New Apple TV will be 4K

[mic j]

Judging by several threads on this forum, itunes 720p content looks better than 1080p content. I think Apple is trying to limit movie sizes to approx 4-6GB max. This is a reasonable limit of course, especially when the US has some of the lowest average internet speeds among first world countries.

However, this suggests to me that Apple is not likely to begin offering 4k itunes downloads, and therefore not likely to offer 4k appletv hardware, anytime soon. Even if they do, I'd hate to see what a 4k movie compressed down to 6GB looks like.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1376130/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1768685/

Yes. That's what people don't get...compression. There is no way anyone is going to stream 4K video. Our internet wires would start smoking with the overload

At best you could hope for a 4K to be compressed using h.265, which might give you a little "better" quality than 1080p while staying around the file sizes you mention.

 

[JuryDuty]

I wouldn't be surprised about this. There's a 4k TV at Walmart right now for something like $800. Eventually they'll be all you can get.

THat said, I really have no desire for one, but if my TV blew out, I might consider it.

 

[JoeShades]

Compression technology will improve over time

 

[mic j]

Compression technology will improve over time

but so will the file sizes. They're already talking 8K.

 

[fuchsdh]

but so will the file sizes. They're already talking 8K.

Well, there's the actual demand, and then there's theory. 4K has a lot of promise and there's a lot of actual cameras out there shooting the stuff, from consumer to professional uses—people are dealing with those files, even if things are right now more than likely ending up at 1080p or 2K, just like how a lot of early HD was ending up shrunk down to nice-looking SD footage.

It makes sense to future-proof your playback options for 4K, even if you aren't going to offer it right off the bat, or only in select formats (like Netflix.)

Unlike 4K, 8K is not going to be a final format any time soon. Most film blockbusters rarely spend the money to produce special effects at 4K, let alone higher resolutions. You might want to shoot 8K for a variety of reasons, but no one particularly seems to be pushing for it—lots of people care much more about expanded gamuts and greater color fidelity, for example. H.265 is definitely a significant piece of the puzzle for making the transition from 4K mastering to 4K exports for distribution.

 

[Moonjumper]

Hopefully a 4K Apple TV will include the new HDR standard (when the standard is finalised) that will be a part of UHD Blu-Ray and Netflix.

High Dynamic Range images seem at least as big a reason to upgrade to UHD as the higher resolution, but a good reason to hold off until more televisions are available that will support it (they look to appear en masse late this year).

 

[brianlbaker]

Today's Mac Rumors report says 4K capable

With the A8 chip and more memory and storage.

Along with an app store.

It all seems to be coming true.

 

[Pugman1943]

New ATV4 Announced

Short n sweet, read the new info from Apple itself announcing the ATV4 at WWDC. It confirms the new A8 processor and SIGNIFICANT memory improvement along with a few other goodies. Can't wait!��

 

[gugy]

More than anything, I hope the nATV is a independent box, meaning no need to have iTunes or my Mac running in order to watch or listen to my media.
I have a MacPro and I like to turn it off and it is a pain every time I am away from home my kids not able to use it since my Mac is off.
I would love the option to load all my media on a external drive and plug and play to ATV or some sort of NAS device.

 

[Alkmaarder]

...There is no way anyone is going to stream 4K video. Our internet wires would start smoking with the overload

I didn't know that the USA is so primitive when it comes to internet. Here in Europe , and the Netherlands we have sophisticated internet connections for a small monthly fee. I have full cable service plus phone and 200mbit internet for about 70 USD a month. This speed is here for almost 2 years now. I can upgrade to 500mbit/s for additional cost. Slowest speed you can get is i think 60mbit now. So What are you complaining about? And yes its not advertising , i do download a lot of stuf at at least 20MB/sec for hours without hicups!. Let the 4K come ! Bandwidth is NOT A PROBLEM! I have heard that in Internt exchanges and fir optics less than 4% of the bandwidths are used. So do not believe you crappy porviders who want to rip you off !

GO 4k ! or 8K ! So we can be hardware-prepaired!

PS: High speed internet usage tips:
- NEVER use WiFi for 'not-moving' hardware. (TV, Bluray, Tuner, GameConsole, AppleTV, Desktop, Printer, 2nd Accespoint, Phone base-station, Fridge? , Network Camera's .. ETC) Even if you use the newest ac technology you are sharing en clogging up bandwidth in the air. Just run cables and enjoy 1000mbit plus bandwidth between devices.
- ONLY use wifi for 'roving'/'moving' tech. Like Phones , Laptops , iPads. NOTHING ELSE. And you will be fine. Is safer too.

IF you do the above you get about 190mbit/s download from internet to laptop on WiFi on old school 802.11n technology. (TimeCapsule 2012) And 950mbit/s between wired objects.

 

[mic j]

Short n sweet, read the new info from Apple itself announcing the ATV4 at WWDC. It confirms the new A8 processor and SIGNIFICANT memory improvement along with a few other goodies. Can't wait!��

Where did you see anything from Apple about this?

 

[JoeShades]

Where did you see anything from Apple about this?

Steve Jobs told him

 

[ValO]

I think it will be a advanced 1080p set with high bandwith connections.
It won' t be a lot of trouble converting idevices apps for it since the iphone 6 plus has a 1080p res. And apps are already adjusted for that res.

Would love 1080p airplay mirroring instead of 720p and hope they will include a A8X soc instead of a regular A8.
That would accelerate development for more powerfull apps accross all ios devices and will make more complex games possible. In terms of power it won' t be up there with a Ps4, but defintely with a xbox360, ps 3.
And HD music, a hdmi port that supports 192 music playback and hd dts and dolby.

So:
1080p
A8x soc
1080p airplay mirroring
Same wifi capabilities as ipad air 2, mimo
Hdmi that supports hd music formats.(and itunes store for hd music)
Siri
Game controller support
16-64 gb storage
Pricerange: 129-170 us

 

[MattZani]

I'll be shocked if it can't do 4k, whether it will at launch is a different matter. 4k Netflix would be a big selling point, first separate device to offer it, people with 4k TVs without Netflix 4k support would be much more likely to buy it.

 

[Snoopy4]

With the A8 chip and more memory and storage.

Along with an app store.

It all seems to be coming true.

7.1 audio capability as well.

 

[Apple Fan 21]

How 7.1 Dolby True HD/Atmos and DTS-HD MA to go along w/ 4k? How much bandwidth would that eat up?

 

[hank moody]

How 7.1 Dolby True HD/Atmos and DTS-HD MA to go along w/ 4k? How much bandwidth would that eat up?

i want to know this too

 

[mic j]

i want to know this too

You better have FIOS or Google Fiber.

 

[Apple Fan 21]

You better have FIOS or Google Fiber.

I have Comcast and I get a constant 120+ Mbps. My Apple TV is connected via Cat 6 from my AirPort Extreme, so I'm maxing out the T-100 port on the Apple TV. So ur telling me I can't get 4k w/ lossless audio in 7.1 streaming?

 

[mic j]

I have Comcast and I get a constant 120+ Mbps. My Apple TV is connected via Cat 6 from my AirPort Extreme, so I'm maxing out the T-100 port on the Apple TV. So ur telling me I can't get 4k w/ lossless audio in 7.1 streaming?

Basically I was saying you need a high capacity service, which obviously you do.

 

[Apple Fan 21]

So what minimum speed would be needed for 4k with lossless audio? 20 Mbps?

 

[oldmacs]

It better bloody be 4K... they take 3 years to update it, so I don't want to have to wait another 4 years for 4k....

 

[xCore]

It's obviously going to be 5K like the iMac!!!!

 

[oneMadRssn]

I have Comcast and I get a constant 120+ Mbps. My Apple TV is connected via Cat 6 from my AirPort Extreme, so I'm maxing out the T-100 port on the Apple TV. So ur telling me I can't get 4k w/ lossless audio in 7.1 streaming?

Oh really? You get constant 120mbps? Is that on anything other than a speed test website?

Did you also get 120Mbps on Netflix before Netflix was strong armed into paying Comcast for preferential access.

I also bet you won't get 120Mbps from Apple, if/when they launch their streaming service that competes with Comcast's cable TV offering. Suddenly, there will be "network optimization" that prevents full speed to tomorrow's popular streaming service, whatever it may be.

It's not only about network speed.

 

[wilsonlaidlaw]

4k?

I have a Philips 49" 4K TV at my house in France but until FAP (Fibre à Poto = Fibre to the nearest telegraph pole) arrives in 2016, I would not have enough bandwidth to download a 4 K movie, which I understand have an average 50GB size. In any case that is also my monthly limit and at my current net downstream rate of 0.75 M.Bytes/s (around 6M.bits/s gross), a 50GB download would take at least 18 hours. I just keep hoping that the Blu Ray standard gets upgraded to 4K and I am hanging on to my 8 year old Panasonic B-R player, hoping the new 4K Blu-Ray players will come out soon.