First Look: Apple's 160GB iPod Classic

The Classic's LED-backlit screen provides a small but noticeable upgrade in video quality. Again, we're talking about an incremental improvement over what was already one of the better 2.5-inch screens out there. In my experience, full-frame TV shows look great on the Classic's display, but I wouldn't want to watch movies on a screen that small. Anything letterboxed immediately becomes eye-strainingly tiny, and I can't stand pan-and-scan transfers.

As a portable video library, the Classic has taken a step forward, with progressive-scan output now possible through a $49Component AV Cable. According to Apple, the 160GB model can hold up to 200 hours of video at 640 by 480 resolution using either H.264 or MPEG-4 compression.

The Classic's rated battery life also receives a significant boost over that of the previous generation. The 160GB model clocks in at up to 40 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video, according to Apple. (The 80GB model is rated at 30 hours of audio and 5 hours of video.) Again, we'll update this review once our own battery tests are complete.

Continuing a long-standing trend with iPod updates, the Classic's box contains a little less than the previous player's did. (Remember when these things shipped with their own dock?) The casualty this time around: No more carrying case. I know, right? You're canceling your order this very moment, aren't you?

Seriously, though, standard iPod earbuds and a USB cable are the only things rounding out the package.

Anyone looking to replace an older MP3 player should at least consider the 80GB iPod Classic. It's thin and well designed--and, at $249 for an 80GB player, few competitors can match its value. Creative's60GB Zen Vision:Mcurrently lists for $250, for example.

If you already have a fairly current player like my 80GB video iPod, your choice is a bit more complicated. With 54GB of music compressed at around 256 kilobits per second, I already have a pretty large library on my iPod. But even adding a few video files and photos to the mix still leaves me with plenty of space on the player. I like gratuitous technology purchases as much as the next guy, but I'm still left wondering what I'd do with that extra 80GB.

I suppose I could re-rip most of my music in Apple Lossless. A 160GB player holds 600 CDs' worth of lossless-compressed tunes, more than enough space for my non-eMusic recordings. Still, I've done the tests before, and even on much better stereo equipment than I could afford, I can't always tell the difference between 256-kbps MP3s and lossless compression. On an iPod'sDACand even high-end in-ear headphones, that difference disappears completely.

So what about video? I'd think seriously about ripping more of my, uh, home movies on DVD, if I hadn't seen the iPhone and the iPod Touch already. Does anyone want to bet that Apple won't be bringing out a touch-based, wide-screen player with some serious storage in the near future? So why spring for the extra video storage now?

And that, I guess, is my bottom line on the iPod Classic: It's a great update, but I can't see any reason to buy one if you aren't already running out of storage on your current player. Apple made me think hard about it, though.