunes library files, Using the Universal Dock line-out, Problems restoring your iPod, Power adapter compatibility, Unlocking your iPod's volume limit

4-27-07: Transferring purchased content between iTunes accounts, FireWire/USB connections, External batteries, Problems turning off iPod, Sharing iPods on the same computer, Sorting tracks when importing CDs

4-19-07: iPod widescreen mode, Transcoding lossy formats, Locating missing music files, Assigning artwork to multiple tracks, Transferring iTunes purchases, Playing single tracks

4-12-07: Converting DVDs to iPod, Resetting Screen Lock, Moving an iTunes library to a new computer, Deleting songs manually from an iPod, Compatibility with overseas accessories, Finding accessories for the 5G iPod, Speakers for charging a 3G iPod

4-5-07: Playing iPod through iTunes, Preventing Apple Remote from controlling Universal Dock, Resetting iTunes authorizations, Transferring podcasts from a secondary computer, Finding music by composer tags, Sorting tracks on the iPod Shuffle

3-29-07: iPod photo transfer performance and accessories, Sorting photos on iPod, Syncing music and contacts from two different computers, iTunes video storage and formats, Converting AAC to MP3, Burning MP3 CDs

3-22-07: Album artwork and Other storage on the iPod, Storage size of iPod Games, Multiple iPods on the same computer, Etymotic Earjacks, Charging iPod while recording audio, Syncing TV Shows to iPod, Properly Tagging Albums

3-16-07: Converting Windows-formatted iPods for Mac use, Importing Calendar and Contacts from Outlook, Moving iTunes content to another hard drive, Recovering Playlists from iPod, Recording Lectures, Calculating iPod Storage

3-10-07: Understanding the new sort fields in iTunes 7.1, Smart playlists and rating preference, RSS feeds for new iTunes content, Checkboxes and synchronizing music to small iPods

2-22-07: Hiding the iTunes Store from view, Restoring iTunes' "Recently Played" smart playlist, Restoring an iPod's missing free space, Using third-party A/V cables, Apple TV and Wi-Fi network protocols, Authorizing iPod games

2-1-07: Windows Vista iTunes issues, Music Video organization in iTunes, Removing songs from Shuffle play, Sorting albums by year

1-17-07: iPhone Questions, Apple TV Stereo Connections, Car Stereos with USB ports, Now Playing screen on TV, Locating playlists a song belongs to, Playing podcasts sequentially

12-29-06: Charging iPod video with old AC adapter, Identifying iPod generations, Preventing iTunes from accessing the store, Accessing and playing video with DLO HomeDock Deluxe, Nike+iPod Sport Kit compatibility

12-14-06: Searching the comment field in iTunes, Buying an aux-in cable for the car, Making a recent top 25 playlist, Multiple genres per song, Radio Charts in iTunes

12-9-06: Gifting specific items from the iTunes Store, Linking to photos from the iPod's Notes feature, Properly listening to iPod music in loud places, Using Mac-formatted iPods with an XBOX 360

12-1-06: iTunes visualizers, Programs stored on iPod, Converting music en masse, Charging second-generation iPod shuffle, Adding chapter markers to videos

11-23-06: iPod deals, Continuously playing videos on iPod, Getting replacement iPod manuals, Finding size and playtime of a group of tracks, Fixing podcasts that reset iPod

11-16-06: Extracting audio from videos, Transferring albums to iPod easily, Using iTunes Store gift cards, Dealing with a scratched iPod backing, Recovering contacts from iPod

11-10-06: Volume limit on iPod shuffle, Preserving On-The-Go playlists between syncs, Storing Audiobooks in proper iTunes library, Apple Lossless on iPod shuffle

11-3-06: iTunes Store displayed in foreign language, All tracks begin where they were last stopped, Converting tracks to mono in iTunes, iPod wakes up and plays tunes on its own, Greatest Hits album won't show on iPod

10-26-06: Loading TiVo/DVR TV Shows on iPod, Accessing iTunes music with a Media Center PC, Leaving an iPod in the car, iPod Hi-Fi remote control, Tagging tracks just added to the library

10-20-06: Disc capacity & song quality tradeoff, iPod sleep behavior explained, Ordering albums by year on iPod, Using an iPod while charging via USB, Restoring a deleted playlist in iTunes

10-12-06: Displaying singles in iPod's Artists menu, Party Shuffle not advancing tracks, Two+ iPods on one computer - revisited, Finding songs not in any playlist, Returning to beginning of iPod shuffle playlist

10-5-06: Only one song plays at a time in iTunes, Playing interactive booklets, Resetting iPod's language, Shuffle anywhere on iPod, Isolating MP3 songs from AAC

9-28-06: Suppressing 'Explicit' tags in iTunes Library, Restoring the 'Purchased' playlist, Differentiating 5G 30GB models, Album Artist on iPod, Just for You in iTunes 7

9-21-06: Splitting "hidden" tracks from other songs, Multiple iTunes libraries, Movie trailers in the iTunes Store, iTunes-fetched artwork on iPod, Isolating Music Videos from songs in iTunes

9-13-06: iTunes 7 issues: Preserving library upon upgrade, Authorizing games for iPod, Audio severely distorted with static, Album artwork retrieval problems, Enhanced podcasts menu

9-7-06: Reverting to former iPod software updaters, iPod crashes and loses library, iPod not storing advertised song capacity, Cleaning out one's iTunes Library safely, Deleting Album Artwork en masse

8-30-06: Unchecked songs in smart playlist, Connecting iPod to car Aux-In jack, Deleting songs from iTunes, Filling iPods completely, Playing only one song in iTunes

8-25-06: Quickly erasing duplicate songs, Replacing iPod's front panel, Excluding videos from playlists, Using albums in smart playlists, Album art missing from iPod

8-17-06: Tags disappearing on play, Third party headphones on iPod, eAAC and eAAC+ codecs, Creating random batches of songs with smart playlists, Transferring iTunes Music Store tracks

8-9-06: Size of Smart Playlists, Changing an iPod's file system format, Backing up iTMS video purchases, iPod not automatically disconnecting, iPod shuffling problems

8-2-06: Airport Express not working under "Multiple Speakers", Tuning radio remote in 0.1 increments, Ordering albums properly, Video podcasts on older iPods, Multiple album artwork files per track on iPod

7-27-06: Exclamation marks near playlists, Artist column on far left of library?, Songs in multiple playlists, No options in for iPod slideshow music, Song numbering in iTunes' Library

7-20-06: Speaker icon next to currently-playing song, Sound lost in one headphone channel, Finding songs not in any playlist, iPod mini shuffling by album, Removing contacts and calendars from iPod

7-13-06: Maximizing battery life, Slideshows from an iPod nano, Trouble with iPod's volume meter, Powering two devices from one car power port, Smart playlists and sort order

7-6-06: Custom EQ on iPod, Viewing large text files on iPod, Buying an iPod from overseas, Finding iPod setup files online, Lossless vs. Lossy audio files

6-28-06: Unlocking an iPod, Creating a list of albums in iTunes, Restoring missing menu items on iPod, Converting video to iPod, Increasing the iPod's volume

6-21-06: Preserving select podcasts, Locating tracks in playlists, Automatically ejecting iPod after transfer, Microphone for iPod mini, Tracks missing when browsing via "Artist"

6-15-06: Backing up Smart Playlists, Using 4-pin Firewire ports, Viewing hidden data in iTunes, Recording direct to iPod from cassette, Synchronizing a folder of files between computers using iPod

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Comments

1

Apple TV is capable of supporting more than just twice the bit rate of the iPod. Apple TV supports up to 5000kbps, more than 3 times that of the iPod’s limit of 1500kbps. In fact, I’ve gotten Apple TV to play HD trailers right from Apple’s site that are encoded at over 6000kbps!

Posted by nilesmitchell on May 11, 2007 at 12:10 PM (PDT)

2

That is actually correct, but the existing collection of conversion tools such as VisualHub and EyeTV 2.4 only encode converted videos at an average bit-rate of 3000kbps.

Manual conversion settings will naturally support much higher bit-rates, however the benefits from encoding standard-definition TV broadcasts at these bit-rates are still very negligible, since the source material is relatively low-quality.

Posted by Jesse David Hollington in Toronto on May 11, 2007 at 3:36 PM (PDT)

3

I wanted to know if their was a way to add your free books to my Ipod so that i can read it on the go.

Posted by Torez on May 11, 2007 at 9:10 PM (PDT)

4

Hi I just purchased a new computer, how do I transfer my itunes and music library from my old computer to my new one? Can I do it online or do I need to burn a cd? Thanks

Posted by Joeski3 on May 13, 2007 at 4:02 PM (PDT)

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