iTunes 7 Video Quality Is Vastly Improved

I just want to follow up on last week's post about the new iPods and iTunes 7. Now that I've had some hands-on time with the upgrade, I can say with conviction that the improvement to the video quality—from 320 x 240 to 640 x 480 (technically DVD quality)—on iTunes 7 is way noticeable and significant when watched on my 23-inch Sony TV.

On a monitor of that size, at any rate, there is simply no comparison between the grainy, pale, and artifact-ridden images of the Conan O'Brien in Finland show I downloaded earlier this summer, and the fine-looking first episode of Season 3 The Office I downloaded and watched last night. Where before I could see pixels and a near halo-effect around Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer and other characters, I now see clear and colorful images of Kathy Griffin and her entourage on a recent download of My Life on the D-List.

Now whether I'd rather see Kathy Griffin or Tricia Helfer in higher resolution is another matter, but for my money, the $1.99-per-show deal is now seriously worth it (particularly for downloads such as music videos, which merit repeat viewings). Unfortunately, all the shows I bought in the lower resolution are also mine to keep forever, but at least they'll look great on my iPod.

Again, I'll be curious to see just how smooth the streamed version of iTunes video runs when iTV launches next year. If it's smooth—and in my experience most Apple products are-iTV will be a seriously compelling product for TV fans.

I'm planning on taking most of these programs on the road with me in a couple of weeks, so I'll report back on my portable-video—watching experiences from the uncomfortable seat of a plane.

If anyone has tried out video on the new iTunes 7 and has any comments, feel free to post your thoughts.