Apple TV Details and Specs

[MacRumors]

Apple has opened a section on their website dedicated to the new Apple TV and issued a press release today.

The tech specs page provide some additional details:

Video:
- H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps. Maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps
- MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps. Maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps

Photos:
- JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG

Apple also posted a Quicktime VR for those who can't wait for unboxing photos. Meanwhile, Mossberg's review claims that the Apple TV uses a "modified version of the Mac operating system", which was not previously known.

 

[laidbackliam]

its new info that its a modified mac osX? i thought that was known, or at least implied

 

[arn]

its new info that its a modified mac osX? i thought that was known, or at least implied

People might have assumed. no one ever said one way or the other.

arn

 

[abadr]

Shame there isn't a wider range of formats

Seemingly underpowered processor...

I'm still waiting for streaming on a PS3 :S

 

[MakGeek]

No cables included? Doesn't bode well for the old plug and play adage. If this is supposed to appeal to the masses they better at least include some cheap cables.

 

[TheRobin]

What I would like to see is the ability for the AppleTV to play the super cool iTunes Visualizer on my 42" plasma TV.

 

[Zwhaler]

I want to check one out at my local Apple store. I'll go tomorrow

 

[alec]

Looking good except the limitation of format files -- how long must I sit on my comp and convert DIVX's, etc. for this thing?

 

[johnee]

can i buy just the case? it looks cool, and I could put more useful guts in it

 

[Padriac]

Looking good except the limitation of format files -- how long must I sit on my comp and convert DIVX's, etc. for this thing?

Why bother with DivX anymore? Any reason besides pirating? This is a serious question, not a sarcastic one. I've struggled to find an evenly remotely legitmate source of DivX files.

Anyway, Apple is ignoring DivX as there is really no good reason to pay for the license other than to please .001% of their potential market.

 

[abrooks]

I want to check one out at my local Apple store. I'll go tomorrow

Are they even in stores yet?

 

[oldwatery]

No cables included? Doesn't bode well for the old plug and play adage. If this is supposed to appeal to the masses they better at least include some cheap cables.

What I would like to see is the ability for the AppleTV to play the super cool iTunes Visualizer on my 42" plasma TV.

Yes.....all the above and a bit more.
I am quite underwhelmed by this product.
I don't get the point of it
I can't play any of my dvd's or other content.
Only iTunes stuff and my photo album etc........

Or have I missed something?

 

[wmealer]

Base station required?

Wonder if this thing will talk DIRECTLY to my Airport-equipped iMac, or is a base station required?

 

[steve_hill4]

No cables included? Doesn't bode well for the old plug and play adage. If this is supposed to appeal to the masses they better at least include some cheap cables.

"It just works*"

* For tv to work, purchasing of separate HDMI or component and audio cables is required.

 

[guzhogi]

would be cool if this, the Mac Mini & Airport Extreme were all the same size, color & stackable!

 

[heyisa]

Or better yet

would be cool if this, the Mac Mini & Airport Extreme were......

All one unit!

 

[rahrens]

Yes.....all the above and a bit more.
I am quite underwhelmed by this product.
I don't get the point of it
I can't play any of my dvd's or other content.
Only iTunes stuff and my photo album etc........

Or have I missed something?

Yeah, you did. The AppleTV is able to use a stream from your DVD player on your Mac. As a matter of fact, you can stream from as many as six Macs ( the synced Mac + five others).

If you have other content imported into iTunes, even if it was ripped from dvds or downloaded, as long as it fits the formats specified, it'll play them.

So, other than no DVR (which it'll never be) what's the beef?

 

[dongmin]

I don't get the point of it

"If it's on iTunes, it's on your widescreen TV."

What is there not to get? It's simply a vehicle to deliver iTunes content from your computer to the living room. Apple doesn't pretend for this to replace your entertainment system.

 

[bigandy]

just have to wait until summer

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Why bother with DivX anymore? Any reason besides pirating? This is a serious question, not a sarcastic one. I've struggled to find an evenly remotely legitmate source of DivX files.

Anyway, Apple is ignoring DivX as there is really no good reason to pay for the license other than to please .001% of their potential market.

Agreed. The original poster either doesn't know Apple would be tacking on a licensing fee for every unit or doesn't care and expects Apple to eat the feature cost.

 

[djpl]

Sorry, but this product doesn't appeal to me. Why would I want to download movies from iTunes for just a few bucks less than the DVD costs and not even get 1080i quality? I mean, I didn't spend a few grand on a 50-inch HD plasma to watch anything less than HD quality movies.

 

[mizzoucat]

I predict the Apple TV will be a flop. It doesn't do anything better than what's already out there. You'd be better off spending a little more and getting an Xbox 360 or even a mac mini.

 

[0098386]

When I upgrade to a proper HDTV I'll get one of these. I'm halfway through ripping my entire DVD collection to a stonking array of hard drives and to be able to access that from my TV all the way downstairs - all the better. H.264 is the only codec I need on the thing. Though RAW support would have been nice...

 

[Turkish]

I want to check one out at my local Apple store. I'll go tomorrow

Most likely not.

Remember, most stores have to remove a full side section of Macs to make room for a Bravia TV and the Apple TV unit. Most local stores did not even have any today - or displays for the windows..

An employee told me they had not even had any formal training on the product yet, aside from basic "who will buy this" product info. They have the TV's and accessory cables, but nothing else yet.

 

[F/reW/re]

Why bother with DivX anymore? Any reason besides pirating? This is a serious question, not a sarcastic one. I've struggled to find an evenly remotely legitmate source of DivX files.

Anyway, Apple is ignoring DivX as there is really no good reason to pay for the license other than to please .001% of their potential market.

Because encoding Xvid or X.264 wont kill your cpu, like H.264 does. What happends in two years when theres a new much better codec, that Apple don't like to much. Do you have to buy something new?

Apple's market shouldn't be only people who want to buy iTS Movies. Anyone who wants to play their movies from their computer onto their FlatTV should be the market for something like TV. The H.264 percentage of downloaded movies cant be much more than 0,5%. It's all about Xvid! It's fast and there's almost as good as H.264.

I really don't think TV is going to be a «hit».