Apple don't do that, Apple go for consistant naming schemes, else they would have already called it iTV outside of the UK. Case in point: Blockbuster video. In the UK there was a long established chain of Video stores called "Blockbusters" and Blockbuster Video had a 5 year long court battle to claim the name. At the end of the day, the big company crushed the little guy. Is Apple bigger than the UK? I think not.
Most consumers can't even tell the difference between 720p, 1080p and upscaled DVD ???????
Are you kidding ??? Just open your eyes ....
The difference between 720p and 1080p is just HUGE !!!!!!!!!!!!
Hardly. On my 52" HDTV I see no difference. People who want to shuffle around 12gig+ files on the internet are just creating problems for everyone. 720p allows for a great picture and a reasonable size. Just replace your 70" set with a smaller one or sit further back...
This isn't a 'product' it's the second largest broadcaster in the UK after the BBC, with four channels under the ITV umbrella. No way the ITV name would be allowed in the UK.
Never mind that itv.com, itv.co.uk and itv.eu are all registered to ITV in UK.
I hope it comes out at the September iPod event. This will let me get rid of my cable box and just get the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps. I wouldn't be surprised to see the networks go all out in trying to make content available for this device through apps.
Ndont see how. They can say 1080p. I've seen samung 1080p that is simply stunning and once in s while you can get the newer ones for $1400 at frys. Blue is 100 times more amazing. I think netflix, boxee and especially built in DVRs are going to kill off apple tv. People want shows that are free to be free not charge for them and some of the snip commecials has come a long way.
All this talk about resolution is fine but in my opinion joe public won't be able to tell the difference.
I am in the UK and there will definitely be issues with using iTV due to the established TV channels.
My biggest concern would be the dropping of the hard drive. I bought my Apple TV to access my photos etc that were previously confined to the hard drive of my computer. How am I going to access them without a hard drive ?!?. I don't want to stream from my iMac as it's not on all the time and I don't want to get in to holding photos on my Time Machine/external hard drive either.
Big mistake to drop the drive if that's the route Apple take.
They also need to be aware that in the UK a lot of people get very small bandwidth due to the old BT network being used for the internet so streaming video is going to be impossible for a lot of people. I am lucky enough to have cable broadband and get excellent bandwidth but that's the exception in the UK at the moment.
I love my Apple TV so looking forward to a long overdue upgrade, just hope it's not a backwards step !
Makes me wonder how a usually innovative company, could make such a stupid decision. 720p/1080p is general knowledge at this point, everyone shopping for a TV knows what it is. While I agree at smaller TV sizes (40" and under) the difference can be more difficult to discern. At the larger sizes it becomes easily noticeable despite what some people would claim. Considering the fact that the first thing my mother would ask (who knows almost nothing about electronics) the sales man is "is this TV 1080p?". Apple is going to have a very hard time convincing a society that's so focused on 1080p at this point, that 720p is just fine.
Those people aside, you have the Home Theater nuts on places like AVSforum.com... who will also probably for the most part reject this device. Those guys will opt for a WDTV Live or similar streaming device that not only supports 1080p, but will also be most likely cheaper.
I don't even want to get started on how the pay per movie is a dying breed all together. People would rather use the Netflix model, where you pay a premium per month to stream whatever you want in HD. Granted Netflix isn't there yet... but they've already started rolling out Streaming HD content. Eventually all your rentals will be HD streaming, the mail to you discs will no longer exist.
If Apple wants to be innovative with this one, as they've been with some of their other products. They have a long way to go and a lot to learn.
Actually, just about every HDTV sold in the last 3 years has been 1080p. As the number of HDTVs begins to accelerate, nearly all of those purchases are 1080p sets.
Looking at Best Buy's website, I selected all Flat Panel TVs. Fully 1/4 of all TVs they sell are 720p, so I really doubt your claim of all TVs sold in the last 3 years are 1080p. Hell, I replaced a TV a year ago and it's 720p. That alone shoots your theory.
The internet bandwidth required to stream 1080p is massive, much greater than most people actually have. 720 is much more doable and it makes sense from this viewpoint. Again, Apple is not selling to the videophiles, Apple is making an everyman device and they will make a killing.
... all your considerations about 1080p are untrue.
In Europe we have NOTHING coming in 720p. Everything is in 1080p.
The only videos we could get in 720p come from the US.
Untrue, as far as I know. Everything transmitted to the home by air, cable or satellite (ie with only BD as an exception) is 1080i (not p) which makes a hell of a difference. The i=interlaced (ie only 25/30 1080 frames a second instead of 50/60 in the p formats) saves 50% of the bandwith and is more similar to the old SD formats. Uncompressed, the pixels per frame are:
1080p: 2,073,600
720p: 921,600
1080i: 1,036,800
Obviously, 720p is close to 1080i and neither resolution nor bandwith considerations should matter. 1080p is a different beast however, and I guess without compression that makes it useless it cannot be streamed though ordinary cable / DSL homes.
On the other hand, 720 is not common either: Only in Germany, the public broadcast stations (ARD, ZDF, third programs) were sold on 720p (again, not 1080p!) but have admitted defeat this summer and are now turning to 1080i (not p!).
If I had a choice, I would get rid of all interlaced formats ASAP because they are cause to endless troubles when viewed on progressive devices (such as any modern computer screen / TV set).
video experts note that the difference in resolution is not visible to users at a normal TV viewing distance unless the screen is larger than 55 inches.
Yup. this is very scientific. if you have "normal" eyesight and are sitting at a "normal" viewing distance, 55" screens are required to see the difference between 720p and 1080p. Here's some real numbers [and an actual REFERENCE link]
Assuming you have perfect 20/20 vision, if you sit less than 10 feet away from a 55" 1080p signal, the video quality STARTS to appear better than that of a 55" 720p signal.
probably hard to do full 1080p with the iDevice spec. Also if it's going full streaming bandwidth is going to be a problem.
I just hope that they won't drop support for the old Apple TV.
I'd be surprised if the A4 couldn't handle 1080p movies. Personally I think that with home movies at 1080i and iMovie handling that - it needs to be able to accept 1080i/p without forcing users to recompress the whole movie in iMovie.
Anyway, as others have said, streaming 1080p is a real jump in bandwidth. Perhaps 720p restriction really refers to this.
The bigger problem (perhaps) is that handling graphics-intensive games at 720p is much easier than 1080p. So Apple could be better restricting games to 720p to get fluid movement, no stuttering or other issues.
Would apple create an iTV that plays 720p games then switches to 1080 when playing a movie? They won't want to make a TV flicker as it changes modes, though set top boxes do that pretty frequently. Or perhaps, like the current AppleTV, 720p content could be outputted in 1080i?
You know, there is one major part of this that isn't being talked about. That is FaceTime. Imagine being able to start or receive a FaceTime call from somebody, on your TV. All they would have to do is integrate a camera into the new AppleTV (or iTV, or bananaTV, or whatever). Those cameras are getting pathetically cheap, especially for this kind of thing. It would also be very Apple-like to include something like that into something that no one thought of before.
dare to dream, my man. dare to dream. These days apple only does the obvious stuff. that doesn't seem very obvious at all. \
Yup. this is very scientific. if you have "normal" eyesight and are sitting at a "normal" viewing distance, 55" screens are required to see the difference between 720p and 1080p. Here's some real numbers [and an actual REFERENCE link]
Assuming you have perfect 20/20 vision, if you sit less than 10 feet away from a 55" 1080p signal, the video quality STARTS to appear better than that of a 55" 720p signal.
Did anyone think it odd that the Netflix CEO was on stage at the last Mac event ????? I think Apple will announce the iTv along with the fact that that they are buying Netflix - not a subscription but the whole company .Also, I find it odd that you can stream unlimited Netflix videos to the iPad while you cannot do this with iTunes,and I think this is cutting into their iTunes movie rental business.
The Netflix business model also validates that many people still like to have a physical DVD to use instead of being tethered to the internet and want to watch movies on their large screens at home.
I think that with the acquisition of Netflix they will acquire an established user base (subscriptions) and technical infrastructure to send/receive physical DVDs and they could incorporate the instant downloads into iTunes. That would catapult the iTV to the top of the list as an online media box. This would also allow Apple to generate revenue from all the upcoming Android based set top boxes and tablets set to explode next year.
I bought my Apple TV to access my photos etc that were previously confined to the hard drive of my computer. How am I going to access them without a hard drive ?!?. I don't want to stream from my iMac as it's not on all the time and I don't want to get in to holding photos on my Time Machine/external hard drive either.
I bought an aTV for exactly these reasons too, and I recall that back in 2006 (before the aTV first came out) this aspect was the focus of some debate in the rumour mill. I would hope that Apple does not make the device totally dependant on local streaming that there is at least an option to attach a USB drive and use this for local storage.
If Apple doesnt do this out of the box, I guess that someone would release a liberating hack, providing of course that the device has a USB port....
Comments
Most consumers can't even tell the difference between 720p, 1080p and upscaled DVD ???????
Are you kidding ??? Just open your eyes ....
The difference between 720p and 1080p is just HUGE !!!!!!!!!!!!
Hardly. On my 52" HDTV I see no difference. People who want to shuffle around 12gig+ files on the internet are just creating problems for everyone. 720p allows for a great picture and a reasonable size. Just replace your 70" set with a smaller one or sit further back...
philip
This isn't a 'product' it's the second largest broadcaster in the UK after the BBC, with four channels under the ITV umbrella. No way the ITV name would be allowed in the UK.
Never mind that itv.com, itv.co.uk and itv.eu are all registered to ITV in UK.
I hope it comes out at the September iPod event. This will let me get rid of my cable box and just get the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps. I wouldn't be surprised to see the networks go all out in trying to make content available for this device through apps.
Ndont see how. They can say 1080p. I've seen samung 1080p that is simply stunning and once in s while you can get the newer ones for $1400 at frys. Blue is 100 times more amazing. I think netflix, boxee and especially built in DVRs are going to kill off apple tv. People want shows that are free to be free not charge for them and some of the snip commecials has come a long way.
My .03 cents.
I am in the UK and there will definitely be issues with using iTV due to the established TV channels.
My biggest concern would be the dropping of the hard drive. I bought my Apple TV to access my photos etc that were previously confined to the hard drive of my computer. How am I going to access them without a hard drive ?!?. I don't want to stream from my iMac as it's not on all the time and I don't want to get in to holding photos on my Time Machine/external hard drive either.
Big mistake to drop the drive if that's the route Apple take.
They also need to be aware that in the UK a lot of people get very small bandwidth due to the old BT network being used for the internet so streaming video is going to be impossible for a lot of people. I am lucky enough to have cable broadband and get excellent bandwidth but that's the exception in the UK at the moment.
I love my Apple TV so looking forward to a long overdue upgrade, just hope it's not a backwards step !
Those people aside, you have the Home Theater nuts on places like AVSforum.com... who will also probably for the most part reject this device. Those guys will opt for a WDTV Live or similar streaming device that not only supports 1080p, but will also be most likely cheaper.
I don't even want to get started on how the pay per movie is a dying breed all together. People would rather use the Netflix model, where you pay a premium per month to stream whatever you want in HD. Granted Netflix isn't there yet... but they've already started rolling out Streaming HD content. Eventually all your rentals will be HD streaming, the mail to you discs will no longer exist.
If Apple wants to be innovative with this one, as they've been with some of their other products. They have a long way to go and a lot to learn.
Actually, just about every HDTV sold in the last 3 years has been 1080p. As the number of HDTVs begins to accelerate, nearly all of those purchases are 1080p sets.
Looking at Best Buy's website, I selected all Flat Panel TVs. Fully 1/4 of all TVs they sell are 720p, so I really doubt your claim of all TVs sold in the last 3 years are 1080p. Hell, I replaced a TV a year ago and it's 720p. That alone shoots your theory.
The internet bandwidth required to stream 1080p is massive, much greater than most people actually have. 720 is much more doable and it makes sense from this viewpoint. Again, Apple is not selling to the videophiles, Apple is making an everyman device and they will make a killing.
I use both in my office and I can unequivocally say that W7 is pathetic. Its only saving grace is that it uses less space than XP.
Oh come come, you have to at least back up your irrational fanboy anti-Windows rage somehow! Did Bill Gates eat your first born or something?
... all your considerations about 1080p are untrue.
In Europe we have NOTHING coming in 720p. Everything is in 1080p.
The only videos we could get in 720p come from the US.
Untrue, as far as I know. Everything transmitted to the home by air, cable or satellite (ie with only BD as an exception) is 1080i (not p) which makes a hell of a difference. The i=interlaced (ie only 25/30 1080 frames a second instead of 50/60 in the p formats) saves 50% of the bandwith and is more similar to the old SD formats. Uncompressed, the pixels per frame are:
1080p: 2,073,600
720p: 921,600
1080i: 1,036,800
Obviously, 720p is close to 1080i and neither resolution nor bandwith considerations should matter. 1080p is a different beast however, and I guess without compression that makes it useless it cannot be streamed though ordinary cable / DSL homes.
On the other hand, 720 is not common either: Only in Germany, the public broadcast stations (ARD, ZDF, third programs) were sold on 720p (again, not 1080p!) but have admitted defeat this summer and are now turning to 1080i (not p!).
If I had a choice, I would get rid of all interlaced formats ASAP because they are cause to endless troubles when viewed on progressive devices (such as any modern computer screen / TV set).
video experts note that the difference in resolution is not visible to users at a normal TV viewing distance unless the screen is larger than 55 inches.
Yup. this is very scientific. if you have "normal" eyesight and are sitting at a "normal" viewing distance, 55" screens are required to see the difference between 720p and 1080p. Here's some real numbers [and an actual REFERENCE link]
Assuming you have perfect 20/20 vision, if you sit less than 10 feet away from a 55" 1080p signal, the video quality STARTS to appear better than that of a 55" 720p signal.
http://carltonbale.com/home-theater/...ter-calculator
anyways, if you don't like the RUMORED 720p limit of this RUMORED new device, wait for iTV2.
probably hard to do full 1080p with the iDevice spec. Also if it's going full streaming bandwidth is going to be a problem.
I just hope that they won't drop support for the old Apple TV.
I'd be surprised if the A4 couldn't handle 1080p movies. Personally I think that with home movies at 1080i and iMovie handling that - it needs to be able to accept 1080i/p without forcing users to recompress the whole movie in iMovie.
Anyway, as others have said, streaming 1080p is a real jump in bandwidth. Perhaps 720p restriction really refers to this.
The bigger problem (perhaps) is that handling graphics-intensive games at 720p is much easier than 1080p. So Apple could be better restricting games to 720p to get fluid movement, no stuttering or other issues.
Would apple create an iTV that plays 720p games then switches to 1080 when playing a movie? They won't want to make a TV flicker as it changes modes, though set top boxes do that pretty frequently. Or perhaps, like the current AppleTV, 720p content could be outputted in 1080i?
"Apple, bringing back computing to the age of tube TV's!"
You know, there is one major part of this that isn't being talked about. That is FaceTime. Imagine being able to start or receive a FaceTime call from somebody, on your TV. All they would have to do is integrate a camera into the new AppleTV (or iTV, or bananaTV, or whatever). Those cameras are getting pathetically cheap, especially for this kind of thing. It would also be very Apple-like to include something like that into something that no one thought of before.
dare to dream, my man. dare to dream. These days apple only does the obvious stuff. that doesn't seem very obvious at all.
Yup. this is very scientific. if you have "normal" eyesight and are sitting at a "normal" viewing distance, 55" screens are required to see the difference between 720p and 1080p. Here's some real numbers [and an actual REFERENCE link]
Assuming you have perfect 20/20 vision, if you sit less than 10 feet away from a 55" 1080p signal, the video quality STARTS to appear better than that of a 55" 720p signal.
http://carltonbale.com/home-theater/...ter-calculator
anyways, if you don't like the RUMORED 720p limit of this RUMORED new device, wait for iTV2.
i have a 65". This effects me.
The Netflix business model also validates that many people still like to have a physical DVD to use instead of being tethered to the internet and want to watch movies on their large screens at home.
I think that with the acquisition of Netflix they will acquire an established user base (subscriptions) and technical infrastructure to send/receive physical DVDs and they could incorporate the instant downloads into iTunes. That would catapult the iTV to the top of the list as an online media box. This would also allow Apple to generate revenue from all the upcoming Android based set top boxes and tablets set to explode next year.
I bought my Apple TV to access my photos etc that were previously confined to the hard drive of my computer. How am I going to access them without a hard drive ?!?. I don't want to stream from my iMac as it's not on all the time and I don't want to get in to holding photos on my Time Machine/external hard drive either.
I bought an aTV for exactly these reasons too, and I recall that back in 2006 (before the aTV first came out) this aspect was the focus of some debate in the rumour mill. I would hope that Apple does not make the device totally dependant on local streaming that there is at least an option to attach a USB drive and use this for local storage.
If Apple doesnt do this out of the box, I guess that someone would release a liberating hack, providing of course that the device has a USB port....