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No 4K Video Streaming Support for Upcoming Apple TV Set-Top Box

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Following up on last month's claim that Apple is planning to show off a revamped Apple TV set-top box with App Store and Siri support at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, BuzzFeed now reports that the new box will not include support for 4K video streaming even though several services like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube offer content in the high-resolution format.
"4K is great, but it's still in its infancy," said one source familiar with Apple's thinking.

Enabling 4K video support in Apple's first major overhaul of Apple TV in three years might seem like a smart bit of future-proofing -- particularly given reports that the A8 chip in the guts of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is 4K-capable. But it's arguably an unnecessary one at this point.
Click to expand...
The report points out that 4K streaming is expensive for content providers given the bandwidth required, and the vast majority of Americans do not even have Internet connectivity at fast enough speeds to support such streaming. Still, those who do currently stream 4K content or hope to in the relatively near future are likely to be disappointed by Apple's decision to forgo support in the next Apple TV.

apple_tv_lego_movie.jpg
Beyond existing Apple TV services and new third-party apps, the revamped Apple TV is also expected to support a package of streaming television channels if Apple can manage to reach agreements with the necessary content providers. Apple is reportedly in talks with ABC, Fox, and Disney, as well as Discovery and Viacom, to try to put together a "skinny" TV package of select channels that would reportedly cost consumers somewhere in the range of $25 to $40 per month. Apple is said to be aiming to announce the service at WWDC in June and launch it in the September timeframe.

Article Link: No 4K Video Streaming Support for Upcoming Apple TV Set-Top Box
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/05/no-4k-apple-tv/
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DavidTheExpert

macrumors regular
Apr 20, 2012
199
351
There is no reason to have 4K support on the current generation Apple TV as most content is not yet available in 4K. By the time mainstream 4K content becomes available, Apple will be prepared.
 
cmChimera

cmChimera

macrumors 601
Feb 12, 2010
4,273
3,762
I realize content is low, but still somewhat disappointing. Maybe next year.
 
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Ballis

macrumors 6502a
May 27, 2008
961
915
Oslo, Norway
As long as it has an AppStore, Im getting it. 4K can wait. I cant even tell the difference from 1080p videos anyways.
 
chirpie

chirpie

macrumors 6502a
Jul 23, 2010
646
183
Forget 4K for 4K TVs, 4K would look better on a 1080p set just because of the chroma resolution upgrade.

It's always odd how Apple is so purposeful in dragging their feet for some technologies, but goes balls to wall for adopting certain features/interfaces for the latest and greatest.
 
M

MyRumors

macrumors member
Apr 22, 2009
92
27
Apple usually jump at the newest so it would be a little strange if they dont.
I guess if its not supported its not because of Apple´s wishes but a compromise.
 
S

Sonmi451

Suspended
Aug 28, 2014
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Tesla
DavidTheExpert said:
There is no reason to have 4K support on the current generation Apple TV as most content is not yet available in 4K. By the time mainstream 4K content becomes available, Apple will be prepared.
Click to expand...

There is some content but Apple is going to be late to the 4k party it seems.

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sampaul said:
To get the best out of 4K streaming, you need a 4K tv....which I am not willing to pay $6000+ for a freaking tv
Click to expand...

Do some research instead of throwing out wrong numbers.
 
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Boatboy24

macrumors 65816
Nov 4, 2011
1,092
1,224
1 Infinite Loop
Run it through a receiver that upconverts and on to a 4k TV and most people won't notice the difference anyway. And if you don't have either of those, you don't care. This update is probably more about software and content than current TV tech.
 
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rekhyt

macrumors 65816
Jun 20, 2008
1,127
78
Part of the old MR guard.
chirpie said:
Forget 4K for 4K TVs, 4K would look better on a 1080p set just because of the chroma resolution upgrade.

It's always odd how Apple is so purposeful in dragging their feet for some technologies, but goes balls to wall for adopting certain features/interfaces for the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...

Thing is, is that Apple can't compel people to buy 4K TVs, and upgrade their Internet for reliable 4K streaming.

The removal of a CD drive, floppy drive, Flash support on iOS, on the other hand... they can.

So no. It's not odd.
 
DaveN

DaveN

macrumors 6502a
May 1, 2010
905
756
Software limit. Not hardware limit.

It sounds like the limit is not a hardware limit so 4k can be added in the future. While it would be nice, having no 4k TVs here it isn't a deal breaker for me. Give me an App Store and I'm happy.
 
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sepahewe

macrumors newbie
Apr 5, 2015
2
0
How about us non-Americans who do have more than necessary bandwidth? I live 2 miles outside of a town of 24000 people, and my choice is 100M or 1G :)

I'm disappointed in Apple, they used to be forerunners....
 
gmanist1000

gmanist1000

macrumors 68030
Sep 22, 2009
2,832
824
Hmm, I remember Apple releasing a 720p only Apple TV because they claimed bandwidth was a problem. Then a few years later they released the 1080p model.

I assume it will be similar with this model.
 
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pmau

macrumors 68000
Nov 9, 2010
1,569
854
The new H.265 codec is just not established enough to justify the hardware spec update. The box would need far more CPU power and RAM to hold and decode reference frames.

Also, consider that if Apple would release a 4k capable ATV, people would assume that iTunes content would be available for it.

I'm assuming that it's just not feasible for Apple to make that investment now.
Nobody else has.
 
M

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
I think you should go read this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1833021/ and gain an understanding that if the new aTV does not support 4K the world is coming to an end and no one will buy it. Which of course means "Apple is doomed". ;)

Oh...and by the the way, I hope you see my post stating that the new aTV would not have 4K capability. Just saying...
 
JoEw

JoEw

macrumors 68000
Nov 29, 2009
1,583
1,291
Not sure why Apple wouldn't want to be cutting edge in this area, the first service to bring 4k mainstream from all the content providers could very well win the future of TV. Apple already has a $69 1080p box which is plenty powerful for video streaming..
 
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lewisd25

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2007
851
591
4K isn't going to take off in the consumer marketplace, and Apple knows it. There is no financial incentive for broadcasters to produce and broadcast 4K content at this point.
 
james2538

james2538

macrumors 6502a
Jul 11, 2008
555
1,789
Well the reason is pretty obvious. Why release a 4K capable Apple TV now when you can release the new 4K model in the future!

There isn't currently enough content to make it necessary right now. Think back, the original iPhone wasn't capable of 3G even though it was pretty widely implemented in 2007.
 
Ciclismo

Ciclismo

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2010
830
72
Germany
So there's no point in waiting for the next Apple TV - great, that means I can pull the trigger on an Apple TV next week whilst they are still cheap.
 
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