Teardown of Apple TV Siri Remote finds same touch controller as iPhone 5s & iPad Air
A teardown of the first Apple TV and its new voice-enabled Siri Remote has discovered the controller sports the same Broadcom-made touchscreen controller the company already uses in the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPad Air.
Source: iFixit
Nearly two weeks after first getting our hands on with the new Apple TV, iFixit has completed their full teardown of the device and it's companion remote. The most significant changes from the third-generation Apple TV are found in the new Siri Remote with its glass touch surface.
The glass surface of the new remote utilizes the same Broadcom touchscreen controller (BCM5976C1KUB6G) found in earlier iPhones and iPads. The remote was also found to include an accelerometer and gyroscope for navigation and gameplay.
Source: iFixit
With the addition of a Qualcomm Bluetooth radio in the Siri Remote, users no longer need to aim the remote at their Apple TV. However, Apple did continue to include IR technology which can be used to control the power and volume on your television.
The Apple TV box itself is a half-inch taller and 50 percent heavier than it's predecessor, mostly due to a larger power supply and heatsink. iFixit suggests that this beefier power supply is needed to power the dual-core A8 processor.
Source: iFixit
Apple has also ditched the optical audio-out port and added a USB-C port, with the latter currently being for diagnostic purposes only. The Wi-Fi chip inside the new Apple TV also received a bump to include speedier 802.11ac, and the audio output has been upgraded from Dolby Digital 5.1 to 7.1.
The new Apple TV with Siri Remote comes in 32- and 64-gigabyte models, priced at $149 and $199, respectively. They are expected sometime in October.
Source: iFixit
Nearly two weeks after first getting our hands on with the new Apple TV, iFixit has completed their full teardown of the device and it's companion remote. The most significant changes from the third-generation Apple TV are found in the new Siri Remote with its glass touch surface.
The glass surface of the new remote utilizes the same Broadcom touchscreen controller (BCM5976C1KUB6G) found in earlier iPhones and iPads. The remote was also found to include an accelerometer and gyroscope for navigation and gameplay.
Source: iFixit
With the addition of a Qualcomm Bluetooth radio in the Siri Remote, users no longer need to aim the remote at their Apple TV. However, Apple did continue to include IR technology which can be used to control the power and volume on your television.
The Apple TV box itself is a half-inch taller and 50 percent heavier than it's predecessor, mostly due to a larger power supply and heatsink. iFixit suggests that this beefier power supply is needed to power the dual-core A8 processor.
Source: iFixit
Apple has also ditched the optical audio-out port and added a USB-C port, with the latter currently being for diagnostic purposes only. The Wi-Fi chip inside the new Apple TV also received a bump to include speedier 802.11ac, and the audio output has been upgraded from Dolby Digital 5.1 to 7.1.
The new Apple TV with Siri Remote comes in 32- and 64-gigabyte models, priced at $149 and $199, respectively. They are expected sometime in October.
Comments
At the risk of sounding snarky...
Um, 'duh'?
So the extra height comes from the heatsink for the A8 chip. Odd how the iPhone with the A8 doesn't need this. The PSU will generate some heat but maybe they clocked the A8 quite a lot higher than the model in the iPhone and iPad or maybe it isn't able to keep as cool with that usage scenario.
The iPhone has a rather large aluminum heatsink. It's called the entire phone enclosure.
With the addition of a Qualcomm Bluetooth radio in the Siri Remote, users no longer need to aim the remote at their Apple TV. However, Apple did continue to include IR technology which can be used to control the power and volume on your television.
Can someone explain this to me? Why is IR used for the On/Off and Volume features?
So when I press the TV button on the Remote, what happens? The Apple TV and HDTV should both power on, no? Not a bluetooth command? Why should IR be needed for this? What's the point? I might as well just keep using my TV's remote which also powers both on when I point at it. And what about Volume? Is this also just a simple IR volume toggle? If so thats really disappointing. Half the buttons require IR, and half don't? Talk about confusing.
Can someone explain this to me? Why is IR used for the On/Off and Volume features?
So when I press the TV button on the Remote, what happens? The Apple TV and HDTV should both power on, no? Not a bluetooth command? Why should IR be needed for this? What's the point? I might as well just keep using my TV's remote which also powers both on when I point at it. And what about Volume? Is this also just a simple IR volume toggle? If so thats really disappointing. Half the buttons require IR, and half don't? Talk about confusing.
Because your TV probably doesn't have Bluetooth. Virtually all TV remotes still operate on IR. The power and volume keys being referenced are for controlling the power and volume of your TV, not the ATV.
Apple introduced the New Apple TV ...
Amazon countered with the New Fire TV ...
Likely, Google will counter with a New ChromeCast TV (or somesuch) ...
Once all the features, capabilities, costs are known for these competing products -- I suspect that the biggest [so-called] disadvantage to the New Apple TV will be that it doesn't support 4k Viideo Streaming ... Even though there is not much 4k content available and that most homes don't have the bandwidth to sustain 4k streaming using the h.264 codec ...
That's when Apple announces the New Apple TV supports 4k streaming and uses the h.265 codec -- which uses 1/2 the file size and bandwidth of h.264.
Not only that, Apple announces deals with content owners (like Disney) to provide both h.264 1080p and h.265 4k versions of content.
Provide even more choice by offering a 1080p h.265 version of the content.
That way, the user could choose the content and speed appropriate for his situation at any point in time.
Rat-A-Tat-Tat-Tat!
"The new Apple TV with Siri Remote comes in 32- and 64-gigabyte models, priced at $149 and $199, respectively."
So the extra height comes from the heatsink for the A8 chip. Odd how the iPhone with the A8 doesn't need this. The PSU will generate some heat but maybe they clocked the A8 quite a lot higher than the model in the iPhone and iPad or maybe it isn't able to keep as cool with that usage scenario.
The iPhone has a rather large aluminum heatsink. It's called the entire phone enclosure.
I do agree but I believe Marvin might be right about the chip being clocked up; I would be surprised if the clock speed is the same as the iPhones. Seems like a great way to get extra power from an older chip, preserving the A9 production for the iPhones/iPad; plus to save the cost of a newer chip. That said, an A9 would have been pretty awesome.
That's when Apple announces the New Apple TV supports 4k streaming and uses the h.265 codec -- which uses 1/2 the file size and bandwidth of h.264.
Not only that, Apple announces deals with content owners (like Disney) to provide both h.264 1080p and h.265 4k versions of content.
Provide even more choice by offering a 1080p h.265 version of the content.
That would be nice, but doesn't "full" 4k support require HDMI 2.0a, while this device has HDMI 1.4 outputs?
Mmm ...
If there is a dearth of 4k content -- how much available content actually uses or requires the high fps and color and audio of HDMI 2.0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI
Does anyone know what the 32/64 gigabyte of storage will be for? Will I be able to sync videos, music etc like the 1st generation? That will be great, that way I can watch non-itunes content without the need of streaming from a computer or idevice.
"The new Apple TV with Siri Remote comes in 32- and 64-gigabyte models, priced at $149 and $199, respectively."
It will almost certainly be used for:
1. Apps
2. App data
3. Cache for streaming content
I'd be very surprised if it were used to store audio/video.
It seems to me that it's set to go fully "mainstream" come this Friday, when the world's most popular phone ships with 4k video.
The enclosure will help dissipate the heat but the CPU isn't stuck to it. The iPhone chip is the black square in the bottom right, which is on the opposite side of the motherboard from the metal back:
vs this huge block sitting on top of the ?TV chip, part of which is the power supply:
Once developers start messing around with it, they'll be able to see the clock speed and performance vs the iPhone/iPad A8.
As far as H.265/HEVC codec rollout goes, don't forget that the whole industry is
delayed by a stinkbomb thrown by a second patent pool, per:
http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2015/07/new-patent-pool-wants-share-of-revenue-from-content-owners.html
and
http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2015/08/reject-hevc-advance-licensing-terms.html
Although Apple has plenty of clams, they'd unlikely want to pay 1/2 percent gross on all commercial content
with no cap. H.264 had a cap in the low millions for any one entity when the pool was just MPEGLA.
So the extra height comes from the heatsink for the A8 chip. Odd how the iPhone with the A8 doesn't need this. The PSU will generate some heat but maybe they clocked the A8 quite a lot higher than the model in the iPhone and iPad or maybe it isn't able to keep as cool with that usage scenario.
Also it has been said that the A8 in the new Apple TV is running at full power unlike the iPhone so it can run as fast as it wants without worrying about power consumption because is is running off 120 ac.
That would be nice, but doesn't "full" 4k support require HDMI 2.0a, while this device has HDMI 1.4 outputs?
No it does not, 1.4 supports 4k at 30hz 30 fps. Most movies are 24 fps with the exception being ones shot with RED 4k cameras. They run at 60fps 60hz
As far as H.265/HEVC codec rollout goes, don't forget that the whole industry is
delayed by a stinkbomb thrown by a second patent pool, per:
http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2015/07/new-patent-pool-wants-share-of-revenue-from-content-owners.html
and
http://blog.streamingmedia.com/2015/08/reject-hevc-advance-licensing-terms.html
Although Apple has plenty of clams, they'd unlikely want to pay 1/2 percent gross on all commercial contact
with no cap. H.264 had a cap in the low millions for any one entity when the pool was just MPEGLA.
UM there a charter member of the H.265 consortium and have a number of patents owned that are included in the H.265 standard. There listed as a patent contributing member of the H.265 standard on MPEG LA's website (there the owners of h.264, and h.265). They already have unlimited access to that standard. Apple also uses the H.265 standard in FaceTime video on the iPhone 6 and 6s right now to compress the video streams.
There already listed as a full licensee of H.264 and HEVC H.265.
HEVC Licensees
HEVC Licensors?
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)
Fujitsu Limited?
Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
HUMAX Holdings Co., Ltd.?
IBEX PT Holdings
Industry – Academy Cooperation Foundation of Sejong University
Infobridge Pte. Ltd.
Intellectual Discovery Co., LTD.
JVC KENWOOD Corporation
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)
KT Corp.
Kwangwoon University Industry – Academic Collaboration Foundation
M&K Holdings Inc.
NEC Corporation
NEWRACOM, Inc.
Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)
NTT DOCOMO, INC.
Orange SA
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Siemens Corp.
SK Planet Co., Ltd.
SK Telecom
SungKyunKwan University Research & Business Foundation
Tagivan II, LLC
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
University - Industry Cooperation Foundation of Korea Aerospace University
University – Industry Cooperation Group of Kyung Hee University
Vidyo, Inc.
This is all correct -- Apple is a key licensor/licencee of HEVC as administered by MPEGLA,
just as they were for H.264. But the articles I cite mention certain patent holdouts (like Dolby and GE)
who are claiming all implementations of H.265 read upon their own patents. Commercial
use comes in many forms, such as chips which can implement the standard, including
Apple's own A-series. But patent holders can sue anyone who "makes, uses, or sells",
so these submarine patent holders can go after content owners as well. These are not
the usual "non-practicing entity" trolls who make hay in the East Texas court, but larger
institutions who are unhappy with the reasonable MPEGLA pool royalties.
There is much detail about the threat of multiple patent pools for H.265 in those articles.
Also of note is that IBM, with much IP regarding transform coding, is usually never in these
pools, since everyone in the industry cross-licenses something from them.
From the impression I got from the keynote was that volume and power were commands passed over hdmi. Aka the command from the remote to Apple TV would be over Bluetooth and then from there over hdmi. The Hdmi spec supports it but I haven't seen any setups use it yet (then again I don't see many setups so I could be wrong)