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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 2:44 am Post subject: Does Apple TV output 1080i? |
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Anyone confirm this?
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garyfritz
Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12088
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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ecrabb
Forum Moderator
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 3:06 am Post subject: |
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You need to specify old or new AppleTV, now.
The old one was 480p, 720p, 1080i. The new one is now 720p-only - at least for now.
I have the old one. I should have a new one to test in a month or so.
SC
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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| ecrabb wrote: | You need to specify old or new AppleTV, now.
The old one was 480p, 720p, 1080i. The new one is now 720p-only - at least for now.
I have the old one. I should have a new one to test in a month or so.
SC |
I just asked the customer if his is old or new.
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ert85
Joined: 12 Nov 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| ecrabb wrote: | You need to specify old or new AppleTV, now.
The old one was 480p, 720p, 1080i. The new one is now 720p-only - at least for now.
I have the old one. I should have a new one to test in a month or so.
SC |
ecrab what's your experience with Apple TV? Is it worth the buy? Is it typical Apple... where you're tied to anything Apple and nothing beyond?
I ended up going with a media player from Argosy so that I could just have a USB hard drive connected to it where I store some camcorder footage I had transferred from Mini DV tapes. So far I'm happy with it, but with its lack of network connectivity... I can't stream anything from the internet, such as Netflix.
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WanMan
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10270
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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720P? Hmm, I wonder why that is. Too good for 1080P, SJ?
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| ert85 wrote: | | ecrab what's your experience with Apple TV? Is it worth the buy? Is it typical Apple... where you're tied to anything Apple and nothing beyond? |
I think how much value it holds depends on how much content/media you have loaded into iTunes already and whether you have a box sitting on your network with iTunes running on it.
It's definitely a good buy if you already use a Mac and have content loaded into iPhoto and iTunes. In that case, it's a no-brainer at $99. The media streaming functionality alone from an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad will be slick.
If you already have an iPhone or iPod touch and you have a lot of music loaded into a copy of iTunes on a box that sits on the network, then I think it's also a good value.
If you don't have any "i" devices and/or don't plan on getting any, and are generally pretty disinterested in Apple products, then probably not much value. It isn't that you're "tied" to Apple... You're free to buy your music wherever you want, as long as its mp3 or aac, but you do need iTunes to manage the library because that's what the ATV connects to.
| ert85 wrote: | | I ended up going with a media player from Argosy so that I could just have a USB hard drive connected to it where I store some camcorder footage I had transferred from Mini DV tapes. So far I'm happy with it, but with its lack of network connectivity... I can't stream anything from the internet, such as Netflix. |
I think everything in this space has its pluses and minuses. Some forego ease-of-use in favor of functionality, while Apple takes the opposite approach. Then, there's everything between.
I'm caught in the middle personally. I highly value good UI design and usability, but I like to to tinker - a little. So, I'm caught in an endless loop of indecision. I want cool features, but I don't want anything else cluttering up my already-too-cluttered life of tech gadgetry.
I'll be interested in seeing the Boxee box as well as some of the other devices just hitting the market (Google TV).
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
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Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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| WanMan wrote: | | 720P? Hmm, I wonder why that is. Too good for 1080P, SJ? |
I think the idea probably is that since there's essentially no movie or TV streaming content that exists in 1080p, then there's no reason to build a streaming device to support that standard. If that changes in a year or two, then the device can be updated to support it.
Yes, it seems a little shortsighted, perhaps. But, like every other company, Apple is in business to make money. There's really no reason to engineer a device that's capable of accommodating content that won't be available for at least several years. Even Netflix only just started adding content that's supposedly 1080i; the bulk of their content is 720p.
SC
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MikeEby
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 5237
Location: Osceola, Indiana
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| ecrabb wrote: | | WanMan wrote: | | 720P? Hmm, I wonder why that is. Too good for 1080P, SJ? |
I think the idea probably is that since there's essentially no movie or TV streaming content that exists in 1080p, then there's no reason to build a streaming device to support that standard. If that changes in a year or two, then the device can be updated to support it.
Yes, it seems a little shortsighted, perhaps. But, like every other company, Apple is in business to make money. There's really no reason to engineer a device that's capable of accommodating content that won't be available for at least several years. Even Netflix only just started adding content that's supposedly 1080i; the bulk of their content is 720p.
SC |
I too don't think we anytime soon will have the internet infrastructure in place in this country to support 1080p. It's almost going to require fiber on every street and road before we see the bandwidth required. I also don't see the cable or telephone companies making that investment, its just not worth it to make Netflix customers happy.
Mike
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ecrabb
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:57 am Post subject: |
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Exactly, Mike.
The only thing that's annoying to me about them eschewing 1080p support is all the consumer cameras that shoot 1080p. Hell, you can even edit in iMovie at 1080p and export to YouTube at 1080p... There's just going to be more and more content in 1080p, even if it's just what people are creating at home. Not sure why they did that, other than maybe the hardware just isn't capable of reliably playing back 1080p at that retail price point.
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WanMan
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10270
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:33 am Post subject: |
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| MikeEby wrote: | | ecrabb wrote: | | WanMan wrote: | | 720P? Hmm, I wonder why that is. Too good for 1080P, SJ? |
I think the idea probably is that since there's essentially no movie or TV streaming content that exists in 1080p, then there's no reason to build a streaming device to support that standard. If that changes in a year or two, then the device can be updated to support it.
Yes, it seems a little shortsighted, perhaps. But, like every other company, Apple is in business to make money. There's really no reason to engineer a device that's capable of accommodating content that won't be available for at least several years. Even Netflix only just started adding content that's supposedly 1080i; the bulk of their content is 720p.
SC |
I too don't think we anytime soon will have the internet infrastructure in place in this country to support 1080p. It's almost going to require fiber on every street and road before we see the bandwidth required. I also don't see the cable or telephone companies making that investment, its just not worth it to make Netflix customers happy.
Mike |
Depends on how you set it up. You are suggesting the infrastructure will not support 1080P, but the data bandwidth required would be about, what, double 720P? We are not talking about uncompressed video, here. I guess then all those video websites that might offer 1080P are just lying, or at least lying to themselves, right? Maybe Apple should prohibit Movie trailers to 720P also.
Maybe Apple just doesn't want you from discouraging yourself from buying a 1080P capable device (e.g. iMac, MacBook, etc.). If they are going to limit the output to lowest common denominator of HD then keeping you from this aspect is correct, no? Stop making excuses for Apple and start questioning why.
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ecrabb
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't make excuses for Apple, Wan. In fact, I questioned the reasons behind leaving out 1080p support.
However, I still say 1080p for streaming movies is pretty ridiculous at this point. The vast majority of the population simply don't have the pipes to stream it.
If you compressed a 2-hour movie with the same bandwidth, that trailer you're point to above would be over 8GB. You'd need about a 10mbps connection to stream that... How many people A) have 10+ mbps connections, and B) will recognize the difference between 720p and 1080p on their 40-50" living room displays? Can Apple sell their hardware at the same price point and margin with hardware that supports 1080p? Can Netflix's business model support 1080p streaming (probably effectively doubling their bandwidth bill)?
I think these are questions you simply want to ignore just so you can bust Apple's balls.
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TheVerge
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 928
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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A. Me even in dump Arkansas has 18mbit.
B. Probably none, might as well lie and say it's 1080p. Most people would never notice.
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ecrabb
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Location: Utah
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| TheVerge wrote: | | A. Me even in dump Arkansas has 18mbit. |
Congratulations. I also have 20mbps here in BF Iowa. But, we're still in the VAST minority of users.
That also ignores the question about how many content providers have any content offerings about 720p.
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ert85
Joined: 12 Nov 2010
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WanMan
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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I thought I found a stack of those things at Fry's Electronics yesterday--and they were all $99.
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah
TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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You think Fry's had Boxee boxes for $99, Wan? They're $199 everywhere as far as I know. If you found them for $99, that's a smokin' deal. Go grab me one, will ya? 
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WanMan
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10270
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| Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe it was a knockoff. While waiting for the little snot to price-match (Fry's hates to price match other retailers), I noticed a cube-looking package about 4-5" on the size. It said 'something' box. I picked it up, noted the price, the video and audio outputs on the box, and asked the little snot what it was. He said "its a media player for your TV. Just plug in a hard drive and it'll play anything."
Ok, I found what I ran across. It was this.
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