Non-video iPod into video iPod?

[OUDoc]

My son says you can download something to turn his non-video iPod into a video-capable iPod. I think he may be legally insane. Can this really be done with a download? (He mentioned something about downloading Linux to his iPod.)

[ultimatesooner1]

1. Let him try it

2. If it works, then great

3. If it frys his ipod, make him go without one until he earns enough $$ to buy a new one

[Frozen Sooner]

Um, pardon me if I'm talking out of my butt, but his iPod already has an OS, and downloading a Linux distro is going to destroy his ability to sync with iTunes.

I think.

[SicEmBaylor]

Don't let him do it; it can't be done.

The non-video ipods lack a video chip to properly decode and play a movie.

[OUDoc]

That's what I thought. Problem is, he's 14 which makes him a dumbass. :D
I'll try to convince him otherwise about trying this. Thanks.

[sooner_born_1960]

If I had an ipod, I'd give it a go.

http://hacksfornewbs.blogspot.com/2005/12/fun-with-videoon-your-non-video-ipod.html

BIG HUGE WARNING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ARTICLE:

iPods are expensive. The methods below involve modification of the firmware on the iPod, so you could very well "brick" your iPod. If you are careful and pay attention to the fact that this only works easily on v1-3 iPods and you need to use a different method for v4 and the minis, you should be fine, but you need to be more experienced with this sort of hacking, so be careful. Just don't let the power go out while you try this.

Everyone wants a video iPod because it natively support playing videos on the go...but even with this modern technological marvel there is still some annoying conversion that is necessary to make it play videos without copyright protections and all that nasty stuff.

Luckily for us, there is a way to play video, on non-video iPods, and with some work it is very possible. Keep in mind it will obviously work better on a newer iPod with a color screen, but with this added advantage it is necessary to go through some extra work to get iPod Linux installed correctly. You can find this guide later in the article.

In order to accomplish this, we will use a program called iPod Linux, which can be downloaded from here: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/ipodlinuxinst/ipodlinux-installer-1.2.1.zip?download

[sooner_born_1960]

Um, pardon me if I'm talking out of my butt, but his iPod already has an OS, and downloading a Linux distro is going to destroy his ability to sync with iTunes.

I think.
Yeah, he'd basically be turning it into an mp3/mpeg player.

[sooner_born_1960]

As far as "frying" the ipod goes, there are methods of creating an image of the ipod disk that could be restored later.

[frankensooner]

Wow, would that work on my 2 gig Nano? ;)

[sooner_born_1960]

Wow, would that work on my 2 gig Nano? ;)
I'd be willing to try. Send it over. ;)

[springs sooner]

I'd be willing to try. Send it over. ;)


if it does please let me know as i have the same one. thanks

[Ike]

Um, pardon me if I'm talking out of my butt, but his iPod already has an OS, and downloading a Linux distro is going to destroy his ability to sync with iTunes.

I think.

there is such a beast as ipod linux. It's fun.

and I find that iTunes is rather clunky. there are other programs out there for syncing that will work with ipod linux.

Here is a list of some of the modules associated with it...most of them are useless games, but some look interesting:
http://www.ipodlinux.org/Special:Module


iPod to iPod Directly transfer music between two iPods connected via Firewire

PodWrite Plain-text word processor

TIM: Cursive Input text by "writing" in faux-cursive on the scroll wheel.

TIM: Morse Code Input text by tapping the center button like a telegraph key.

C++ Standard Library GNU -> The standard C++ library - std::string and all that stuff.

Mouse Emulation Adds a new TTK widget that can treat the click wheel like an X-Y input device.

[Frozen Sooner]

Meh. I've got a ton of AAC files-if those programs will allow me to use AAC, I might give it a try.

Then again, if I do that it'll likely destroy the ability of the Mercedes to control the iPod through the stereo, so no go.

[Ike]

Meh. I've got a ton of AAC files-if those programs will allow me to use AAC, I might give it a try.

Then again, if I do that it'll likely destroy the ability of the Mercedes to control the iPod through the stereo, so no go.

I hate the AAC format...so I have none of those. In fact, for the few songs I have bought from the iTunes store, I have made sure to convert them to mp3s so that they are portable to other music players I might have in the future.

Also, it appears that ipod linux (actually called podzilla now) can make the ipod a dual boot system so that podzilla only boots up if you turn on the ipod with the rewind button held down....otherwise it boots up into the native OS.

[Frozen Sooner]

See, I don't particularly care one way or another about AAC or .mp3. I'm probably not going to have anything but an iPod for the foreseeable future, and both formats are lossy from a sound quality standpoint. AAC has DRM built into it, but it doesn't bother me as I don't steal music as a rule (not saying you do, by the way, just that I don't.)

[Ike]

See, I don't particularly care one way or another about AAC or .mp3. I'm probably not going to have anything but an iPod for the foreseeable future, and both formats are lossy from a sound quality standpoint. AAC has DRM built into it, but it doesn't bother me as I don't steal music as a rule (not saying you do, by the way, just that I don't.)


Its not the stealing part that bothers me about AAC...I don't steal music either, nor would I want to...I consider buying music to be doing my part to ensure that the artists I like create more music...

No, the thing that bothers me about the AAC DRM (and it is the DRM I don't like) is that moving the music around from device to device can quickly become a headache. Not every device or program can decode apples DRM, and that doesn't sit well with me. On the other hand, nobody in their right mind would make a music playing device or program that doesn't decode mp3s. So if my ipod craps out on me and I decide that I've had it with apple (I probably won't but who knows, I could), I don't want to be encumbered by the question of whether or not another device will play AAC's wrapped up in apples DRM when I go to shop for a new portable music player. Instead I can base my decision on the quality of the device.

[Frozen Sooner]

Oh, absolutely. That's a bridge I can cross when I come to it, though-if I need to strip the DRM off of an AAC file so I can buy a Zune or whatever, then that's what I'll do when the time comes.

[setem]

STEALIN MUSAK IS COOL!

I flip the bird while I steal music!!!





and I smoke while doing it too!!!

[mdklatt]

My son says you can download something to turn his non-video iPod into a video-capable iPod.

OUDoc's son gets busted for showing porn to other kids at school in 5...4...3...

[OUDoc]

OUDoc's son gets busted for showing porn to other kids at school in 5...4...3...
Nah. I stand by my statement that he'll melt the iPod long before he can get it to show video.