HD movies on the new 15" MBP

[iSkier]

How will HD movies look on the new screen of the 15"? I just ordered one and I'm wondering what it will be like. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[RKpro]

Better than on the 13in, but not as good as the 17in... What more is there to say? You should be more specific.

 

[iSkier]

Well, I haven't ever watched a HD movie before, I have an old ibook. Will it run great? Like is the macbook made to run HD movies? I'm just curious how much of a difference i'll notice.

 

[areusche]

You won't play true 1080 video since the laptop resolution just doesn't reach that high (1440x900 to 1920x1080).

It scales up 720 video and 1080 video down just as well. Don't worry you won't be disappointed.

If you get an external monitor that exceeds 1920x1080 resolution then you can view it.

Edit: iSkier, here are a couple of 1080p videos that I used to test the HD output on my room mates xbox. Download Perian to play them through quicktime.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/musicandvideo/hdvideo/contentshowcase.aspx

You'll definitely see the difference.

 

[Warranty Voider]

Any HD movie can easily play at normal frame rate even on the lowest end MacBook. Display wise, since apple just updated all of the MBP displays to be much, much better, the color will be much more accurate and appealing. Resolution wise, watching a 1080p movie will look slightly more crisp than watching a 720p movie, but it won't look that much different on the 1440 x 900 display that the MBP has.

BTW, what do you mean you "just ordered one"? Do you mean that you bought it through iTunes? If you download a movie from almost any online movie distributer, the bit-rate is bound to be horrible. Gizmodo has a good article that shows the difference between bit-rates...

 

[iSkier]

Thanks guys, I guess what I'm trying to ask is if there's a difference between a normal movie purchased from iTunes or an HD movie purchased from iTunes, and if it's worth it to spend the extra money. No, I just ordered the laptop.

 

[iSkier]

Also, another question: Can I play this game on my new 15" MBP base model with no upgrades? I'm mostly concerned about the graphics.

Braid

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/action_adventure/braid.html

 

[HunterMaximus]

There's definitely a noticeable difference. I don't use the iTunes Movie Store much, but I do watch lots of TV and movies on my 15" MBP, and there's no doubt HD (even 720p) makes a difference. If you want to check it out yourself, go to the Apple Trailer site. They have tons of trailers available in SD, 720p and 1080p. Great to check out different samples for yourself.

 

[sporadicMotion]

Also, another question: Can I play this game on my new 15" MBP base model with no upgrades? I'm mostly concerned about the graphics.

Braid

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/action_adventure/braid.html

The link you supplied answers that question

 

[Bill Gates]

Also, another question: Can I play this game on my new 15" MBP base model with no upgrades? I'm mostly concerned about the graphics.

Braid

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/action_adventure/braid.html

That game will run fine even on old PowerPC hardware.

 

[ecstasy]

Better than on the 13in, but not as good as the 17in... What more is there to say? You should be more specific.

Noooooooooooooo.

For the 13", can't you just expand the whole movie to the maximum screen (ie: playing a movie in Quicktime fullscreen)?

It'll still be decent, no?

 

[RKpro]

Noooooooooooooo.

For the 13", can't you just expand the whole movie to the maximum screen (ie: playing a movie in Quicktime fullscreen)?

It'll still be decent, no?

13" is 1280x800, 15" is 1440x900, 17" is 1920x1200

so if it's just 720p, then it will look the same on all of them. If it's 1080p true HD, then, you will have to lose some detail to display a 1920x1080 image on a 1280x800 monitor.

 

[Bill Gates]

Noooooooooooooo.

For the 13", can't you just expand the whole movie to the maximum screen (ie: playing a movie in Quicktime fullscreen)?

It'll still be decent, no?

You can take advantage of 720p video, but 1080p cannot be fully appreciated, not even to the level that the 15" can due to the limited screen resolution. It's still a good experience notwithstanding its limitations.

 

[ecstasy]

You can take advantage of 720p video, but 1080p cannot be fully appreciated, not even to the level that the 15" can due to the limited screen resolution. It's still a good experience notwithstanding its limitations.

I see, I see.

PS - I just looked at your avatar/username and laughed. The irony, no?

 

[unagimiyagi]

I think the quality is the same on the 13" mbp jr. or the 15" mbp for an hd movie. It's just how big do you want the picture to be :>

15" to me is a desktop replacement and is the lightest desktop replacement and thinnest. I kind of use mine as my everything computer ,including tv. 15" is nicer if you want to watch from a bit of a distance. Then again, people had 13" tvs for the longest time.

 

[bphillips]

How will HD movies look on the new screen of the 15"? I just ordered one and I'm wondering what it will be like. Thanks for the help in advance.

Delicious.