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

ppc_michael said:
Incorrect as well. 1080i provides 60 lower resolution images per second, 720p provides 30 higher resolution images per second.
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Friend, come on. If we're going to talk tech here, then let's talk tech but please don't patronize me, I'm not stupid. If you're worried about the picture quality difference between a 1/30th of second and 1/60th of a second, then I never want to come over to your house to watch anything.

There is no resolution loss between 720p and 1080i. It's the same amount of information except 1080i is split in half to better capture motion which is more of a concern when actually shooting whatever is being produced than viewing it. Once shot and posted correctly you could watch 1080i shot footage on a 720p screen and not know the difference.

Now if you want to talk 1080p or correctly shot 4K footage, then we'll have something to discuss.
 
sonictonic said:
No 1080P would be asinine. Regardless how you feel about 720P vs. 1080P, many people, myself included, can absolutely see the difference when you're watching on a 50+" TV.

On top of that, the current, stale, Apple TV has support for 1080P with the latest firmware, so removing that ability for a brand new device would be a step backwards for sure. $99 for a 720P version is great, but if that's the case there needs to be a 1080P model for those who want it. I'd happily pay up to $199 for it and I know I'm not alone.
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Many people claim this yet have their viewing distance completely wrong in their HT setup. Screen size does not make a difference if you are not sitting close enough and the full difference between the two resolutions requires a sweet spot. Of course this is assuming you have good vision.
 
No 1080P? Not for me. And while Netflix isn't 1080p, they have announced their (now delayed) intentions to do so, as well as higher quality audio of 5.1 surround. This stuff has a long way to go before it will ever touch the quality of blu-ray, but it at least needs to get to 1080p (which will have far lower data rates/much higher compression than blu-ray).

In my opinion, watching 720p stream on a 50 inch plasma looks very unimpressive, especially if there is any action / motion. Throw in explosions and lots of motion on the screen (flocks of birds in Blue Planet anyone) and it gets all "blocky" from the compression.
 
ITGuy said:
You operate iTV with your iPhone, iPad, iPad touch, or Magic Trackpad.
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For the trackpad, how do you operate a trackpad if you have no cursor or UI-element highlighting? (The iOS and none of its apps has a cursor or UI-element highlighting, FrontRow and the AppleTV have UI-element hightlighting.)
The same would apply for the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, unless as I speculated, they mirror the TV monitor.
 
ppc_michael said:
That's absolutely misinformed, you do not gain resolution by "seeing" both images at the same time (you're essentially seeing line doubling this way). Nor do you gain resolution by deinterlacing, which either only blurs the fields together or, again doubles the lines. But enjoy wasting your money on 1080i devices if you're going to chastise me with your 4chan-esque "cool story bro," I'm not going to argue about it, I'm just trying to help out.



Incorrect as well. 1080i provides 60 lower resolution images per second, 720p provides 30 higher resolution images per second.
Click to expand...

Uh, this is not quite accurate. Neither is thejd correct. Assuming a proper source, 1080i is certainly 1080 resolution, not 540 or 720. Interlacing does not take away from the real resolution, it simply transfers it in a different way. Now, it can introduce combing and other artifacts, esp to viewers with "fast eyes". But it is certainly not 540 lines.

The only place 1080i and 720p are similar is bandwidth requirements. But then, so is 1080p24, the most common form of that.
 
Very excited about this. Honestly, i'll take any update to the Apple TV. Been on the fence ever since it debuted.

I also doubt the ambiguity surrounding iTV's ability to push 1080p video.

A cheaper sub $100 price tag, a dedicated App store market, and iOS are a nice sell. Can't wait.
 
lsvtecjohn3 said:
For all the people crying about 720p don't you know 720p is better than 1080i. Yes I know 1080p is better than 720p but I don't see any of you guys bitching that you can watch regular TV in 1080p.
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All my mkv's are 1080p and I enjoy it to see them in my wd tv hd live!

Sorry but for apple do this right it as to support 1080p (I think they will do that!) and various videos codecs and containers such as xvid, mkv... etc (which I think will not happen). Because they want us to buy all movies from iTunes but I prefer to buy them at newsgroups :p
 
Zunjine said:
I'll admit I don't have any official numbers for this but I'm pretty sure Apple doesn't make much money from iTunes or the App Store. The value to Apple is that these services add value to their hardware offerings which account for the vast majority of their revenue.

Everyone is doing apps for TVs now. I suppose we'll start calling them Smart TVs pretty soon. I suspect you'll control this device through your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or, as a last resort, via a desktop widget on your computer. I'd love to see a Wii remote type interface for this. Actually - that would be doable with the iPhone 4. The gyroscope could make it in to a pointer device.
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apple gets a small amount from each store, 30 cents from app and i want to say about the same from itunes
 
Arnold Rimmer said:
However, Surly our biggest concern is the fact that the CHIP we paid hundreds of dollars/pounds for that is inside our new iPhone4 CAN'T do what the old 3GS can CPU could do?
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The A4 processor in iPhone 4 is ARM Cortex-A8 based, and it is capable of 1080p video. The GPU (PowerVR SGX 535) in iPhone 4 also has no problems decoding 1080p.

Lack of 1080p support in "iTV" is a rumour -- and if it comes true then it is not a CPU/GPU limitation but a policy decision by Apple...
 
In layman's terms

$99 video device belongs to WalMart. Those who believe that they can enjoy $99 TV/DVR/whatever (at the same time arguing that they need $2K laptop) are either stupid or are fooling themselves.

Most likely, this new device is just a handicapped version of iPod Touch - Music/Video player without touch interface.
 
I have apps on my iphone, apps on my ipad , I really don't want apps on my TV too!!!
give us some good content!! not more doodle jump!!
 
JAT said:
Uh, this is not quite accurate. Neither is thejd correct. Assuming a proper source, 1080i is certainly 1080 resolution, not 540 or 720. Interlacing does not take away from the real resolution, it simply transfers it in a different way. Now, it can introduce combing and other artifacts, esp to viewers with "fast eyes". But it is certainly not 540 lines.

The only place 1080i and 720p are similar is bandwidth requirements. But then, so is 1080p24, the most common form of that.
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I'm getting at. I wrongly assumed everyone would get that we were talking about quality and performance versus bandwidth (thanks for the clarification JAT), not the actual file standards.
 
I'm not convinced Apple will release any such product, at this point.

The phasing out of the cinema display models indicates a push toward a narrower range of products offered. Many are predicting that at least one of the iPod models will be phased out, as well. Some are doubting the MacBook Air's viability.

I would predict a ditching of the Apple TV before retiring the MacBook Air or the iconic iPod Classic. A few weeks ago, I would have included the 24" and 30" cinema displays in that list.

But who knows. I admit I'm a part of the "who still watches TV?" camp, so I'm sufficiently biased.
 
Guessing Games

If you ask me, everything in the article pointed to one factor--that nobody really knows as yet what the new Apple TV device is going to be. Maybe it will be what Engadget suggests, but Apple is not known for flat abandoning existing products without notice.

Yes, I know somebody is going to bring up the Newton, but you also have to remember that Steve Jobs had nothing to do with the creation of that device in the first place. I'll grant we've not heard much new news about the existing Apple TV product, but I would expect Apple to either offer some form of upgrade path to the new product or find a way to upgrade the existing product to something close.

Personally, I like the idea of keeping a similar form factor to the original and simply giving it a new processor and bringing it to iOS. It may even be possible to retrofit the old Apple TV to the new iOS--but I wouldn't bet on it.
 
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