What Kinds of Movies Does the iPod Nano Third Generation Play?

by Samuel Porter
iPod Users can watch movies nearly anywhere.

iPod Users can watch movies nearly anywhere.

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The iPod Nano is Apple's second-smallest iPod, and the smallest one with a video display. Despite its size, the Nano packs a powerful technical punch. It can play video content from a variety of sources, which gives you the ability to watch your favorite shows and movies wherever you are.

iTunes Movies, TV Shows, and Music Videos

The iPod Nano can play many videos from the iTunes Store. Just connect your iPod Nano to your computer, open iTunes, and select the iTunes Store in the source list. Click a video and follow the onscreen instructions to purchase it and download it to your iPod Nano.

Video Podcasts

If you want to automatically download new videos to your iPod Nano as they are released, you can subscribe to a video podcast. Just go to the podcaster's web site and get the podcast address. Then, add it in iTunes under "Podcasts". Whenever you connect your iPod Nano to your computer, it will sync the latest podcast videos to which you're subscribed.

Your Own Videos

You can convert your own videos from a variety of formats to work with your iPod Nano. Since iTunes uses Apple's QuickTime as its conversion library, it can accept a huge number of input formats, and the number grows with every update. However, flash video is one notable exception. If you want to view flash video on your iPod, you'll first need to convert it to an input format, such as MPEG, that QuickTime understands using a third-party tool. See the Resources section, below, for links to some popular flash video conversion apps.

To convert a video that QuickTime can recognize, first, drag the video into your iTunes library. Then, select it in the library, click "Advanced", and select "Convert Selection to iPod". When iTunes is finished converting it, you can sync it to your iPod Nano.

Playing Video on a TV

If there's one downside to watching video on an iPod Nano, it's that the screen is so small. Luckily, Apple's already thought of that, so they offer a conversion cable that lets you hook your iPod Nano up to a TV. First, make sure that your TV has RCA video and audio ports - those are the red, white, and yellow circular ports on the back of the TV; check your TV's manual if you aren't sure where they're located. You can buy the cable from Apple's online store at the link in the Resources section, below, and simply connect it to the iPod Nano, the TV (just match up the colors), and a power outlet. This will let you watch all your iPod videos on your big-screen TV.

About the Author

Samuel Porter has degrees in computer science and law. Before joining Demand Studios, he often wrote technical documents as a part of his software consulting work and contributed to community forums covering a wide variety of technical topics.

Photo Credits

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