Is an update from Apple TV 2 to 3 worth it?

kristoffer4 said:

Ever since I started watching more netflix I am wondering if I should get an A TV 3 with 1080p instead...
Is the switch from 720p to 1080p much of an improvement?
I guess more bits and 1080p is always noticeable. .

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We have a 2nd and 3rd gen in our house. Honestly, I can't really notice the difference between the two when one is running 720p and the other is running 1080p.

kristoffer4 said:

Ever since I started watching more netflix I am wondering if I should get an A TV 3 with 1080p instead...
Is the switch from 720p to 1080p much of an improvement?
I guess more bits and 1080p is always noticeable. .

Click to expand...

My advice is depends on the size of your screen. Up to 37" mostly not noticeable unless you're right up against the screen. 37" or greater might be worth it if 1080p really matters to you. A friend upgraded to TV 3 and has a 36" flat screen not flat panel and didn't notice a difference. I have a 47" and have A TV 3. Since I didn't have any previous versions, I can't speak from experience however, I do like having 1080p on my TV. Best of luck with your decision.

Basically, the real difference is having 1080p resolution. But I hardly tell the difference between my ATV2 on a 32" Samsung 720p and my ATV3 on a 46" LG 1080p.

I have both hooked up to large screens, cant tell the difference.

The TV has to support 1080p to notice the difference, doesn't matter how large the screen is. Also, the content has to be in 1080p to have it in 1080p on the TV.

Hmm...

I have a 40-inch LED that's 1080p.

I can tell the difference.

Most people can't.

If you're not a typical audio/videophile, don't worry about it.

If you don't jailbreak then yes, and as an added bonus the ATV2 can sell used for more than a new ATV3

Netflix's House of Cards is Super HD and looks fantastic on the ATV3 (good series too)

On a 40" screen i reckon you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. You're more likely to notice with a larger screen and close-ish viewing distance.

blueroom said:

Netflix's House of Cards is Super HD and looks fantastic on the ATV3 (good series too)

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Agreed. It's a good series. I started watching it over the weekend and the quality of the picture is fantastic on my ATV3 with an LG 46" LED/LCD 1080p screen.

blueroom said:

If you don't jailbreak then yes, and as an added bonus the ATV2 can sell used for more than a new ATV3

Netflix's House of Cards is Super HD and looks fantastic on the ATV3 (good series too)

Click to expand...

Second this... I had an ATV2 that wasn't jailbroken and sold it for 140 on Craigslist (maybe could have gotten more but I'm lazy), and then bought a refurb ATV3 from Apple for $90 shipped. Free money if you aren't jailbreaking.

kristoffer4 said:

Ever since I started watching more netflix I am wondering if I should get an A TV 3 with 1080p instead...
Is the switch from 720p to 1080p much of an improvement?
I guess more bits and 1080p is always noticeable. .

Click to expand...

Yes, I wanted everything in 1080p (upscaled or if possible native).
As an ATV3 is not that expensive, it did take me long to consider. Lucky extra, the ATV2 sells higher second hand than the ATV3 new, because the ATV2 can be jailbroken as the ATV3 still not. So, you can only win

It has more to do with how far you are sitting from the TV in relation to the screen size. Here is a chart (http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter/):



Of course, if you have a 1080p TV, it is probably upscaling to 1080p, so the difference in seating may be less important...depending on how decent your TV's scaler is.

Uofmtiger said:

It has more to do with how far you are sitting from the TV in relation to the screen size. Here is a chart (http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter/):

Image

Of course, if you have a 1080p TV, it is probably upscaling to 1080p, so the difference in seating may be less important...depending on how decent your TV's scaler is.

Click to expand...

That's a great graph that I just saved off! Thank you. I get a lot of people asking me if 1080 matters and this will be a nice reference for them.

To the original question by the OP: From a standpoint of appletv2 vs appletv3, I really didnt notice a difference on my 1080p televisions but I upgraded anyway since (as already points out) I was able to sell the 2 of them for 300 and bought 3 appletv3's refurbs from Apple. Basically I got a free appletv by upgrading since I was not jail breaking my appletv2's anyway.

I have a 1080p 50" plasma. I have an ATV3 now, before I had an ATV2. I can tell a difference in some content, specifically Hulu looks better in 1080p. Netflix looks about the same.

Speedwise, there is no difference. Both play anything just fine. The ATV3 menus might be a little snappier, and loading pictures, etc, might be quicker.