Apple TV: Purchased content look blah?

[thestaton]

Anyone else have a feeling that if you try to play your current purchased tv shows like the office season 3 on your big screen 50" + that its going to look terrible? I mean it already looks grainy on my 15" MBP.

Any word from the apple camp if they are going to upgrading the quality?

I really want to buy this thing but I just can't for the life of me justify why I need it. I already have an Air Port Express for the music, and I've been burning divx movies with visual hub to dvd and they look great.

Could anyone convince me why I'd need this?

 

[Koodauw]

I was a bit disappointed with the 720p setting as well. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I doubt well know much before these things start shipping.

 

[jaw04005]

]Any word from the apple camp if they are going to upgrading the quality?

According to the Apple TV Web site, Video formats supported: H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): 640 by 480, 30 fps, LC version of Baseline Profile; 320 by 240, 30 fps, Baseline profile up to Level 1.3; 1280 by 720, 24 fps, Progressive Main Profile. MPEG-4: 640 by 480, 30 fps, Simple Profile.

Notice the addition of 1280 x 720. I would confidentially guess, that's the new resolution format available once the iTV ships.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I can't wait to see what happens with this. I'm ready to buy but I'm waiting for the first sucker.

 

[iDave]

I can't wait to see what happens with this. I'm ready to buy but I'm waiting for the first sucker.

I'm him. Ordered mine within an hour after the keynote.

I can't help thinking that Apple must upgrade the resolution of programming they sell at iTunes when the Apple TV ships. If it's the TV and movie producers who set the limits, it's time for them to get with the program. Nobody really wants to buy 640x360 movies and 640x480 TV shows for their big HDTVs. Given no other choice, I will buy some, but not as much as I might otherwise.

 

[benpatient]

i'd take those supported video formats with a big grain of salt. Since there's no broadcast 720/24fps progressive, for example.

720/30fps might be "what they mean" but then again maybe they mean something else entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's going to give us some increased pricing for the HD versions of these downloads...a 720p version of an episode of the office is much tougher on the bandwidth and storage budget than what they've got up there now...

 

[thestaton]

i'd take those supported video formats with a big grain of salt. Since there's no broadcast 720/24fps progressive, for example.

720/30fps might be "what they mean" but then again maybe they mean something else entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's going to give us some increased pricing for the HD versions of these downloads...a 720p version of an episode of the office is much tougher on the bandwidth and storage budget than what they've got up there now...

I agree with you on this, I can see iTunes adding a feature to buy a season pass in low res or hd.

 

[NightStorm]

I agree with you on this, I can see iTunes adding a feature to buy a season pass in low res or hd.

If they do this, I can defintely see myself selling my Tivo, cancelling my cable television subscription, and simply buying season passes for the shows I really want to watch. I am hoping they announce a resolution bump the day this is released to the public.

 

[jeremy.king]

720p content looks blah? I think not. I guess the early adopters of the iTMS content will be hurt a little though, with their 640x480 contents.

Most (if not all) of the HD channels I get with Comcast are 720p, and they look pretty darn nice on my 42" Samsung LCD. Lets hope iTMS content is upgraded and people with old shows can upgrade their content.

As for the need for 1080, I don't see a need to upgrade the quality just yet. I would venture to guess the percentage of people with 1080p capable televisions is a fraction of a percent of all the televisions out there.

 

[iDave]

If they do this, I can defintely see myself selling my Tivo, cancelling my cable television subscription, and simply buying season passes for the shows I really want to watch. I am hoping they announce a resolution bump the day this is released to the public.

Exactly. I think I'd do the same thing, at least for a while to see how it goes. I hope Apple realizes what an opportunity they have here. Many more people are going to be interested in buying 720p HD content than "near DVD quality" content.