Viewsonic debuts new iPod-enabled monitor - bit-tech.net Forums

The_Pope · 12th Sep 2006, 17:44

Quote:

Kicking off the Apple expo, Viewsonic has released a new monitor - set to dock with your video iPod. Not surprisingly, it's called the ViewDock.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/09...abled_monitor/

perplekks45 · 12th Sep 2006, 17:45

This one looks nice except that weird looking man. But what the hell do I need a iPod-ready monitor for?

DougEdey · 12th Sep 2006, 17:46

Oh dear god thats fugly. Looks like its gonna try and impersonate Vader

Nath · 12th Sep 2006, 17:49

Surely video encoded for the iPod would look terrible scaled up to the native resolution of the monitor?

lepre · 12th Sep 2006, 17:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nath

Surely video encoded for the iPod would look terrible scaled up to the native resolution of the monitor?

don't tell them...ssshhh

Swafeman · 12th Sep 2006, 17:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nath

Surely video encoded for the iPod would look terrible scaled up to the native resolution of the monitor?

slap some divx on it tho

Firehed · 12th Sep 2006, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swafeman

slap some divx on it tho

What, and fix the file? It doens't work that way, unfortunately. Or else there'd be no need for the new HD media... It looks horrible scaled even to double-size (640x480), and nothing short of god-awful at the HD resolutions that PC monitors provide.

DXR_13KE · 12th Sep 2006, 18:10

it is the absurd suck.
i will get one when hell freezes over.

Cheap Mod Wannabe · 12th Sep 2006, 19:04

Why the monitor? Just make PC speaker system that you can plug your ipod and work as a dock.

The_Pope · 12th Sep 2006, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheap Mod Wannabe

Why the monitor? Just make PC speaker system that you can plug your ipod and work as a dock.

Because then you have to watch your video content on the tiny screen...

For those concerns about the video quality, I found this interesting quote from the live blogging of the Apple event today:

Quote:

Video looks very close to DVD quality even on a huge theater sized projector

It's 640x480 H.264 now, rather than 320x240 rubbish.

dire_wolf · 12th Sep 2006, 19:39

I should imagine this will be of more interest to OEMs looking to give their systems a quirky selling point, I can't think of a single reason someone would buy one of these for an existing setup

Marquee · 12th Sep 2006, 19:45

I think this whole Ipod thing is getting out of hand. The base of the moniter look so bad. I think they need to do some shiny black plastic work at the bottom. The speakers need some work also. The speakers need to get some shiny plastic also and then holes for the sound to come out. The whole speaker mesh doesn't work with the Ipod.

antiHero · 12th Sep 2006, 19:52

Seems like i am the only one who thinks thtas a nice screen. So here i go with my defence.

- I dont own a dock as the only (good) ones are white and my setup plus Ipod is black.

- Getting rid of the USB hub on my table would clean everything up a bit.

- Card reader in easy reach is anouther nice feature.

- It just looks good!

Just my 2 cents

Spacecowboy92 · 12th Sep 2006, 20:02

How far does the dock stick out of the front? Other wise, I like it too, good usb port position and its nice and wide. Also as antiHero said, good for black iPod setups. But I dont have an iPod.

automagsrock · 12th Sep 2006, 20:18

I would buy it because of the colors and simply use the iPod thing as a place to rest my cell phone of beef jerky

Lord_A · 12th Sep 2006, 20:31

Awesome idea, now if only they could design modular bases, so you could spec the monitor up with a cradle for your device, i.e.: a PDA, smartphone, etc.

yahooadam · 12th Sep 2006, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord_A

Awesome idea, now if only they could design modular bases, so you could spec the monitor up with a cradle for your device, i.e.: a PDA, smartphone, etc.

QFT

so how much does this "feature" set you back ? £100 ? £200

lord knows, as soon as the ipod tag goes on it will probably increase in price by 1/3

webbyman · 12th Sep 2006, 21:21

won't be worth the extra £100+ which it oviously will cost...

Aankhen · 13th Sep 2006, 07:48

What a fantastic waste of money.

H.264 is great, but it's 640x480. What sort of scaling would be involved, I wonder? It is a very CPU-intensive codec, after all.

The_Pope · 13th Sep 2006, 09:39

UPDATE 13-09-2006: we have had some clarification from Viewsonic today following yesterday's press release. The ViewDock does require your PC to be on - there is no direct video link between the iPod and the monitor. The new displays will also be available sans ViewDock if you aren't interested in docking your iPod.

12th Sep 2006, 17:45	#2
perplekks45 BSc... finally Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vienna, Austria Posts: 3,346	This one looks nice except that weird looking man. But what the hell do I need a iPod-ready monitor for? __________________ "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far." Blame it on Cheaps! [now a social group]

12th Sep 2006, 17:46	#3
DougEdey I pwn all your storage Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Southampton Posts: 13,933	Oh dear god thats fugly. Looks like its gonna try and impersonate Vader __________________ Burnout: Paradise Stats!XBL: DougEdey Bindi PSN ID: DougEdey Twitter

12th Sep 2006, 17:49	#4
Nath Your appeal has already been filed. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: UK Posts: 2,410	Surely video encoded for the iPod would look terrible scaled up to the native resolution of the monitor? __________________ om nom nom nom

12th Sep 2006, 18:10	#8
DXR_13KE Madeira's banana is the best!!! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Madeira ; Portugal Posts: 6,461	it is the absurd suck. i will get one when hell freezes over. __________________ *Renegade X - 0.40 Release!* <---- CLICK!

12th Sep 2006, 19:39	#11
dire_wolf Revelation Machine Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: UK Posts: 2,110	I should imagine this will be of more interest to OEMs looking to give their systems a quirky selling point, I can't think of a single reason someone would buy one of these for an existing setup __________________ Marching Into History, Marching Into War, Marching Into History To Function As A Whore "Don't Fear Citizens! TAD KNOWS HIS RAID!"

12th Sep 2006, 19:04	#9
Cheap Mod Wannabe Ultramodder Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Glen Cove, NY Posts: 1,215	Why the monitor? Just make PC speaker system that you can plug your ipod and work as a dock.

12th Sep 2006, 19:45	#12
Marquee Supermodder Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto Canada Posts: 404	I think this whole Ipod thing is getting out of hand. The base of the moniter look so bad. I think they need to do some shiny black plastic work at the bottom. The speakers need some work also. The speakers need to get some shiny plastic also and then holes for the sound to come out. The whole speaker mesh doesn't work with the Ipod. __________________ Project Log: Knight Rider CWC

12th Sep 2006, 19:52	#13
antiHero An Ugly Pineapple! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hellsinki Posts: 1,808	Seems like i am the only one who thinks thtas a nice screen. So here i go with my defence. - I dont own a dock as the only (good) ones are white and my setup plus Ipod is black. - Getting rid of the USB hub on my table would clean everything up a bit. - Card reader in easy reach is anouther nice feature. - It just looks good! Just my 2 cents __________________ Laptop: Acer Aspire One, 1.6GHz Atom, 1.5GB Ram, 30GB 1.8" HDD, Windows 7 Gaming Rig: Athlon 64 3000+ s754 @ 2.15GHz, 1,5 GB Ram, 800 GB Hdd, Radeon HD 2900 Pro 512 MB Linux Box: VIA Epia 550mHz, 512mb Ram, 200GB Hdd, Ubuntu Server 7.10 Project ~Sinus~ - Update 27.02.2007 Front Bay done! Mini Project "SuperUser" - Update 10.06.2008

12th Sep 2006, 20:02	#14
Spacecowboy92 Gettin' Lazy Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Winchester, UK Posts: 757	How far does the dock stick out of the front? Other wise, I like it too, good usb port position and its nice and wide. Also as antiHero said, good for black iPod setups. But I dont have an iPod. __________________

12th Sep 2006, 20:18	#15
automagsrock Hypermodder Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Great Falls, Montana, US Posts: 936	I would buy it because of the colors and simply use the iPod thing as a place to rest my cell phone of beef jerky __________________ I am bored of my old sig, so here's my WoW character armory link instead PS3 network name: Myrmccheese

12th Sep 2006, 20:31	#16
Lord_A Boom baby! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Leicester, UK Posts: 3,467	Awesome idea, now if only they could design modular bases, so you could spec the monitor up with a cradle for your device, i.e.: a PDA, smartphone, etc. __________________ God is a trap. God is the answer when we don't know the answer. That means, when your brain is not enough big, when you don't understand, you go, "Ah, it's God, it's God." - Philippe Starck nothing to see here, move along...

12th Sep 2006, 21:21	#18
webbyman Hax. Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Uk Posts: 2,758	won't be worth the extra £100+ which it oviously will cost...

13th Sep 2006, 07:48	#19
Aankhen Supermodder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: India Posts: 406	What a fantastic waste of money. H.264 is great, but it's 640x480. What sort of scaling would be involved, I wonder? It is a very CPU-intensive codec, after all. __________________ It sure took me a long time to realize I hadn't changed my forum settings since returning from Canadia-land.

13th Sep 2006, 09:39	#20
The_Pope Geoff Richards Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 2,089	UPDATE 13-09-2006: we have had some clarification from Viewsonic today following yesterday's press release. The ViewDock does require your PC to be on - there is no direct video link between the iPod and the monitor. The new displays will also be available sans ViewDock if you aren't interested in docking your iPod.