4k lol. A large percentage of consumers still buy fancy whiz-bang HDTVs, hook them up, then promptly switch to a local cable access channel and crow to their friends and family about their "awesome looking new high definition picture." 
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Production of Faster Apple TV 5 Rumored to Begin in Early 2016
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Allow me to quote myself, since you're wrong, and those aren't scientific anythings.
So yes. There is a difference. And there is no scientific fact, there's a scaling change in noticeable differences. Reading something on a chart without actually understanding the chart or the text put with it, doesn't make something fact. It means you didn't read it and understand the critical message it conveyed.
Sounds more like you're trying to talk yourself into believing that. Apple is putting forth quite a bit of attention to the TV and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the 4K version is right around the corner in 2016.
I'll never forget in November before Macworld that Apple introduced the new 1.9GHZ iMac G5. Then in January they introduced the new Intel iMac that was 2-3x faster than the model they introduced in November. Yeah, it annoyed a few people but that's how the computer industry is. Just because they have a past track record of slow releases on some products doesn't mean that's how their future will continue to be.
Well - I am basing it on the folks on the forum saying - no 4k - no sale - there is a segment of the market that want it even if they cannot use it - for no other reason than future proofing their purchase.
The input on the new Apple TV reminds me of those classic arcade games when you had to scroll through the letters to enter your three letter high score name.
I'm satisfied with my previous generation apple TV, but even with it you can't input Japanese characters without using the iOS remote app.
Given the input on the new gen and Siri in Japanese is far from great on my iPhone, there's no way I'll get the new gen and this rumored one until Apple does something with the input method.
I'm satisfied with my previous generation apple TV, but even with it you can't input Japanese characters without using the iOS remote app.
Given the input on the new gen and Siri in Japanese is far from great on my iPhone, there's no way I'll get the new gen and this rumored one until Apple does something with the input method.
Well, once I'd set up (and I found sweeping the alphabet quicker than the grid) I love the remote. Hope that they develop a new remote app for this soon, but that is an extra, not a launch window essential ( the original remote app didn't appear until well after I'd bought my first Apple TV).
The product does not feel rushed, and the almost daily influx of new apps and games makes this my most exciting Apple product. While the fourth version of the Apple TV, the new platform seems stable, and the announcements of app development by major distributors is heartening. Between iTunes, Plex, showtime and Netflix, I have all I need and the interface and responsiveness is a huge step up from appleTV 3.
If you're saying the updating a product renders the current iteration 'rushed to market', then you have little understanding of product development. This is a great product. So many people commenting who don't own one in this thread.
Additionally, this 'rumour' comes from one of least reliable sources out there. Of course the next model is in development, alongside the new iMac, iPad pro 2, iPad mini 5, new MacBooks. And once they are released (if not sooner) the next versions will be in the drawing board. And when each is released, the previous version will continue working just as well as before.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
SD content still outnumbers 1080p content by a huge factor too. So, apparently, we shouldn't embrace 1080p either?
The old & established "now" will always FAR outnumber the new & upcoming "future":
- Isn't there many more iPhones that are not 6s in use than 6s? So we shouldn't embrace iPhone 6s until everyone else is on that bandwagon?
- Isn't there many more Macs not with Skylake, so we shouldn't embrace Macs with Skylake?
- Isn't there far, FAR more Windows-based computers in play than OS-X based computers? So we shouldn't embrace OS-X based computers?
- Isn't there many more iPhones that don't have Apple Pay capabilities than those that do? So we shouldn't embrace Apple Pay?
- Traditional watches vs. Apple watch?
- Touch ID?
- 3D Touch?
- 1080p at 60fps?
- iPad Pro?
All this is irrelevant. Apple needs to be able to have a selling point for the next model. It's 4k.
Why wouldn't they support it? It's not like the hardware can't run it.
That has been going on forever and ever. Apple apparently doesn't care about home share movies and can't be bothered to fix it. Their focus is on expensive iTunes downloads that no one buys anymore.
Serious Question:
Do you think this device, in Apple's mind will gradually grown into Apple's home games (entertainment) console/device?
Apple do not wish to get into a fight with the BIG BOYS when it comes to consoles, which is a DAM SHAME.........
But putting that aside. Do you feel they may try and quietly slip in and grab some low end market gaming share with this device in the future.
Do you think this device, in Apple's mind will gradually grown into Apple's home games (entertainment) console/device?
Apple do not wish to get into a fight with the BIG BOYS when it comes to consoles, which is a DAM SHAME.........
But putting that aside. Do you feel they may try and quietly slip in and grab some low end market gaming share with this device in the future.
I just bought ATV4 and it runs smooth for a while but eventually it's gets sluggish, ie. when browsing the apps / channels, etc. so I have to reboot it on occasion to make it smooth again. And I do not play games on it. WTF is going on? I sure hope the next software update addresses this. Don't tell me I have to buy next year's model if I want smooth operation!!
The differences between the iPad 3 and 4 were big enough that a lot of customers were a tad annoyed , one thing dealing with it another thing being shafted by apple , especially without warning after just a few months
From what distance do you view your 40" 4K Samsung TV?
Adoption Of 4K Streaming Will Be Stalled By Bandwidth, Not Hardware & Devices http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2015/01/4k-streaming-bandwidth-problem.html
"With all the talk of 4K that took place at CES, some within the industry are making statements and assumptions about 4K streaming bitrates that simply aren’t accurate. Many are under the impression that 4K streaming will soon be delivered at around 10-12Mbps using HEVC and are also quoting data from Akamai incorrectly. If you look at the HEVC testing that guys like Jan Ozer and Alex Zambelli have done, and look at the data Netflix has presented around their 4K encoding (Netflix’s current bitrate for 4K is 15.6Mbps), the bitrates won’t get down to 10-12Mbps anytime soon.
The reality is that true 4K streaming can’t take place at even 12-15Mbps unless there is a 40% efficiency in encoding going from H.264 to HEVC and the content is 24/30 fps, not 60 fps. Netflix has stated they expect HEVC to provide a 20-30% encoding efficiency vs H.264, within two years. That’s a long way away from the 40% required to get bitrates down to 12-15Mbps. While 4K can in theory be compressed at 10-12Mbps, this is typically achieved by reducing the frame rate or sacrificing quality. As Encoding.com points out, to date, “most of the HEVC we’ve seen in the market is heavily noise-reduced with high frequency details blurred out to fake the 40% efficiency”. The optimal bandwidth for high quality 4K is higher than 20Mbps.
With Netflix already encoding 4K content at 15.6Mbps today, and with the expertise they have in encoding and the money they spend on bandwidth, they will get the bitrate lower over time. Some observers think it might go down to 10-12Mbps, but that would only be possible down the road and at 24/30 fps, not 60 fps. If you want 60 fps, it’s going to be even higher. But even if we use the 10-12Mbps number, no ISP can sustain it, at scale. So while everyone wants to talk about compression rates, and bitrates, no one is talking about what the last mile can support or how content owners are going to pay to deliver all the additional bits. The bottom line is that for the next few years at least, 4K streaming will be near impossible to deliver at scale, even at 10-12Mbps, via the cloud with guaranteed QoS."
I have seen 4K HDR on my 930C via Amazon/Netflix and it's a great experience! Hopefully, Apple will embrace 4K tech with their new version of Apple TV so I can move to one platform without the fragmentation that now exist. I want one box that does everything.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
They are the same old arguments. Use the thread history to look up phrases like "720p is good enough" and re-read some of that from before there was an
TV3. Often the words are nearly identical, only swapping in 4K for 1080p.Personally, I don't fault anyone for feeling that "1080p is good enough" (I think it's great myself). What I do fault is such passionate arguments against something that would really have no effect on anyone who feels that way (they wouldn't have to buy or download anything different than they do now if Apple rolled out a 4K version) but these same people won't be back to rail against Apple when they roll out a 4K
TV. In short, apparently all this anti-4K sentiment only applies BEFORE Apple has a 4K TV product. After they roll one out, all this will stop... until the 8K rumors start building up and then we'll dust it all off again (update "the chart"), rinse & repeat.It seems to me that if one can passionately argue it's uselessness now, it should be the same after Apple adopts it (and we all know they will). But I just never see that here. Our fellow consumers and Apple enthusiasts are stupid if they want anything not for sale by Apple right now... but Apple is not stupid when they then embrace that very same thing. This was exactly how it went down before and after Apple rolled out the "3". Same with NFC, bigger-screen phones and on and on.
The same was said about current HD content when it emerged but consumer interest forced most ISPs to upgrade their infrastructure to remain competitive. ISPs that impose data caps today will eventually suffer consumer backlash when those caps compromise progress.
Apple needs to jump on the 4K bandwagon and not because 4K necessarily looks any better to lots of people; I agree that most people won't see the difference unless you're talking about HDR maybe and a quality 4K source. It's about brand perception. It's a feature their competitors support and that they don't. It makes them look behind the times. Even my wife said this, who doesn't know anything about technology and can barely tell the difference between SD and HD let alone 1080p and 4K. Her reaction when the AppleTV 4 came out was "why would Apple release this if it doesn't support 4K?" and she's not the only one.
Just walk into any electronics store and it's all about 4K now, even though lots of people won't see the difference. Do you honestly think a salesperson is going to tell the average customer "don't worry about the fact that the AppleTV doesn't support 4K because you can't tell the difference?". Of course not. The customer is going to want a 4K device to go with their shiny new 4K TV they're buying. Thus, salespeople will push 4K capable devices.
I'm not sure why people are so against AppleTV supporting 4K. Nobody's criticizing your 1080p TV nor is anybody forcing you to upgrade to 4K if you don't want to.
Just walk into any electronics store and it's all about 4K now, even though lots of people won't see the difference. Do you honestly think a salesperson is going to tell the average customer "don't worry about the fact that the AppleTV doesn't support 4K because you can't tell the difference?". Of course not. The customer is going to want a 4K device to go with their shiny new 4K TV they're buying. Thus, salespeople will push 4K capable devices.
I'm not sure why people are so against AppleTV supporting 4K. Nobody's criticizing your 1080p TV nor is anybody forcing you to upgrade to 4K if you don't want to.
But you haven't found out anything of the sort. You're being made angry by a rumour from one of the weakest sources available. This is a deliberate attempt to damage Christmas sales of the Apple TV.
The only reasons I think a new Apple TV would be released so soon:
TSMC is scaling back on 20nm chip line and it might be the same or cheaper to use A9 chips
Apple is serious about Apple TV gaming and releases a gaming A9X edition with included controller
They include h265 but not because of 4k but to shrink the file size of 1080p
I got the 32GB target deal, so I'd just give it to my folks and buy the new one
TSMC is scaling back on 20nm chip line and it might be the same or cheaper to use A9 chips
Apple is serious about Apple TV gaming and releases a gaming A9X edition with included controller
They include h265 but not because of 4k but to shrink the file size of 1080p
I got the 32GB target deal, so I'd just give it to my folks and buy the new one
And of course you are right. Apple already supports 4K in just about everything else. It doesn't make sense for their most important product being able to shoot 4K and not have an Apple "just works" way to play that iPhone 4K on a 4K TV. As is, iPhone shoots 4K, Apple products like iMovie and FCPX can edit and render a perfected 4K video Quicktime file, iTunes will store that file just like it stores any other video file. All someone with a 4K TV needs is a 4K
Since usually such posts are attacked by the anti-4K crowd, I'll remind everyone that an
The "but the bandwidth" crowd wouldn't be forced to download only 4K video; just as they do now, they could choose either the 1080p, 720p or SD file option in iTunes.
The "seating distance" crowd would not need to change their seating distance because nothing at all would have to change for them.
The "but games will have more judder" crowd is only right if the game developers choose to target the full 4K rather than target 1080p or 720p if their games are too demanding to avoid judder when rendered for full 4K resolution (if the developers target the right resolution for the demands of their game; a 4K TV will just upscale their 1080p or 720p target... just like 4K TVs upscale a 1080p or 720p movie now).
And the "until there's lots of 4K content for
While I just bought the "4" I look forward to the "5" even if it would launch 15 days after my purchase date (so I couldn't return the "4"). But my own launch guess is next Fall at the earliest, with- or right after- iPads inherit the ability to shoot 4K video.
The anti-4k crowd are jus luddites trying hard to justify their non-4k TVs. Pathetic.
And I say this as someone who has a 720p TV. Can't wait to upgrade to a giant 4k.