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AppleTV 1080p.. Any Rumors?

raquiros

raquiros

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 20, 2008
88
0
I was very close to buy an AppleTV box for downloading movies on HD, however I got dissapointed when I noticed that it does not provides 1080p resolution and just 720p and 1080i upscaling, depending on the setup and the TV you're using...

I think Apple is getting late on the release of a new box with this support... have you heard any rumors or plans for a new release with new features such as Full HD and subtitles on all the movies... etc?

Thanks in advance,

-rq
 
I get a 1080p setting on my Apple TV - I thought it was now able to do 1080p.
 
Really?? Well that's good news for me now...

However, the Apple website says that the maximum output is 1280x720.... chech the following link under Movie Rentals:

http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html

My guessing now is that the AppleTV is indeed capable of 1080p, but not the movie rentals...
 
I can barely notice a difference between 720p & 1080p on a 52" HD screen..

I don't mind lack of 1080p movies.
 
I don't expect to see native 1080p for about a year. Apple just launched HD at 720, and only for rent, not purchase yet. 1080p will take up much more bandwidth and space, so maybe it will be next year some time at the earliest. 1080p would be nice but the Apple TV needs improvements in other areas first in my opinion.

(1) A far better Photo program that allows browsing and searching of photos
(2) support for 720p @ 30fps
(3) quicker menu response (especially with Music Video's and Genre's)
(4) Chapter Marker Selection Menu
(5) Folder style menu for TV shows (like music has)
(6) iPhone/iPod Touch as a remote control
(7) enable the iPhone/iPod to be used a source for media
(8) some widgets

When they do finally update the hardware, they need to do two major things:

(1) use the Wii style Apple Remote in their recent patent or have a touch screen remote
(2) implement a DVR option Apple TV, (also from the patents) that has dubbing to iTunes and iPods plus remote access to input recordings

1080p support should be in there as well, but I do not think it is as big of a necessity as these other features.
 
raquiros said:
However, the Apple website says that the maximum output is 1280x720....
Click to expand...

You're confusing input with output.

The maximum resolution of the Apple TV video output to a television is 1080p.

The maximum resolution of a source file is 1280x720 @24fps.

If your output resolution is set higher than 1280x720, the Apple TV will upscale for you. There is no benefit to doing this unless your TV has a poor upscaler.

A.
 
I'd kill for the functionality of being able to use an ipod touch as a touchscreen remote (over wifi) for an apple tv... that would be fantastic...

On topic, as mentioned above, you can output at 1080p, but your source is limited to 720.

Not sure on pictures though - it may (anyone know for sure?) show those at full res.
 
raquiros said:
I was very close to buy an AppleTV box for downloading movies on HD, however I got dissapointed when I noticed that it does not provides 1080p resolution and just 720p and 1080i upscaling, depending on the setup and the TV you're using...

I think Apple is getting late on the release of a new box with this support... have you heard any rumors or plans for a new release with new features such as Full HD and subtitles on all the movies... etc?

Thanks in advance,

-rq
Click to expand...

It does not provide for video content that is greater than 720p. While the box has settings for 1080p, this is a setting for its internal menus, etc. At no time can it output > 720p (and I believe that's at 24 fps) for video/movies/TV shows.

There are many issues with supporting > 720p, not the least of which is the number of pixels you're streaming. If my math is reasonable, 1080p is 4 x the number of pixel as 720p. Who (i.e.: what ISP) is going to have that sized pipe besides Verizon (optical)?

Warners in Texas is capping its customers, and Comcast is about to do the same, so streaming > 1 GB per day will be impossible without incurring extra charges.

While I intellectually understand the desire for 1080p (and owning a 1080p HDTV set myself), I can only say that, if you are needing 1080p, buy yourself some Blu-ray delivery device and leave the Apple TV alone.

Frankly, I am more than amazed that Apple managed to stream 720p for HD rentals. Not a trivial task, and a considerable data stream.
 
MikieMikie said:
Warners in Texas is capping its customers, and Comcast is about to do the same, so streaming > 1 GB per day will be impossible without incurring extra charges
Click to expand...

You said this, but I could not find any indication that Comcast is capping their customers a la Time Warner.

A.
 
Alrescha said:
You said this, but I could not find any indication that Comcast is capping their customers a la Time Warner.

A.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my mistake. Comcast is now capping their customers... and Warner Cable's cap limits preclude using iTunes rental services as one movie incurs a download surcharge.

I don't see how they can't. They are fighting for revenue, and the push-back is inevitable. The more bandwidth and download access they provide, the more their own PPV services must suffer (I assume).

It is for this reason that Apple TV will have a hard time going to 1080p, assuming it's even physically reasonable (the product delivered must be perceived as close to Blu-ray, no?). Again, I ask the fundamental question: Who is going to provide the bandwidth?
 
zedsdead said:
I don't expect to see native 1080p for about a year. Apple just launched HD at 720, and only for rent, not purchase yet. 1080p will take up much more bandwidth and space, so maybe it will be next year some time at the earliest. 1080p would be nice but the Apple TV needs improvements in other areas first in my opinion.

(1) A far better Photo program that allows browsing and searching of photos
(2) support for 720p @ 30fps
(3) quicker menu response (especially with Music Video's and Genre's)
(4) Chapter Marker Selection Menu
(5) Folder style menu for TV shows (like music has)
(6) iPhone/iPod Touch as a remote control
(7) enable the iPhone/iPod to be used a source for media
(8) some widgets

When they do finally update the hardware, they need to do two major things:

(1) use the Wii style Apple Remote in their recent patent or have a touch screen remote
(2) implement a DVR option Apple TV, (also from the patents) that has dubbing to iTunes and iPods plus remote access to input recordings

1080p support should be in there as well, but I do not think it is as big of a necessity as these other features.
Click to expand...

As you said, there are a bazillion other things needed before 1080p video. In fact, no cable or satellite company broadcasts in 1080p, likely due to bandwidth. As someone else said, if you want 1080p, get yerself a Blu-ray Disc player.

I have found that the remote is the first thing that needs to be totally redone. There just isn't enough control ability through it. Using an iPhone or iPod Touch is great, but they need something that comes with the unit. I would guess a small touch device, but heck if I know.

Video playlists and repeat/shuffle settings EVERYWHERE (something effin' CD players did 20+ years ago) need to be addressed like a motha. Add that feature and I probably buy another instantly. Until then, it's not too much better than a DVD player.
 
MikieMikie said:
Sorry, my mistake. Comcast is now capping their customers... and Warner Cable's cap limits preclude using iTunes rental services as one movie incurs a download surcharge.

I don't see how they can't. They are fighting for revenue, and the push-back is inevitable. The more bandwidth and download access they provide, the more their own PPV services must suffer (I assume).

It is for this reason that Apple TV will have a hard time going to 1080p, assuming it's even physically reasonable (the product delivered must be perceived as close to Blu-ray, no?). Again, I ask the fundamental question: Who is going to provide the bandwidth?
Click to expand...

that comcast letter is from 2003? Any newer evidence that this practice is going on? I stream tons of files with no problems what so ever...
 
Thank you all for the information.... I didn't know the AppleTV box provided 1080p for output, however I don't see the value of having 1080p in output if the input is limited to 720p, I understand the bandwidth limitations.... I deal with it everyday as a netowrk specialist who works on design with ISPs, there are many many interesting proyects we're working on for triple and quad play sevices with HD-TV (1080p) such as better compression at the CORE level with newer encoders,... however I don't see Apple getting into it right now...

As someone else said in a previous post I think I will rather to buy a Blu-Ray Player :)

Thanks again...
 
raquiros said:
Thank you all for the information.... I didn't know the AppleTV box provided 1080p for output, however I don't see the value of having 1080p in output if the input is limited to 720p, I understand the bandwidth limitations.... I deal with it everyday as a netowrk specialist who works on design with ISPs, there are many many interesting proyects we're working on for triple and quad play sevices with HD-TV (1080p) such as better compression at the CORE level with newer encoders,... however I don't see Apple getting into it right now...

As someone else said in a previous post I think I will rather to buy a Blu-Ray Player :)

Thanks again...
Click to expand...

One reason it can output 1080p is home video. There are a lot of 1080p camcorders available, many for under $1,000, so I assume that's the reason. There aren't many Blu-ray Disc burners for Mac (one or two external that cost too much) so that's one way you can show your own videos.
 
Cave Man said:
There are a lot of things the PS3 cannot do besides movie rentals when compared to the Apple TV (and vice versa).
Click to expand...

But there is more it can do right out of the box and having optical media is a big plus. The PS3 offers much more value for money when compared to the AppleTV.
 
wcmedic said:
that comcast letter is from 2003? Any newer evidence that this practice is going on? I stream tons of files with no problems what so ever...
Click to expand...

Just type "Comcast Cap" in google.

Here's one

I am not now, nor was I ever, saying that your ISP, no matter who that is, is going to cap your downloads. I was simply making a point re: the bandwidth needed for 1080p streaming, and warning that capping is happening by Warner and is about to happen by Comcast.

My message is simple (since I seem to be simple myself): Wake up.
 
Maybe it's time for an Apple-run ISP. And I have the perfect name for it...

iSP
 
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