Apple 30 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation)

by Apple

Product Features

• iPod holds 7500 songs, many hours of video, thousands of photos, and more on 30 GB of storage
• Download songs, podcasts, videos, games, and more from the iTunes Store
• Large, 2.5-inch, 320x240-pixel, color display screen is 60-percent brighter
• Search function lets you type out the name of a song with the Click Wheel for instant results
• Measures 2.4 x 4.1 x 0.43 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 4.8 ounces

› See more product details

Product Description

Color: Black

Amazon.com

Now that you can buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod, the whole world is your theater. With the Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback in hand, those movies fit comfortably next to TV shows, new iPod games, podcasts, audiobooks, photo albums, and, of course, an entire library of music--up to 7500 songs. How much can your pocket hold? That's up to you and your iPod, but no matter how you organize it, the iPod holds loads of songs and plenty of hours of video.

Your iPod library can now contain new iPod games, feature films, and up to 7,500 songs.

The same great iPod interface and ease of use that goes great in any hand.

With all your music at your fingertips, you may never want to stop listening. Lucky thing your iPod plays audio for hours and hours, or if you'd rather watch, you can feast your eyes on movies and TV shows for several hours without draining your battery. And you can count on the iPod to help you pack light. It is almost hard to explain exactly how 30 GB of storage can fit into an iPod that's over 30-percent thinner than the previous fourth generation. However it happened, it means you can carry more music and video absolutely anywhere you go. And with a 60-percent brighter screen, the vibrant display gives your album art, photos, and video extra oomph. As always, iPod makes finding what you want to hear a breeze. Plus, a new interface lets you search your iPod using the patented Click Wheel. And if you're a fan of live albums, classical works, or anything that sounds best when it is played continuously, iPod supports gapless playback that seamlessly transitions from one song to another.

Music, Movies and TV Shows
Finding and playing music on your iPod is simple. Use the Click Wheel to adjust volume, navigate songs, or browse the Music menu by artists, composer, album, song, genre, or playlist. Want to mix things up? Simply click Shuffle Songs. iPod makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to its big, bright color display. Album art appears alongside your songs in the Now Playing screen, so you can see your music as you play it. After all, iPod loves music as much as you do.

Now you can watch a movie while waiting in line for tickets to one. Download movies from the iTunes Store, then sync them to your iPod to watch anywhere, anytime. The iPod's gorgeous display--now 60-percent brighter--makes your movies pop. And thanks to improved video playback time, iPod keeps you entertained for several hours--even longer if you reduce brightness using the new brightness control.

As for television programs, there's always something good on iPod. Browse thousands of episodes of your favorite TV shows on the iTunes Store, buy them for just a couple dollars each, then sync them to your iPod. Watch last night's episodes this morning, or buy a whole TV series and settle in for a pocket-size marathon. All your TV episodes display in order, so you can navigate them easily, and every episode you buy from iTunes is optimized to look great on the iPod's crystal-clear, 320 x 240-pixel display.

Podcasts, Audiobooks, Games, and Photos
The iTunes Store features thousands of free podcasts--radio-type shows you subscribe to--including indie favorites and offerings from big names such as, ABC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, PBS, NPR, and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod and listen anytime. Even video podcasts sync to go, and all your podcasts appear in their own menu on your iPod, so they're easy to navigate.

The iPod measures up nicely, and is over 30% thinner than the previous fourth generation.

The iTunes Store is the bridge between your iPod and all the content your heart desires.

The digital shelves of the iTunes Store are stocked with thousands of audiobooks, including such exclusives as the entire Harry Potter series. Download what you want, sync to your iPod and catch up on your reading the audio way. Just like podcasts, you can browse audiobooks in their own menu on your iPod. And your iPod automatically recognizes where you left off reading and bookmarks your place, so it is easy to dive back into the story. You can even change the reading speed to suit you--this is a perfect feature for learning a new language.

Now that the iTunes Store features iPod games, you can keep hours of fun at your fingertips. Download brand-new and classic games, including Bejeweled, Texas Hold 'Em, Vortex, Mahjong, Mini Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, and Zuma, for just a few dollars each, then sync them to your iPod and play along with your favorite tunes. All iPod games from the iTunes Store are designed specifically for the fifth-generation iPod, and all of them look great on the 2.5-inch color display.

If you can fill your iPod with photos, then you've got a ton of images at your disposal. iPod holds tens of thousands of photos that you can sync from your Mac or Windows PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails the same way you scroll through song titles. To see a photo full-screen, just click the center button. You can even view photo slideshows--complete with music--on your iPod or on a TV via the optional iPod Video/Photo AV Cable. Select Slideshow Settings, choose the transition effect and the music, and then start the show.

Search, Settings, and Extras
With thousands of songs, audiobooks, and more on your iPod, you need an easy way to search and enjoy your collection. A brand-new, built-in search function lets you use the Click Wheel to type out the name of the song, artist, album, audiobook, or podcast you're looking for, and your iPod returns results instantly as you select letters--finding what you want couldn't be easier.

The fifth-generation iPod lets you customize menus, check capacity, change your language, change how your iPod sounds, and more, all from the easy-to-use Setting menu. Click About to see how many songs are on your iPod and how much room you have left. Click Main Menu to select what items appear in your Main Menu, tweak the built-in equalizer, or set a maximum volume limit--everything you need to personalize your iPod, from backlight timer to clicker sound effects, appear in Settings.

And, lastly, your iPod is loaded with extras. Everything from calendars, contacts, and the World Clock appear in the Extras menu, along with a few more handy items. Take the Screen Lock, for example. Spin the Click Wheel to choose a four-digit combination and protect your iPod from prying eyes. If you forget your combo, you can reset it at your next sync. Or use the built-in stopwatch to log your best times at the gym. And when it's finally time to play, the Extras menu lists all your games, including the ones you purchase from the iTunes Store.

What's in the Box
Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter, case, and quick start guide.

Product Description

Now that you can buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod, the whole world is your theater. With the Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback in hand, those movies fit comfortably next to TV shows, new iPod games, podcasts, audiobooks, photo albums, and, of course, an entire library of music up to 7500 songs. How much can your pocket hold That's up to you and your iPod, but no matter how you organize it, the iPod holds loads of songs and plenty of hours of video.

See all Product Description

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

299 of 314 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Suprise Price and Great Build Make This a Fantastic MP3 Player October 5, 2006

By Adam L. Safianow

Color Name:Black

Although there are no large differences between the last iPod with Video Playback (like there was with the Nano), Apple has done some improvements that should be to your liking. Apple suprised everybody by making the price $249, and greatly impacted Microsoft's future MP3 player's price point.

*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 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: Still at the top of its game months after its original release, and the minor upgrades and tweaks keep this the best MP3 player on the market.

193 of 204 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Pocket Music Box with Video as a Bonus September 27, 2006

By Brett D. Cullum VINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Black

I love this model of the iPod - it's compact and very user friendly. The black and chrome model does show smudges and scratches easily, so you may want to invest in a cover or a case in addition to the black velvet sleeve that comes in the box (nice, but you can't hit the controls or see the screen through it). Other than those minor quips, all you need to do is plug it in to your PC or Apple computer and it automatically registers itself and downloads everything you have in iTunes (with an option to download your photos as well).

The screen in this updated 6 generation is brighter, and the battery life is a little longer. Playing music without the backlight activated will last over 14 hours. Watching video or having the backlight on constantly will drain the battery at just over 3 hours. Not ideal for a Transatlantic flight or one to Europe, but great for domestic air travel and short commuter rides. You have to think of this as a music player with bonus video feature, rather than as a portable DVD player (even with movies added to iTunes). If you are in the market for more video seek out the 80 GB model which is has longer battery life and more memory to hold up to 80 features instead of 30 flicks at most. The unit is slimmer, the click wheel slightly improved, and it's about $50 cheaper out of the gate than the last models.

In the box you get the white basic headphones, a USB cable (no Firewire since the iPods are not Firewire compatible), a black velvet pouch for storage, a quick sketchy instruction booklet, and a docking sleeve for when you get a docking accessory. There is no iTunes installation CD, so be sure to download the program before you plug in.

69 of 76 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Way it Should Be November 11, 2006

By Brian Koch VINE™ VOICE

Color Name:White

My wife and I had previously owned two Philips GOGear HDD6330 30GB mp3 players and had many many problems. Mostly with syncing the songs onto the devices and also some with proper playback. The interface was also not as nice nor responsive as the iPod. So we returned the Philips players and got an 80GB and 30GB iPod. Neither has let us down once. They sound great, the battery lasts for days (4-6 hours a day use). itunes is very easy to use and seems to almost know what you need to do before you do. podcasts are neat and free, you can download tons of videos from google video, you can put pictures on it, no problems finding accessories. It is really just night and day vs. the current windows based offerings. On the 80GB iPod we have about 6,500 songs, 50 videos, 200 photos, and all of our outlook contacts and it is only about half full. Not to mention the games that come with it. If you don't mind spending a little more for quality, this is the way to go, it just works.

My wife uses the 30GB white version and loves it. it does have a lot less space and shorter battery life than the 80 GB, but it is much slimmer feeling as far as the thickness and still has all of the other features that make iPods so great. We also both sync using the same itunes without any problems (turn off auto syncing to do this and drag songs etc to device.) This was not the case when we both were using Philips GoGears and Windows Media Player. Everyone else that I know that owns an iPod has never said anything bad about them, Apple really has a winner here, it would take a lot of convincing to ever switch me back over to windows based mp3 systems.