Apple to Stream Video As Well as Music and TV?

[zweigand]

If I'm wrong about a widescreen ratio being usage-preferable, then why have all Apple's computer screens gone from standard to widescreen ratios? I realize of course that how one uses an iPad won't be identical to a laptop or desktop, but still, Apple must have had some rationale for that evolution. Isn't media consumption moving toward a widescreen environment, not away from it? Even the little iPhone has a 16:9 screen!

They are also moving to larger and larger screens. The larger the screen, the less important the aspect ratio. Not to mention the content you view on your desktop isn't usually fullscreen. (other than movies) My browser always sits in the middle of my 24" screen at ~4x3 aspect ratio.

 

[blackpond]

LOL @ Film Studios!

The only thing locking your content to a device is your requirement for DRM! Get rid of the DRM and I'd be more than happy to play my purchased content on any device that has the power to do so.

 

[jouster]

Yeah, why would I want to see my movies on a big 52" TV in 1080p Full HD resolution if I can watch them on a small 4:3 screen in a compressed lossy format?

I'm going to sell all my Blu Ray discs right now, together with my TV and Blu ray player. The iPad is totally going to replace that old fashioned stuff!

Well, obviously not the iPad, at least not in your home where your big TV is much better. But some type of cloud/streaming will eventually beat physical media, if for no other reason than that it's cheaper for the content providers.

 

[AidenShaw]

But if all of that data is in the cloud, it's easily searchable. And it's someone else's job to make sure it's all backed up. Then if any of my home or portable devices die, I just get a new one and I'm back up and running.

Considering the upload bandwidth of most home (US) internet
connections, how many years will it take to upload your data
to the cloud?

My quick calculation is 21.4 years. If I do a quick SIS calculation,
it's probably about 5 years (some of my disks are backups, and for
photos and the like I have them duplicated on more than 1 system).

The Cloud Sucks - at least until I get that 1 Gbps fibre link to
my home.

 

[sladey]

You're both right to point out the length-vs-width chicken-and-egg scenario: the device can't keep "improving" itself by adding width/length forever.

To clarify: to me, the issue is not simply "more is better". Rather, the issue is efficiency of screen real estate for the majority of usage. My sense is that 16:9 is a better ratio choice for a tablet computer based on the probable majority of tasks it will be used for, while minimizing wasted real estate. The advantages of 16:9 for video viewing alone make it hard for me to understand why Apple chose 4:3. Because of e-book-reading? I can't believe that.

If I'm wrong about a widescreen ratio being usage-preferable, then why have all Apple's computer screens gone from standard to widescreen ratios? I realize of course that how one uses an iPad won't be identical to a laptop or desktop, but still, Apple must have had some rationale for that evolution. Isn't media consumption moving toward a widescreen environment, not away from it? Even the little iPhone has a 16:9 screen!

I don't want to harp on, so this will be my last post to the thread.

I fully agree that if the main/only use for the iPad was for watching widescreen video, the iPad should be widescreen. I just can't see the predominant use being watching video.

I agree Apple's computer screens have all gone to widescreen. But for 99.9% of users those screens are set up in landscape mode. (I have a friend who has a Dell screen than can be locked into portrait or landscape mode, and trust me, a 21" widescreen monitor in portrait mode looks stoopid most of the time).

A minor correction... the iPhone screen isn't 16:9, it's actually 3:2 which equals 13.5:9.

And my last comment...

Wait for it...

A widescreen iPad would be perfect because you could have two multitasked apps running side by side!

 

[ARF900]

Now if apple could just buy Hulu, expand it to include more networks, and make it work with the Apple TV, they would have a winner.

There wouldnt even need to be a subscription service, companies would pay through the nose for hulu advertising on that scale. It would be exclusive, no DVR advertising on a huge scale. And we can all live with 3 30 second commercials on each show.

 

[RalfTheDog]

What seems stupid to me is the concept that there's a tradeoff, the idea that you're "sacrificing" something with a widescreen. You're not. You're getting MORE in one direction.

And you are paying more. Bigger screens cost more.

I do have it on good authority that Apple originally planned to go with a 9:16 screen. All of the screens shipped to the lab where they were building the prototypes were 16:9.

 

[evansls]

Who Cares!

I don't know what the big deal is with this... Apple is going to charge people lots of money for this and may even require you to have mobileme.com account and that's already over priced for basic features.

Evan

 

[jerome65]

You're both right to point out the length-vs-width chicken-and-egg scenario: the device can't keep "improving" itself by adding width/length forever.

To clarify: to me, the issue is not simply "more is better". Rather, the issue is efficiency of screen real estate for the majority of usage. My sense is that 16:9 is a better ratio choice for a tablet computer based on the probable majority of tasks it will be used for, while minimizing wasted real estate. The advantages of 16:9 for video viewing alone make it hard for me to understand why Apple chose 4:3. Because of e-book-reading? I can't believe that.

If I'm wrong about a widescreen ratio being usage-preferable, then why have all Apple's computer screens gone from standard to widescreen ratios? I realize of course that how one uses an iPad won't be identical to a laptop or desktop, but still, Apple must have had some rationale for that evolution. Isn't media consumption moving toward a widescreen environment, not away from it? Even the little iPhone has a 16:9 screen!

But the iPad is set up with a ration closer to standard US page sizes for print. It is also more efficient to hold a device like this in a portrait mode for reading and most of the activities that you would use with the exception of viewing video. To prove my point look at books, letter size paper, clipboards, magazines, etc.

The main advantage of a wide screen format for anything other than watching video is that a wider screen is more efficient for having multiple windows open and navigating between them. Since the iPad cannot have more than one window open at a time then this is not an advantage for this platform.

 

[mytdave]

prove it

"...movie studios are working hard to avoid locking their content into one particular platform. Movie studios would prefer content purchased on once device could also be used on other devices."

Oh really? Then they need to put up or shut up... Studios: release HD (at least 720p) movies in DRM free H.264 so I can use the videos that I buy on any device I own.

There is no need to worry about piracy - all your shows have been ripped already. If I wanted to, I could easily obtain any movie already released and any future releases. They're already out there. The Genie is out of the bottle and not going back in. Do the right thing and make purchased content convenient for your legitimate paying customers.

 

[deckwalker]

I'm hiding out in the woods right now, connected with packet radio. wait. who's there. gotta change locations. wolverines!

Love the Red Dawn reference.

 

[deckwalker]

If I'm wrong about a widescreen ratio being usage-preferable, then why have all Apple's computer screens gone from standard to widescreen ratios?

I think it has to do with the screen's normal orientation. On a desktop your screen is 99.9% of the time in landscape (that 0.1% is if you have a rotating desktop screen, but there don't seem to be too many of those out there anymore). With it always in landscape, it's easy to use a widescreen ratio.

However, if your screen is often in portrait mode then the widescreen format doesn't work so well. It appears to tall and narrow.

Perhaps a good analogy for this is in photography. One often sees widescreen (or panoramic) shots taken on the horizontal. They can be beautiful pictures giving lots of perspective. One almost never sees a panoramic/widescreen picture vertically - aesthetically they just look wrong.

 

[Minimoose 360]

It doesn't really exist! Don't be fooled, local storage of information will be just as important in the future as it is today. These big corporations want to control our data, our lives, and our destinies and we can't let them!

Unless you have something to hide, who cares.


That and as soon as I get investment capital I'm going to start my corp... I predict that in about a decade+, you will be forced to pay per-data unit at a fixed rate...not just pay for internet service unilimited per month. (Due to the exponential increase in data stored every second by the millions of people uploading stupid videos, photos, etc to servers)

There will be a point when it all comes crashing down, the time to future-proof is now. Hard drives will become obsolete and internet speeds (wireless and wired) will be fast enough to stream data directly to devices.



It will happen, and when it does I will be on top. And yes, I will sell your information to the government.



Call me crazy.

 

[Jaro65]

Here comes the NC data center....

 

[mytdave]

umm

You're both right to point out the length-vs-width chicken-and-egg scenario: the device can't keep "improving" itself by adding width/length forever.

To clarify: to me, the issue is not simply "more is better". Rather, the issue is efficiency of screen real estate for the majority of usage. My sense is that 16:9 is a better ratio choice for a tablet computer based on the probable majority of tasks it will be used for, while minimizing wasted real estate. The advantages of 16:9 for video viewing alone make it hard for me to understand why Apple chose 4:3. Because of e-book-reading? I can't believe that.

If I'm wrong about a widescreen ratio being usage-preferable, then why have all Apple's computer screens gone from standard to widescreen ratios? I realize of course that how one uses an iPad won't be identical to a laptop or desktop, but still, Apple must have had some rationale for that evolution. Isn't media consumption moving toward a widescreen environment, not away from it? Even the little iPhone has a 16:9 screen!

Most folks are never going to understand pixel resolution. I work with engineers who still can't figure out how to set their monitor resolution to properly host a NetMeeting conference without the content getting cut off the top and bottom.

People don't get "pixels" they only get that the image goes all the way to the bezel around their screen or it doesn't and they just don't understand what they're looking at.

BTW, the iPhone is a 3:2 ratio which is closer to 16:10 than 16:9. Which brings up my point: I desire the iPad resolution to be: 1280x800. That is a 16:10 ratio, which is the most common (and most usable) for the majority of widescreen *monitors* (not TVs).

Why? Well, it's the best compromise between standard print size (4:3) and movie size (16:9), and would enable the iPad to present a true HD image (1280x720) with only 40 pixels of black 'bars' at the top and bottom. The idea here would be to keep the physical size of the device the same, which would boost the pixel density to 165 ppi which is about the same as the iPhone. The current iPad is really a low res device, kind of disappointing.

 

[iphones4evry1]

This is going to upset the television manufacturing industry BIG TIME !

Microsoft will scramble to make "mZunes" and Sony, Toshiba, Philips, Samsung, Vizio, Dynex, and so forth will scramble to make Wi-Fi LCD screens!!!!!

Apple may have no threats against the iPhone, but the iPad could prove to be their nemesis.

 

[lilo777]

This is going to upset the television manufacturing industry BIG TIME !

Microsoft will scramble to make "mZunes" and Sony, Toshiba, Philips, Samsung, Vizio, Dynex, and so forth will scramble to make Wi-Fi LCD screens!!!!!

Apple may have no threats against the iPhone, but the iPad could prove to be their nemesis.

Are you saying that everybody is going to watch movies on iPhones? I do not get it.

 

[eleven59]

Agreed. I read that last sentence and that bunked the whole article.

lol thats what i was thinking... DRM, HDCP, copy protected discs, and still region coding doesnt scream to me "we're working hard to not lock you in"

 

[giosaccone]

Finally they are going to put that 1B server farm to work

O it could be useful in this way...

 

[Becordial]

"Movie studios would prefer content purchased on once device could also be used on other devices. "

For once I think we might have to agree with the movie studios.

If I buy content from you Apple, I want to be able to watch on any device in my network. Yes my iPad/iPhone, my mac and yep also my windows machine, however I feel like it.

Listen to what us customers want (perhaps on Macrumours) for once drop all the control freakery technology and you might just have product that we'll trust you on and being willing to commit to. If you don't.... well then we'll keep our options open too.

 

[JoEw]

Doesn't the 4:3 have something to do with the out of the box app support? Weird apple would not use 16:9 since the new imacs are, hell even the ipod nanos are, i thought apple would be moving toward a all widescreen lineup of products.

 

[Sparced]

There already exists a superb site for streaming rentals and subscribing each month if you have the taste. Be warned they don't offer Transformers 2.

http://www.theauteurs.com/

If only they could bring out an iPhone/iPad application and drop flash.

 

[Thex1138]

Every Cloud

Has a Silver Screen Lining

 

[mygoldens]

AT&T subscribers - more dropped calls!

AT&T cannot handle the load an iPhone puts on their network, NOW we are going to stream movies................

Well, good thing I went to Verizon, more dropped calls. Hey, who needs phone calls anyway, as long as you are buying Itunes music and movies!!!!

 

[zedsdead]

I really hope this helps Apple push a new Apple TV.