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MacChinoNyc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 14, 2008
427
7
I'm contemplating buying a 13" MBP latest model and wondering how Netflix or even veetle look on this laptop. I like watching videos alot be it streaming or downloaded. I dont edit yet.
 
The 13" MBP will display 720p fully, not 1080, though on that size of a screen, you'd be very hard pressed to find the difference.

true but if the original movie is bad quality it will look bad no matter 720p or 1080p.
 
If you want a higher resolution get the macbook air. The resolution on the 13" air is the same as a 15" macbook pro and an 11" has the same resolution as the 13" pro
 
I thought about the air as well having a better resolution but from what I read the display is crisper on the mpb. Also not sure how I'd do without an optical drive. I'd be happy with watching streams clearly, they dont have to be hd all the time.

Oh yea and let me add portability. Thats the main reason Im looking for a smaller laptop from my big brick of a sony vaio machine which works good might I add but pretty heavy to carry everywhere.
 
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If you want a higher resolution get the macbook air. The resolution on the 13" air is the same as a 15" macbook pro and an 11" has the same resolution as the 13" pro

well actually the 13 inch pro has a res of 1280 by 800. The 11 inch air has 1366 by 768.

But for the OP's original question, 720p vids can be played on the 13 pro very nicely.
 
The MBP fully supports 720p, which is true HD, it's just not 1080p.

I don't think you'll be disappointed by the screen on the MBP. Sure, it doesn't display 1080p, but on such a small screen I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. If you're that picky about the display I think you'd be watching movies on a larger TV.
 
The MacBook Pro "13 does movies just fine, you don't nee full HD on a mobile media center .. i've used my Pro for movies loads of time in train bus and it works great, no problem there. If you want full HD it's 17"... currently i have a 15" and i went to IKEA today to get some food and watched Transformers 3 and it worked pretty darn good!


Go for 13 if you need it for portability and movies.
 
On a 13" screen I don't think anyone can tell the difference between 1080p and 720p unless they're side by side.
 
Screen not the issue

The bigger question is portability, as video can look great on a 13" 1280 x 800 screen.

There is also the issue of whether even 17" of real estate will satisfy. 13" is perfectly fine when sitting close, although for some nothing less than 55" of HDTV will be adequate. So know your preferences. Aside from that, the greater issue is what type of media you are watching.

Apple might get around to offering HD fare in 1080p some day, but for now their idea of HD is limited to 720p. Which, by the way, will look fantastic on your MacBook Pro. Regular SD television and movies can look rather good, but is highly dependent upon the individual source. Some SD movies from iTunes can seem nearly HD in quality, more usually okay, and sometimes just this side of awful and unwatchable. I'll cite one example, 'Sleep Hollow,' that unless they've revised it was delivered in distinctly lower resolution than if purchased on DVD.

Streaming is another matter. The screen of your MacBook Pro will not be the limiting factor. That on offer covers the spectrum from in appearance nearly HD to something you may not be sure you want to bother with. Amazon Video on Demand generally does a good job, but as far as I know their HD version of content is only available through such devices as Roku or newer HDTVs with this software offering. So with them expect something decent for your money, but a presentation possibly not as clear as that often the case for free from PBS. Hulu does a fairly decent job with streaming, and a good benchmark. But again, only in SD, and as far as I know nothing from anyone is in HD if strictly streaming to a computer. CBS is worth mentioning for their lamentable online presence. A fine selection of programming, but good luck enjoying the experience. Their commercial breaks can often leave one stuck in indefinite limbo, and what was once notably good resolution having since been downsized to indifferent.

In short, it will be what you watch rather than your MacBook Pro causing any issues with your cinema experience. But if at all keen on portability, then seriously consider a MacBook Air, or just maybe the next iteration of the MacBook Pro in 2012.
 
The bigger question is portability, as video can look great on a 13" 1280 x 800 screen.

There is also the issue of whether even 17" of real estate will satisfy. 13" is perfectly fine when sitting close, although for some nothing less than 55" of HDTV will be adequate. So know your preferences. Aside from that, the greater issue is what type of media you are watching.

Apple might get around to offering HD fare in 1080p some day, but for now their idea of HD is limited to 720p. Which, by the way, will look fantastic on your MacBook Pro. Regular SD television and movies can look rather good, but is highly dependent upon the individual source. Some SD movies from iTunes can seem nearly HD in quality, more usually okay, and sometimes just this side of awful and unwatchable. I'll cite one example, 'Sleep Hollow,' that unless they've revised it was delivered in distinctly lower resolution than if purchased on DVD.

Streaming is another matter. The screen of your MacBook Pro will not be the limiting factor. That on offer covers the spectrum from in appearance nearly HD to something you may not be sure you want to bother with. Amazon Video on Demand generally does a good job, but as far as I know their HD version of content is only available through such devices as Roku or newer HDTVs with this software offering. So with them expect something decent for your money, but a presentation possibly not as clear as that often the case for free from PBS. Hulu does a fairly decent job with streaming, and a good benchmark. But again, only in SD, and as far as I know nothing from anyone is in HD if strictly streaming to a computer. CBS is worth mentioning for their lamentable online presence. A fine selection of programming, but good luck enjoying the experience. Their commercial breaks can often leave one stuck in indefinite limbo, and what was once notably good resolution having since been downsized to indifferent.

In short, it will be what you watch rather than your MacBook Pro causing any issues with your cinema experience. But if at all keen on portability, then seriously consider a MacBook Air, or just maybe the next iteration of the MacBook Pro in 2012.

Well, Netflix does offer hd streaming to computers depending on your online connection. As long as you have a good connection and the stream is avaliable in HD then they will push it to your computer.
 
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