Related link: http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html
OK, stories about people getting their new fifth generation iPods are starting to pop up. So, now it is time for me to ask the masses a question since I can’t find the answer on Apple’s site.
How useful is the new Universal Dock? What I am hoping that it will provide, along with the Apple Remote, is a quasi Front Row experience. I want to be able to see the normal iPod interface on my TV so that I can browse my music (and now videos – but I’m mainly interested in this for music) from the sofa with an on screen display. Does it do this? Or does the video out only send a signal when it is playing a slideshow or a video?
Also: Interesting 5th generation iPod photos on Flickr
So, how useful is the new iPod Universal Dock?
Not terribly
ArsTechnica has their grubby little hands on a new iPod and their answer to my question is:
"One question raised was if the entire iPod interface was displayed on the screen when the device is connected to a television. This is a qualified "no." What was being displayed on the screen during the Stevenote last week was nothing more than clever trickery. The only time anything is output to the screen is when you start a photo slideshow (you have to specifically tell the device to output to TV) or when you begin playing a video (again, you have to specify)."
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/video-ipod.ars/4
The Universal Dock is total crap.. it cute to be able to use the remote, but its otherwise pretty useless.. The main pripe I have about it is the volume level. The "line-out" level is at least 50% quieter that the original dock. What gives!?!?!
Anyway, I would waste the money. Just my $0.02