Apple TV+ Offers Highest Quality 4K Streaming, Averaging Up to 29Mbps

[Aditya rathee]

Why the hell these streaming services dont show proper i fo about quality of yr playback
they should somewhere display the quality like amazon does ( atleast on android it shows 1080p)

 

[Biu_miu]

Neat! This could be a new marketing slogan "Watch ATV + averaging a 29Mb/s video bitrate and a 41Mb/s peak" Really rolls of your tongue, catchy

 

[Jim Lahey]

Thread takeaway - some people would criticise daylight if it meant having their voice heard.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Thread takeaway - some people would criticise daylight if it meant having their voice heard.

It’s actually very saddening, and truly worthy of our sympathy and kindness. In this disconnected, cruel, real world there’s such a lack of human contact and interaction that some find it very comforting even to have people argue with them. “They care enough to engage me. I matter. I have significance.”

I don’t mind engaging them for the most part; I’ve been blessed in my personal circumstances. And I believe in karma, so it’s actually self-serving from a certain standpoint

 

[Mutepointer]

The words “up to” here in Great Britain is no longer allowed to be used for internet speed services. Now, companies have to use “minimum speed”.

 

[pika2000]

Netflix constantly degrades for me despite a 100MB/s fiber connection.

Consider how many people have Netflix already and probably streaming at the same time during peak hours, and how your ISP doing any QoS.
This is not magic.

 

[Steve121178]

I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the ATV+ shows are in 4K but this only highlights the absence of 4K TV material in the general iTunes store. Is there any reason for this given how much product these days is made in 4K?

I expect all new shows made in 2018 onwards to be 4K as standard.

A lot of older shows were never shot in 4K so it's understandable why a lot of existing content filmed pre 2017/2018 is only HD.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Is it as good as a UHD Blu-ray consumer through my Oppo 203 no it is not. However, when comparing it to what is available through Amazon Prime or Netflix then Apple has absolutely nailed the quality of UHD with Dolby Vision and Atmos.

its implementation of Dolby Vision is not only in the broadcast but also the production quality. It is very good, very natural, and very clean.

Only other streaming broadcast that I’ve seen that can touch that image quality is perhaps the BBC HLG trials.

 

[Abazigal]

So, Apple gets bashed regardless of whether they offer better streaming quality or not.

Yup, just another typical day at Macrumours, it seems.

 

[Blue Hawk]

Haven’t read the answer here so I would ask again: How’s the Bitrate of 1080p in Apple TV+ and iTunes Store?

 

[ke-iron]

Depends on the setup and the person. I have a 65" 4K TV and typically sit about 12 feet away. I'm in my late 40's and with my eyes I can't really distinguish the difference between 1080p and 4K anymore. So all it would do for me is eat my data cap. CNET used to have a great visual for showing the size and distance most people with 20/20 could distinguish the difference, however I wasn't able to find it anymore.

12 feet away from your TV is way too far. You should be around 6 to get a really good view!

 

[waquzy]

The words “up to” here in Great Britain is no longer allowed to be used for internet speed services. Now, companies have to use “minimum speed”.

And for good reason, most companies were misleading their customers right, left and centre. I’m with Virgin(optic fibre or whatever it’s called) and my maximum download speed never exceeds 9MB/s

 

[Khedron]

Meanwhile Apple offers the lowest quality video of any service to stream your own videos

Buy an iPhone to make 4K videos + Buy iCloud to store 4K videos + Buy an Apple TV 4K to watch 4K videos = Watch your memories in 720p

 

[kurosov]

Is this really perceptible in a common man's living room or is this just a spec brag that is real only on paper??

Higher bitrate was something I noticed right away watching See. There are dark scenes showing aged grainy wooden flooring on an extreme angle and all the detail of the wood is still apparent.

Clarity is maintained during motion, blacks still hold detail and complex patterns/textures don’t look compressed.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

12 feet away from your TV is way too far. You should be around 6 to get a really good view!

Don’t be silly.

 

[Oberhorst]

Higher bitrate was something I noticed right away watching See. There are dark scenes showing aged grainy wooden flooring on an extreme angle and all the detail of the wood is still apparent.

Clarity is maintained during motion, blacks still hold detail and complex patterns/textures don’t look compressed.

This is exactly what annoys me so much with Netflix and HBO. Colours in unsharp backgrounds for example have terrible gradients, really ugly to look at. They're full of harsh lines where one colour ends and another starts because the colour depth is so ridiculously low. If Apple finally starts with higher bit rates I can only welcome that and hope other streaming services follow.
I would even prefer a service where I downloaded the video files beforehand if that meant that the quality would reach into the area of Blu-rays.

 

[Winni]

Awesome!
Apple is the best - again - as always!
Thank you Tim!

Ahem, yeah, they're the best at congesting the Internet. Because that is all that those numbers actually mean. Those bitrates say nothing about the picture quality and they say nothing at all about the quality of the content that is being streamed.

But, yeah -- since all (!) the content that is currently being available on Apple TV+ can be watched in less than a week's time, we desperately need some other superlatives, right?

 

[Chlloret]

Not quite - I’d love to subscribe but neither my newish Samsung Smart Tv or 3rd Generation 4K Fire device offer the relevant Apple TV app - so no go at the moment. Why haven’t Apple organised with others for the swift release of working apps? Seems short sided in terms of sales!

I was under the impression that the service is mainly to promote hardware sales. You get a year free and in that time they will build up the service so they can ask for money. November launch to get the kinks out before the holiday season where 100mio clients will automatically be added.
In the mean time, just get a family share from someone to also get a free year, should not be difficult.

I like the quality of picture and sound, outstanding. I like for all mankind, See and the morning show, even with Jennifer in it, she is good there. The Elephant doku really is impressive. More to come.
So, yes, if Apple continues like that, $50 a year is a no brainer. We see in a year.

 

[Winni]

"Given Apple's inability to produce a solid product even in their own tech market"

I take your solid product and raise you an Apple Watch or AirPods which I believe currently "own" all those respective markets....

You know, when you're over twenty years old, those special markets literally mean nothing to you and have no relevance in your life whatsoever. Believe me, Lego bricks are more interesting than these toys.

 

[Kulfon]

No use if there is no content

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

what is the audio bitrate though
[automerge]1572904930[/automerge]
hmmm some blurays average into the 30Mb/s

Different compression etc for your old BluRays (h.264) as opposed to HEVC.

 

[Winni]

Honestly, as a complete skeptic I have loved everything I have watched so far. The Morning Show is my favorite (binged all 3 episodes in a night), Dickinson was quirky and witty. I am looking forward to more content from Apple. Glad Apple is doing everything they can to make it worthwhile.

The thing is: Seven shows just don't justify starting an own streaming service. It's an absurd concept, no matter how great that fistful of titles might be.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Those bitrates say nothing about the picture quality...

Except that they do, because the picture quality is outstanding and easily surpasses the competition.

 

[Chlloret]

And for good reason, most companies were misleading their customers right, left and centre. I’m with Virgin(optic fibre or whatever it’s called) and my maximum download speed never exceeds 9MB/s

so you have a 100Mbit line that delivers a good 70Mbits. Could be a bit faster but within the margin. I got 1Gbit but never get over 890Mbits. I also do not think that I would notive 100Mbits more or less.

 

[mattopotamus]

No, it looked like trash because HBO Now doesn't support HDR.

Sure they need to add 4K with HDR, but 1080P with a high bitrate looks/sounds excellent.