IMHO, the best plan would be hybrid of both. A subscription would give you unlimited streamed 480p content. Then if you really like something you saw, you'd be able to buy an HD version for archiving for $1.
Okay, stop.... you make it sound like only Disney is having issues with this... Sony (if I'm not mistaken their titles have already been pulled or is that really OLD news that has since been cleared up?), Warner and I'm quite sure the rest are also doing this best to put pressure on Starz and/or Netflix perhaps both to ensure they too get their fair share of the fees Netflix charges for streaming.
If you think Netflix Streaming is going to GROW and/or stay the same price as it is today you're in for a rude awakening I'm afraid. It's a great big ole MONEY GRAB and everyone is trying their best to snatch up however much they can.
And it's NOT just the movie studios... ABC, NBC, CBS. FOX, etc they have all provided their channels to cable at no cost and now ... due to FCC changes maybe ... are ALL socking it to the cable systems especially in the major metropolitan areas...
Cablevision 3M subscribers in NY, NJ and CT (pa?) just got sucker into paying ABC 40 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR for the ability to transmit their networks programming. Yea if you do the math it comes to what $1.00 per subscriber per month... yet you gotta know that we subscribers are gonna PAY and somehow I just know it's gonna be more than a buck more a month.
Time Warner is dealing with similar issues and I'm sure comcast is too...
Just wait till people start pulling the plug and calling it quits... TV just doesn't have the DRAW and HOLD over the US public like it did 10 or 20 years ago.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
How do you explain the great success TV seasons have been on DVD? It's a very popular purchase and while I do own tons of shows (mostly scifi shows) I don't usually go back to them and yet am still drawn and completing my various show collections... "Completist Syndrome" is a big part of it I'd bet...
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
Who said anything about seasons? I have mostly a few episodes here and there of many shows. Only the ones that I really like and I do go back and re-watch them. One batch of episodes I re-watch every year. Although I do own the complete series of some 60s sitcoms that I grew up with. Purchasing only the episodes I want at $1 each would be so much more cost-effective than buying DVD box sets, especially considering most shows today don't appeal to me. Even with what I consider the best show on the air today, The Big Bang Theory, I only keep the best five or so episodes per season. Other shows I've watched since their inception like 24, Heroes and Lost just dropped off my radar as soon as I missed an episode this year, that's how uninvolving they've been.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spliff monkey
4-5 hours of tv a night? You watch too much tv IMHO.
I used to be like that. But TV is just so bad nowadays that I've fallen to less than an hour a day, and that includes the evening news.
If I could be bothered to spend the time, I'd have no qualms about pulling the TV show of the Torrents (on the basis that I've already paid for it with my Sky subscription -- I always skip through the ads).
If the TV shows were cheaper, I'd buy more. They're too bloody expensive at the moment, anyway.
They do have a new model. It's called taking the shows off of cable unless the cable companies give them more money. And when they pull the content, Congress steps in and forces the cable companies to pay more.
That means we pay more. Not to mention there were never supposed to be ads on cable anyway, that's why you pay the monthly subscription. Just 2-13 was supposed to have them (the broadcast stations.)
Even $0.99 per episode is too much. That's $16 a season. The cable companies are paying roughly $1.50-$2.00 per subscriber for a network (like ABC has Disney, ESPN, etc. and Scripps was Food Network and HGTV.....about $40million per year), not just a show--according to Cablevision's anti-Scripps ads. Both ABC and Scripps were looking for 100% and 20% increases in their payments from Cablevision, respectively.
IMO, they cannot change this model to a pay per show model. It's too cumbersome. A network based subscription would be smarter. For example, put ESPN up on iTunes for the year at $50. Put ABC (and the others) on there for $30 year. If they only get $2 on average per subscriber on the cable networks, that's $24 a year per subscriber. So put the networks on for that price, and let people really show them how they are interested in their programming. I know I'd pay four networks- Food Network, Nick Jr, ESPN and Fox. That's it. I pay $40 a month for that now, might as well cut it to $140 a year. Leave all the commercials and everything in tact, I say, just change it to an internet stream instead of a cable box stream.
The per show thing is total BS and a complete ripoff. They have never gotten these ludicrous prices for their content, why let them start now?
The iPad is 1024:768, a 4:3 aspect ratio. 720P HD is 1280:720 (256 pixels wider than the iPad), a 16:9 aspect ratio. Thus the iPad can't handle HD properly. Thus NOT proper HD. Please get your facts straight.
Hmm...this topic again.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
When NHK first developed the HD spec there were two key criteria:
The display resolution has sufficient pixel density that a person with 20/20 vision would no longer see pixel structure. This is 60 pixels per degree (PPD) based on human visual acuity.
The display size was sufficiently large to provide the same immersive effects of cinema. This was determined to be 30 degrees of horizontal viewing angle (HVA). This is known as the induction effect. [1]
FACT: To get 30 degrees HVA at 60 PPD for the "true" HD effect you need a minimum of 1080p resolution.
This is roughly equivalent to sitting in the furthest seat in a movie theater that meets SMPTE or THX specs. More is better unless you like sitting way in back but no mainstream home theater product does this.
720p is part of the HD spec, is considered HD but doesn't actually meet the original objectives of replicating the high def theater experience in the home (aka "home theater").
Opinion: What this means on a practical level is any display that isn't at least 1080p is simply some level of compromise to the minimal requirements for high def viewing.
Analysis: iPad and meeting the high def movie experience
Assuming 1024 horizontal and a 1 ft viewing distance it comes out to:
23.97 pixels per degree for 2.39:1 movies
25.13 pixels per degree for 1.85:1 movies
25.37 pixels per degree for 1.78:1 (16:9) movies.
To get 60 PPD (aka full HD) density you need to sit 2.37 feet away (16:9)
To get the 30 degrees HVA you need to sit no more than 1.31 feet away.
Like all other displays that does not meet the 1080p resolution the iPad cannot meet both 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA. This includes 720p HDTVs and any other 720p class slate.
PROBABLE FACT: There are no currently produced or announced 10" slates that can natively reproduce "real" HD at 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA.
I say probable because while I'm not even sure anyone mass produces a 10" panel that is 1920x1080 res or higher and I would have remembered anyone spec'ing a natively 1080p slate at CES this year (there are some that output 1080p but not natively show it) I'm not 100% certain.
If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me but at best I'm saying no 10" slate does better than slightly higher than 720p at 1366x768. And those are probably 11.1" panels.
Factoid: Most folks sit about 8+ feet from a 50" 1080p TV which results in a 14.55 degree HVA at 73 PPD.
I would list this as a fact except I can't find the damn study again to list as a reference. This article says 10' but there was an Italian study by one of their major national TV stations that stated around 8'. It'll vary by country (and the average home size in that country) but 8' is what I recall to be on the lower end of the spectrum.
Anything above 60 PPD you can't generally see unless your vision is above 20/20. This is NOT HD because you're sitting too far away to get the induction effect. Most folks with HDTVs are missing out on the real home theater experience.
Remember that to get 60 PPD you need to be 2.37 feet from the iPad. The HVA at that distance is 16.91 degrees at 60 PPD. 16.91 is bigger than 14.55.
CONCLUSION: At the optimal 2.37 foot viewing distance for the iPad it appears larger than a 50" 1080p HDTV at the normal 8+ foot TV viewing distance and has the same usable resolution for people with 20/20 vision.
There is some debate on whether 60PPD is a sufficient minimum for 20/20 vision but that's the current spec.
Those are the facts, probable facts and the analysis based on that data. For all intents and purposes the iPad is what most folks consider to be a HD experience. That most folks aren't really getting a HD experience is something only videophiles bicker (or snicker) about.
It's the typical amount most people in the US watch after they come home from work, it's a lot more on the weekends of course, the kids watching cartoons etc. all morning.
Perhaps in other countries the quality and quantity of shows isn't all that great, which leads people to do other things or perhaps they have to work more when they get home because people don't have things like like wash machines, dishwashers, robovac's etc.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
When NHK first developed the HD spec there were two key criteria:
The display resolution has sufficient pixel density that a person with 20/20 vision would no longer see pixel structure. This is 60 pixels per degree (PPD) based on human visual acuity.
The display size was sufficiently large to provide the same immersive effects of cinema. This was determined to be 30 degrees of horizontal viewing angle (HVA). This is known as the induction effect. [1]
FACT: To get 30 degrees HVA at 60 PPD for the "true" HD effect you need a minimum of 1080p resolution.
This is roughly equivalent to sitting in the furthest seat in a movie theater that meets SMPTE or THX specs. More is better unless you like sitting way in back but no mainstream home theater product does this.
720p is part of the HD spec, is considered HD but doesn't actually meet the original objectives of replicating the high def theater experience in the home (aka "home theater").
Opinion: What this means on a practical level is any display that isn't at least 1080p is simply some level of compromise to the minimal requirements for high def viewing.
Analysis: iPad and meeting the high def movie experience
Assuming 1024 horizontal and a 1 ft viewing distance it comes out to:
23.97 pixels per degree for 2.39:1 movies
25.13 pixels per degree for 1.85:1 movies
25.37 pixels per degree for 1.78:1 (16:9) movies.
To get 60 PPD (aka full HD) density you need to sit 2.37 feet away (16:9)
To get the 30 degrees HVA you need to sit no more than 1.31 feet away.
Like all other displays that does not meet the 1080p resolution the iPad cannot meet both 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA. This includes 720p HDTVs and any other 720p class slate.
PROBABLE FACT: There are no currently produced or announced 10" slates that can natively reproduce "real" HD at 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA.
I say probable because while I'm not even sure anyone mass produces a 10" panel that is 1920x1080 res or higher and I would have remembered anyone spec'ing a natively 1080p slate at CES this year (there are some that output 1080p but not natively show it) I'm not 100% certain.
If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me but at best I'm saying no 10" slate does better than slightly higher than 720p at 1366x768. And those are probably 11.1" panels.
Factoid: Most folks sit about 8+ feet from a 50" 1080p TV which results in a 14.55 degree HVA at 73 PPD.
I would list this as a fact except I can't find the damn study again to list as a reference. This article says 10' but there was an Italian study by one of their major national TV stations that stated around 8'. It'll vary by country (and the average home size in that country) but 8' is what I recall to be on the lower end of the spectrum.
Anything above 60 PPD you can't generally see unless your vision is above 20/20. This is NOT HD because you're sitting too far away to get the induction effect. Most folks with HDTVs are missing out on the real home theater experience.
Remember that to get 60 PPD you need to be 2.37 feet from the iPad. The HVA at that distance is 16.91 degrees at 60 PPD. 16.91 is bigger than 14.55.
CONCLUSION: At the optimal 2.37 foot viewing distance for the iPad it appears larger than a 50" 1080p HDTV at the normal 8+ foot TV viewing distance and has the same usable resolution for people with 20/20 vision.
There is some debate on whether 60PPD is a sufficient minimum for 20/20 vision but that's the current spec.
Those are the facts, probable facts and the analysis based on that data. For all intents and purposes the iPad is what most folks consider to be a HD experience. That most folks aren't really getting a HD experience is something only videophiles bicker (or snicker) about.
A little fact that many people might not know about the 'online Netflix' service....
They (Netflix) did NOT go to the studios to get permission to stream the movies that they currently stream... So how on earth are that able to stream them?!?!!? Simple, they get (sublicense) the rights from Starz (a premium movie channel) that had an interesting condition in many of their studio contracts that allowed them to sell redistribution rights to other parties...
I'm not sure what the initial reason for this clause since it seems like its a pretty major concession on behalf of the studios BUT it seems like the Starz loophole is quickly becoming a noose for Netflix Streaming...
Just a random news items that came up when I googled netflix streaming starz...
Yes, thanks, more evidence that Netflix (like Hulu) will not be the same thing it is today by the end of Calendar 2010.
Movie and TV Studios want ultimate control and they're jockeying for it this year. Good thing for me, I don't give a good goddamn about any television shows, or Movies for that matter.
(I have my select few that I enjoy, but if they went away tomorrow, I'd shrug and pick up a book.)
Yea, this is what I meant by, "it works just fine."
Yeah, well, given what some folks are saying about the iPad these days I kinda wanted to firmly make the point.
I suppose I should have included a nice diagram highlighting that the iPad is actually bigger than a 50" screen at those stated distances to be complete.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
Actually, you're right and you're wrong. HD content does not have to be widescreen aspect ratio. 16:9 is not an absolute requirement of the ATSC spec. For instance, would you argue that the Blu-ray releases of the original Star Trek series aren't HD because they're only 4:3? Theoretically, a 720p version of that would be 960x720, which the iPad can easily handle. Also, I'd bet that the iPad can zoom the image to fill the screen vertically, just like the iPhone, a suspicion the product shots featuring the Star Trek movie seems to confirm. So it would still be 720p, even if it's cropped.
Actually, you're right and you're wrong. HD content does not have to be widescreen aspect ratio. 16:9 is not an absolute requirement of the ATSC spec.
I did not say that HD had to be 16:9 but that the iPad will display 16:9 content at 1024x576. I didn't go into all the other aspect ratios either like 2.39:1. The post was long enough.
Quote:
For instance, would you argue that the Blu-ray releases of the original Star Trek series aren't HD because they're only 4:3?
4:3 (and 3:2 for that matter) content is pillarboxed. So no, you actually wouldn't get the induction effect because you don't have quite the same level of head and eye movements at 60 PPD. The HVA is slightly too low. For 2.39:1 and 1.85:1 you do.
Quote:
Theoretically, a 720p version of that would be 960x720, which the iPad can easily handle. Also, I'd bet that the iPad can zoom the image to fill the screen vertically, just like the iPhone, a suspicion the product shots featuring the Star Trek movie seems to confirm. So it would still be 720p, even if it's cropped.
And 720p still doesn't meet the objectives of replicating a theater like immersive experience. Which is just fine except for those folks trying to denigrate the iPad as not providing that HD theater like experience that requires 1080p.
Cropping doesn't really count either. But I don't mind it if it's fairly minor.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
My family and I rewatch seasons of TV shows all the time. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, X-Files, Stargates, Star Treks, Friends, Smallville, Futurama, Bones, House, Psych, Mentalist, Castle, and those are only the ones I can think of without putting in any effort to recall our extensive collection.
Understandably, my family and I are probably the exception and not the rule. I understand that a lot of people only watch some things once, a lot of people don't care if something is in HD or SD, some people want whole seasons and others want specific episodes, some want to own and others want to stream.
The great thing about iTunes and other digital services is we can have all these options to tailor to different types of people. Sure, it's complicated, but it is doable.
Hulu works well with Standard Definition quality and with commercials for offer a free service. It is great when you just happen to miss an episode because your DVR freaked out.
Itunes works well because I can buy SD or HD episodes if I started watching a season late and I want to see how it started, assume those episodes aren't on Hulu anymore.
I like buying DVDs because I like to hold onto something that I can play pretty much anywhere on anything and not have to worry about if the device is Apple, or wonder if I have enough storage, or if I have backups in the event my harddrive fails.
Ideally, for me, I'd like a subscription from Apple where I can download and watch HD shows on my computer, iPod, or AppleTV (which I'd purchase if they did have a subscription service). If I really like a show at that point, or if I know i'm going to buy it later, I'd love an option to purchase a season and then burn it to either DVD or BluRay to backup and/or play via my PS3.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
Reruns...
As most of what is on TV today is reruns I would say that TV is the most rewatched media there is. Granted most people do not go out and look for the reruns (unless that are looking for something they missed) but they would not necessarily turn the channel when a rerun does come on.
I suppose I should have included a nice diagram highlighting that the iPad is actually bigger than a 50" screen at those stated distances to be complete.
You're much too focused on PPD and resolution. The size of image is much more important, which is why most people, despite 52" or larger screens, still don't have true "home theater." Sorry, but even if the iPad had full 1080p resolution, I wouldn't consider holding it at arms length (as you suggested) or even a foot away as an immersive, theater-like experience.
It's interesting how people constantly complained that netbooks with their 10" screens were too small to really enjoy movies on (despite the fact that they actually have 16:9 widescreen aspect ratios) and now they are completely accepting of the iPad for the same purpose. I doubt very much that an HD movie on an iPad will look significantly better than even an SD movie on my Wind (which nevertheless plays back 720p just fine, if downsized). The Wind, like any 10" netbook, has exactly the same horizontal resolution as well as LED backlighting just like the iPad and because of the screen proportions, actually provides a physically wider image than the iPad does. Because it's the same horizontal resolution, logically, a 720p movie will display with the same vertical resolution, but the 576-pixel high image will almost perfectly fit the 600-pixel high screen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmz
Yes, thanks, more evidence that Netflix (like Hulu) will not be the same thing it is today by the end of Calendar 2010.
Movie and TV Studios want ultimate control and they're jockeying for it this year.
That makes no sense. Studios don't have to jockey for control of Hulu. They own Hulu lock, stock and barrel.
From the latest news I saw, forget about a TV package with a monthly fee.
The networks will TRY 99 cents for some shows. Dont expect to get all shows at 99 cents.
Hulu is coming in with an Ipad app that will required a subscription fee. Amazon is also coming in with a Kindle bookstore app for the Ipad. It will be interesting to see if Apple is going to allow this in the app store... if not expect one hell of a anti-Apple media coveraged. Netflix could also easily develop an Ipad app if they want...
I am waiting to see Apple reaction on apps that are competing with Itune before I buy an Ipad.
Comments
The iPad?s screen isn?t true HD, but it?s still better than SD.
not to mention its 10 inches big. (thats what she said).
I doubt HD would make much difference @ that size, unless you held it quite close to your face?
And guess who is Disney's largest shareholder?
Too powerful, Steve Jobs is...
Okay, stop.... you make it sound like only Disney is having issues with this... Sony (if I'm not mistaken their titles have already been pulled or is that really OLD news that has since been cleared up?), Warner and I'm quite sure the rest are also doing this best to put pressure on Starz and/or Netflix perhaps both to ensure they too get their fair share of the fees Netflix charges for streaming.
If you think Netflix Streaming is going to GROW and/or stay the same price as it is today you're in for a rude awakening I'm afraid. It's a great big ole MONEY GRAB and everyone is trying their best to snatch up however much they can.
And it's NOT just the movie studios... ABC, NBC, CBS. FOX, etc they have all provided their channels to cable at no cost and now ... due to FCC changes maybe ... are ALL socking it to the cable systems especially in the major metropolitan areas...
Cablevision 3M subscribers in NY, NJ and CT (pa?) just got sucker into paying ABC 40 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR for the ability to transmit their networks programming. Yea if you do the math it comes to what $1.00 per subscriber per month... yet you gotta know that we subscribers are gonna PAY and somehow I just know it's gonna be more than a buck more a month.
Time Warner is dealing with similar issues and I'm sure comcast is too...
Just wait till people start pulling the plug and calling it quits... TV just doesn't have the DRAW and HOLD over the US public like it did 10 or 20 years ago.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
How do you explain the great success TV seasons have been on DVD? It's a very popular purchase and while I do own tons of shows (mostly scifi shows) I don't usually go back to them and yet am still drawn and completing my various show collections... "Completist Syndrome" is a big part of it I'd bet...
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
Who said anything about seasons? I have mostly a few episodes here and there of many shows. Only the ones that I really like and I do go back and re-watch them. One batch of episodes I re-watch every year. Although I do own the complete series of some 60s sitcoms that I grew up with. Purchasing only the episodes I want at $1 each would be so much more cost-effective than buying DVD box sets, especially considering most shows today don't appeal to me. Even with what I consider the best show on the air today, The Big Bang Theory, I only keep the best five or so episodes per season. Other shows I've watched since their inception like 24, Heroes and Lost just dropped off my radar as soon as I missed an episode this year, that's how uninvolving they've been.
4-5 hours of tv a night? You watch too much tv IMHO.
I used to be like that. But TV is just so bad nowadays that I've fallen to less than an hour a day, and that includes the evening news.
+1 for this kind of usage.
If I could be bothered to spend the time, I'd have no qualms about pulling the TV show of the Torrents (on the basis that I've already paid for it with my Sky subscription -- I always skip through the ads).
If the TV shows were cheaper, I'd buy more. They're too bloody expensive at the moment, anyway.
They do have a new model. It's called taking the shows off of cable unless the cable companies give them more money. And when they pull the content, Congress steps in and forces the cable companies to pay more.
That means we pay more. Not to mention there were never supposed to be ads on cable anyway, that's why you pay the monthly subscription. Just 2-13 was supposed to have them (the broadcast stations.)
Even $0.99 per episode is too much. That's $16 a season. The cable companies are paying roughly $1.50-$2.00 per subscriber for a network (like ABC has Disney, ESPN, etc. and Scripps was Food Network and HGTV.....about $40million per year), not just a show--according to Cablevision's anti-Scripps ads. Both ABC and Scripps were looking for 100% and 20% increases in their payments from Cablevision, respectively.
IMO, they cannot change this model to a pay per show model. It's too cumbersome. A network based subscription would be smarter. For example, put ESPN up on iTunes for the year at $50. Put ABC (and the others) on there for $30 year. If they only get $2 on average per subscriber on the cable networks, that's $24 a year per subscriber. So put the networks on for that price, and let people really show them how they are interested in their programming. I know I'd pay four networks- Food Network, Nick Jr, ESPN and Fox. That's it. I pay $40 a month for that now, might as well cut it to $140 a year. Leave all the commercials and everything in tact, I say, just change it to an internet stream instead of a cable box stream.
The per show thing is total BS and a complete ripoff. They have never gotten these ludicrous prices for their content, why let them start now?
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
For some reason I can watch Family Guy and Seinfeld episodes over and over. I don't know why.
The iPad is 1024:768, a 4:3 aspect ratio. 720P HD is 1280:720 (256 pixels wider than the iPad), a 16:9 aspect ratio. Thus the iPad can't handle HD properly. Thus NOT proper HD. Please get your facts straight.
Hmm...this topic again.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
When NHK first developed the HD spec there were two key criteria:
- The display resolution has sufficient pixel density that a person with 20/20 vision would no longer see pixel structure. This is 60 pixels per degree (PPD) based on human visual acuity.
- The display size was sufficiently large to provide the same immersive effects of cinema. This was determined to be 30 degrees of horizontal viewing angle (HVA). This is known as the induction effect. [1]
FACT: To get 30 degrees HVA at 60 PPD for the "true" HD effect you need a minimum of 1080p resolution.This is roughly equivalent to sitting in the furthest seat in a movie theater that meets SMPTE or THX specs. More is better unless you like sitting way in back but no mainstream home theater product does this.
720p is part of the HD spec, is considered HD but doesn't actually meet the original objectives of replicating the high def theater experience in the home (aka "home theater").
Opinion: What this means on a practical level is any display that isn't at least 1080p is simply some level of compromise to the minimal requirements for high def viewing.
Analysis: iPad and meeting the high def movie experience
Assuming 1024 horizontal and a 1 ft viewing distance it comes out to:
23.97 pixels per degree for 2.39:1 movies
25.13 pixels per degree for 1.85:1 movies
25.37 pixels per degree for 1.78:1 (16:9) movies.
To get 60 PPD (aka full HD) density you need to sit 2.37 feet away (16:9)
To get the 30 degrees HVA you need to sit no more than 1.31 feet away.
Like all other displays that does not meet the 1080p resolution the iPad cannot meet both 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA. This includes 720p HDTVs and any other 720p class slate.
PROBABLE FACT: There are no currently produced or announced 10" slates that can natively reproduce "real" HD at 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA.
I say probable because while I'm not even sure anyone mass produces a 10" panel that is 1920x1080 res or higher and I would have remembered anyone spec'ing a natively 1080p slate at CES this year (there are some that output 1080p but not natively show it) I'm not 100% certain.
If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me but at best I'm saying no 10" slate does better than slightly higher than 720p at 1366x768. And those are probably 11.1" panels.
Factoid: Most folks sit about 8+ feet from a 50" 1080p TV which results in a 14.55 degree HVA at 73 PPD.
I would list this as a fact except I can't find the damn study again to list as a reference. This article says 10' but there was an Italian study by one of their major national TV stations that stated around 8'. It'll vary by country (and the average home size in that country) but 8' is what I recall to be on the lower end of the spectrum.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/gearwo...rez/index.html
Anything above 60 PPD you can't generally see unless your vision is above 20/20. This is NOT HD because you're sitting too far away to get the induction effect. Most folks with HDTVs are missing out on the real home theater experience.
Remember that to get 60 PPD you need to be 2.37 feet from the iPad. The HVA at that distance is 16.91 degrees at 60 PPD. 16.91 is bigger than 14.55.
CONCLUSION: At the optimal 2.37 foot viewing distance for the iPad it appears larger than a 50" 1080p HDTV at the normal 8+ foot TV viewing distance and has the same usable resolution for people with 20/20 vision.
There is some debate on whether 60PPD is a sufficient minimum for 20/20 vision but that's the current spec.
Those are the facts, probable facts and the analysis based on that data. For all intents and purposes the iPad is what most folks consider to be a HD experience. That most folks aren't really getting a HD experience is something only videophiles bicker (or snicker) about.
Now I just hope I got all my math right at 3AM.
[1] Psychophysical Analsys of the "Sensation of Reality" Induced by a Visual Wide-Field Display by T. Hatada, H. Sakata and H. Kusaka, SMPTE Journal, Volume 89, pages 560-569, August 1980 retrieved 20 MAR 2010
It's the typical amount most people in the US watch after they come home from work, it's a lot more on the weekends of course, the kids watching cartoons etc. all morning.
Perhaps in other countries the quality and quantity of shows isn't all that great, which leads people to do other things or perhaps they have to work more when they get home because people don't have things like like wash machines, dishwashers, robovac's etc.
Unbelievable
Hmm...this topic again.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
When NHK first developed the HD spec there were two key criteria:
- The display resolution has sufficient pixel density that a person with 20/20 vision would no longer see pixel structure. This is 60 pixels per degree (PPD) based on human visual acuity.
- The display size was sufficiently large to provide the same immersive effects of cinema. This was determined to be 30 degrees of horizontal viewing angle (HVA). This is known as the induction effect. [1]
FACT: To get 30 degrees HVA at 60 PPD for the "true" HD effect you need a minimum of 1080p resolution.This is roughly equivalent to sitting in the furthest seat in a movie theater that meets SMPTE or THX specs. More is better unless you like sitting way in back but no mainstream home theater product does this.
720p is part of the HD spec, is considered HD but doesn't actually meet the original objectives of replicating the high def theater experience in the home (aka "home theater").
Opinion: What this means on a practical level is any display that isn't at least 1080p is simply some level of compromise to the minimal requirements for high def viewing.
Analysis: iPad and meeting the high def movie experience
Assuming 1024 horizontal and a 1 ft viewing distance it comes out to:
23.97 pixels per degree for 2.39:1 movies
25.13 pixels per degree for 1.85:1 movies
25.37 pixels per degree for 1.78:1 (16:9) movies.
To get 60 PPD (aka full HD) density you need to sit 2.37 feet away (16:9)
To get the 30 degrees HVA you need to sit no more than 1.31 feet away.
Like all other displays that does not meet the 1080p resolution the iPad cannot meet both 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA. This includes 720p HDTVs and any other 720p class slate.
PROBABLE FACT: There are no currently produced or announced 10" slates that can natively reproduce "real" HD at 60 PPD and 30 degrees HVA.
I say probable because while I'm not even sure anyone mass produces a 10" panel that is 1920x1080 res or higher and I would have remembered anyone spec'ing a natively 1080p slate at CES this year (there are some that output 1080p but not natively show it) I'm not 100% certain.
If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me but at best I'm saying no 10" slate does better than slightly higher than 720p at 1366x768. And those are probably 11.1" panels.
Factoid: Most folks sit about 8+ feet from a 50" 1080p TV which results in a 14.55 degree HVA at 73 PPD.
I would list this as a fact except I can't find the damn study again to list as a reference. This article says 10' but there was an Italian study by one of their major national TV stations that stated around 8'. It'll vary by country (and the average home size in that country) but 8' is what I recall to be on the lower end of the spectrum.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/gearwo...rez/index.html
Anything above 60 PPD you can't generally see unless your vision is above 20/20. This is NOT HD because you're sitting too far away to get the induction effect. Most folks with HDTVs are missing out on the real home theater experience.
Remember that to get 60 PPD you need to be 2.37 feet from the iPad. The HVA at that distance is 16.91 degrees at 60 PPD. 16.91 is bigger than 14.55.
CONCLUSION: At the optimal 2.37 foot viewing distance for the iPad it appears larger than a 50" 1080p HDTV at the normal 8+ foot TV viewing distance and has the same usable resolution for people with 20/20 vision.
There is some debate on whether 60PPD is a sufficient minimum for 20/20 vision but that's the current spec.
Those are the facts, probable facts and the analysis based on that data. For all intents and purposes the iPad is what most folks consider to be a HD experience. That most folks aren't really getting a HD experience is something only videophiles bicker (or snicker) about.
Now I just hope I got all my math right at 3AM.
[1] Psychophysical Analsys of the "Sensation of Reality" Induced by a Visual Wide-Field Display by T. Hatada, H. Sakata and H. Kusaka, SMPTE Journal, Volume 89, pages 560-569, August 1980 retrieved 20 MAR 2010
Yea, this is what I meant by, "it works just fine."
A little fact that many people might not know about the 'online Netflix' service....
They (Netflix) did NOT go to the studios to get permission to stream the movies that they currently stream... So how on earth are that able to stream them?!?!!? Simple, they get (sublicense) the rights from Starz (a premium movie channel) that had an interesting condition in many of their studio contracts that allowed them to sell redistribution rights to other parties...
I'm not sure what the initial reason for this clause since it seems like its a pretty major concession on behalf of the studios BUT it seems like the Starz loophole is quickly becoming a noose for Netflix Streaming...
Just a random news items that came up when I googled netflix streaming starz...
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/d...-from-netflix/
Bolding done by me...
Yes, thanks, more evidence that Netflix (like Hulu) will not be the same thing it is today by the end of Calendar 2010.
Movie and TV Studios want ultimate control and they're jockeying for it this year. Good thing for me, I don't give a good goddamn about any television shows, or Movies for that matter.
(I have my select few that I enjoy, but if they went away tomorrow, I'd shrug and pick up a book.)
Yea, this is what I meant by, "it works just fine."
Yeah, well, given what some folks are saying about the iPad these days I kinda wanted to firmly make the point.
I suppose I should have included a nice diagram highlighting that the iPad is actually bigger than a 50" screen at those stated distances to be complete.
Hmm...this topic again.
FACT: iPad can display 16:9 720p H.264 content at 1024x576 natively. This is not HD.
Actually, you're right and you're wrong. HD content does not have to be widescreen aspect ratio. 16:9 is not an absolute requirement of the ATSC spec. For instance, would you argue that the Blu-ray releases of the original Star Trek series aren't HD because they're only 4:3? Theoretically, a 720p version of that would be 960x720, which the iPad can easily handle. Also, I'd bet that the iPad can zoom the image to fill the screen vertically, just like the iPhone, a suspicion the product shots featuring the Star Trek movie seems to confirm. So it would still be 720p, even if it's cropped.
Actually, you're right and you're wrong. HD content does not have to be widescreen aspect ratio. 16:9 is not an absolute requirement of the ATSC spec.
I did not say that HD had to be 16:9 but that the iPad will display 16:9 content at 1024x576. I didn't go into all the other aspect ratios either like 2.39:1. The post was long enough.
For instance, would you argue that the Blu-ray releases of the original Star Trek series aren't HD because they're only 4:3?
4:3 (and 3:2 for that matter) content is pillarboxed. So no, you actually wouldn't get the induction effect because you don't have quite the same level of head and eye movements at 60 PPD. The HVA is slightly too low. For 2.39:1 and 1.85:1 you do.
Theoretically, a 720p version of that would be 960x720, which the iPad can easily handle. Also, I'd bet that the iPad can zoom the image to fill the screen vertically, just like the iPhone, a suspicion the product shots featuring the Star Trek movie seems to confirm. So it would still be 720p, even if it's cropped.
And 720p still doesn't meet the objectives of replicating a theater like immersive experience. Which is just fine except for those folks trying to denigrate the iPad as not providing that HD theater like experience that requires 1080p.
Cropping doesn't really count either.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
My family and I rewatch seasons of TV shows all the time. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, X-Files, Stargates, Star Treks, Friends, Smallville, Futurama, Bones, House, Psych, Mentalist, Castle, and those are only the ones I can think of without putting in any effort to recall our extensive collection.
Understandably, my family and I are probably the exception and not the rule. I understand that a lot of people only watch some things once, a lot of people don't care if something is in HD or SD, some people want whole seasons and others want specific episodes, some want to own and others want to stream.
The great thing about iTunes and other digital services is we can have all these options to tailor to different types of people. Sure, it's complicated, but it is doable.
Hulu works well with Standard Definition quality and with commercials for offer a free service. It is great when you just happen to miss an episode because your DVR freaked out.
Itunes works well because I can buy SD or HD episodes if I started watching a season late and I want to see how it started, assume those episodes aren't on Hulu anymore.
I like buying DVDs because I like to hold onto something that I can play pretty much anywhere on anything and not have to worry about if the device is Apple, or wonder if I have enough storage, or if I have backups in the event my harddrive fails.
Ideally, for me, I'd like a subscription from Apple where I can download and watch HD shows on my computer, iPod, or AppleTV (which I'd purchase if they did have a subscription service). If I really like a show at that point, or if I know i'm going to buy it later, I'd love an option to purchase a season and then burn it to either DVD or BluRay to backup and/or play via my PS3.
TV shows are rarely rewatched. People only buy seasons to watch for the first time. Rewatching is more of a movie thing anyway.
Reruns...
As most of what is on TV today is reruns I would say that TV is the most rewatched media there is. Granted most people do not go out and look for the reruns (unless that are looking for something they missed) but they would not necessarily turn the channel when a rerun does come on.
I suppose I should have included a nice diagram highlighting that the iPad is actually bigger than a 50" screen at those stated distances to be complete.
You're much too focused on PPD and resolution. The size of image is much more important, which is why most people, despite 52" or larger screens, still don't have true "home theater." Sorry, but even if the iPad had full 1080p resolution, I wouldn't consider holding it at arms length (as you suggested) or even a foot away as an immersive, theater-like experience.
It's interesting how people constantly complained that netbooks with their 10" screens were too small to really enjoy movies on (despite the fact that they actually have 16:9 widescreen aspect ratios) and now they are completely accepting of the iPad for the same purpose. I doubt very much that an HD movie on an iPad will look significantly better than even an SD movie on my Wind (which nevertheless plays back 720p just fine, if downsized). The Wind, like any 10" netbook, has exactly the same horizontal resolution as well as LED backlighting just like the iPad and because of the screen proportions, actually provides a physically wider image than the iPad does. Because it's the same horizontal resolution, logically, a 720p movie will display with the same vertical resolution, but the 576-pixel high image will almost perfectly fit the 600-pixel high screen.
Yes, thanks, more evidence that Netflix (like Hulu) will not be the same thing it is today by the end of Calendar 2010.
Movie and TV Studios want ultimate control and they're jockeying for it this year.
That makes no sense. Studios don't have to jockey for control of Hulu. They own Hulu lock, stock and barrel.
The networks will TRY 99 cents for some shows. Dont expect to get all shows at 99 cents.
Hulu is coming in with an Ipad app that will required a subscription fee. Amazon is also coming in with a Kindle bookstore app for the Ipad. It will be interesting to see if Apple is going to allow this in the app store... if not expect one hell of a anti-Apple media coveraged. Netflix could also easily develop an Ipad app if they want...
I am waiting to see Apple reaction on apps that are competing with Itune before I buy an Ipad.