Me-Media and the video iPod

I'm sure you've heard by now that the video iPod is on its way. The 60 GB version will hold up to 150 hours of video, or pix or music, your choice. Now you can watch the latest ABC dramas, e.g., Lost, at $1.99 per episode, or music videos while you're standing in line at the checkout. Regarding music videos, they have announced 2,000 music videos available at the iTunes online store. Here are the specs:

Specs: Same width and height as current model, but thinner. QVGA (324 x 240) pixel 260,000 color 2.5-inch display. h.264 and MPEG-4 at 30 fps. TV out. 30GB and 60GB models. Same width and height. 30GB is 31% thinner than the curent 20GB model [Making it 0.44-inches thick]. 60G is 12% thinner than 20GB. 30G up to 75 hours of video, $299. 60G up to 150 hours video, $399. Shipping in one week.

So, with almost 30 million iPods sold, will this be the next big thing for Apple? Cell phone companies are also trying to get in the act with video downloads. And TV programmers are looking for new ways to keep their fans connected to their products. Webisodes, short clips that work on the small screens, are being produced and distributed by major networks, cable nets, and independent producers. I'm sure that video podcasting is right around the corner.