kendog52404

muthuk_vanalingam said:

omasou said:

One can only hope that this will put an end to the "a Windows machine cost less" FUD. Those specs should raise the base computer price?

Come on, did you even read the article? It is clearly mentioned - "Microsoft's requirement of TPM 2.0 and other requirements will limit processors to ones delivered in approximately the last six years.". We are talking about specs that belong to 6 year old computers here. How and why would that increase cost, that too to Apple levels?

It's 4 years, not 6 years.  That's because the earliest Intel CPU Architecture that's supported looks to be Coffee Lake, from 2017.  It's basically the same with AMD, but potentially a year later, with Zen+ being the earliest, there.

I'm also on Youtube TV and "affected" by the blackout.  However, going to Hulu w/ Live TV simply isn't an option for me, because I was originally on it, but when I switched to T-Mobile Home Internet, Hulu w/ Live TV conflicted with it.  They can't "reconcile" what the IP Address shows (via T-Mobile Home Internet) versus what my physical address actually is.  Youtube TV works with T-Mobile Home Internet, so I switched to it.  I'm now hoping this dispute get's resolved before January 1st, since that's when the Iowa Hawkeyes play in their Bowl Game.  Any service I do end up adding, temporarily, to get the Bowl Game(s) would still need to work with T-Mobile Home Internet.

Soli said:

kendog52404 said:

We'll just have to wait to find out which model works best for Apple. My guess is that if they still keep SD as an option they may not even bother with re-encoding for HEVC if they find that those still buying SD also overwhelming still use old Apple tech that can't reasonable support the HEVC codec anyway. If they keep SD I wonder if 720p might be kicked out so they can keep the Good-Better-Best model over Good-Better-Betterer-Best.

How common is it to have HEVC support built into their WinPCs? I could see Apple just making a blanket "not with iTunes on Windows rule for the time being when purchases, but syncing an iDevice or streaming to an Apple TV may be common enough that it's not a good limitation to have.

In relation to SD content, you would generally have 2-3 "groups" who buy it.  First, are those you mentioned who are on older hardware.  Then you have the content that simply isn't available in HD.  While I haven't looked lately, the Highlander TV Series was one, and Babylon 5 is currently another.  Thirdly, you have some people, like myself, who when buying seasons, can't afford at present to buy the whole thing, so to stretch the gift card further and drop the whole season price down, I buy individual episodes in SD even though I'm planning on buying the whole season in HD.  That being said, I do think iTunes might drop 720P, Vudu has already done that/is in the process of doing so and now offers SD, Full HD, and UHD.

As for Windows PCs supporting HEVC, Windows 10 included support for HEVC from the initial release of the operating system, Skylake chips have supported it, and newer CPUs, (from "Kaby Lake" forward for Intel unknown for AMD) will only run on Windows 10, not previous versions of Windows.  Windows Vista is also "out of service".  It's only Windows 7 & 8 that could have problems.  That being said, it's my understanding the HEVC was designed to have greatly improved software decoding capabilities.  So, while they would need some kind of driver codec, maybe from iTunes itself, they might be able to run it, or at least SD and HD in HEVC.  Or, Apple might simply just not support 4K on Windows 7 & 8 or any CPU prior to "Skylake" at all.  Just like they're likely to restrict HDR content to "Kaby Lake" CPUs and forward.

I actually could see, in the future, there being an option for additional "Apple GPUs" Cards, to increase video memory capability.  I mean, the current gen is apparently enough for even 8K Video, but as video needs increase, I can easily see them offering it as an option.  I'm not talking about an Nvidia or AMD graphics package add-on, but an Apple based GPU add-on, which would also ease software and driver support.

I'm kinda hoping that somebody, either Apple, or more likely an accessory maker, will make iPhone Cases for the previous, but still selling generations of the iPhone, such as the iPhone 11 series, that includes Mag Safe.  If there is, I hope it includes charging, albeit probably through the Lightning Port on the older iPhones.

george kaplan said:

apple_evo said:

sdw2001 said:

pulseimages said:

Yep, saw the message on my YouTube TV today. I don’t like that I can’t watch ABC News or even my local news on ABC but I’ll be damned if I going to switch providers over it. I don’t care about College Football and the Patriots don’t air on ABC. 

I don’t care either.  It will be back anyway.  

Nah, the Disney channels won't be back especially when Hulu+ Live is competing directly with YouTubeTV. 

Of course it will return, probably before New Years Eve. 

ABC needs the eyeball count YTTV provides its network in general and the ABC O&O stations specifically. It does have a lot to lose, and is probably hurt more in the short term than Google is. 

Actually, it's "back" now, less than 48 Hours after it "left".  I have no idea who, if anyone, "folded", nor how long the new deal will last, but Youtube TV sent an Email saying they "were back".

While the support of Apple Homekit is nice, and a useful feature, my concern is future proofing and non Apple owners.  While the future proofing can't really have anything done about it, aside of making it as easy as possible to upgrade/replace, the non Apple owners issue is, in my opinion, the bigger problem.

Sure, right now, with this developer in particular, if you don't own Apple hardware, for whatever reason, it's simple to just not include it in your new home.  My concern is, when this type of tech is standard in all but the cheapest new homes, then you have people potentially being locked out of ever using the devices in the home if it was built for Apple, but you prefer Android or vice versa.  I'm not getting into the whole debate on Apple vs. Android vs. Android variants vs. Windows and so on, but I do think that there needs to be some kind of open standards that the smart home industry can all agree on.  That way, a device maker doesn't need to certify their device for individual standards, they just certify to the standard, and everything likely works.  They may have a basic standards level, that everybody has to meet for the device, and an enhanced or plus level that could include any proprietary settings or standards.  It would also simplify support in device operating systems as well.  Instead of having to create and maintain development of a wide variety of proprietary Smart Home standards, they just help maintain the "Smart Home Open Standards".