Apple TV Upconverting?

Question

Doe's AppleTV have any up-converting video capabilities and/or algorithms, as found in an up-converting DVD player. I find my up-converting DVD player is much better then my older dvd player. Before I invest in an AppleTV I would like to see this obvious feature included. Is AppleTV's video processor considered to be state of the art, as found in a Blue Ray player, or is it only modestly adequate? I have been waiting for a second generation AppleTV, but since it doesn't appear to be coming any time soon, I might have to go ahead with the present product.
Does the AppleTV have a zoom feature?
Thanks

Answer 1

Havingamacattack wrote:
Doe's AppleTV have any up-converting video capabilities and/or algorithms, as found in an up-converting DVD player. I find my up-converting DVD player is much better then my older dvd player.
It must do some kind of upcoversion as it has a fairly basic CPU that can only decode video files up to 720p at 24fps, but can output a 1080i or 1080p signal to the TV - so presumably the graphics card upscales the 720p material when output to the TV.
Proper documentation of the hardware is scanty - from memory I think it's a 1GHz basic Intel CPU of some kind, 256MB RAM, and some kind of basic nVidia graphics chip.
Before I invest in an AppleTV I would like to see this obvious feature included.
You obviously feel upscaling DVD is worthwhile - many people feel it adds nothing at all. You cannot re-create real information that was never recorded, but the upscaling may produce an effect that people find more pleasing.
Other would argue that any upscaling is better done by the TV, but really it depends on the upscaling circuitry of the TV vs input device.
Is AppleTV's video processor considered to be state of the art, as found in a Blue Ray player, or is it only modestly adequate?
Modestly adequate only I'd say - that's not to say bad, just that for a device like AppleTV there can't be much budgeted for the graphics chip.
If it had a high end graphics processor/scaler chip I think Apple would be singing from the rooftops about it, to let us know what it is. Silence suggests it's nothing special.
I have been waiting for a second generation AppleTV, but since it doesn't appear to be coming any time soon, I might have to go ahead with the present product.
I don't think it's been a roaring success of a device - but seeing as media rental seems to be becoming a big focus for Apple, I 'd be surprised if they dropped AppleTV anytime soon. International price cuts would do wonders for sales, it's just too expensive for average consumers who pay £20 for DVD players, for the privilege of renting from Apple.
I would love an AppleTV 2.0 as well with a fast processor and high-end scaling chip, functioning USB, more file type support and a solid state drive (the mechanical hard drive is the most likely thing to fail I would imagine) of around the same capacity as the 40GB.
Some big enhancements could already be added in software to the current model, but as they've not been I don't think we'll see them in a new model - this device's marketing has changed from being about playing your personal media collection to a portal into the iTunes store with your media relegated to the bottom option in each category belkow 4 or 5 store tabs.
Does the AppleTV have a zoom feature?
No, nor does it have pointless trick play navigation - only pause/play/ff/rw/next/prev.
Zoom might be useful for higher res photos than 1920x1080, but I doubt I'd use it personally.
Ac
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