New Apple TV - Jailbroken: now with a Flash browser, Last.fm, and Plex - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 09:26 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/t...one-os-on-tap/

I'm extremely skeptical about how well a cloud-based 1080p streaming solution will work. But if they could pull that off... wow.

Definitely interesting.

You Need a Thneed · 05-28-2010, 09:36 AM

If that's true, I'm glad I didn't buy a Apple TV in the last couple of weeks.

HeartsOfFire · 05-28-2010, 09:37 AM

Fffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

Russic · 05-28-2010, 09:37 AM

Very very interesting. Engadget isn't a hack organization and they seem pretty sure of this one. I agree though, 1080p from a cloud doesn't seem like something that would work well. $100 though and all my movies in a cloud ... yes please.

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 09:50 AM

Even more interesting is the fact that they're calling it an "iPhone without a screen". Probably wishful thinking, but does that mean they might build some AppleTV functionality into iPhones? Sure would help establish a stranglehold on the emerging TV OS market...

At $99 I'd probably get one just to check it out - but until I can PVR live hockey & football in HD on one of these boxes I'll be sticking with my HTPC

HotHotHeat · 05-28-2010, 10:16 AM

If they drop the price of TV Shows to 99 cents and drop the price of these things to $99, they will sell like hotcakes. With wireless N, 1080P transfers shouldn't be a problem.

Azure · 05-28-2010, 10:41 AM

In response to Google TV?

1080p shouldn't a problem at all for people who can get 50mbps connections. Don't know how your ISP would like you though.

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

With wireless N, 1080P transfers shouldn't be a problem.

First, your home network is mostly irrelevant, since the primary storage medium is supposed to be the cloud. Your internet connection will be.

Second, 1080p streaming can be a lot of things. I stream 1080i MPEG TS video, which requires half the bandwidth of an equivalent 1080p stream, and get stuttering at anything under about 45-50mpbs on my home wireless N network. Also, probably 9/10 home wireless N networks are getting closer to 20-30mpbs sustained. (No, you're not getting 300mpbs).

Obviously Apple isn't going to store transport streams in the cloud, but my point is just that most wireless N networks aren't anywhere near as fast as a lot of people think.

I'm just on plain shaw high speed cable, and I seem to top out around 8-9mbps. Some get better speeds, some get worse. Either way, it's not fast enough to stream any kind of good quality 1080p video.

I'm guessing the cloud storage is referring to a delivery network for Apple content through iTunes, not a storage medium on which I can store my BD rips, etc.

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

1080p shouldn't a problem at all for people who can get 50mbps connections. Don't know how your ISP would like you though.

Who offers 50mpbs connections?

Shaw's top consumer offering is 25mpbs.

Prototype · 05-28-2010, 11:54 AM

Can someone give me a coles notes to what "cloud" storage is, and what it's benifits are?

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prototype

Can someone give me a coles notes to what "cloud" storage is, and what it's benefits are?

In general, "the cloud" is a vast and mysterious network of computers spread across the globe. Generally they are owned & maintained by a company, for example Amazon is one of the biggest cloud-service providers. I put a lot of my images for websites on the Amazon cloud.

If you store something, like a video, in the cloud, it will work just like saving on a single server for your purposes, but the difference is it's actually stored on dozens or hundreds of servers in the cloud, and when you access it, the cloud will decide which server (or servers) you will retrieve it from based on speed, geographical location, etc.

There is a great deal more to cloud computing but that's the gist of cloud storage.

Azure · 05-28-2010, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Who offers 50mpbs connections?

Shaw's top consumer offering is 25mpbs.

http://www.shaw.ca/en-ca/ProductsSer...nternet/Nitro/

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

http://www.shaw.ca/en-ca/ProductsSer...nternet/Nitro/

Ah cool, didn't even know that existed...

So, there's one product that I know of in Calgary capable of streaming good quality 1080p

Azure · 05-28-2010, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Ah cool, didn't even know that existed...

So, there's one product that I know of in Calgary capable of streaming good quality 1080p

I could have sworn they had a 50mbps package too. But I can't find it.

MickMcGeough · 05-28-2010, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

I could have sworn they had a 50mbps package too. But I can't find it.

I'm sure there's more packages available with 50mbps, but the point is that a very small minority of Apple's target market for a cloud-based AppleTV will have a fast enough connection to take advantage of it.

anyonebutedmonton · 05-28-2010, 02:02 PM

Even just having the ability to easily stream in HD from my Time capsule upstairs to my TV downstairs is easily worth $99. Add to that the fact that I can control it with an iPad or iPhone...

Hemi-Cuda · 05-28-2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

I could have sworn they had a 50mbps package too. But I can't find it.

that was Nitro before the latest bump. it started at 25mbps, then 50, now 100. expect a bump for Extreme and regular High Speed fairly soon as well

Rathji · 05-28-2010, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

First, your home network is mostly irrelevant, since the primary storage medium is supposed to be the cloud. Your internet connection will be.

Well my N wireless tops out at about ~20Mbs actual transfer speed considering all the other networks in my area and traffic on my network. Shaw offers both 25Mbs and 100Mbs residential plans. Not saying they will actually reach those limits or that most people would justify paying $150 for the Nitro connection, but the days of your internet connection being the bottleneck when wireless is involved are seriously numbered.

Rathji · 05-28-2010, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prototype

Can someone give me a coles notes to what "cloud" storage is, and what it's benifits are?

Cloud storage refers basically to storing your data online hosted on servers that companies dedicate to this purpose.

For example, in business you could run any number of your actual servers from the cloud and reduce or eliminate the servers you maintain locally. The short term cost is usually far less than shelling out cash for a physical server, but there are security concerns.

In this situation, it seems to mean you would either upload your media files or buy iTunes content and have it available anywhere you had a internet connection with your device, rather than having it all on your PC or external hard drive.

sclitheroe · 05-29-2010, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Second, 1080p streaming can be a lot of things. I stream 1080i MPEG TS video, which requires half the bandwidth of an equivalent 1080p stream, and get stuttering at anything under about 45-50mpbs on my home wireless N network. Also, probably 9/10 home wireless N networks are getting closer to 20-30mpbs sustained. (No, you're not getting 300mpbs).

An h.264 stream at 1080p is nowhere near the bandwidth you are talking about, and visually would look as good to 99% of the population. It’s totally doable over broadband today, for people with mid to high tier broadband packages.

720p is already in place - buy an HD movie from iTunes today on an AppleTV and it streams just fine. We can quibble about whether what iTunes delivers today on ATV is true HD or not, but the point is that high quality video is being delivered over current broadband solutions.