[ckohler]

I'm trying to decide between buying a used previous generation 30GB Video iPod or a new 30GB Video iPod.

One of the selling points of the new iPods is that you can get 3.5 hours of video playback on the 30GB version. How does that compair to the video playback on the last generation? I can't find anywhere online what the rated video playback time was for the previous 30GB iPod.

[ckohler]

According to the following, video playback was rated at 2 hours.
Accurately determine your iPod battery life

Is that typical?

[icruise]

John Gruber at Daringfireball.net has said that the software update for older iPods at least partially increases their battery life, but he didn't give any details. I've emailed him about it, and I will post if he gives me any more info.

Daring Fireball: Regarding the Features and Capabilities of the Various Fifth Generation iPods

But I think I would still go for the new model unless the used one was very cheap.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Icruise

John Gruber at Daringfireball.net has said that the software update for older iPods at least partially increases their battery life, but he didn't give any details. I've emailed him about it, and I will post if he gives me any more info.

Daring Fireball: Regarding the Features and Capabilities of the Various Fifth Generation iPods

But I think I would still go for the new model unless the used one was very cheap.

That's sweet. Anyone test their 5G's battery life before and after the 1.2 update?

[TailsToo]

Doesn't seem much different than it was before on my 30GB.

[icruise]

I'm not convinced that Gruber knows what he's talking about with regard to the 5G iPod's battery life. He didn't respond to my mail and hasn't mentioned any specifics on his site, plus some comments he made about the old versus new ones seemed a little off to me. Surprised me because he's usually so sharp.

[badsey]

Macworld UK - Apple's new iPods are better than ever

The addition of feature-length content to the iTunes repertoire is perhaps responsible for two of the biggest improvements to the video-capable models: significantly improved battery life and screen brightness. These were areas where Apple listened to customer feedback and took to heart the need to produce a higher-quality product than the original iPod if the company expected the device to be used for watching full-length movies (although the same could be said for any type of video content).


Very few products live up to the estimated battery life listed by their manufacturers. These estimates usually assume perfect battery-saving conditions, such as low screen brightness and limited interaction with the device's operating system. Apple's previous video iPod models were no exception to this rule. However, the latest iPods come closer than many products to meeting Apple's claims.


In testing the 80GB video iPod on a fully charged battery, I was able to watch nearly five and a half hours of video with the screen at full brightness, pausing or adjusting the volume several times and occasionally skipping forward or backward during playback. It appeared that the source or type of video content didn't affect performance. I tested a copy of the movie Flight Plan and several TV shows downloaded from the iTunes Store as well as video from several DVDs that was encoded for use on an iPod. Although the iPod failed to reach Apple's six-and-a-half-hour estimate, I believe that with lower screen brightness, it might have come very close.


This surprisingly long battery life makes the iPod a true portable video and entertainment system. The limited battery life on previous models was one of the reasons that I often relied on the iPod solely as a music device when traveling rather than taking advantage of its video capabilities. This battery life carries over into all facets of the product.


The screen brightness is also incredible compared to any previous iPod and many other portable devices. Screen brightness is a challenge for many portable colour displays, particularly if the device is to be used outdoors. Many laptops, PDAs and mobile phones have screens that can be difficult to see in bright sunlight. I was able to watch video outdoors on a sunny day without too much squinting. The real problem turned out to be the glare of sunlight reflecting off the surface of the iPod. Certainly, in almost any indoor environment, the screen of the iPod will be more than adequate and will rival that of some laptops.


Speaking of the screen brightness, the iPod now sports a settings option that allows you to set systemwide screen brightness. This is a useful trick for improving battery life if you tend to use the iPod's non-video features more than you watch videos. There is also the ability to adjust brightness while watching a video by clicking twice the "select" button at the centre of the scroll wheel. Clicking it once allows you to skip forward and backward within the video as it does with audio files.

= I would buy a new one. I have an old 30GB video and the battery life is horrible. All the iPods no have better batteries with the Nano now listed at 24hrs use.

[Eug Wanker]

This article doesn't answer the question if 1.2 extends the battery life of the old 5G iPods.

[badsey]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

This article doesn't answer the question if 1.2 extends the battery life of the old 5G iPods.

Anything will extend the life of an old iPod Video. My iPod video 30GB barely lasted 1 hour playing videos = I did not use my iPod 5G = it stayed home. You almost needed an external battery or AC adaptor for these things. The battery indicator was also very unreliable on my iPod 5G = goto 1/2 power indicator very fast then go back to 3/4 charge etc.

iPod Video:
New battery = great
Better Battery Management = even better
24hr battery = even nicer. (Have not seen this yet!)

=buy the newer iPod Video with the better battery.

=buy an external battery pack for your iPod video if you plan on watching videos/movies that are hours long. There will be times when you need it (a great accessory).
https://secure1.sonnettech.com/produ...roducts_id=175

I'll test mine out (1.0->1.2) since I have not updated yet.

[badsey]

I got 2 hours 13 minutes from my iPod Video 30GB (1.0 bios) and it was in the red after 30 minutes. Playing pretty much full video straight and 75% max audio.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by badsey

Anything will extend the life of an old iPod Video.

What does that mean?

My iPod video 30GB barely lasted 1 hour playing videos = I did not use my iPod 5G = it stayed home. You almost needed an external battery or AC adaptor for these things.

I don't think that's typical, is it? It should get closer to 2 hours, I think.

[badsey]

Originally Posted by Icruise

What does that mean?
I don't think that's typical, is it? It should get closer to 2 hours, I think.

I never tested it before. I would only watch a few videos and the battery meter would start going down horrifyingly quick and I would think about charging it up. Notice after 30 minutes it already started showing red (about 25% charge) even though it lasted another 1.5 hours. I got 2hrs and 13 min with video on 100% and that means it was on full brightness the whole time. There is no adjustment for backlight or brightness when playing video in 1.0

With the bios update (1.2) you can choose brightness. Big difference.

[brokenjago]

Originally Posted by badsey

iPod Video:
New battery = great
Better Battery Management = even better
24hr battery = even nicer. (Have not seen this yet!)

Note that the 24 hour battery life is for the iPod nano only. Music playback time for the iPod with video is the exact same as the previous "generation" (I put it in quotes because I don't consider it a full generational jump.) Only video playback times have been increased, by 75% on each model.

That means the iPod 30GB now gets 3.5 Hours of video, and the 80 GB gets 6.5.

I have no idea if this functionality can be extended to the previous quasi-generation via software update.

[badsey]

I updated my iPod to the new bios and I've been watching video for four hours (still at 1/2 battery)with the video brightness turned all the way down (could not do this before in 1.0) I'm gonna say may iPod 5G Video 30GB will play video for about ~8 hours+ . That's a huge improvement.

The low brightness is fine for indoors, but outside it may not be bright enough if sunny. At night it's fine.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by badsey

I updated my iPod to the new bios and I've been watching video for four hours (still at 1/2 battery)with the video brightness turned all the way down (could not do this before in 1.0) I'm gonna say may iPod 5G Video 30GB will play video for about ~8 hours+ . That's a huge improvement.

That's SWEET. That makes me even happier about my 30 GB 5G refurb purchase.

However, I'd highly doubt 8 hours. I'd suspect you get less viewing time out of the 2nd half of the battery.

Did you try watching until the battery died?

[badsey]

There is also the ability to adjust brightness while watching a video by clicking twice the "select" button at the centre of the scroll wheel.

It's over 7 hours and the iPod is now in the red. Audio is at max since the iPod is off my head.

I would say 8 hours is possible watching video at low brightness with an old iPod 5G. =This iPod is now useable. That is about 4x the old iPod Video (2hrs) stuck at high brightness.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

However, I'd highly doubt 8 hours. I'd suspect you get less viewing time out of the 2nd half of the battery.

Originally Posted by badsey

It's over 7 hours and the iPod is now in the red. Audio is at max since the iPod is off my head.

I stand corrected.

I'm doing my own test right now on my "new" refurb 30 GB iPod (which may or may not have a lightly used battery), and after 2 hours with the brightness at about 1/4 (and the audio at 50%), the battery meter has dropped to around the 25-30% level. However, I'm not testing the brightness all the way down because I find it too dark in this room, even with the lights off. (There is an open window nearby letting a fair amount of light into the room though.)

BTW, are you testing 320x240 800 Kbps H.264, or are you testing 640x480 1.6 Kbps H.264? I'm testing the latter, which may (or may not) take more juice.

Anyways, it's clear that Update 1.2 extends battery life. It might be mainly only due to the screen brightness reduction option, but nonetheless that's a huge improvement. It's often fairly dark on the plane, so watching with a dimmed screen is just fine.

Also, one might surmise that Apple may not have changed the battery capacity in the 5.5G 30 GB, and that their quoted extended battery life is also purely based on the ability to reduce the screen brightness.

[badsey]

I got 7:42. Put some movies on your iPod to try this out. I used the old 320x240 H.264

[Eug Wanker]

I hit exactly 3.5 hours (210 minutes) with my 5G 30 GB. I played almost five 42+ minute TV show episodes, which I encoded myself using QuickTime 7.1.3.

The files are 640 pixels wide, and are a little over 1625 Kbps (500+ MB each).

[icruise]

I guess I should do some battery testing on my 60GB 5G model. Sounds like the brightness adjustment has really helped battery life.