Is Apple's new iPod a true multimedia player?

Apple's new iPod can now play video files, but is it worthy of being called a true video iPod? Surprisingly, I don't think I can officially call the new iPod a true multimedia player. My reasons? Read on.

The Screen
iPod's new screen actually disappoints me a bit. First, it has a 4:3 aspect ratio which is going to be obsolete pretty soon -- especially if Apple plans to have movies available for purchase and download. This aspect ratio is fine, but its not the extra step that Apple usually takes. While I was speculating on this product coming out a few days before their special event, I thought that it was almost certain the player's display would be widescreen (16:9). The display also has one other minor fault, the resolution. While 320x240 is nothing to laugh at, the resolution is just not that great.

The Formats/Video resolution
The new iPod can play H.264 encoded video, which is a big step in the right direction, but at a maximum of 320x240 resolution, you're not going to want to hook this thing up to your new 50-inch plasma. Even in H.264, this small resolution blown up to 15" (my Powerbook's display size) gets a little pixelated. Thats not to say the quality is horrible within any streach of the imagination, but I think that the resolution could be greater -- maybe 640x480? Formats are also limited to QuickTime, but thats really not a problem for me because almost everything I would watch is in QuickTime format.

No Ability To Record Your Own TV
What I would like to see in future versions is the ability to record video from my television without purchasing it from iTunes. This would allow me to record shows I watch that are on networks such as A&E and Food Network. At the moment, iTunes only offers 5 shows from Disney networks, only one of which I would actually watch. While I would like this ability, I doubt it being in future models because there's too much money in selling it online. But then again, maybe they'll move on to movies and forget about television shows. Who knows? There does seem to be open room for this, though. Apple could easily add a TV tuner to their new iMac G5 and integrate it into their new Front Row app.

Battery Life
Apple claims that the new iPod gets 16 hours of battery life, but this is for music playback only. In fact, you only get a big two hours of battery life while playing back video (30GB model). This means if you plan to watch three episodes of "Lost" or "desperate Housewives," you're battery's probably going to die on you. Even in the 60 GB model which has a battery capacity of three hours of video, you'll be pretty squeezed on time. In future models, I expect to see at least 4 to 5 hours of video playback, even if the design is a little thicker.

What do I see next?
In the next, or future, models, I expect to see a widescreen display with higher resolution and extended battery life. Then, Apple will have created, in my eyes, a true multimedia player.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Apple-basher. Actually, I absolutely love Apple and their products... but I just think they could have done better on this product.

--Andrew