Next-Generation Apple TV Renamed 'iTV', Utilizes Apps, Lacks 1080p?

[BillyBobBongo]

Apple could quite easily buy the company with their huge pot of cash they've been saving up.

Comments like this annoy me, yours isn't the first in this thread by the way. Something has to be for sale before it can be bought. There are way too many people around here that throw lines like this about. Even IF it was possible it makes no sense to throw excesses of money about when you could easily use its current name. That's just a stupid way of conducting business.

 

[ValSalva]

It may not matter that an iTV can't do 1080P but that certainly won't stop blogs and the mainstream media from bashing it. It's an easy story that writes itself and requires little analysis or thinking.

iTV? I wonder if there are copyright issues in the UK with ITV the network?

 

[stefmesman]

seriously why are people comparing 720p with 1080i thats kind of stupid.

and for those saying you cant even tell the difference,

yes, but most people dont have an 13'' tv anymore either now do they? from around 32/37'' and up you can clearly see a difference. (wich i recon most people have these days) and i bet that most of the apple tv owners have one of those or larger (did i say 50''? )

if it supports 720p it should support 1080p. (progressive not interlaced) and most tv's nowadays are also progressive not interlaced

apple is innovative enough to be the first to put these Full HD streaming devices on the list.

 

[OllyW]

Comments like this annoy me, yours isn't the first in this thread by the way. Something has to be for sale before it can be bought. There are way too many people around here that throw lines like this about. Even IF it was possible it makes no sense to throw excesses of money about when you could easily use it's current name. That's just a stupid way of conducting business.

It's the standard answer thrown out on these forums whenever Apple has an issue with another company.

Regarding buying ITV, it would be a strange decision to pay around $4billion just so they could re-name a product which up to now has seen pretty lacklustre sales and been regarded by Apple as only a hobby.

 

[chadley_chad]

You realize apps means applications right? Without apps, the iPhone and iPad wouldn't be able to use anything but the functions included with them!

Dur!

Well my TV manages quite well without apps as does my DVD player and even my iMac; so whilst they work well for the iPhone and iPad, why the ****** would I want them on my TV .. may as well just buy a Playstation!!!!

 

[Esrhan]

One reason most people won't notice the difference between 720 and 1080 is because it often gets compressed for streaming/broadcast which works to equalize the two different resolutions. The other gets less compressed while the other has more resolution to compensate and you end up with two very similar signals. Having a smaller screen also works in favor of 720 in this case, because you're displaying the less compressed image.

But being a compressionist and working with digital media, I'm biased anyway!

 

[Master Chief]

"higher definition television" would 1080P, right? I dare you to see any difference between 720P and 1080P from 2.5 meters (which is the typical viewing-distance) or so. You _might_ be able to see the difference on 52"+ tv's, but even then, the difference isn't that big. It does get bigger as screen-sizes increase, but those uber-huge (60"+ or so) are quite rare. Most people have 36-46" screen, and on those screens there is no practical difference between 720P and 1080P.

Ah. I guess that's why we moved our 42-inch (Full HD) TV to the bedroom, and bought a new 50-inch HD Ready 1080p60 (600 Hz LED TV) for the living room, because it's not only about the number of vertical lines, but also about the number of frames displayed per second. And if you've seen it once, you know what I mean i.e. death to blocked views with fast action / sport content. Even visible on a much smaller, say 24-inch monitor.

In short: Don't make bogus claims when you, obviously, never seen any real HD content – and I mean real HD content – on a set supporting it, because I tell you this... you won't have made the same silly comment. No way.

Note: I like the EU labels "HD Ready" and "HD Ready 1080p", but "Full HD" is somewhat misleading [can't display all 1080p content at full res/refresh rate].

Now more about the Apple TV – currently listed under the iPod category in the Apple store – is only capable of pushing out 720p24 and thus the iPhone's 720p30 is already better, be it minimal, and that's why it won't be acceptable for many people, yet it will be an improvement to Apple.

 

[fat phil]

"iTunes doesn't support 1080p, so what's the problem?"

"Macs don't support blu-ray anyway, so what's the problem?"

(et cetera).

Anyone asking these sorts of questions should try thinking for themselves instead of just believing that every thing Steve Jobs insists is good for them, is good for them.

We're all paying the price of Apple's increasing popularity. Gone are the cutting edge features and tools, because Apple products are now mass market, and it's easier and cheaper to buy old tech in bulk than new. Why move forward when you can make even more profit by taking a few steps back?

In 2 years time they'll reveal 1080p, but they'll call it something else, like CortexVision, and The People will lap it up, because they've spent the last 2 years watching 720p on their deliberately crippled Apple branded telly.


Or...maybe The People will take one look at it and buy a PS3 instead.

 

[D'Illusion]

"iTunes doesn't support 1080p, so what's the problem?"

"Macs don't support blu-ray anyway, so what's the problem?"

Yeah, the answer to that is in the question. The problem of Macs not supporting Blu-Ray is that Macs don't support Blu-Ray. Ditto iTunes.

I wonder where Apple is heading with all this. Like you said, gone are the days of cutting edge computers. Brand new iMacs are being released with several year old GPUs, the Mac Mini still has C2D. And to top it all off they have big problems with yellow tinting and god knows what else. My GF has just sent her iPhone 4 back because the camera doesn't work. First Apple product and she had it less than 1 day.

Yet they're more popular now than ever. Can't see it lasting forever though on current form.

 

[0098386]

Indeed. People should also check the back of their PS3/360 game boxes and look at the native resolution. You'd be amazed how many of the current gen titles are actually 720p (or less).

It's quite amazing how many of these "HD" consoles are running flagship titles at SD resolutions. Call of Duty 4 is in that list.

 

[KnightWRX]

It may not matter that an iTV can't do 1080P but that certainly won't stop blogs and the mainstream media from bashing it. It's an easy story that writes itself and requires little analysis or thinking.

It's also a dumb move on the part of Apple if true. Everyone of their competitors does 1080p. People buy 1080p sets. To limit these people to 1080i or 720p will only serve to relegate iTV or AppleTV to the status it has now : A big fail.

It's quite amazing how many of these "HD" consoles are running flagship titles at SD resolutions. Call of Duty 4 is in that list.

Call of Duty 4 is an old game, and it runs at 720p by default. But you can run it at 1080p. That is for the PS3 version, don't know about that other console.

 

[gnasher729]

They would have to put a big disclaimer sticker on the box. Otherwise you'll have non-techy consumers kicking up a fuss because they can't find Emmerdale and Corrie on the new itv box they've just bought.

What about the complete archives of Emmerdale and Corrie on iTunes for £0.99 a shot, for the terminally sad?

 

[SeaFox]

Yep, I rent from AppleTV all the time instead of renting bluray and having to fiddle with a disc.

You only have to fiddle with one disc for an entire movie, unless you do nothing but watch movies all day that's what, once or twice a day?

1080p will be in next year's model anyway right?

ROFLMAO.

Isn't this exactly what people were saying when the TV first came out? "It's still an 'experimental' product..." "It's a 'hobby' for Apple..." "The next one will be more powerful and do 1080p...." "The second version will have HDMI..."

How long will you apologists continue to make excuses for Apple?

1080p is a bag of hurt.

Why?

Ignore him. He's just repeating Steve Jobs ("BluRay licensing is a bag of hurt") because he lacks any thoughts of his own.

 

[3583582]

Call of Duty 4 is an old game, and it runs at 720p by default. But you can run it at 1080p. That is for the PS3 version, don't know about that other console.

Very few, actually so few that you can count them with your fingers, on this generations games use 1080p. It's not that uncommon that they even actually use lower than 720p (more common than using higher). CoD4 is running on 720p but the console can scale it up to 1080p. A big difference from native 1080p though..

 

[ipedro]

iTV copyright solution

I know Apple would prefer consistency but if they think that the iTV name will better fit within the iOS device naming convention, they should call it that but keep it AppleTV in the UK where the name is a copyright of the tv network. Simple.

People will still call it iTV for short in the UK and that's not infringing on copyright laws, as long as Apple doesn't use it officially on UK sold boxes and marketing.

 

[matteo2005]

Call of Duty 4 is an old game, and it runs at 720p by default. But you can run it at 1080p. That is for the PS3 version, don't know about that other console.

Its important to note that in fact call of duty 4 runs natively (eg the game engine incl. textures) at a resolution of 600p or 800x600 on both consoles (i know cause i have both ) the console its self upscales the video signal using a dedicated upscaler to a 720p or 1080p signal as required.

The only games at the present time to natively run at 720p is Capcoms Dead Rising and Assassins Creed 1 & 2 amongst a few others.

 

[Nero3000]

Im sorry but this is a farce.

All those people who are saying that 720p is good enough are probably the same people who were gushing over the "Retina" screen on the iPhone 4.

For me 1080p is a must, and DLNA. Although DLNA is something i would never expect to see.

 

[matteo2005]

to add DLNA i can see the new Apple TV (iTV) being jailbroken but a problem with this is probably again with the added processing power Apple will probably add some overpowered hypervisor like in the xbox and ps3 to counteract jailbreaking

 

[RubbishBBspeed]

If it doesn't allow me to burn my (yes I will have paid for them, so I will have downloaded them, so i will own them).

If it doesn't allow me then it can suck off.

 

[NightFox]

They can't call it itv
Itv is a tv channel in the UK

And as it doesn't actually include a TV terrestrial or satellite tuner they should name it for what it is.

I suggest iPlayer.

 

[bergmef]

You only have to fiddle with one disc for an entire movie, unless you do nothing but watch movies all day that's what, once or twice a day?

ROFLMAO.

Isn't this exactly what people were saying when the TV first came out? "It's still an 'experimental' product..." "It's a 'hobby' for Apple..." "The next one will be more powerful and do 1080p...." "The second version will have HDMI..."

How long will you apologists continue to make excuses for Apple?



Ignore him. He's just repeating Steve Jobs ("BluRay licensing is a bag of hurt") because he lacks any thoughts of his own.

My apple tv has hdmi ... did they ever make on without? I've had mine for a bunch of years.

 

[D'Illusion]

It is funny how many people think the name of a tv station on a tiny little island is going to have an impact on what Apple names the device.

Apple may just name it "Great Britain" if they feel like.

Not nearly as funny as this post.

 

[ajzman]

First no Blu-ray and now 720p....??

This is insane. Can't believe they're gonna release a TV product in 2010 (!) which only supports 720?? Is this for real or is it a bad joke...?

And I'm so dissapointed in Apple/Jobs not supporting Blu-ray at all!? Sure, I know they want people to "stream the movies from iTunes" and convince everyone that "720p is enough for the majority of people" yadayadayada, but hey, I live in Sweden and our version of iTunes is not offering us ANY movies in HD! How about that Mr Jobs??

Instead I have appx 120 Blu-ray discs which i enjoy playing on my PS3 and Pioneer 500 KRP-M plasma (yes, in 1080p), but it would be really nice to at least be given the opportunity to have a new iMac 27" in our bedroom which is also offering to play these movies! But I guess that won't be happening anywhere soon... sigh

 

[RubbishBBspeed]

And as it doesn't actually include a TV terrestrial or satellite tuner they should name it for what it is.

I suggest iPlayer.

iPlayer has been taken by the BBC for the last number of years.

Looks like Apple have lost out to blighty companies Both ITV Independent Television www.itv.com and The BBC British Broadcasting Corporation www.bbc.com/iplayer have Apple stuffed on this one.

 

[OllyW]

iPlayer has been taken by the BBC for the last number of years.

I think you failed to spot his