AppleTV

[JJ]

I regularly download 3 or 4 TV shows (seasons) from iTunes.

Typically I sync my iPod then carry it over to the TV. Then I find the cable, disconnect my Wii and connect my iPod. Navigate the iPod menus and play the TV show I want to watch. I do this each time a new episode becomes available for each show.

Later, I want to play the Wii, so I disconnect the iPod, recoonect the Wii.

Repeat.

I think the AppleTV will eliminate all of the hassle since I have an available HDMI port on the TV and I won't have to sync to the iPod and manually connect it to the TV.

I am thinking the HDMI functionality of the AppleTV is essentially wasted in my scenario since the TV shows I download are compressed.

Thoughts?

JJ

[Will Collier]

It's not so much the compression as the low resolution. iTunes needs to at the very least get up to standard DVD resolution (720x480) if they expect lots of people to watch it on actual TVs, especially large TVs. It'll take something close to HD resolution (and aspect ratio) for me to take it seriously.

[Tofer]

What is the resolution on an iTunes purchased tv show or movie?

-Tofer

[deckeda]

[quote apple.com] When you download movies from iTunes, you get near DVD-quality, 640-by-480-pixel video(1)



1. Exact resolution depends on aspect ratio.

[Tofer]

Got it. Thanks.

-Tofer

[mikebw]

Compression is a relative term, I mean store bought DVD's use compression, digital cable, even HD cable uses compression. Nearly everything digital uses compression.

[deckeda]

... right-O, and if the bit rate is low, "high resolution" (pixel count) won't matter. You'd have a big image, but cruddy quality.

[Article Accelerator]

[quote Will Collier]iTunes needs to at the very least get up to standard DVD resolution (720x480) if they expect lots of people to watch it on actual TVs, especially large TVs. It'll take something close to HD resolution (and aspect ratio) for me to take it seriously.
Huh?

It is close to DVD resolution. iTunes videos are 640 x 480. DVDs are 720 x 480. The iTunes videos have 11% lower resolution than DVDs. That difference is barely--if at all--noticeable.

BTW, the aspect ratio matches the source material. If the latter is widescreen, the iTunes video will be widescreen.

You can take it seriously now.