iLounge

201

Um, staggering in what way? You make it sound like all you get is a cable. But really for that price, you get the cable, a universal dock, and a USB power adapter. Is that not a good deal.”

For 49.99 you get the cables and a wall adaptor. No universal dock.

Posted by ssd on April 27, 2008 at 12:28 PM (PDT)

202

I feel so goddamn stupid buying this 160gb classic. For some, this issue is just about replacing a 5$ video cable and they don’t understand why all the whining. But in my case, I have spent a lot of money and a huge amount of time installing myself an ipod integration kit for my car’s dvd system. Then I spent some more time troubleshooting this sneaky and unmentioned “feature” of the classic. My time and money are important to me and never have they been as baffled as this by any company before. Not only will I never purchase another apple product again, but I will make it a personal mission to encourage everyone I know to boycott them. I hope somebody with more time on their hands sues their ###.

Posted by John on April 30, 2008 at 8:35 AM (PDT)

203

My guess, this is to satisfy Movie Studios and not Apple.

Posted by Alan on May 1, 2008 at 11:36 AM (PDT)

204

"My guess, this is to satisfy Movie Studios and not Apple.”

That much is clear, what isn’t clear is why *Apple*, knowing full well how many millions of dollars worth of *Apple* authorized accessories featuring video out had been purchased in the previous two years, went ahead an implemented the lock down knowing they were intentionally breaking functionality of a lot of expensive devices.

Besides, it’s not like the lock down won’t be completely circumvented by some sort of pass through dock off of eBay for $10 before long, so why make a useless gesture to appease studios who aren’t going to stop dealing with you because people can pay to watch their movies on last year’s video dock.

Posted by Code Monkey in Midstate New York on May 1, 2008 at 11:59 AM (PDT)

205

Great,
I bought the Classic 80Gb just recently, rented a movie from I-Tunes and just spent half the day trying to get the video out to work. I remember how easy it was with my daughter’s older model to use the dock that came with my DVD/Surround sound unit. Manual online starts out with “If you have an AV cable from Apple...” What a crock. Wish I’d seen this article first.

Posted by Chris on May 3, 2008 at 3:29 PM (PDT)

206

No, it doesn’t work with other third party cables through the dock connector. And here we are 8 months later, NO Apple update, NO reduction on the proprietary cable price or at least an inclusion of a dock, NO cheaper alternatives on eBay., NO response from Apple.

Apple iPod classic 160 GB $350 + tax
Previously purchased cables and docks $25 and up
Proprietary Apple cable $49.99 + tax + S/H

Apple not giving a s#!& Priceless

I feel you John. I usually avoid these kinds of issues with lots of research, but in this case I was so happy with my 30gb, that when I decided to upgrade to the 160 I didn’t even think about searching for issues. I feel like an idiot now and I too will make it a mission to discourange anyone I know (especially all the “Apple is better than Ms” people) from buying Apple. Want an mp3 player? Get a Zune.

Posted by raulrocks on May 7, 2008 at 1:06 PM (PDT)

207

I have Pioneer Elite AV receiver that I connect my 80gig to and watch videos.  I have a nano and downloaded the Indy 500 race.  Apple’s little Nano device locked up my 1500 receiver with this tv out crap.  Sure all I had to do was reset my Elite but there is no mention of this crap in the owners manual.  If it is mentioned it is so dame cryptic only a lawyer could find it.  I always have repected apple as an innovater.  This is sad for the video part of apple.  Apple just dug them selves out of a whole by not letting thier machines be cloned.  Now they are doing the samething here by satisfying “Hollywood” at the expense of the customer.  Shame on Apple for giving in.  Hooray for Blue-ray for fighting the power!!!

Posted by Charles on May 8, 2008 at 4:53 AM (PDT)

208

“My guess, this is to satisfy Movie Studios and not Apple.”

I wish this myth would just die, since it comes from people trying to let Apple off the hook for what has obviously been a very consumer-unfriendly decision on their part. 

I have generally been a fan of Apple over the past few years, but I’m not blind to their faults, and this is just plain wrong on their part, and I’m not going to make any excuses for them or cut them any slack by trying to shift the blame to somebody else like the movie studios.

(I’m no fan of the MPAA either, but both credit and blame should always be laid where it’s due).

There is absolutely nothing in the video lock-out that the movie studios would care about.  I would only buy into this being the movie studios’ fault if Apple hadn’t manufactured both component and composite AV cables for the new iPod models.  If they had an HDMI/HDCP accessory only, then perhaps you could argue that it was to prevent piracy or enforce some other type of lockout the studios would want.

However, since Apple themselves will happily sell you cables that can be used to connect the iPod to pretty much any recording device—even via component connections, it’s not as if this restriction has been put into place to prevent piracy, and there are few other reasons why the movie studios would care about such things.

Some have suggested that this is to provide for future HD content on the iPod… Again, however, it would be a trivial matter for Apple to require a compliant accessory for 720p/1080i/1080p output without affecting one’s ability to play standard 480i through existing accessories.

The accessory lockout is about one thing—control.  Not control by the movie studios (since if they had anything at all to do with this, we wouldn’t have AV cables among the authorized accessories), but control by Apple over the third-party accessory market.  There might be a slightly altruistic aspect here—after all quality accessories that work properly can only be a good thing, but let’s not forget that Apple makes a great deal of money out of licensing third-party accessories as part of its “Made-for-iPod” program, and allowing manufacturers to make cheap accessories provides no revenue to Apple, and undercuts their “legitimate” third-party accessory manufacturers.

Posted by Jesse David Hollington in Toronto on May 13, 2008 at 8:12 AM (PDT)