iPod Video (80GB)

The highly competitive world of MP3 players resembles the hostile jungles of the Pleistocene era. New adaptations and innovations are constantly introduced into the ecosystem creating the perfect storm for evolutionary advancement. Just when we think we’ve reached the apex of progress in design, form and function, along comes another power MP3 player that redefines the portable media player. Apple’s iPods have long populated the top positions in the media player food chain. The iPod Video is no exception.

Standout Features

• 60GB hard drive
• 2.5-inch LCD display
• Exceptional battery life

Features

There are certainly more tricked out media players with larger screens, storage capacities and connectivity options than on the iPod Video, but in terms of pocketsize portability it dominates the field. It weighs in at slightly more than 5 ounces and is about the size of a wallet. The iPod Video makes mobile media a hassle-free affair.

With a 60GB hard drive, packing a week’s worth of media is a reasonable expectation. 60GB of storage roughly equates to 1,000 hours of audio, 20,000 photos, or 150 hours of video. You can upload all your stored podcasts, books on tape, discographies, sitcoms and full length movies with plenty of room left over for files, photos and miscellanea.

With all that media, you don’t have to worry about running out of juice either. The iPod Video takes about 4 hours to fully recharge. That’s a reasonable wait when you consider that on a full charge the iPod Video will play music for 20 hours and play back video for 3 hours. Music wise, the iPod Video will more than satisfy. On the video end, 3 hours is a bit underwhelming. Users looking for longer video playback times will want to take a look at the iPod Touch or SanDisk Sansa Fuze.

Despite limited video playback times, the iPod Video offers a respectable video resolution of 480 x 480 at a 30 FPS frame rate. The 2.5-inch LCD screen is LED backlit which results in a pleasantly bright display. We have no complaints regarding video quality on the iPod Video—it’s not excellent, but takes care of casual multimedia enthusiasts. Hardcore mobile multimedia aficionados would probably be more pleased with Archos’ media tablets or any other touch screen enabled media player.

Summary of Reviews from Across the Internet

Users love the iPod Video’s ability to uplink with TVs—you take media from your pocket to the big screen with a simple video cable.

Many newcomers to Apple dislike the heavy handed interface of iTunes.

Summary

The iPod Video is an all around solid MP3 option. It doesn’t offer all the options of some of the newest media players, but that’s not necessarily a complaint. Apple’s game has always been simplicity and functionality over novelty and excess. In the cutthroat wilderness of gadgetry, the iPod Video is not the top predator of the MP3 phylum, instead, it exhibits the tenacity and endurance of the primordial megacroc—the iPod Video continues to thrive even while the T-Rex iPod Touch and saber tooth tiger Zune rule the jungle.

Curious to see how the iPod Video stacks up to the other flora and fauna of the portable multimedia ecosystem? Take a look at our side-by-side comparisons of MP3 players. At TopTenREVIEWS we do the research so you don’t have to.