Will iPod Be Eye for Porn?

While industry analysts and consumers seemed impressed with the rollout of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) new, video-capable iPod and iTunes service last week, there was some skepticism over the lack of content for the device, which is limited to music videos and some major television shows.

However, it appears pornographers are ready to supply sexier content for the portable media players, and fill the void in programming the same way they rose to rule the Internet and fuel DVDs -- with smut.

Analysts observed that, while it may be inevitable that porn will make its way to iPods, as it has with Sony's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation Portable (PSP) and more so-called "podcasting," it is too soon to tell whether dirty videos will help Apple's or other players sweep the market.

There was agreement, however, on the importance of porn for the new market.

"The degree to which the adult industry adopts iPod or PSP content is going to be an important factor in how the market grows for mobile video," Yankee Group senior analyst Mike Goodman told MacNewsWorld. "The porn industry makes new markets -- entirely new markets, time and time again. When they adopt it, that market grows."

'Portable Porn Experience'

Less than a week after Apple's official unveiling of the video iPod, considered a gamble largely because of little content and an unproven market, companies began offering adult video for the device, which can play music videos, episodes of "Desparate Housewives," "Lost," and other television and podcast programming through iTunes for about US$2 each.

At sites such as povpod.com, users are told they can "automatically download adult videos specially made for your iPod with video support."

"We film all our videos to take advantage of the portable porn experience that the iPod offers," said the site, which features explicit images after an adults-only warning.

Other sites offer similar adult video content, made possible with iPod-supported video formats H.264 and MPEG-4.

Adult Trade and Technology

Adult content and technology have been linked before with the battle between Beta and VHS videocassettes, and, more recently, CD-ROMs and DVDs, which have been driven in large part by pornographic video.

Pornography has also blossomed on the Internet, with adult images and video readily available for download.

Anywhere video can be made available seems ripe for adult content, and such programming for the iPod or PSP is basically inevitable, Gartner (NYSE: IT) research Vice President Mike McGuire told MacNewsWorld.

Smut Gets Speedy

Jupiter Media research Vice President Michael Gartenberg told MacNewsWorld that, although adult content has helped fuel new formats in the past, it is not yet clear whether iPod porn will have a major effect on the devices.

The analyst added that it was interesting to see how soon after the video iPod unveiling that porn purveyors began their efforts for the players. And although Apple may be watching the situation to ensure its name or endorsement is not misused by iPod porn providers, there is little the technology company can do about it, Gartenberg said.

"I don't think Apple can do all that much," he said. "If a company wants to sell adult entertainment, there's not much Apple can do."

Make or Break

Yankee Group's Goodman said Apple and Sony may not publicly support the adult content for their devices, but they will certainly not hinder an industry that could provide huge payouts for their mobile device gambles.

"This is one of those markets that is black and white," Goodman said of mobile video. "It is either going to be very successful, or it's going to die, but it will take two to three years to figure out where it's going to go."

"Porn is going to be a very important factor, because porn makes markets," he added.