Apple HD Downloads

[kennyt]

Andrew,

Why do you keep a boat in your garage and why does it need an anchor??

[HT Junky]

I can't wait for this stuff to take off. The article covering Apple's announcement said the the rentals would be available 1 month AFTER their release on DVD. Sounds like, for the time being, that the studios still want to get the DVD profits.

I plan on getting one. Need a new toy to play with, anyway. Got this from the Apple web site. Looks like the high def for the rentals is 720p:

Video formats supported

H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels, 640 by 480 pixels, 720 by 480 pixels (anamorphic), or high-definition 720p
MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Audio formats supported

AAC (16 to 320 Kbps); protected AAC (from iTunes Store); MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Apple Lossless; AIFF; WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through

[HT Junky]

Here is the web site. It is 720P for sure:

http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html#movierentals

[TheMoose]

Originally Posted by kennyt

I agree Andrew,

I've long said once I can download video in native 1080p the format war we are facing will be over, and this is a huge step towards reaching that goal.

The only question is will it start yet a newer format war from all parties trying to corner the market?

What's this going to do to the plan for downloads of HD movies?

From The Associated press

Time Warner Links Web Prices With Usage

NEW YORK (AP) — Time Warner Cable will experiment with a new pricing structure for high-speed Internet access later this year, charging customers based on how much data they download, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

The company, the second-largest cable provider in the United States, will start a trial in Beaumont, Texas, in which it will sell new Internet customers tiered levels of service based on how much data they download per month, rather than the usual fixed-price packages with unlimited downloads.

Company spokesman Alex Dudley said the trial was aimed at improving the network performance by making it more costly for heavy users of large downloads. Dudley said that a small group of super-heavy users of downloads, around 5 percent of the customer base, can account for up to 50 percent of network capacity.

Dudley said he did not know what the pricing tiers would be nor the download limits. He said the heavy users were likely using the network to download large amounts of video, most likely in high definition.

It was not clear when exactly the trial would begin, but Dudley said it would likely be around the second quarter. The tiered pricing would only affect new customers in Beaumont, not existing ones.

Time Warner Cable is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company.


Downloading HD movies could be more expensive than you thought!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Robinson_A

I don't see it starting a new format war since most folks will be able to take advantage of this feature with zero cost to them, at least those using a computer for viewing. An AppleTV will run you $230.00 for viewing on another TV. It's still not 1080 but the writing is on the wall. Hard to call it a format since we all own computers. It may end a format war for people will see the value in this new service. I see it hurting Netflix and the like more at this stage then HD DVD or Blu-ray, but I could be wrong. When they take the handcuffs off the ownership and allow for straight purchase of HD titles then my friend it may be game over or game on...

This is what I've been waiting for!!!! I've long said, like Kennyt that this was coming, and as I told many nay sayers - its coming sooner than you think! I'm not at 1080p(native) on my projector....yet. But for right now 720p is good enough for me! Prerich signing off - as far as this HTPC'r is concerned - game over!

[kennyt]

Moose,

Funny, when I was speaking to the head of Digital Playground the other day and discussing downloading in full 1080p as the future, his point was exactly that, the added cost of using all that bandwidth! This is why Apple is charging more for them, and right now at least is the limiting factor holding the idea back.

To effectively get 1080p downloads we need a leap in bandwidth, good thing they are soon laying fiber optic cable in my neighborhood!!!