Lets get started:
~The New Features~
-60% Brighter screen
-Longer battery life (30GB: 14 hours music playback, 4 hours video, 80GB: 20 hours music playback, 6 hours video)
-The iPod Video now can play feature length movies (I.E. Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, The Sixth Sense)
-The iPod Video now has games (I.E. Pac-man, Zuma, Bejeweled)
-New Search feature
-Gapless playback
-New 80GB model replacing 60GB
-New lower price (30GB: $249, 80GB: $349)
~The Package~
The packaging is very similar to the iPod Video 5th generation (Released last winter) with a simple black box with the iPod taking center stage on the front (and back). Other then the new pictures of the iPod itself, nothing has changed since last year's model...
~The Contents~
The contents, just like the box, are very similar to the iPod released last year. The box contains:
-The iPod Video 5.5 generation
-Warranty paperwork
-A double sided instruction manual
-An adapter for the iPod charging dock to better fit the 30GB model's thinner body in the universal charging dock
-A iPod port to USB port cable
-A pair of earbuds (The earbuds are very similar to last year's model, but have seen some small changes. The overall design of them is sleeker and thinner and the earbuds are made out of a rubber like material rather then plastic making them more comfortable)
-A black velvet like case to hold your iPod in
~The iPod~
The iPod itself is identical to last year's model in its outward appearance. No changes have been made to the shell or metalic backing. The menu also is almost identical, but has more options on it including Games, Movies, and Search (All of these can be turned on or off in the settings, I decided to have Movies and Search not on the Menu) The only other difference on the menu is the color of the highlight which is a bit darker then last year's model (Hard to see in the picture since the screen's brightness washes it out)
~Features~
Lets get down to the new features of the iPod...
-Movies
This is probably one of the biggest new features of the iPod 5.5 gen and is probably one of the most critisized. Due to the iPod's small screen people would generally think watching a movie would be completely unejoyable, wrong, I recently purchased and synced Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Available on iTunes 7) onto my iPod and watched it all the way through. I will say that it is fun and more enjoyable then you would think. Yes, I would rather watch a film on a computer or home entertainment system but watching movies on the iPod is great for car rides, plane rides, ect. Now watching Pirates on the iPod is somewhat limited to the size of the screen so you don't see everything you would like, but it doesn't effect the overall quality of the film. The screen resolution offers a crisp, clean picture on the iPod and only minor artifacting is seen. The audio quality depends on the film but from what I heard it is top notch. Overall Movies on the iPod is a great new feature and is great for when you're waiting for long periods of time away from home.
Sidenote: Movies retail on iTunes 7 for $9.99-$14.99
-Games
A feature I have not yet tried on my own iPod is that of games. Yes there are games built into the iPod (Solitare, Parachute, and Brick) but I'm talking about downloadable games from iTunes 7. There are currently 9 of them and iTunes promises to begin updating their catalog over time. Now I have not purchased a game myself but I have been able to get my hands on an iPod at my local CompUSA with Zuma already on it. Now due to Zuma's gameplay it seems it was made perfectly for the iPod's click wheel, so that may be why I had so much fun, but games overall on the iPod are very well done, the graphics are clean and crisp, the sound is what you would expect from arcade games, and overall gameplay is very enjoyable and new using the iPod's click wheel to control.
Sidenote: Games retail on iTunes 7 for $4.99
-Search
The search feature of the new iPod is probably one of the most liked, especially for people like me with GB's and GB's of music. Its very easy to use, you simply select and click the search label on the screen then all you due is use the click wheel to glide through different letters, select the letter and every song with that letter or set of letters in it will come up. A very basic and easy to use system, but very helpful for people with large libraries.
-New Song Browsing Feature
One feature I didn't mention in the new features list at the beginning of my review is that of the new song browse feature. Whenever you scroll through your Songs menu quickly, an overlay will come up with one letter, that letter is whatever letter the song your highlight is selected on at that time. So for instance, if you're quickly skimming over your songs and you have 100 tracks, 5 with the letter A in the beginning, 90 with H, and 5 with Z, when you get to the H tracks you'll see a small overlay with that letter appear letting you know that you're going over songs with H or whatever it is showing.
-Brighter Screen
A great new feature of the new iPod is the 60% brighter screen. If you thought the screen was already very bright wait till you see it in person. The screen at 50% brightness is already brighter then the 5th gen iPod, but when you crank that up to 100%, wow, just wow, it honestly is like getting a flashlight burned into your retina. The greatest part of the brighter screen is the you get more battery life then original iPod even with the screen at max setting. I personally keep mine at 50% which is plenty bright for me.
Sidenote: Its hard for the camera to show it, but when at 100% the screen is actually much brighter than it appears
-Better Battery Life
The feature that pushed me over the edge into getting a new iPod is the improved battery life. One of the banes of the iPod is the battery life, the previous gen iPods usually had a pretty lame battery life that didn't satisfy people who used their iPods for extended periods of time, especially those who wanted to watch multiple TV shows. The 5.5 gen iPod fixes this problem very well with an improved battery life of 14 hours music playback and 4 hours video playback on the 30GB, 20 hours music and 6 hours video on the 80GB. You may see yourself looking at the battery bar to see if it's working correctly, the thing seems to stay at full for an unlimited amount of time.
-Gapless Playback
This new feature is really great for those of us who are real audiophiles. In previous generations it would usually take 2 or 3 seconds for a song to transition over to the next, with the 5.5 gen, they have fixed this issue and have allowed gapless playback overall. This is especially great for Blues, Jazz, and Dance music.
~Size~
The overall size of the iPod is very similar to the 5th gen. The thickness has been slightly reduced on the 30GB model to make it even more sleek then before. The 80GB is the exacty same size in thickness as the 60GB 5th gen model, a great plus for an extra 20GB's. The size and click wheel continue to be the same size as last year's model, which is a small shame since I'd like to see a slightly large screen, but overall a very small issue.
~Price~
The price for the new 5.5 gen iPods has been slightly marked down. With the 30GB model marked down from $300 in the 5th gen to $249 in the 5.5 gen is great, and with the added features it makes it even greater. The 80GB model priced at $349 is an even better deal because not only are you saving $50 compared to last gen's 60GB but you're getting another 20GB's and the added features. Overall the pricing couldn't be better.
~Overview~
Overall the iPod Video 5.5 gen is an improved version of what was considered close to perfect before. It fixes many issues with past generations and adds new features that are actually very useful
My final oppinion is if you're in the market for an MP3 player, specifically of the high capacity range with a multitude of features, I'd opt for you to pick yourself up an iPod Video 5.5 gen. I myself believe even if you had a 5th gen that it would be worth it to upgrade to this amazing piece of hardware.
I rate the iPod Video 5.5 generation a 9.5/10
