iTunes question - SD vs. 720 HD vs 1080 HD

ZV Yoda

Following the release of the new 1080p Apple TV, I assume the Irish iTunes site will now offer 3 different movie resolutions. Will there be different buy/rent prices for each resolution?
1. SD
2. 720HD
3. Now also 1080HD

I have a 2010 Mac mini as our HTPC. Up to know, when we rent or buy via iTunes on this machine, HD has always meant 720. Will this now change to 1080?

We regularly buy kids movies on iTunes. They're stored on the mac mini, but the kids will often watch them via an ATV2 in another room. So, if I buy a 1080 movie via iTunes on the mac mini, what resolution will this get played at on at ATV2?

Does anybody know how all of will this be managed on iTunes & on each device?

DubDJ

Unfortunately you won't be able to get 1080p films from iTunes just yet. For now Ireland has been left out of the loop. It could be months or even years before it becomes available over here. For now we're stuck with 720p I think.

Sad Professor

It hopefully won't take years, but Apple will need to make deals with the Irish copyright holders. Which, as evidenced by the current lack of film/tv content on the Irish iTunes Store, can take some time.

Anyway, when 1080p content eventually does arrive, you won't have to pay extra for it. In fact, you'll be able re-download any existing HD content in 1080p. And provided you have 1080p set as the preferred format in iTunes's preferences that's what will download when buying new movies.

Anyway, from the look soy it, Apple's 1080p content is very heavily compressed. I'm sceptical of the improvement they'll offer over 720p.

Colonel Panic

You'd need to be sitting pretty close to a 32" or 40" TV to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyway.

Hogzy

Colonel Panic wrote: »

You'd need to be sitting pretty close to a 32" or 40" TV to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyway.

We have a 42" TV at home. Its blindingly obvious (to me anyway) when a 720p and 1080p movie is showing.
I am well used to 720p on TV (All Sky HD, BBC HD and most of the content I download is 720p). But when i play some of the Blu Ray's I own there is a HUGE difference in quality.

If you have a bad quality TV then its possible you might not notice the difference.

Colonel Panic

My (40") TV is okay, not amazing, but that's only part of the story really.

I guess it depends on a load of different things but I find it's mostly distance from the TV vs screen size with the amount of motion, the bitrate of the video and the quality of the source material coming in second.

That said, I was watching Game of Thrones last night on Bluray and it was a step up from the 720p files I'd watched previously, but not by anything earth shattering imo.

Can you give me an example of some of the Bluray you mention? I wouldn't mind looking for myself!

Sad Professor

No, I find a big difference between 720p and 1080p. I don't think you have to sit that close to see it.

Hogzy

Colonel Panic wrote: »

Can you give me an example of some of the Bluray you mention? I wouldn't mind looking for myself!

Apocalypto will BLOW YOU AWAY!!!!
Its a relatively cheap blu ray and it is by far the best movie for "showing off" your HD set up.

The Blu Ray is £5 on Amazon

ZV Yoda

The reason for my original post was really just to figure out how the different resolutions would be managed. I'm not convinced that I'd personally be able to spot a huge difference between 720/1080 for most movies on a 40-42" screen.

We have Irish & US iTunes a/cs. I've only ever bought 2 HD movies from them (everything else has been SD):

The Nativity.
We bought the HD version by mistake (from iTunes Ireland). 720 made no difference to the movie whatsoever (I've seen it on terrestrial TV since).

Avatar.
I got the HD version from the US store a few months back. This looks amazing. I know it's a much more visual film, but I imagine the pixelation in SD would be a bit distracting. Since I bought this off the US store, does this mean it's in 1080p (if I'm watching it on the mac) & 720 (if watching it on the ATV2?)

Sad Professor

Fox haven't signed up to providing 1080p content, so Avatar is still 720p on the US iTunes Store.

NUTZZ

Colonel Panic wrote: »

You'd need to be sitting pretty close to a 32" or 40" TV to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyway.

Sad Professor wrote: »

No, I find a big difference between 720p and 1080p. I don't think you have to sit that close to see it.

Anything under 32" and there is no difference between 720p and 1080p, at least not to our eye! Above that size there is most certainly is big difference.