Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple 80 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation)

First of all, this is, to my knowledge, the cheapest 80GB Hard Drive MP3 player on the market, and with a name like Apple backing it up, this rendition of the iPod is well worth your time to look at.

*Technically this is still not the iPod Video, this is still an iPod with video playback; rumors are still buzzing about a Widescreen iPod, but still no official word*

NEW:
-Longer battery life
-Games
-iTunes 7 has movies
-Search feature
-Larger capacity
-Brighter screen

GOOD:
-Great GB/$$ ratio
-Great build
-Bright screen
-Battery life on video is double what it was before
-Great interface
-Innovative search
-Games are pretty fun
-Excellent design
-Minimal buttons
-Oodles of potential accessories

BAD:
-Still scratches easily
-Prone to fingerprints
-Sometimes a little sluggish (not as much as before)
-Battery isn't removable
-Still no FM tuner, line-in, or voice record
-Expensive accessories (not many in box)
-Cheap earbuds

BOTTOM LINE: If you are too hardcore for the 30GB version, than this is definately your cup of tea. This is the perfect MP3 player for any causual music and video enjoyer's needs!

I have been using the 80gb iPod Video for several days now, and I am extremely pleased. First, a note of caution. The surface of this unit is identical to the earlier iPod video, so it is extremely prone to scratching. My 60gb iPod video was always transpored in the $99 Apple leather case, and it still attracted scratches! This one comes with a chamois-like form-fitted pouch which does a nice job of protecting the finish, but provides no protection from hits or drops. The screen is bright! Much brighter than the earlier models. The integration with iTunes 7 takes the hardware/software experience to a new level. I purchased some games and TV shows, which downloaded flawlessly, and playback time appears very impressive (read: better battery life). I'll know better on my next 12 hour flight to Asia, of course! 80gb is a staggering amount of storage space. I have nearly 10,000 songs, several music videos, several FULL seasons of TV shows, my contacts and my date book data, and a few purchased games, and I am barely halfway to filling the drive. The new iTunes interface screen for the iPod is much more friendly, allowing different settings to be made for, say, music, TV shows, PodCasts, etc. from within a tabbed browser environment. Apple still demonstrate that less IS more, and the total user experience blows away anything else in the market. It would be hard to imagine another solution (player/online store) emerging that could get the experience any better than Apple does. Though I realize several are trying... Zune anyone? :)

I've owned the 60GB Video iPod for close to a year now and with 11,000 tracks, 10 (Music) videos, and about 30 photos on it, I had 2.13GB free and was wondering what to do for more space.

Then along came the 80GB video iPod. More than enough room for my growing music collection, well at least for another year or so. Meant for those with large music collections.

Exactly the same size as the 60GB model, this too comes in black (which I got) and white, and it is cheaper than the 60GB model was when it came out.

It seems Apple finally acknowledged complaints about the earphones as they have been redesigned and fit better and less painfully in the ear for a long period of time, something I could never bear to do with the previous earphones. Oh, and sound quality is great too!!

I'll move right to the major changes with this version. First up is gapless playback of tracks. No more gaps between your tracks on Madonna's 'Confessions On A Dancefloor', or those Donna Summer 70s albums, or your live albums. Note, if you update the software on your 'older' video iPods, gapless playback works on those too.

Next is the new search method, you can now search for artists/albums by alphabet or numbers, still by using the scroll wheel to type out the names. This makes it much easier for someone like me with over 1000 albums stored.

Battery life has been improved for video playback, to 6 and a half hours. The screen resolution is brighter and sharper, making viewing of videos and images an even greater joy.

And finally, iTunes has also been updated. Among other things is a new interface, showing at a glance, how much space music, photos, and videos each take up, and space left. You can also set it to search the internet for CD artwork for CDs you've ripped yourself.

Still remaining are all the usual cool iPod features: You can attach CD artwork (doesn't make the iPod sluggish, or even skip like it used to), include individual track lyrics (both of which are essential to a music buff like me), screen lock, contacts, stopwatch, video playback (this responds faster now and resolution has been increased), photo display (you can do a slideshow of your photos while music plays) and downloadable games. You can also use it as a removeable hard drive, for backing up your data.

You definitely must get a case for your iPod, if you don't want it looking like your cat's scratch post within a week of use. There are loads of cases out there; rubber, leather, to clear hard plastic, the latter which I favour as it protects better, and you still get to see your iPod in all it's glory. XtremeMac, and agent18 (do a google search) make great tough plastic cases which snap on and off with ease, and protect all parts, especially the screen.

Also on the downside, as well as still scrimping on a wall charger (it charges by USB), there isn't an iTunes CD in the pack. You must now download iTunes (for free) from the internet.

Still, this is definitely my favourite gadget of the moment (it feels awesome to be holding over 1000 CDs in the palm of my hand), and yet again raises the bar for other MP3 players.

I must say, having upgraded from a 40G Photo, the iPod Video is really nice. The screen is noticeably larger. I've already watched video on it, and I like it. (Just don't try to watch wide screen movies or TV shows. The screen is too small.) Also, the battery life is GREAT! I can't wait to take it with me when I fly. You're theoretically able to watch a 6 hours of video before you drain the battery.

The new iPod also gives you more control. You can change the brightness of your screen, and there's a new search feature that lets you search your entire collection in a snap. Another great addition is the letters that appear when you're scrolling through lists of artists or albums. It helps you keep up with where you are alphabetically so you can slow down and avoid scrolling past it.

However, like other iPod models, the back of the ipod and the screen are easy to scratch. It didn't really bother me when I had my first iPod; I just accepted it as normal wear and tear. However, now that I'll be watching videos on the screen, I'm a lot more concerned about it. I really recommend buying a case as soon as possible. They're worth the investment.

When you buy your 80G, the box includes a USB cable, really horrible headphones that most everyone I know throws away, a quick start guide, and a black velvet sleeve for protecting your iPod. (The sleeve is nice as an interim case, but you probably won't use it for much more than that.) The kit doesn't include a dock or a wall charger. The USB cable both charges and syncs your iPod, so you don't really need either of these things unless you really want them. (The dock is basically a middle man between the USB cable and your iPod. I really wouldn't recommend it, since you're paying $39 for a piece of plastic that is basically superfluous.)

If you're new to iPods, I'd like to address a couple of complaints that new users often have. Most of these are quite easy to fix:

1.) BAD SOUND QUALITY. You have control over this. If you toy with your advanced preferences, you can change how you import music from your CDs. CNET actually has a tutorial on this under tips and tricks. ("Toss your CDs after archiving your digital media") The Apple Lossless codec is probably your best bet. Lossless essentially means that all of the song data is imported; none of it is lost in compression, which is the case with both mp3 and AAC codecs.

2.) BAD HEADPHONES. Yes, the headphones that are included for free are terrible. You get what you pay for, and, in this case, you aren't paying anything, so the lack of quality shouldn't really surprise you.

3.) BAD BATTERY. No, your battery will not last forever. No battery does. Apple uses lithium-ion batteries, which have a lot of advantages: they won't develop a memory, they're incredibly lightweight, and they hold a charge when not in use. However, there is a tradeoff; they only last about two years. This doesn't mean you have to throw your iPod away. Apple offers battery changing service for $59, or, if you're brave, you can purchase a DIY kit for about $30. (I'm not very good with my hands and I managed to do this. It comes with tools and a really great instructional video.)

4.) INCOMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS. Despite the fact that iPods are made by "Mac people," this doesn't mean that your iPod won't play nice when hooked up to your PC. In my two (going on three) years using an iPod with Windows XP, I've never had a compatibility problem. Also, there is excellent support on Apple's website for Windows users.

Basically, you will have a much more pleasant experience with your iPod if you do a little bit of research. The iPod is an instrument, and you can't just pick it up and immediately know how to use it through osmosis. Try going to Apple Support's iPod 101 or reading your manual (Which you'll have to find online, since they only included a Quick Start guide in the box.) Taking the time to get to know your iPod will ease your initial frustration, and help you maximize your iPod's potential in the long run.

First up, I'm surprised at the comments about the scratches. What are people doing to their iPods? I thought I treated mine rough, but clearly some are throwing it out the window. My iPod is completely scratch-free after just over a month of use, and it's been painless to use.
It's my fourth iPod - I bought the first model the day it was released (5 gigs - how I thought that was a lot!) and then upgraded to the third generation model. Finally I treated myself to this in order to a) carry my massive music collection b) watch videos and video podcasts and c) use with my Canon DSLR camera.
(I also have a Shuffle - a great device for the gym!)

The screen looks small but I'm surprised how immersive an experience it is to watch video on it. I thought about waiting for the rumoured large-screen video iPod but reasoned that I actually don't need something so big or battery-hungry and am really pleased with the current screen size.
It's also really good at displaying photos, either on the screen (nice, crisp images and colour reproduction) or on TV or data projector.

Sound is good too, though they no longer provide those little black covers for the earbuds which mean mine keep dropping out (I suppose my ears aren't compatible!) Anyway, I used the ones from the old iPod...

I like the new features such as the letters that pop up on screen when you scroll through long lists, and the search feature. The new games are great too - Bejewelled and Texas Hold 'Em helped me through a tedious train journey recently.

As for my old iPods, well I'm glad to report that they maintained their value and were happily sold to new loving parents ;-)
Personally I'd be wary of any reviewer that says theirs cracked, or the battery failed or whatever - either they got a duff one (and by a the law of averages, there have to be a few in every batch) or they're not telling the truth. Seriously - I've been a happy iPod user for over five years now and I've not only never had a problem with any of mine, no one I know has either (and there are a lot of iPod owners near me!)

Buy with confidence.