RUMOR: Apple TV update to enable direct purchases of HD TV shows

“Apple is already at work on an update to deliver HD TV shows to the Apple TV, anonymous sources claim,” MacNN reports.

“The release of iTunes 8 brought with it HD-quality shows, which can be viewed either on a computer or an Apple TV; the latter device cannot download HD shows directly however, despite supporting the option for movies,” MacNN reports.

“A software update for Apple TVs is said to be in progress,” MacNN reports.

Full article here.

We consider this one a “RUMOR” in name only as Apple simply has to be working on this (in fact, they should have released it at the same time as iTunes 8, in our opinion).

41 Comments

  1. Up until now, most every browser on TV has looked like crap because up until now, most TV’s had crap resolution. (640 X 480 on a good day!)

    But with 1080p becoming the standard, Safari should look fine on anything less than some mammoth 72 inch screen. Combine AppleTV with a 1080p screen, Safari, and the iPhone/iPod touch as an interface, input, remote device, and that would be a pretty decent light to medium duty web browser.

    Heck, just throw in the iPhone OS and app store and you could actually have great casual internet, e-mail, IM and gaming machine that would be good enough for the majority of the population.

  2. Why would it come without Flash, Yimmie? If that’s the case there’d be no point.

    And you’re absolutely right, Synthmeister. That’s why the time for Apple to do web browsing on the TV the right way is now.

  3. @R2

    The Apple TV is capable of 1080p output. (Apple doesn’t sell 1080p programming but the tech is there.)

    There is absolutely no reason Safari or any other browser couldn’t look good on a 1080p HDTV. At the very least, Apple could offer Safari, Mail, AddressBook, Calendar and iChat. Even the AppleTV should have enough horsepower to handle those apps. Throw in a couple of the less-demanding iPhone games, and Apple would have a winner with very little investment or new technology. (Very little risk in exploring these options.)

    Besides, even Walmart is selling 1080p HDTVs for less than $1000 now.

  4. “Apple could offer Safari, Mail, AddressBook, Calendar and iChat. Even the AppleTV should have enough horsepower to handle those apps.”

    Mail, Address Book, and Calendar, okay.

    But Apple has a 1GHz Pentium M in there. I’m not sure I’d like to try using that with iChat video.

  5. @bob:

    It would not be awful! It would be awesome! For one reason: Apple will make the AppleTV Web browsing innovative in new ways that will finally turn our future TV´s into the prefered household computer/mediacenter.

    1: Imagine moving the curser/pointer around on the screen with one finger on your “brand new” iRemote touch, iPod or iPhone and thus transfer the movement directly to the TV-screen where a double tab on the remote will act as a double click in the TV invironment. Voila! You have a remote mouse.

    2: Or think of the possibillity that you could just move the curser/pointer around by pointing the iPhone/iRemote touch in the direction you neeed. (You know… by using wifi and the build in accelerometer) Then double tab on the iRemote and it functions as a double click in the browser window invironment ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />

    …Yes! It would take some serious development… But if any could do it… It would be Apple ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  6. …And if you get serious with the AppleTV it would in later versions simply become the new MedieMac containing the full blown Mac OS “Lion” and all of its gems.

    Let the remote couch computer era begin ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  7. …Oh oh! And the first Apple branded TV will soon be a reality. Think of it as an 40 inch iMac with a TV in its stomach. The ultimate MediaCenter is born.

    TV shows – Games – Applications – Web browsing – iTunes – Movies …All from the comfort of your couch ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

    Ok! Now I will stop ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />

  8. Not sure why this hasn’t happened already since HD movies are already available, obviously the technology is there, not sure what has taken so long.

    I LOVE apple tv but its obvious apple still considers this a hobby, which is too bad, EVERYONE i show mine to is truly amazed, and they are surprised they’ve never heard of it….slacker apple lack of advertising…

  9. I love my appletv, and I have rented a few items. The probem is everyone is moving to an all you can eat model ith streamed movies. I am sure that the movie industry is wary of Apple’s success with itunes and music, so I am sure that they are moving slower with apple than with other vendors like netflix. Steve said it himself, you go against how the public comsumes a product, it is doomed to fail. Music makes sense to buy, movies/tv shows are made to rent.

  10. @ Bob & R2:

    Running Safari and the like on the Apple TV would boil down to how complex the Remote app for the iPhone/touch becomes.

    The previous attempts made by Web TV, etc., were horrible because the had a normal keyboard and such. With the iPhone/touch acting as an advanced remote, the Apple TV gains more power than most people realize. Just wait until they release games on the iTunes store for Apple TV.

    Game over.

  11. Comment from: MacBill:
    “I’m sure this news is very exciting to the 20 people who own an Apple TV.”

    Ok! Let´s count down the AppleTV owners in here…

    I own one and I love it. So…

    1

  12. make that 3…..

    I love my AppleTV. The only thing lacking is DIVX support and the ability to just read files off a NAS directly.
    …Oh, yeah, I forgot, I need a damn on/off switch too.

    Other than that, I really like the device. We have not used Blockbuster since we bought the device. And the ability to watch Youtube is just great. I watched at least 3 international shows that I would never have watched.

    Again, just include Divx and this thing would sell to the more than 3 of us.

    rick.

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