News
Study: iPods overwhelmingly used for audio, not video
Despite the fifth-generation iPod’s much-touted video capabilities, which were added in October 2005, the device is still mainly used for audio, according to a recent study by Nielsen Media Research. The study found that less than 1% of content played by iPod users on either iTunes or the device itself were videos. Among 5G (video) iPod users, only 2.2% of content played was video. The study also found that 15.8% of iPod users have played a video on either iPod or iTunes. Nielsen monitored a panel of 400 iPod users in the U.S. from October 1-27 for the study.
“Owners of Apple’s ubiquitous portable media device spend far more time on it listening to music or audio podcasts than they do using it to watch TV or movies,” Andrew Wallenstein of The Hollywood Reporter writes. “That was among the findings in an unprecedented preliminary study conducted by the audience-measurement service in October—about one year after a video window was introduced to iPod and its corresponding Internet platform, iTunes. The iPod research conducted by Nielsen is the first publicly available independently published data on consumption habits for the device.”
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21
Just wanted to clarify something ddsd said in his post. The quote says (and I quote) “on their devices OR online at iTunes” (emphasis added). That doesn’t require the conclusion that those who don’t own video iPods are actually viewing video on their nanos (which, as I understand it, is impossible without a major hack). It means that people are watching the video on iTunes, rather than on their iPod. That seemed sort of obvious to me.
Posted by urbanslaughter on November 21, 2006 at 2:10 PM (PDT)
22
News flash: 98% of the time when I’m listening to my iPod I can’t be watching video on it (in the car, at work, in the mall, at the gym).
I still love the capability and it’s why I bought the thing.
Posted by dasmegabyte on November 21, 2006 at 2:16 PM (PDT)
23
Studies also reveal that the sky is most definitely blue…
Posted by Fritz on November 21, 2006 at 7:57 PM (PDT)
24
the reason that nobody plays videos on their ipod is because nobody uses the formats that the ipod uses. It’s rediculous.
Posted by Remis on November 23, 2006 at 9:35 PM (PDT)
25
I think Urbanslaughter had a great point on this issue: video isn’t a great portable medium. A lot of people use their ipods when working, driving, or exercising, and in most cases these are times when you want music but need to put your visual attention eslewhere (computer screen, the road, other people around you so you don’t exercise right into them). Video is, after all, something you sit and watch.
I can see more videos being viewed in the iTunes player on desktop and laptop screens than on the smaller ipod-video screen, but even in that instance, itunes-video-playback is competing with other sources of video like dvd players, content-on-demand through dvrs and pay-per-view, and standard television broadcasts.
Posted by Chibithulhu on November 26, 2006 at 10:13 AM (PDT)
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