Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iOS 5 Opens Door to True 1080p Apple TV
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Although I can't even tell the difference between 1080p and 720p on my TV at my usual watching distance the lack of 1080p is the reason why I was never really interested in this device. I know it sounds stupid but I just hate the feeling to watch a good movie knowing that I could watch it in a better way. I bought that TV to use its capabilities. It would be like buying a nice HiFi system and listen to crappy 256 AAC files instead of a real CD or FLAC.
Huh, seems to be an Apple thing.
Huh, seems to be an Apple thing.
I toke mine back yesterday after I found out how bad netflix was. It was opened and they took it right back. Full refund no restock fee and were very nice about it. You gotta love the retail stores! Best service in the world.
Get enough 1080p capableTV units in homes and some studio will be tempted to try a 1080p version of something in the iTunes store. If that's profitable, others will quickly follow. The problem now is that if EVERY studio wanted to test 1080p content rentals for
Soon after it's possible to make money, some studio will choose to try to make that money.
We can't even get most of the movie studios to offer digital downloads at 720p when players that can handle it are readily available. What makes you think the hardware is what is holding the industry back? It should be pretty clear to you the fact that Blu Ray discs only offer 480p digital versions that hardware is not the problem here. And most aren't even offering that.
Except in the case of the iPad 2, that's debatable. For example, my six-year-old G4-based Mac mini can "play" 1080p content but it doesn't do it at all well which is mostly likely the case with all of the iOS products prior to the iPad 2 and Apple's A5 processor.
I have one of the original iPads (using the A4 processor) and while I can "play" 1080p content on that device it will randomly drop frames. I've done similar tests with the ATV2 and it also drops frames. Casual viewers might not notice these problems but from my experience they are present if you look close and try fairly demanding source videos.
The one thing we don't know is whether the A4 processor could be made to work given a restricted range of 1080p source encodings. What I mean is that maybe 1080p could be made to work (flawlessly) on these earlier devices if you kept the encoding settings within a fairly limited range of values. But, perhaps Apple has determined that given those limitations 1080p support on those earlier devices might not be sustainable (i.e. too many limitations on the encoding quality and workflow to produce that content).
It has been reported that a similar situation existed with the original Tegra 2 processor from NVIDIA. Boxee was planning on using that processor in the Boxee Box but even though that processor claimed 1080p support Boxee found that it just couldn't do high-bit-rate (quality) 1080p so they were forced to switch to an Intel-based system-on-a-chip (or SoC, the Intel CE4100). Interestingly enough, the graphic processor in the current Boxee Box is based upon the same GPU found in the iPhone 4 (the Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX535). However, Intel added a custom HD decoder to their CE4100 which leads me to believe that they knew that the SGX535 wasn't really able to provide robust 1080p support (at least, not given the requirements of the Boxee Box and potentially other consumer HD products that could be based on Intel's CE4100).
Here is a link to a story that goes into great detail about Boxee's switch from Tegra 2 to the Intel CE4100:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3912/boxee-box-the-inside-story/2
Last edited:
Which computer does Apple sell for $249?
Some people want a desktop, not a portable. I'm not buying another Mac portable - going to use a desktop/iPad combo instead..
I don't think so.
Same here.. "impulse buy"... but i might just return mine as i don't need it now, as as i bought mine yesterday. I have allot of work to do before i can view movies on it :| so i guess it didn't really make much sense anyway
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
My logic goes like this:
- Don't ever put 1080p-capable TVs into homes and there will NEVER be 1080p content for TV in the iTunes store. Why? Impossible to play if the devices don't exist.
- Populate lots of homes with 1080p-capable TVs and some studio will eventually be tempted to see if renting/selling 1080p can be profitable. If so, other "greedy" studios will quickly follow.
There is no chicken or egg issue here. The hardware must lead. At most, both hardware & software could hit at the same time. But the software (1080p rentals for this thing) can't come before there is hardware on which to play it.
Personally, I could care less if there is ever 1080p options in the iTunes store; I want it for the ability to playback 1080 HD home movies I've been shooting for about 6+ years now. iMovie will import & edit them and render them just fine. iTunes will accept them just like a 720p or less file, and play them just fine. I've had a 1080 HDTV in the living room for about 8-9+ years now. I just need the last link.
If you are happy with 720p (or less), it should be no issue for you either, as 1080p hardware will play 720p to the fullest. But it doesn't work the other way.
Furthermore, if there was ever 1080p options in the iTunes store, I would expect them to just be options, much like there are options for 720p and SD options now. All the gripes about file sizes, storage, "the chart", time-to-download, etc can be addressed by each individual doing whatever is best for themselves. Win:win:win (Apple sells more units, "720p is good enough" crowd can still enjoy their 720p at it's fullest, "1080p or bust" crowd can finally get what they want too).
Last edited:
When ATV2 was first announced, I scoffed at the lack of 1080P and didn't buy one right away. After all, it was 2010! I didn't see any logical reason not to support it. I still don't really.
However...
I somewhat impulsively bought one around Christmas when I hung up a new TV in a bedroom and just wanted something to play Netflix. I couldn't find a descent wifi Blu-Ray player in stock after the Christmas rush, so I thought, what the hell? Let's just try Apple TV at $99.
Now, I love it. It's practically all I use except on my 1080p projector setup in the home theater. That's the only place I use discs anymore. I have an HDMI cable and a power cord on every TV and I've just been moving the Apple TV around.
Long story short, I want more Apple TV's, and while I'm happy and thrilled with ATV2, I'm waiting to see if ATV3 (if it comes to exist at all this fall) does indeed support 1080P, at which point I'll buy 2-3 more, though I won't abandon my ATV2. It's still phenomenal. But I would definitely appreciate 1080P though on the 9 foot wide projection screen in the basement.
However...
I somewhat impulsively bought one around Christmas when I hung up a new TV in a bedroom and just wanted something to play Netflix. I couldn't find a descent wifi Blu-Ray player in stock after the Christmas rush, so I thought, what the hell? Let's just try Apple TV at $99.
Now, I love it. It's practically all I use except on my 1080p projector setup in the home theater. That's the only place I use discs anymore. I have an HDMI cable and a power cord on every TV and I've just been moving the Apple TV around.
Long story short, I want more Apple TV's, and while I'm happy and thrilled with ATV2, I'm waiting to see if ATV3 (if it comes to exist at all this fall) does indeed support 1080P, at which point I'll buy 2-3 more, though I won't abandon my ATV2. It's still phenomenal. But I would definitely appreciate 1080P though on the 9 foot wide projection screen in the basement.
My logic goes like this:
- Don't ever put 1080p-capable
- Populate lots of homes with 1080p-capable
Personally, I could care less if there is ever 1080p options in the iTunes store; I want it for the ability to playback 1080 HD home movies I've been shooting for about 6+ years now.
If you are happy with 720p (or less), it should be no issue for you either, as 1080p hardware will play 720p to the fullest. But it doesn't work the other way.
Furthermore, if there was ever 1080p options in the iTunes store, I would expect them to just be options, much like there are options for 720p and SD options now. All the gripes about file sizes, storage, "the chart", time-to-download, etc can be addressed by each individual doing whatever is best for themselves. Win:win:win (Apple sells more units, "720p is good enough" crowd can still enjoy their 720p at it's fullest, "1080p or bust" crowd can finally get what they want too).
For rental/streaming, I think 720P is fine. It doesn't look "bad" at all. At the same time though, like you, I'd love to have the ability to output 1080P video from the Apple TV. I have been ripping my entire DVD/Blu-Ray collection and I'd prefer to have 1080P Blu-Ray rips, simple as that. For everything else, 720P really doesn't bother me.
So even thought the iphone 4 and appletv 2 can be show to be able to output to 1080p hacked, apple will probably not enable it so that we have to buy new hardware. 
Makes good business sense but a bit unethical personally, but then who cares about ethics when money is talking
Makes good business sense but a bit unethical personally, but then who cares about ethics when money is talking
1080 isn't enough for me to upgrade from my TV2. Especially considering Netflix streaming (720) represents ~80% of my TV2 usage, another ~15% is streaming my iTunes libraries while the remaining ~5% is Airplaying from my iPhone 3GS. I rented a movie from iTunes, once.
So this particular user would require other incentives to upgrade. And that's where Apple really shines: getting perfectly satisfied customers, like myself, to upgrade to something they didn't even know they needed until an announcement/demo.
Part of me really wants a Boxee Box just to play Blu-Ray iso's. It's so tempting at times...
How bad Netflix is? It works great on mine. Far better than anything else I've used for Netflix streaming, which is just about everything.
stockcerts said:
juicedropsdeuce said:
I agree, we may not see an Apple TV 3 until well into 2012.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
So much of good or bad Netflix is about the width of the pipes bringing it to individual homes.
CMON, does anyone actually think its going to be called the iPhone 4S???? the 3GS got the S because it was quite a big boost, sure the new iphone will be but its expected and apple wont reuse a name that doesn't even sound right. its the 5th iPhone, it will be iPhone 5. What will you tossers come up with next? iPhone 4A5S?
Your mileage may vary. I've used an ATV2 on Cox cable with an advertised (and often measured) 8Mbps download rate and yet I've had intermittent problems with Netflix streaming. However, I have some reason to believe that the problems are because of Cox, not the ATV2.
On the other hand, Netflix seems to work pretty well on my AT&T 2.5Mbps DSL connection so obviously there are a complex set of interactions that determine whether Netflix will stream or not. On DSL I don't get HD content and thus it may be the HD streaming that is the real problem with the Cox cable/ATV2 setup.
Ooohh. Are you a cool hipster?
LOL
I'm not going to watch Casablanca again either until I get my 1080p!
Seriously I appreciate good resolution, but when the resolution and digital affects of a movie become an important factor, I ask myself if I would enjoy the film in low resolution as well. If the thought of low resolution kills the film for me then the movie probably isn't good.
The good resolution is a bonus. We will al take it. But it is no substitute for a good story delivered by good directing and acting.