New iTV (Not final name)

[MrNivit1]

Just a historical note... I remeber reading something about an internet set-top box hooked up to a TV a few years ago. Now where did I read this? Hmmm.. oh yeah, Gate's book back in '96.

http://www.microsoft.com/billgates/roadahead/cChap4.asp

Seems Jobs is executing a working plan that Gates couldn't (Media Center PC, anyone?).

This is just what the "iTV" reminded me of.

[mindbend]

Does anyone know the deal with the 640x480 resolution in terms of the widescreen format. I see they have widescreen formatted movies (Gone in 60 secs) as well as 4:3 (Good Will Hunting).

So what is going on there in terms of resolution? Are they cropping the widescreen version or are they doing an anamorphic conversion? I don't feel like burning money right now just to find out, but I'm tempted.

At a quick glance the Gone in 60 secs trailer looked slightly more pixelated (i.e. cropped) than the Good Will Hunting trailer, but I may just be kidding myself.

This is obviously important in that people should know if the widescreen format version is really more like 640x375 or something as opposed to a stretched 640x480.

[Mikuro]

Originally Posted by mindbend

Does anyone know the deal with the 640x480 resolution in terms of the widescreen format. I see they have widescreen formatted movies (Gone in 60 secs) as well as 4:3 (Good Will Hunting).

So what is going on there in terms of resolution? Are they cropping the widescreen version or are they doing an anamorphic conversion? I don't feel like burning money right now just to find out, but I'm tempted.

I've wondered this myself. All I can say is that the mp4 format certainly supports stretching, just like DVDs.

It's also possible that widescreen movies will be wider than 640, merely hovering around 640x480=307,200 pixels. Old video iPods could support wider content as long as the overall area size was close to the standards Apple published. So a 16:9 movie could actually be 720x400, or even slightly larger.

Apple didn't take advantage of this flexibility before, but then, they didn't have any real reason to, either. Before, the intent was more to watch them on iPods; that's no longer the case.

[MacFreak]

iTV do have HDMI port ready. That obviously supported HD. It will support 640 and better.

[mindbend]

The question for me isn't whether or not iTv supports HD (it clearly seems to). The question is where the heck do I get HD source video since iTunes doesn't supply it.

And if I get HD from my cable/antenna and/or a Blu Ray disc, I don't need an iTv.

I'm definitely getting an iTv because I want to build an all computer-based library, but it's a shame my library will be outdated at some point when they eventually are able to provide HD footage and I'll have to buy it again. Unless

I'm missing something.

[fryke]

Then I'd suggest a Mac mini and a big harddrive instead. I, too, dream of a vast digital library of media in my living room, but I don't necessarily want to _stream_ that from another computer in the office. I'd rather have it right where it is.

[CJ MAC OSX IPOD]

They will not be able to call this itv as this is a tv channel in the uk

[nixgeek]

Originally Posted by CJ MAC OSX IPOD

They will not be able to call this itv as this is a tv channel in the uk

Well, according to what I've read this is only an interim name until the official name is decided on.