Some recent reports give us some hope for the future of 1080P HD quality movies on iTunes. Apple Insider is reporting that iTunes will be launching a new HD service this fall to run in conjunction with the iPad HD launch.
Right now on iTunes HD videos only give you 720P resolution as the maximum. This will all change this September or October when Apple will release the new HD+ format on iTunes. Many videos have already been submitted by some major companies, including 20th Century Fox. Many future videos will uploaded in varying resolutions to accommodate the entire line of Apple devices including; 480p SD, 720p HD, and a new 1080p HD+ format.
Many component makers in Taiwan have stated that they have received massive orders from Apple for a new iPhone and another iteration of the Apple iPad. It would make sense that since many people in the industry stated that the iPad would not be a significant upgrade from the iPad 2. The main customers Apple is going after with the iPad HD is media professionals who need access to Final Cut or Aperture. Rumors on the iPad HD continue to swirl with new augmented reality applications. There is also a strong indication that the resolution will be 2048 x 1536 and support 264 dpi. We also heard that the new Apple A5 chip will be installed in many upcoming devices, such as an update to Apple TV. The new Apple TV which can run full HD resolution is said to cost $99
One of the problems surrounding full HD streaming is the fact many networks cannot support the transfer speed for live streaming. Full HD streaming ends up taking around 10 megabits per second for optimal viewing. This is why tablets and other devices are incapable of streaming hi-def content. With the rise of LTE this is increasing the future of streaming with portable devices, but many operators do not have it widely available yet. If iTunes does offer full 1080P movies in the near future, it will more then likely be downloads to the device.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
