It seems like so long ago that we got our hands on a brand new iPod and now our labs have not one, but two for review. First things first though, the new iPod Video which is in its sixth generation form.

Packaging & First Impressions

Not much new to report on the packaging front as Apple has decided to stay with its award winning black box packaging. The only real update is the picture on the front which is now of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean which is certainly alluding to the fact that Apple's iTunes Music Store now sells videos. We are a little surprised that Apple decided to put something so time specific like a movie photo on the box, but clearly they know best. The only other new thing is the soft iPod pouch that came with our 80GB iPod. It is no iPod sock, but it will do in a pinch.

The first thing that hit our labs rats was how much bigger and heavier this iPod was over the previous 30GB model. Sure, it has a bigger hard drive and more battery capacity, but after handling that slim little guy for so long this one seems like it needs to go on a diet. The shock wore off pretty quickly.

The Newness

Since we did a full review of the iPod Video 30GB model, we want mainly to cover the things that make this iPod different. The size we have already gone over so now it is off to the rest. The new iPod video screen is touted to be brighter and it really is. Side to side comparisons done in the lab basements, did prove that. However, if you were to go a few days without your old one and pick up a new iPod, you probably wouldn't notice the change.

The second big change for the iPod is the improved battery life. Apple now claims that you can get 20 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video. Our test confirm this. It was very clear, early on, as the little battery meter wouldn't start depleting so quickly. We watched as many hours of the shield as we could and were impressed with the new capacity.

Other changes to this generation of iPods are they can now play video games sold through the iTMS, they have gapless playback ability for all you classical music fans and a new letter-based search interface. We will cover the games as we review each one.

The last big change is the new iPod can handle the new movies and video compression sold off the iTunes Music Store. Apple has upped the video resolution to 640 by 480 pixels and 30 frames per second which is double what it was before. While it does look better on the iPod the real difference is when you hook it up to a television. We bought a new episode of Survivor for our tests and hooked it up, through the iPod dock, to our 42" Panasonic plasma TV. To be honest it looks just as good as our DirecTV reception which is pretty darn good. For a brief few minutes we considered what the costs would be of dropping our DirecTV and Tivo for an iTunes only world. The math works out ok, but the drawback is the timing and the inability to get sports and things not on iTunes.

All in all wee were again impressed with the new iPod and can't wait to see what Apple has in store for us in the next wave.

Pros, Cons & Rating

Pros Brighter screen Games & Gapless Better battery life Costs less Cons USB only Still no dock included

Conclusion

The sixth generation of the iPod really has a lot going for it and there is very little to dislike. For those of you who have the fifth generation, skip this one, but for everyone else wanting to get into the iPod world, we highly recommend it and are sure to see it on almost every gift list.

Specs

• $249.00 - $349
• Black or White
• 30/60GB
• 2.4 x 4.1 x .55 inches

Available at Apple.com Store and Amazon