I guess the next Apple TV will remain HD only, no 4K, airplay is still not always 100% in terms of connectivity on 1024 resolution, even with apple routers. I do hope it has 4K support though.
If it ships with an A8 or better processor, you can believe Apple is working on that in a future update. It's all about the content.
A small price to pay to keep your iPhone, iPad and Mac from having to plug into your TV, because AirPlay.
Sure, it's not even close to a deal breaker but I dislike the post-purchase kludge.
My idea setup is an open standard that would allow all TV vendors to include a universe port* and media extender mount on a TV. This no would let users by the media extended of their choice with the TV of their choice but also the media extender of their choice.
Those still wanting Apple to build a TV are foolish because there are too many TV types, styles and sizes for fitting a particular room, and ideally the manufacturers want one TV per room. It also doesn't work with having a media center built-in since the TV panel will likely have a desirable livespan 3-5x longer than a media center appliance. This is a discreet setup is key.
The connection to the TV will obviously push video, but it will also be used to connect to any built-in speakers, speaker out, any built in mics, cameras, and other sensors.
If it comes with a control pad, it is probably using BT not infrared. If it doesn't need line of sight and if it is thin enough, perhaps you could velcro it to the back of the set completely out of view.
That's not a bad idea. If lighter light and no way to fasten the thing down I can see it now waving around on the end of the HDMI and optical cables, the current one almost does.
I don't feel that going to a crafts store to buy Velco is anything more than a Band-Aid solution (and I need an Aspirin just thinking about it)*.
Velcro Is one of mankind greatest inventions, probably a step or two behind the laser. We use the stuff all over the place at work.
* OK, that second part was forced, but I really wanted to include a third name brand that's been genericized.
The Apple Watch will work in a pinch, but it is not a GREAT Bluetooth remote by any stretch of my imagination. I want a remote that is a remote as soon as I touch it. I don't want to have to hunt though a list to find the Remote app before I can start using it. That's why I can't stand using the Remote app on iOS either.
I agree with you here 100%, a dedicated remote is highly preferred however that doesn't mean alternative apps aren't of value I'm hoping this unit lives up to some of the rumors and hopefully goes beyond a few.
Like others I see 4K support as a very nice feature to have. There of course isn't a lot of media out there at the moment but we are on the upward swing here and having more capability than is needed just means there is an extended lifetime for the unit. Further I'm hoping for brand new SOC with an improved decoder for video that supports the latest standards in hardware including rivals such as VP9. Actually the rumors about the A8 are a bit disappointing because that would effectively be a 3 year old chip by the time the machine hits the market. I wouldn't be shocked to find that Apple does a custom chip just for Apple TV as things like the camera processor aren't needed though we need the decoder hardware.
Beyond that the machine needs a bit more flash storage. More RAM wouldn't hurt either especially if user apps are to be supported.
Alas, a separate app store means we'll have to buy again apps we already have. That negates one of iOS's better features.
Surely not, I mean you're logging in with your Apple ID so .... it all should be available if qualified to run on an atv.
Any dev care to chime in here ?
I think the killer feature here is going to be 4K and they are going to do it through their encoding. The A8 will be a killer processor to put in this and when playing movies, the power can be used to decode a super-compressed stream into a high quality product. This can be done be decoding the stream well in advance and storing uncompressed to "disk". So I envision this having at least 16 GB of memory just to hold decompressed video stream.
Of course when gaming or using as a second screen, I suppose the output would still be limited to about 1080p just to keep things snappy. Games may also gain 4K, but I still think many consumers don't have that kind of kit in their houses. But if Apple can make 4K easily accessible and perform well, the number of 4K TVs will go up and a next generation version can handle higher resolution game output easily enough.
So I expect to see integration with existing content and the App Store will enable a whole new level of apps to compete. Compete with who? YouTube. Apple is going to create a platform to take down YouTube through its developer community. This will continue what they started during the iPhone 6 launch and WWDC where they are simply going for the throat of the company who ripped them off. Thermonuclear. That is now Apple's mission.
Samsung will start building the equivalent into their flat screen TVs which will be the default device requiring the user to watch a demo of the Samsung alternative before being offered a menu to chose the ATV... every damn time you turn on the Samsung TV... It's gonna be a dirty fight.
Just don't buy a Samsung TV. simple choice really.
I think the killer feature here is going to be 4K and they are going to do it through their encoding.
I don't think H.265 is ready for the mainstream. Last I checked it was still pretty clunky. Besides which, as of yet there are no Apple devices that can yet record 4K out-of-the-box.
On the other hand, I don't expect this will be a product that Apple will update regularly, so there may be some future-proofing if it's on an 18-24(+) month refresh cycle.
I'm looking forward to this, along with the 6S Plus I'm hoping to get.
I don't think H.265 is ready for the mainstream. Last I checked it was still pretty clunky. Besides which, as of yet there are no Apple devices that can yet record 4K out-of-the-box.
On the other hand, I don't expect this will be a product that Apple will update regularly, so there may be some future-proofing if it's on an 18-24(+) month refresh cycle.
I'm looking forward to this, along with the 6S Plus I'm hoping to get.
I'm not having a go at you here sennen,
but seriously people are bandying 4k around like its 1080p back in the days of dv.
lmao - the computational power required from a decoder for 4k is frightening.
I can't be bothered to search up relevant links but jeez think about it.
4k Streaming over the net - you've got to be dreaming. lmao
4k over broadcast - roflmao
What you'll get is sub sampled rendition of 4k - the signal stomped on by very smart encoders.
Jeez - most films are still projected in 2k, ok many of the sources these days might from 4 or even 5 k cameras which give the film makers many many possibilities in post.
Down sampled to 2 k for projection, cropped to1080p for broadcast, stomped on and sent out at 1080i at about 28Mb/sec or less depending on your broadcaster (compare that to the old sd stomp of about 19). Yes 1080i. Fcuking inter lace - it's still there on broadcast. Unbelievable.
I don't expect this v of atv to support 4k and there's no way in hell Im going to be buying a 4k TV even if it the new atv did support 4k
I thought 3d was an ugly gimmick and 4k is just another way to sell unnecessary tech at the consumer level. imnsho
dear apple, it's so easy. make an apple tv with the latest cpu and good ram, put some hdd storage in it (like in iphones), put full app store in it and finally put ios safari in it. sell it for 200 bucks. And then, I'm sure you'll sell millions. I, for example, want to have a tv box with which i can surf the web, play some simple games and check some apps (coursera, news etc). and I don't want to plug my pc/laptop to the tv to do all these things. also, airplay doesn't cut it. it shouldn't be too difficult to do this. I know you'll do this sooner or later. But please make it sooner.
but seriously people are bandying 4k around like its 1080p back in the days of dv.
lmao - the computational power required from a decoder for 4k is frightening.
I can't be bothered to search up relevant links but jeez think about it.
4k Streaming over the net - you've got to be dreaming. lmao
4k over broadcast - roflmao
.....
I thought 3d was an ugly gimmick and 4k is just another way to sell unnecessary tech at the consumer level. imnsho
4k decoding isn't too bad using silicon, just don't do it with a generic cpu.
Do you realise that Netflix already stream 4k over the Internet?
3D was a gimmick, just a resolution change from 2k to 4k is also a bit of a gimmick but combined with high dynamic range and increased colour gamut makes a big difference. Unfortunately we are still waiting for industry standards to be defined.
Surely not, I mean you're logging in with your Apple ID so .... it all should be available if qualified to run on an atv.
Any dev care to chime in here ?
I hope you're right, but the same Apple ID won't be why. I use that ID when I get iOS and OS X apps, and I still have to pay twice.
I'm assuming that developers will need to rework their apps for the Apple TV. After all, it doesn't have the same UI as an iPhone (no touch screen, no gyroscope etc). So they'll need to make quite a few changes. Apple is rewarding them by offering a new sale. That makes sense.
But it would be good if owning the iOS version would give us a modest discount on the Apple TV version. After all, I don't have to buy many of those apps. I could just use my iPhone to get the weather or whatever.
Something just came to me. I wonder to what extent users can use an iPhone or iPad as input to this new Apple TV. I'm still coming up short thinking of reasons to buy this new Apple TV.
Comments
A small price to pay to keep your iPhone, iPad and Mac from having to plug into your TV, because AirPlay.
If it ships with an A8 or better processor, you can believe Apple is working on that in a future update. It's all about the content.
Sure, it's not even close to a deal breaker but I dislike the post-purchase kludge.
My idea setup is an open standard that would allow all TV vendors to include a universe port* and media extender mount on a TV. This no would let users by the media extended of their choice with the TV of their choice but also the media extender of their choice.
Those still wanting Apple to build a TV are foolish because there are too many TV types, styles and sizes for fitting a particular room, and ideally the manufacturers want one TV per room. It also doesn't work with having a media center built-in since the TV panel will likely have a desirable livespan 3-5x longer than a media center appliance. This is a discreet setup is key.
The connection to the TV will obviously push video, but it will also be used to connect to any built-in speakers, speaker out, any built in mics, cameras, and other sensors.
* It can be USB-C or even HDMI.
That's not a bad idea. If lighter light and no way to fasten the thing down I can see it now waving around on the end of the HDMI and optical cables, the current one almost does.
I agree with you here 100%, a dedicated remote is highly preferred however that doesn't mean alternative apps aren't of value I'm hoping this unit lives up to some of the rumors and hopefully goes beyond a few.
Like others I see 4K support as a very nice feature to have. There of course isn't a lot of media out there at the moment but we are on the upward swing here and having more capability than is needed just means there is an extended lifetime for the unit. Further I'm hoping for brand new SOC with an improved decoder for video that supports the latest standards in hardware including rivals such as VP9. Actually the rumors about the A8 are a bit disappointing because that would effectively be a 3 year old chip by the time the machine hits the market. I wouldn't be shocked to find that Apple does a custom chip just for Apple TV as things like the camera processor aren't needed though we need the decoder hardware.
Beyond that the machine needs a bit more flash storage. More RAM wouldn't hurt either especially if user apps are to be supported.
Surely not, I mean you're logging in with your Apple ID so .... it all should be available if qualified to run on an atv.
Any dev care to chime in here ?
I think the killer feature here is going to be 4K and they are going to do it through their encoding. The A8 will be a killer processor to put in this and when playing movies, the power can be used to decode a super-compressed stream into a high quality product. This can be done be decoding the stream well in advance and storing uncompressed to "disk". So I envision this having at least 16 GB of memory just to hold decompressed video stream.
Of course when gaming or using as a second screen, I suppose the output would still be limited to about 1080p just to keep things snappy. Games may also gain 4K, but I still think many consumers don't have that kind of kit in their houses. But if Apple can make 4K easily accessible and perform well, the number of 4K TVs will go up and a next generation version can handle higher resolution game output easily enough.
So I expect to see integration with existing content and the App Store will enable a whole new level of apps to compete. Compete with who? YouTube. Apple is going to create a platform to take down YouTube through its developer community. This will continue what they started during the iPhone 6 launch and WWDC where they are simply going for the throat of the company who ripped them off. Thermonuclear. That is now Apple's mission.
You may well be right - sure beats fcuking around in the courts, for little or no reward.
Hit em where it hurts - in the wallet.
Samsung will start building the equivalent into their flat screen TVs which will be the default device requiring the user to watch a demo of the Samsung alternative before being offered a menu to chose the ATV... every damn time you turn on the Samsung TV... It's gonna be a dirty fight.
Just don't buy a Samsung TV. simple choice really.
I think the killer feature here is going to be 4K and they are going to do it through their encoding.
I don't think H.265 is ready for the mainstream. Last I checked it was still pretty clunky. Besides which, as of yet there are no Apple devices that can yet record 4K out-of-the-box.
On the other hand, I don't expect this will be a product that Apple will update regularly, so there may be some future-proofing if it's on an 18-24(+) month refresh cycle.
I'm looking forward to this, along with the 6S Plus I'm hoping to get.
Just don't buy a Samsung TV. simple choice really.
Aye. This.
I'm not having a go at you here sennen,
but seriously people are bandying 4k around like its 1080p back in the days of dv.
lmao - the computational power required from a decoder for 4k is frightening.
I can't be bothered to search up relevant links but jeez think about it.
4k Streaming over the net - you've got to be dreaming. lmao
4k over broadcast - roflmao
What you'll get is sub sampled rendition of 4k - the signal stomped on by very smart encoders.
Jeez - most films are still projected in 2k, ok many of the sources these days might from 4 or even 5 k cameras which give the film makers many many possibilities in post.
Down sampled to 2 k for projection, cropped to1080p for broadcast, stomped on and sent out at 1080i at about 28Mb/sec or less depending on your broadcaster (compare that to the old sd stomp of about 19). Yes 1080i. Fcuking inter lace - it's still there on broadcast. Unbelievable.
I don't expect this v of atv to support 4k and there's no way in hell Im going to be buying a 4k TV even if it the new atv did support 4k
I thought 3d was an ugly gimmick and 4k is just another way to sell unnecessary tech at the consumer level. imnsho
HDMI CEC would be great!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#CEC
Then the TV could be controlled (switch on, sound etc) via the Apple TV remote.
Daniel
it's so easy. make an apple tv with the latest cpu and good ram, put some hdd storage in it (like in iphones), put full app store in it and finally put ios safari in it. sell it for 200 bucks. And then, I'm sure you'll sell millions. I, for example, want to have a tv box with which i can surf the web, play some simple games and check some apps (coursera, news etc). and I don't want to plug my pc/laptop to the tv to do all these things. also, airplay doesn't cut it.
it shouldn't be too difficult to do this. I know you'll do this sooner or later. But please make it sooner.
I'm not having a go at you here sennen,
but seriously people are bandying 4k around like its 1080p back in the days of dv.
lmao - the computational power required from a decoder for 4k is frightening.
I can't be bothered to search up relevant links but jeez think about it.
4k Streaming over the net - you've got to be dreaming. lmao
4k over broadcast - roflmao
.....
I thought 3d was an ugly gimmick and 4k is just another way to sell unnecessary tech at the consumer level. imnsho
4k decoding isn't too bad using silicon, just don't do it with a generic cpu.
Do you realise that Netflix already stream 4k over the Internet?
3D was a gimmick, just a resolution change from 2k to 4k is also a bit of a gimmick but combined with high dynamic range and increased colour gamut makes a big difference. Unfortunately we are still waiting for industry standards to be defined.
Surely not, I mean you're logging in with your Apple ID so .... it all should be available if qualified to run on an atv.
Any dev care to chime in here ?
I hope you're right, but the same Apple ID won't be why. I use that ID when I get iOS and OS X apps, and I still have to pay twice.
I'm assuming that developers will need to rework their apps for the Apple TV. After all, it doesn't have the same UI as an iPhone (no touch screen, no gyroscope etc). So they'll need to make quite a few changes. Apple is rewarding them by offering a new sale. That makes sense.
But it would be good if owning the iOS version would give us a modest discount on the Apple TV version. After all, I don't have to buy many of those apps. I could just use my iPhone to get the weather or whatever.
Something just came to me. I wonder to what extent users can use an iPhone or iPad as input to this new Apple TV. I'm still coming up short thinking of reasons to buy this new Apple TV.