I think mobile video is HUGELY overblown. Video is not music - you can listen to music while doing many other things, like walking, working, driving, etc. But video requires more attention. Anyone who watches video while driving needs to have their license revoked, IMHO. People walking around staring at a screen are almost as bad, just not as hazardous. Video takes more of your attention.

I played with it before - using TiVoToGo to transfer shows to MPEG4 for my Treo. But it is a pain in the ass, and just not worth the effort. SlingPlayer makes it easier, since there is no prep and transfer - whatever is on my TiVo I can Sling. So I do use it, but not constantly, mostly when I travel.

My Treo screen is kind of small for video - but an iPod is even worse. I still have an iPod Photo, because the iPod Video is not at all tempting. Video playback is the only real improvement - but the screen is so small and crappy that it is not worth it. The PSP's screen is better for video, but the PSP owners I know don't really use it for that. If they release a new iPod with the iPhone's form factor and at least 60GB of drive, I'll probably get one. (I won't even consider the iPhone - not enough storage for my music, and I do too much email from my phone to not have a real keyboard. Plus it looks like it will be a closed platform.)

Portable video will never be as big as portable audio. If we ever get the promised roll-up OLED screens, so we can have pocketable devices with a big screen when we want it, then I think it'll be more popular. But as long as we're stuck with squint-o-vision, I just don't see it being huge.

-MegaZone, Sling Media Beta Manager
Slingbox Pro, HD Connect, TiVo Series3, TiVo Pioneer DVR-810H, SPM Treo 680, SP WinXP
(I also run GizmoLovers.com)

We love our Axim. It's not something that you we would use when commuting. But it's great for certain things. Music wise, its great for strapping on and working out.

We put shows or movies on it and use it in special situations.

1) See this about our trek down the Grand Canyon.  The have no phones, Intetnet, etc. But we still can watch Simpsons or Seinfeld, or whatever at night, before bed. The Axim is no problem to carry when hiking the Canyon.

2) We love it when camping, same reason as above.

3) It's great when flying with the kids. We can watch the laptop and they can watch something on the Axim.

4) We use it when in Michigan, visiting relatives. They do not have broad band access. So can watch it, for the same reason as #1.

5) When Wi-Fi is available, I can Sling TV from home.

Those are just some of the things we use it for. Course you have to take the time to DL or transfer shows from TiVo or whatever you have.  That will also probably keep it something that only us nerds do. But the end result and all the options are great to have!

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I have a 7" portable player that I use to watch TV shows and movies.  It's very nice... when it works.

I don't know about whammypower788 but....

I have a Fujitsu LTC-500 touch screen tablet that I use with the Slingplayer and my MotoQ when I'm mobile and its screen is about 7 inches. It does make a nice travel sized player. Plus I have a 40gig HD in it so lots of room for movies and music. Its a full computer so I can do all the normal computer stuff too including plugging in a DVD player if I run out of things to do.

I'm not a huge consumer of portable VIDEO, but am a large consumer of portable news, and things from my slingbox.  I know what you're thinking, "there isn't any differance", but to me there is.

the slingbox info is really usually just news, some shows, etc.  I'm okay with it currnently on just the small treo screen, or ipaq.  Of course, when I run something on the mac portable or laptop, I'm feel more engaged in the programming.  

When I rip DVD's (those I own of course) for use when travelling, Im going to watch it only on the lappy.  nothing else really makes sense to me, at least.  Even a 4" portable player, wouldn't replace this for me.  It just wouldn't be at the "minimum allowable" threashold for me to really be interested in spending 2+ hours watching some movie or other.

been watching a lot of MI-5 lately, GREAT series 

I agree with kkaaz. I don't even think about the size of the screen when watching video on my iPod. Headphones supply enough immersion into the show that the size of the screen is secondary.

Re: Betamax vs. VHS

 Hi there, this is my first post, and I'm touching flammable material, so please go easy on me.

I've read a lot of citations of "Beta vs. VHS" and most are in error.  But most of the time a true understanding of why VHS won out leads to a better understanding of the topic at hand.  The fact of the matter is that Betamax was not "much better" than VHS.  Both were color-under, helical scan, 1/2" videotape standards that were nearly identical in every respect, except for one.  The VHS cartridge held a lot more tape than the smaller Beta cartridge.

VHS won because it was able to record feature length movies from the get-go.  It was that single feature that made VHS a superior medium for home use.

The Betamax specification did allow for 20 more lines of horizontal resolution.  Note that I said specification because in real life only the top of the line models actually met that specification.  And very few home viewers could notice such a small difference.  That, and the smaller form factor of the Beta cartridge were the only two advantages that Betamax had.  And the smaller form factor ended up being the handicap that did it in.

All of the improvements to both formats over time could fill a book, so I'll gloss over them by saying that VHS maintained a lead in areas that counted with the consumers who were buying them.  True videophiles scoffed at both of the "puny" 1/2" tape formats, and used the 3/4" U-Matic format, which ironically was first introduced to the market by Sony as a home product.  The hefty price tags and equally hefty machines failed to penetrate the consumer marketplace, but found a niche in industrial video, and later on in broadcast TV.

How does this relate to the topic?  We can certainly draw an analogy between the quality vs. convenience angle.  One older sergeant in Iraq expressed his dismay over the popularity of tiny video screens among the troops over there.  The point that he missed was that these devices are affordable, portable and good enough for watching their favorite TV shows and YouTube content.  I'm sure that every one of the tiny-screen gazers would gladly accept a full-blown HD setup for their barracks.  But they'd still keep their tiny devices, to help pass the time when they could.

I've had my COWON X5 PMP for something like two years, and I still haven't felt motivated to try to transcode video for viewing on its tiny screen.  I'd like to try it out just for curiosity's sake, but obviously I'm not that curious.  If I didn't work from home, I might have a motivation, but right now I don't.  I also own an inexpensive LCD TV, so I have some idea of what kind of resolution I'm facing.  It seems to be enough to keep up with half-hour sitcoms, where the dialog is the most important part anyway.  I doubt that I'd use it to watch hour long dramas, or any of the shows that I use my TiVos' rewind and slo-mo buttons a lot for.  Forget about movies.

I simply can't picture myself watching any kind of video entertainment on my phone.  The security camera at my shop, sure, but that's about it.  I like music.  Before I became a video professional, I didn't even own a TV!  I'm more than happy to listen to my favorite tunes while I enjoy the scenery.

Porn was what got people buying home VCRs, regardless of format.  But it was when the major film studios started releasing feature-length films on 1/2" videotape that Betamax started looking less attractive.  Porno movies don't need a plot, and a 1 hour porn tape was cheaper to make than a 2 hour tape.  So the porn studios were fine with Betamax.  But feature films that were already in the can at 90 to 120 minutes needed two tapes for Betamax, but only one for VHS.

No matter what the product is, there's a finite amount of shelf space in a store.  Same thing with warehouses.  Long before Blockbuster came along, it was simple economics for movie rental stores.  They could put more VHS movies on the shelves than Betamax.  And the renters didn't want to have to get up to change tapes in the middle of a movie either.  That's where VHS triumphed and Betamax failed.

kkaaz said: I do with my Samsung Blackjack.  When I'm stuck somewhere it's better and more entertaining to look at the small screen then the view.  You kind of forget how small it is once you get involved.  I just wish I could sling and store content on my phone so I can watch like on a plane when you can't get a signal.  Can't wait for the Sling catcher!    

A Sling catcher is here already. You can schedule and record Slung video today. Try At-Large Recorder 2:

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