“The $299 sleek VCR-sized box with built in 802.11 wireless functionality allows consumers to watch movies or listen to music they have downloaded from Apple iTunes on a TV. It includes a 40-Gbyte hard drive that can store up to 50 hours of what Apple calls ‘near DVD quality’ video. Apple is recommending a 42-inch or larger TV screen,” Burke reports.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV specs:
• Video formats supported: H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): 640 by 480, 30 fps, LC version of Baseline Profile; 320 by 240, 30 fps, Baseline profile up to Level 1.3; 1280 by 720, 24 fps, Progressive Main Profile. MPEG-4: 640 by 480, 30 fps, Simple Profile
• Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps); protected AAC (from iTunes Store); MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Apple Lossless; AIFF; WAV
• Photo formats supported: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG
• Enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen TVs capable of 1080i 60/50Hz, 720p 60/50Hz, 576p 50Hz (PAL format), or 480p 60Hz
Burke continues, “Charlie Thomas, director of corporate sales for TekServe, a New York City Apple partner… said both his Apple consumer and business sales are growing. ‘Apple is going through a renaissance and we are benefiting from it,’ he said. ‘We’re having a good year.'”
“Peter Gambino, a senior sales director for Ingram Micro, one of a number of distributors that will carry the Apple TV product, said Apple TV is the next logical step in Apple’s iTunes music and movie product lineup. ‘Keep in mind this is not Tivo per say [sic],’ cautioned Gambino. ‘You are not recording programs. You are taking content that you have purchased and pushing it to your family or entertainment center to view.’ Ingram is adding several new VARs a month who are adding Apple to their product lineup,” Burke reports.
Full article here.
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