If you have Apple TV the SD/HD topic is dead. It's all HD

[TheGeneral]

Originally Posted by Wanderer808

I liked ritmomundo's April Fools joke better

I was originally wondering if that's what this thread was intended to be

Reading through it though, of the posts that do make sense, they're incorrect.
Has anyone besides the OP actually found this to be true?
I've tried 6 SD titles and NONE of them are "HD. so the topic is dead"

[sodapop]

Originally Posted by Semp1

They did announce it. I just found you an article after the announcement. I originally looked for this info based on my memory after every one asked for an article. I posted this based on that 3 year old announcement I remembered. This has been known. It's not even a debate in my opinion. Obviously two random people. My self and this guy who wrote the article aren't talking to each other and making the same thing up. Clearly this was announced which I remember and which this article and video from 2012 references.

Your reading comprehension is just as bad as your vision. That article is NOT about SD movies being automatically upgraded to HD.

[Joeker]

This dude trolling u all.

[sodapop]

Originally Posted by Joeker

This dude trolling u all.

Either that or the OP doesn't fundamentally understand the differences between SD and HD.

The iTunes HD movies are available in the following formats:

720p - (1,280×720)
1080p - (1,920×1,080)

while SD movies formats are:

480p - (640×480 or 720×480)

[Semp1]

It specifically says all streaming from the cloud is HD for digital copies. And if you watch the video he says how Star Trek is now HD. I'm not going back and fourth. Watch the video.

[Semp1]

Originally Posted by sodapop

Your reading comprehension is just as bad as your vision. That article is NOT about SD movies being automatically upgraded to HD.

Watch the video. Don't just read the article.

[Semp1]

You know what it doesn't matter believe what you want. Limited amount of people clearly understood and remember what Apple announced. The video specifies it. Star Trek was an sd digital copy. Which when streaming from the cloud is HD. No where does it indicate the HD symbol in the video. Unfortunately you guys can't actually prove your point and I have actually shown material from that month and year that references exactly what I have been saying that Apple announced. Now all of a sudden you try to find other ways that I'm wrong. Watch the video.

[Joeker]

[Semp1]

Originally Posted by sodapop

Either that or the OP doesn't fundamentally understand the differences between SD and HD.

The iTunes HD movies are available in the following formats:

720p - (1,280×720)
1080p - (1,920×1,080)

while SD movies formats are:

480p - (640×480 or 720×480)

I've been a member of this site for 7 years longer than you. Have an extensive Bluray collection including a huge dvd collection. Have owned many a high end gear. Not only do I fundamentally understand the differences. I can probably teach you a thing or two. Listen I'm just telling people what was announced in 2012. Clearly I'm not lying. Watch that video I linked. It says the same thing I have been saying. No trolling here. Never have. Look at my past posts. I'm not a troll.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Semp1

You know what it doesn't matter believe what you want. Limited amount of people clearly understood and remember what Apple announced. The video specifies it. Star Trek was an sd digital copy. Which when streaming from the cloud is HD. No where does it indicate the HD symbol in the video. Unfortunately you guys can't actually prove your point and I have actually shown material from that month and year that references exactly what I have been saying that Apple announced. Now all of a sudden you try to find other ways that I'm wrong. Watch the video.

I think everyone has proved their point. Apple didn't announce anything like you're suggesting. There's nothing in the keynote I linked to about it. I've shown you the data. And sorry, but I don't think you can tell the difference between a 480p and 1080p stream with your eyes, no matter what fancy equipment you've purchased in the past.

Gabe Gagliano of Tech of the Hub (the guy in the video) was initially confused about it like you are. But his article updates his video with this:

Update: From what I can tell, iTunes digital copies only stream in SD from iCloud. While the Apple TV UI does report it’s 1080P from the Wish List, Search and Browsing screens, it’s actually a 480P SD encode.

That negates the moment where he said "HD" when he started to watch his SD Star Trek movie.

The only person confused about this subject is you. You're so dug in now I don't see you acknowledging the truth, so I'm out.

[punking]

This idea of SD being upcoverted to HD was argued about along time ago on the MacRumors forum a long time ago.

The only thing Apple did was upgrade 720p videos to 1080p, they certainly didn't freely upgrade SD material to HD when streaming with your AppleTV, and they still don't now.

I have a number of videos that are in SD including Adventures of Tintin. It looks like crap when streamed on my AppleTV 3. The TV says 1080p but only because that's what it's outputting, not what's going in.

I repeat it looks crap compared to the HD material on the ATV. It also buffers quicker than any of the HD material. This is the same for all the SD material on my itunes.

At no point is any of it being upgraded to HD.

So out of interest I paid $9.99 for the HD version of Tintin, and do you know what? Now it's in HD, it looks better and the buffering is consistent with an HD video.

At no point have Apple decided to generously upgrade your SD into HD otherwise everybody would just buy a load of SD videos and then purchase an ATV to get it in HD. Nonsense.

[Rik1138]

Yeah, there's no truth to this... Still waiting for this 'April Fool's!' post...

I have Coraline as someone else mentioned as an SD digital copy (from a code included with the Blu-ray). I also have it as an HD purchase on another account, so I can actually compare them back to back at the same time.

On the SD one, I did a search for Coraline, found 'Coraline HD' in the search results, selected it and the movie played very obviously in SD (sure it was upscaled to 1080p for my TV, but it's still horrible DVD-quality video).

The HD version played with the other account looks worlds better...

720p now plays 1080p, but both of those are considered HD, so you are just getting better HD...

(I've also confirmed that SD is still SD with a contact at Apple, but you'll have to take my word for that as I can't post proof... )

[Semp1]

Originally Posted by punking

This idea of SD being upcoverted to HD was argued about along time ago on the MacRumors forum a long time ago.

The only thing Apple did was upgrade 720p videos to 1080p, they certainly didn't freely upgrade SD material to HD when streaming with your AppleTV, and they still don't now.

I have a number of videos that are in SD including Adventures of Tintin. It looks like crap when streamed on my AppleTV 3. The TV says 1080p but only because that's what it's outputting, not what's going in.

I repeat it looks crap compared to the HD material on the ATV. It also buffers quicker than any of the HD material. This is the same for all the SD material on my itunes.

At no point is any of it being upgraded to HD.

So out of interest I paid $9.99 for the HD version of Tintin, and do you know what? Now it's in HD, it looks better and the buffering is consistent with an HD video.

At no point have Apple decided to generously upgrade your SD into HD otherwise everybody would just buy a load of SD videos and then purchase an ATV to get it in HD. Nonsense.

I'm not saying you can buy an sd copy and have it stream in HD. I'm saying apple streams HD movies of digital copies originally sd that came with blurays in HD as long as it's streaming from the cloud.

[Wasgo]

Originally Posted by Semp1

I'm not saying you can buy an sd copy and have it stream in HD. I'm saying apple streams HD movies of digital copies originally sd that came with blurays in HD as long as it's streaming from the cloud.

I'm pretty sure that video is just wrong. The only thing Apple announced is that digital copies redeemed through iTunes would start streaming through the cloud. I had a number of SD copies that came with Blu-ray and they looked terrible. I actually contacted Universal for replacement codes, redeemed them and it added the HD versions which looked much better. Many others have done the same.

[Rik1138]

Originally Posted by Semp1

I'm not saying you can buy an sd copy and have it stream in HD. I'm saying apple streams HD movies of digital copies originally sd that came with blurays in HD as long as it's streaming from the cloud.

Nope, they don't. See my post above about Coraline. I have this as a redeemed SD digital code (from a blu-ray purchase). It still plays in upscaled SD...

I also have the same movie _purchased_ as HD in iTunes (on another account), and it looks 100x better (obviously HD).

Originally Posted by Wasgo

I'm pretty sure that video is just wrong. The only thing Apple announced is that digital copies redeemed through iTunes would start streaming through the cloud. I had a number of SD copies that came with Blu-ray and they looked terrible. I actually contacted Universal for replacement codes, redeemed them and it added the HD versions which looked much better. Many others have done the same.

Yeah, the SD ones are still SD unless you somehow get them upgraded (Apple is not doing this for free or on their own). Some studios may upgrade them for you (like what Disney has done with DMA. If you link your iTunes and DMA account together, all your iTunes redemptions will be upgraded to HD if they weren't already.) I tried with a Fox title what you did with Universal (calling them and asking if there was an upgrade option), and they flat-out said there is no HD upgrade for their SD digital copy titles. I can buy an HD version, but they wouldn't give me a new code that would upgrade it (or even a discount). And that was about 2 weeks ago that I tried that...

The studios decide what quality of digital copy you get. They may only offer a digital copy of the SD version, and expect you to pay for the HD version if you want it. Apple has absolutely no right to arbitrarily decide what content from the studio to give to people. They have no control over it. They can tell the studios that they would like to make everything HD, but if the studios don't agree, they aren't going to just illegally start giving everyone HD versions...

If some day every studio says 'yeah, let's do it', then maybe it will happen. But I know for a fact that at least one studio is flat-out refusing to give free upgrades in anyway.

[BJMRamage]

Originally Posted by Wasgo

I'm pretty sure that video is just wrong. The only thing Apple announced is that digital copies redeemed through iTunes would start streaming through the cloud. I had a number of SD copies that came with Blu-ray and they looked terrible. I actually contacted Universal for replacement codes, redeemed them and it added the HD versions which looked much better. Many others have done the same.

Oh,I wonder if i x.could get upgrades on the crappy SD digital copies.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Semp1

As long as you have had an Apple TV since the original AppleTV3 was released all your old movies are streamed in their HD versions. I don't understand why people are still asking about SD or HD. Matter of fact this has been known and announced by apple basically since 2012. Some movies that were redeemed years ago will have the itunes extras blurred out but play in HD. Now downloading and streaming on any other device is different. It will be the format in which it was originally. HD or SD. If their is still doubt by any one just search the movie you own on Apple TV. You'll see the HD version appear. Select it and you'll see it's the version you currently can stream. Sorry if this is old news to some but I see a lot of confusion in regards to this.

Nope nope nope

My SD movies that were bought before Apple even had an HD option, are still only SD.

[Wasgo]

Originally Posted by BJMRamage

Oh,I wonder if i x.could get upgrades on the crappy SD digital copies.

They usually require pictures of the slips and/or receipts, but they're pretty good about it.

[Rik1138]

Here you go:
X-Men: First Class
iPhone pictures of my 'digital copy' redemption from a Blu-ray disc purchase (started by searching for X-Men and selecting the button that says 'X-Men: First Class [HD]'), and still playing in SD.

Then playing the same movie via an HD purchase with full iTunes Extras.

The HD image is on top, the SD on the bottom, taken from the same TV, from the same AppleTV on the same network (with the same iPhone), about 3 minutes apart. Look at the detail on the body of the bird, and the bright highlights in it's wings on right. (And really, anywhere else, but those are the most obvious). The bottom one is clearly upscaled from SD and a lot of fine detail is missing.
The weird moire pattern is caused by the LCD screen which shows that the camera was in focus on both pictures (it's trying to focus on the LCD pixels, that's what causes that). It is an iPhone picture, and JPG'd again in Photoshop to create the one image with both shots, so not a perfect situation, but anyone that knows the difference between SD and HD can still see the difference in these.

I can capture the AppleTV directly into Final Cut if you _really_ need more proof...

[grrrarg]

Originally Posted by Semp1

Ok let's do this. If you have an iPad, iPhone, or Mac AirPlay the digital copy to the Apple TV. These devices stream in the definition they originally were purchased as. Bring up a scene and compare. You'll see that it's definitely HD when the Apple TV streams it vs. one of these devices. Look at lord of the rings. It's clearly HD but was downloaded as SD. Your eyes won't lie. The fact that's e are even debating this tells me you actually can't truky tell if it's sd. So what's that say? It's not sd.

This is only meant to be constructive, but... some SD looks pretty good, it is possible to mistake it for HD.

One could try comparing the Apple tv output to a Blu-ray to see the difference.

Or if possible, stream the SD and HD itunes versions locally to compare the difference.

None of that is really necessary if you look at bandwidth usage however.

On a related note, I sometimes find itunes HD to be a little lacking (in general the 720p from itunes is superior to the 1080p version for live action, however itunes 1080p animation tends to be superior to the 720p itunes counterpart). Sometimes the HD files just look like good SD.