The 1080p/1080i resolutions on the ATV are output values - ie it upscales to these resolutions. It's the same idea as an upscaling DVD player - they upscale DVDs to 1080p, but the DVDs are fixed at 480p - the extra pixels are created by algorhythms.
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Apple Launches Apple TV 3.0 Software and iTunes 9.0.2
- Thread starter clawanhex
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Yes, I was one of the first
TV buyers. I love it. But it is clearly past time for a next-gen model.I'm not marginalizing anything. Upscaling is FAR from the same as playing it native. Upscaling is the same as taking a jpeg at 100% and sizing that window up to 200%, 300%, etc. As you "upscale" it, the computer must substitute best guess pixels to fit the size you are choosing. So, if the jpeg was- say- 720x500 (about DVD resolution) and you "upscaled" it to 1920x1080, you are stretching the window more than 100% in both height & width.
Yes, you have a picture that fills the screen, but it is not the same as taking the same picture at 1920 x 1080 and viewing it at 1920 x 1080.
Granted, upscaling video is a better trick because the image tends to be constantly moving, so your eye doesn't have that much time to notice the jaggies. But just the same, compare any movie on
TV vs. the same movie on a BD on your TV and you'll realize upscaling is a so-so substitution for the real thing.So, Apple doesn't care that its own iMovie can render 1080p, and Quicktime and iTunes can play back 1080p, but all that matters is Studio content. Is that like AT&T couldn't handle MMS or tethering, so no need to build those hardware features into the new iPhone? Should Apple (a seller of HARDWARE) bow to the Studios (a seller of software)?
And, if I'm a Studio terrified that Apple might do for my industry what they did with the Music industry, why would I EVER make 1080i or 1080p content available on iTunes, when I would much rather sell all of the same movies AGAIN on disc, and then consider a digital distribution option to sell them yet AGAIN?
It makes NO SENSE that the iTunes Store should constrain Apple hardware development, just like what is on the store doesn't hold back iPod or iPhone hardware development. If Apple waits for everyone else to get their parts together, they might as well stop now and wait years for the likes of Movie Studios, AT&T, broadband Internet players, etc. Apple should lead, and let te other people play- or not play.
As I said before, sell us a 1080p
TV so that there is at least the possibility for some studio to test offer some 1080p movie for TV at 1080i or 1080p. Else, there is NO WAY to test whether selling 1080i or 1080p content on TV "as is" can be profitable for the Studios. If the Studios are afraid of Apple killing the BD cash stream, those Studios could just keep limiting their iTunes content availability to 720p "as is". But at least the option to test an alternative to them other than giving Walmart a big cut of each sale could be tried if TVs were in homes capable of playing a 1080i or 1080p iTunes movie.I wish you are right- that only a software update could get a lot better video quality out of existing
TV hardware. But everything I read implies that the current gen is just not sufficiently powered (even for full 720p)- especially if we raise the bar to 1080i and 1080p video.
This is also what cable/satellite boxes do with 720p/1080i inputs (or they upscale it at the office before transmitting it). This is just in response to the few people who believe that their cable company is actually giving them a pure 1080p signal. The only way to get a pure 1080p signal is from Bluray and some of the consumer camcorders out there; not all 1080p camcorders are really delivering a native 1080p signal.
The AppleTV does a pretty darn good job with upscaling lower-resolution content.
Unfortunately that does not apply to streamed content, which is still listed as last.
Yeah, this is frustrating for me too. I prefer to only put music and photos on my Apple TV and leave video for streaming from my iMac. And this new software update makes connecting to my iMac sluggish. Very sluggish. It takes 2 to 3 times longer to begin playing a video. And when switching between TV shows and movies, the Apple TV now disconnects and reconnects from my iMac's iTunes library; this process takes several minutes. This wasn't the case for 2.4.
That to me is the biggest disappointment in the 3.0 update. Every time that I switch media types I have to wait for it to reconnect to the library on my iMac, which can get very irritating.
The Wii is on the downward slide now (BTW, I've owned and enjoyed the Wii since launch). And I project the PS3 is going to kick the Xbox to the curb this holiday season. Blu-Ray + built-in WiFi + Bluetooth + free online gaming @ same price as Xbox ($299) = holiday shopper chooses PS3. It's a no-brainer. MS is going to have a very hard time competing with that, and no number of Halo iterations is going to help.
I'm new to the PS3 but I haven't noticed a problem with load times.
How about the load time for an Xbox 360: insert disc. Observe RROD. Remove disc. Box up Xbox and ship it to Microsoft. Receive replacement Xbox from Microsoft 2 weeks later. Insert disc. Play game.
Now that's a load time.
Thats because PS3 Blu-ray load times have been improved. and especially with the new model, which is even more energy efficient.
that said. i still want a second Apple TV. but am waiting for them to revise it and improve it.
There was always a search for the iTunes store, but now there is also a search in the My Music and Shared Music menus which was never there before. I have not looked but apparently although they added search to your own music they didn't add it to your movies or tv shows.
Can somebody here tell me why exactly, they buy the piece of s*** known as AppleTV? It's the most inferior wannabe HTPC on the market.
I have an old computer from the days of the Clinton administration that runs faster and does more than it does.
I have an old computer from the days of the Clinton administration that runs faster and does more than it does.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Why would Apple coders consciously make that kind of (switching libraries with each media selection) change? They had to either code it to do that on purpose, or they broke something in coding 3.0.
If the former, I wonder if it could be pointing toward splitting out the iTunes libraries by media (a library for music, another library for video, etc). I've read a fair amount of wishes for this, further extended by creating an iMedia variant of iTunes that caters specifically to the video media side.
If the latter, I guess we get to look forward to 3.01.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I've put it down (only) in relation to a next-gen version a lot in this thread, but it's far from a piece of s***. It wins on UI, and it does do several things ridiculously easy and exceptionally well...
- if you want to play your iTunes music collection on what is probably the best sound system in your house,
- if you want to look at your digital photo collection on demand on the biggest screen in your house,
- if you want watch podcasts, youtube, flikr content on demand on your big screen,
- if you want to watch your (ripped) DVD collection on demand without having to fetch the DVD itself
- if you want to have all of your home movies readily available on demand so that you can watch them on the biggest screen in the house
- if you want to listen to internet radio stations on the best sound system in your house
- if you want access to any iTunes store content on demand so that you can download a new (or old) song, watch a movie, watch a TV show, etc without a trip to the CD store, Blockbuster, waiting on Netflix delivery, preplanning the desire via DVR scheduling...
...it does ALL of this very, VERY well. And Apple's UI is about the easiest I've found, so even those far from being tech-heads can intuitively get to whatever content they are seeking.
The UI is what keeps me hanging on, holding out hope that Apple will find the will to deliver a next-gen version (SOON please) that raises underlying hardware standards up to 2010 levels. From competitor offerings, its obvious that Apple could do this (profitably) at around current Apple TV pricing. To me it entirely looks like it is merely a matter of will. Com'on Apple, find that will.
My money waits for you.
Hmmmm, interesting, but I doubt it would happen that way. Even if that were the case, there is little reason why the Apple TV couldn't stay connected to the multiple libraries. Personally, I think it is just broken in 3.0..
Anyone else got this iTunes 9.0.2 Dark background bug? When you select 'Dark' there is a nasty faint black border around all the artwork, apps and movie thumbnails in Grid view.
Pic here: http://twitpic.com/nj1pt
Pic here: http://twitpic.com/nj1pt
Personally, I think the UI sucks goat toes. I don't think the Apple TV overall is a piece of **** either, but it could be improved.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Do you guys ever get the feeling that there's just one guy working on
TV, maybe part-time, when he's not polishing Steve's shoes or something?I do a bit of coding myself, and these big updates sure have a lot of time between them considering the size & scope of the resulting changes. It's not like there is 50 different graphics cards to test, or similar.
I wonder how hard it would be to largely replicate the
TV UI as a standalone program for a Mac Mini, blend in a few "unsupported" but desirable features available via the TV hacks? Hmmm...
No, but I do get the feeling there are only two monkeys working on it when they get spare time from grooming themselves.Do you guys ever get the feeling that there's just one guy working on
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Relative boys, RELATIVE. Go try the UI's of many other competitors with better hardware. I bet you'll avoid those goat toes.
Can Apple deliver a better UI? Oh yeah. But the existing one is much easier, and more intuitive than many alternatives- especially for the non tech-heads.
yes, there are several ways.
original apple software requires movies to be in a format/codec that itunes recognizes - although i am unsure if it will run off NAS - i know it will run off your computer running itunes as i have done that.
better way is to use hack for XBMC, Plex, etc which will play almost every possible known format/codec and will very easily play off NAS - i run this setup off my hp mediasmart WHS.
By that logic the old one has lots of wasted space at the sides?!! So you can't like the old one either.
Plus, it's not wasted. There's just nothing to put there. Would you rather they filled it with rubbish?
Some people just don't like change.
AppleMatt