High Definition Apple TV Content Soon?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Crunchgear claims (http://crunchgear.com/2007/10/04/apple-fairy-high-def-appletv-content-coming-soon/) that there will be a "substantial" update to iTunes this month to provide High Definition content. Accordingly, Apple has reportedly placed a large order for Apple TV's in anticipation.

CrunchGear has not been an accurate source of Apple rumors. Surrounding the previous iPod Nano rumors, they claimed (http://crunchgear.com/2007/08/23/from-the-fat-nano-fairy-new-nano-to-come-in-8gb-and-16gb-plays-video-dont-call-it-a-nano/) that the Nano would come in 8GB and 16GB versions and not be called "Nano" any longer.

The site had also claimed (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/07/01/multi-touch-macbooks-comming/) that Multi-touch MacBooks would be arriving this month.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/10/04/high-definition-apple-tv-content-soon/)

[Mr. Zorg]

I sure hope this *is* true. It overdue in my opinion. Keep pricing competitive, provide all the "good" shows, and I may well ditch OTA/Sat/Cable and go this route. HD is the one thing holding me back.

[gusapple]

Cool, finally HD content. Never made sense why it didn't exist for a thing that only played on HDTVs.:D

[FJ218700]

if true, great, I hope they also have a larger hard drive standard

[adrianblaine]

It will happen eventually. I just hope there isn't a price increase as well.

[NewSc2]

wow, great track record there :rolleyes:

[BWhaler]

Well, that would explain the new chips in the wires and docks.

With the troubles with the content providers, I am not optimistic. Time will tell.

[mrrydogg]

This is long overdue. I have been streaming music, pics and movies to my Xbox 360 from my Mac Pro with no problem though. Unless Apple TV provides full internet access, its not really anything special yet.

[tk421]

wow, great track record there :rolleyes:

HD content in iTunes sounds believable, but coupled with the rest of their rumors (multi-touch MacBooks?:eek:) it seems totally unlikely.

[Zwhaler]

This would be so cool... would it look HD on the iPod though?

[Shoesy]

I hope they release them at the same time as:

1. UK Movies / UK produced material
2. TV for the rest of Europe / Canada
3. Multi touch mac books
4. Making Safari feel a bit 'snappier'

Fin.

[Peace]

This would be so cool... would it look HD on the iPod though?

640X480 looks HD on an iPod :p

If HD comes to iTunes it will cost more.

[DMann]

640X480 looks HD on an iPod :p

If HD comes to iTunes it will cost more.

You might not want to import higher res movies on your iPod though - they take up enormous Hard Drive space, unless, of course, you have the 80G model.

[twoodcc]

i hope this is true. without HD content, the appletv isn't going very far

[DMann]

Cool, finally HD content. Never made sense why it didn't exist for a thing that only played on HDTVs.:D

This will make the :apple:TV a useful and desirable peripheral.

[sblasl]

I would like multi-channel audio to go along with it.

[Mr. Zorg]

I would like multi-channel audio to go along with it.
True that. I would *hope* that's a given... :eek:

[Genghis Khan]

HD iTunes

*twitches in anticipation*

that would be soooo awesome

[mrkramer]

I hope that when Apple decides to put HD content on iTunes they still sell at the current resolution also since I could not download HD content in a reasonable ammount of time over my internet connection.

[megfilmworks]

Its about time!! HD content is king and the sooner Apple jumps on the bandwagon the better for all of us!

[Doctor Q]

Whenever Apple adds value to an existing product's software, such as adding YouTube viewing to the Apple TV, it give me more confidence about buying their products in general, without waiting for the "next big feature" first. The iPhone and iPod touch are similarly poised to gain value through the addition of new features through software updates.

I hope that's what we're talking about here.

[Peace]

I would like multi-channel audio to go along with it.

Sometimes the world doesn't revolve around Ray Thomas Dolby.

Duh..

I'm on pain meds

[OttawaGuy]

I went to an Apple training event for Final Cut Pro in Montreal last week. The Apple Seminar leader told us that Apple tv version 2 is coming.
He said that it will feature hi res video. He went on to hint that it would utilize the Apple Pro Res chip(a la Final Cut Pro). He also said that it would have a very large hard drive along the lines of a terra-byte.
He mentioned 2 price points 500 and 1000.
The gist of what he said was that Apple wants to change the traditional Media model. They could deliver the content that you subscribe to via the Apple Tv and become a defacto broadcast company without the traditional limitations that the old school broadcasters face.

[billabong]

I went to an Apple training event for Final Cut Pro in Montreal last week. The Apple Seminar leader told us that Apple tv version 2 is coming.
He said that it will feature hi res video. He went on to hint that it would utilize the Apple Pro Res chip(a la Final Cut Pro). He also said that it would have a very large hard drive along the lines of a terra-byte.
He mentioned 2 price points 500 and 1000.
The gist of what he said was that Apple wants to change the traditional Media model. They could deliver the content that you subscribe to via the Apple Tv and become a defacto broadcast company without the traditional limitations that the old school broadcasters face.

I hope what your saying is true, but I see it as unlikely. I don't see them making such a drastic change to the AppleTV so soon. It hasn't even been out for a year yet.... But I would love to see HD content in iTunes... Maybe some movie content in canada too?

[OttawaGuy]

I hope what your saying is true, but I see it as unlikely. I don't see them making such a drastic change to the AppleTV so soon. It hasn't even been out for a year yet.... But I would love to see HD content in iTunes... Maybe some movie content in canada too?

I have no personal knowlege.
Just relating what I heard.
The Apple tv was mentioned in conjunction with the AJA IO - the technology/research that went into the IO chip could be used to make Apple Pro Res 422 power the new Apple TV.

No time line for such a move was specified.

[aristobrat]

FWIW, http://macosrumors.com/

[samh004]

CrunchGear has not been an accurate source of Apple rumors. Surrounding the previous iPod Nano rumors, they claimed (http://crunchgear.com/2007/08/23/from-the-fat-nano-fairy-new-nano-to-come-in-8gb-and-16gb-plays-video-dont-call-it-a-nano/) that the Nano would come in 8GB and 16GB versions and not be called "Nano" any longer.

Sounds like what they actually caught wind of was the touch, and they just assumed it was the nano. Perhaps they should be given a little more cred for actually getting it right, but for the wrong product :p

[Cave Man]

I would like multi-channel audio to go along with it.

It already does 5 channel Dolby Pro Logic II.

[P-Worm]

It already does 5 channel Dolby Pro Logic II.

I wish this would stop being brought up like Apple's solution for surround sound is sufficient. Pumping 4 channels through two cables is not sufficient. True surround (5.1 - which has been around FOREVER) has six channels and can't be done on the AppleTV yet.

I have an AppleTV and love it's convenience, but the lack of surround sound really makes me angry. Especially when you consider that Apple's own HD movie trailers support 6 discreet channels.

It's just crazy to me. :confused:

P-Worm

[e-coli]

They could deliver the content that you subscribe to via the Apple Tv and become a defacto broadcast company without the traditional limitations that the old school broadcasters face.

This is insanely ambitious, especially considering the recent rift with NBC Universal. However, the current broadcast model (even with time-shift DVR and on-demand) simply doesn't apply any longer. You can see the trend in advertising. Advertisers are pulling out of the huge cash dumps traditionally spent on television spots becasue people's consumption and media habits have changed.

This, honestly, would show a tremendous amount of foresight on the part of Apple (and could be the reason for the rift with NBC Universal)

[joeshell383]

I went to an Apple training event for Final Cut Pro in Montreal last week. The Apple Seminar leader told us that Apple tv version 2 is coming.
He said that it will feature hi res video. He went on to hint that it would utilize the Apple Pro Res chip(a la Final Cut Pro). He also said that it would have a very large hard drive along the lines of a terra-byte.
He mentioned 2 price points 500 and 1000.
The gist of what he said was that Apple wants to change the traditional Media model. They could deliver the content that you subscribe to via the Apple Tv and become a defacto broadcast company without the traditional limitations that the old school broadcasters face.

Sounds too far-fetched (I know you are not saying it is true), however, the refurbished 40GB Apple TV just dropped another $20 to $229. Perhaps Apple is trying to clear out the inventory? Maybe they'll go 160GB and 250GB instead of 40GB and 160GB?

Apple Store Link (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/9574003/wo/AW5eNEDsGLZl2F6EAF925faVzkj/6.0.0.28.9.5.7.1.0.1.1)

[LethalWolfe]

He also said that it would have a very large hard drive along the lines of a terra-byte.
He mentioned 2 price points 500 and 1000.


I have no personal knowlege.
Just relating what I heard.
The Apple tv was mentioned in conjunction with the AJA IO - the technology/research that went into the IO chip could be used to make Apple Pro Res 422 power the new Apple TV.

Pro Res would be a very inefficient final delivery codec though. It's about 10 times bigger than the HD H.264 trailers on Apple's site. I guess you'd want a 1TB device if a 90 min 1080p24 movie is gonna take up nearly 80 gigs. :D


This is insanely ambitious, especially considering the recent rift with NBC Universal. However, the current broadcast model (even with time-shift DVR and on-demand) simply doesn't apply any longer. You can see the trend in advertising. Advertisers are pulling out of the huge cash dumps traditionally spent on television spots becasue people's consumption and media habits have changed.

This, honestly, would show a tremendous amount of foresight on the part of Apple (and could be the reason for the rift with NBC Universal)
Apple would still just be a middle man and would need companies like NBC/Universal to supply content though. Apple needs to do something though if they want to keep MS from getting a leg up. The 360 is turning into the "home media hub" type device that MS has been working towards for years (video games, downloadable movies, IPTV, DVR, etc.).


Lethal

[Maui]

The gist of what he said was that Apple wants to change the traditional Media model. They could deliver the content that you subscribe to via the Apple Tv and become a defacto broadcast company without the traditional limitations that the old school broadcasters face.

It's hard to change the "traditional Media model" without media. I was an original purchaser of an ATV. It's great if you keep your expectations realistic, but the lack of content is a big achilles heel. 9 times out of 10, what my wife wants to watch is on pay per view, but not on iTunes. Actually, make that 99 out of 100.

[zedsdead]

Pro Res would be a very inefficient final delivery codec though. It's about 10 times bigger than the HD H.264 trailers on Apple's site. I guess you'd want a 1TB device if a 90 min 1080p24 movie is gonna take up nearly 80 gigs. :D



Apple would still just be a middle man and would need companies like NBC/Universal to supply content though. Apple needs to do something though if they want to keep MS from getting a leg up. The 360 is turning into the "home media hub" type device that MS has been working towards for years (video games, downloadable movies, IPTV, DVR, etc.).


Lethal

ProRes is NOT coming to Apple TV. It makes no sense at all given the specs of the current Apple TV and the capacity it would take. Apple delivers Video in H.264...they are not going to render all their Apple TV customers obsolete already. The devices are over powerful for what they currently can do.

I expect an announcement of HD (hopefully with true surround sound) to coincide the video rental plans of the iTunes store. I think that this is coming very soon, given the iTunes mobile store on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

[OttawaGuy]

I am not saying that I know the plan for Apple tv.
I am just relaying what I heard.
It seemed to me that the Apple seminar leader was implying that they would leverage the research that went into the Apple Pro Res codec.

Let me ask this- would Apple create a new proprietary codec based on Pro Res?

I also wonder what constitutes HD. 720p is HD right? (1280x720)

[Diatribe]

I wish this would stop being brought up like Apple's solution for surround sound is sufficient. Pumping 4 channels through two cables is not sufficient. True surround (5.1 - which has been around FOREVER) has six channels and can't be done on the AppleTV yet.

I have an AppleTV and love it's convenience, but the lack of surround sound really makes me angry. Especially when you consider that Apple's own HD movie trailers support 6 discreet channels.

It's just crazy to me. :confused:

P-Worm

Exactly. Mostly the same people that REALLY want HD also have a 5.1 receiver and the speakers. Offering HD without discrete 5.1 is just not enough.

At 720p with discrete 5.1 I would buy pretty much exclusively at the iTS, given available content.

[zeppiecr]

As an early adopter, I would love it if they would enable that usb port on the back and let me add a hard drive to it. Or maybe they can create their own external drive...i just don't want to have to replace my product.

[Scarpad]

Well I'll look forward to it. Would love to see Hi Def versions of Prison Break and 24 showing up, might even make me not upgrade to Direct TV Hd like I was planning,. But I wonder how 720p content will Stream over my G Network. I have no problems with the movies and TV Shows now but none of that Exceeds DVD Quality. I might have to start thinking about Wireless N. Also I have 2 Apple TV's one is going to an older Projection TV that has only a 1080i input, so I wonder if the Apple TV will upconvert 720p to 1080i I imagine it would. I love this little Box

[Scarpad]

Sounds too far-fetched (I know you are not saying it is true), however, the refurbished 40GB Apple TV just dropped another $20 to $229. Perhaps Apple is trying to clear out the inventory? Maybe they'll go 160GB and 250GB instead of 40GB and 160GB?

Apple Store Link (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/9574003/wo/AW5eNEDsGLZl2F6EAF925faVzkj/6.0.0.28.9.5.7.1.0.1.1)

I've owned 2 Apple TV's since the Begining and have never synced any content, as long as 720p content will stream I'm fine with that.

[Scarpad]

As an early adopter, I would love it if they would enable that usb port on the back and let me add a hard drive to it. Or maybe they can create their own external drive...i just don't want to have to replace my product.


I don't get this need. Why have an Udly external Drive sitting in my Living room, I've been adding External Drive on my Mini and I stream everything, I have 2 Mybooks and another FW External in my office, out of sight, and this works fine

[zedsdead]

Well I'll look forward to it. Would love to see Hi Def versions of Prison Break and 24 showing up, might even make me not upgrade to Direct TV Hd like I was planning,. But I wonder how 720p content will Stream over my G Network. I have no problems with the movies and TV Shows now but none of that Exceeds DVD Quality. I might have to start thinking about Wireless N. Also I have 2 Apple TV's one is going to an older Projection TV that has only a 1080i input, so I wonder if the Apple TV will upconvert 720p to 1080i I imagine it would. I love this little Box

HD content streams fine across G. Just download a 720P movie trailer and import it into iTunes and test it for yourself.

[luckk]

I have a compiled a list of HD podcasts on my site. It is at http://hd.appletvsource.com . I started this list way back in the beginning of May. Since then it has grown to over 100. I update the list almost weekly.

I highly recommend BeautifulPlaces.tv and Missing Pages (Amended Version).

[Clive At Five]

The site had also claimed (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/07/01/multi-touch-macbooks-comming/) that Multi-touch MacBooks would be arriving this month.

That would be pretty unbelieveable... which is why I'm choosing not to believe their speculation on HD content.

It will become reality someday, of course, but just not this soon, I don't think. I'll peg summer '08 at the earliest for HD.

-Clive

[Cave Man]

I wish this would stop being brought up like Apple's solution for surround sound is sufficient. Pumping 4 channels through two cables is not sufficient. True surround (5.1 - which has been around FOREVER) has six channels and can't be done on the AppleTV yet.

I agree, but this is not what the poster asked. He wanted multichannel audio, which the ATV is already capable of doing. It's not as good as 5.1 and we are all hopeful that 5.1 will be available with the next update, perhaps this month. Heck, why not even 7.1 and 1080 video output?

[Scarpad]

HD content streams fine across G. Just download a 720P movie trailer and import it into iTunes and test it for yourself.

Where's a good source of HD Trailers?

[LoganT]

Where's a good source of HD Trailers?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/#section=justhd

[Deestar]

Not sure if it significant or just a simple mistake... but I got an email from the iTunes store today promoting BBC podcasts. When looking at the email through webmail the images are switch off by default and I noticed that the image tag for the main image has a reference to "HD" instead of "BBC". Maybe a mistake or sloppy use of a previous template for "other" promotional emails.

See top line

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/3531/itunesemailtaggy9.th.png (http://img75.imageshack.us/my.php?image=itunesemailtaggy9.png)
http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/8494/itunesemailimagesnz2.th.png (http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=itunesemailimagesnz2.png)

[bilbo--baggins]

I assumed it would be another year or two before we got HD on iTunes.

By the way, does the optical output not provide full 6 channel surround sound? Presumably that's something that's controlled by software, not a hardware limitation?

[Multimedia]

You might not want to import higher res movies on your iPod though - they take up enormous Hard Drive space, unless, of course, you have the 80G model.I'm an easy touch for H.264 624x352 1Kbps "HD" Handbrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/) encodes from EyeTV originals transcoded to DVD images with Toast 8 first. Sure they look a little softer than the originals on the big screen. But they only weigh in at 350MB per 42 minute "hour" and on the iPod or Phone or Touch they look spectacular.

[Brendan.Porter]

It would be cool to see the :apple:TV get the HD treatment it deserves (and is capable of... HDMI for SD?). I don't own an :apple:TV, but I do have a Mac Mini hooked up to my Pioneer 42" Plasma, and the HD content I have obtained is absolutely amazing. I even get to use 5.1 because of the active optical port on the back going to my sound system.

If(when) Apple unleashed HD content, I would be all over it.
Might even be a death knell for cable, except I love my TiVo.

[megfilmworks]

It already does 5 channel Dolby Pro Logic II.
Dolby pro logic is a 4/2 fold, not 5.1, that is Dolby digital.

[balamw]

Maybe a mistake or sloppy use of a previous template for "other" promotional emails.

Just to confirm that this was from the US e-mail dated Sept. 20, which focussed on HD video podcasts. (Which already work on :apple:TV).

B

[sblasl]

I mis-stated my desires, I meant that I wanted 5.1, Dolby digital. My home theater is configured for this and would like to utilize my :apple:TV for more than streaming music, which is all I use it for currently.

I agree, but this is not what the poster asked. He wanted multichannel audio, which the ATV is already capable of doing. It's not as good as 5.1 and we are all hopeful that 5.1 will be available with the next update, perhaps this month. Heck, why not even 7.1 and 1080 video output?

[LethalWolfe]

Let me ask this- would Apple create a new proprietary codec based on Pro Res?

I also wonder what constitutes HD. 720p is HD right? (1280x720)
I doubt Apple would create a "distribution variant" of Pro Res (as that would pretty much be the opposite of what Pro Res was developed for) especially since they already have H.264 to fill that role.

Yes, 720p is HD.


Lethal

[Pman3003]

I just wonder if the apple TV would be able to play HD-content at all? I have tried to play all kinds of HD-vids on my apple tv, and none of them play properly, sound is nice, but the picture does not catch up due to a slow processor in the atv.

[AJsAWiz]

Sounds too far-fetched (I know you are not saying it is true), however, the refurbished 40GB Apple TV just dropped another $20 to $229. Perhaps Apple is trying to clear out the inventory? Maybe they'll go 160GB and 250GB instead of 40GB and 160GB?

Apple Store Link (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/9574003/wo/AW5eNEDsGLZl2F6EAF925faVzkj/6.0.0.28.9.5.7.1.0.1.1)

If one doesn't plan to keep a ton of content on Apple TV than I'm assuming the 40 gig model would be sufficient. Correct? Basically, I just want to stream a view things for viewing on my TV.

[macenvy]

My source has always said that is server space preventing Apple from providing HD on iTunes. That is what I am waiting for so I keep asking the same question to him and he keeps telling me that there is no 'rumor' of it yet.

All that aside....please, please, please.

[powerbook911]

If one doesn't plan to keep a ton of content on Apple TV than I'm assuming the 40 gig model would be sufficient. Correct? Basically, I just want to stream a view things for viewing on my TV.

Yes, I have the 40 GB, and it is fine. I have all my music synced, but I never actually pull it off the Apple TV.

I just connect to my computer and stream everything. It's so much easier to have access to everything than worry about things fitting and being synced.

[aswitcher]

I can imagine HD content timed with the release of the 2nd gen AppleTV at MWSF, maybe even combined with the Mini.

[MacinDoc]

IF this is true, and IF there is content available in Canada, and IF TV gets a bigger HD, then I will be buying...

[GregA]

But I wonder how 720p content will Stream over my G Network.<snip> Also I have 2 Apple TV's one is going to an older Projection TV that has only a 1080i input, so I wonder if the Apple TV will upconvert 720p to 1080i I imagine it would. I love this little Box

720p streams fine - though some owners report a bug where a streamed 720p will stutter slightly during playback. This started happening to me recently.. I believe 802.11n won't fix that, we need an Apple software fix...

As for 1080i - the AppleTV will output at 1080i, though it can't play any source greater than 720p25.

I just wonder if the apple TV would be able to play HD-content at all? I have tried to play all kinds of HD-vids on my apple tv, and none of them play properly, sound is nice, but the picture does not catch up due to a slow processor in the atv.

Try using VisualHub to convert it into AppleTV format. 720p content at 5Mbps (max) looks great.

[GregA]

I doubt Apple would create a "distribution variant" of Pro Res (as that would pretty much be the opposite of what Pro Res was developed for) especially since they already have H.264 to fill that role.I agree Pro Res for AppleTV makes no sense.

However, didn't Pro Res offer the ability to play at lower resolutions from the same source material? If so, I can see that feature being valuable to Apple... though I doubt it could be made to work (especially if it is to stay h264 compliant.

Use of such technology:
1) download a HD version, and then sync a regular version from that to your iPod (without lengthy conversion times and keeping 2 versions).
2) download just the SD video from Apple, but have an upgrade path to HD at a later stage.
3) download a HD movie to watch soon - with an option to start immediately in SD mode (and to upgrade to HD mode if bandwidth permits while watching).
4) even though you've downloaded the SD components, your p2p sharing of the SD components will go to both HD & SD downloaders (who are also renting/buying through iTunes)

As I said... I doubt the technology can do the above - if it could be made to work I can see those 4 advantages to Apple.