4K iTunes Content Limited to Streaming Only, No Downloads

Megalith

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
13,000
4K content from Apple can be streamed, but not downloaded directly on a device according to Apple: customers can download a local copy of an HD movie, and on occasion, HD movies that support HDR and Dolby Vision, but 4K movies are not available for download and thus can't be watched without an internet connection.

It's not clear why Apple is not allowing customers to download 4K content onto their devices, but it could potentially be a licensing issue. Apple is providing 4K content at the same price as HD content, though movie studios were rumored to want to charge more. It's also possible it's a local storage issue, as 4K movies have large file sizes. To stream 4K content to the new Apple TV 4K, Apple recommends a minimum speed of 25Mb/s, according to the support document. If an internet connection isn't fast enough, Apple will downscale the video quality.
 
Yeah, was stoked - could let a movie DL over the week and watch it in 4K over the weekend. Some actual 4k Content.

Doesn't look like I'll be watching 4K HDR on my awesome 350kBs ISP. I can barely stream 480p most days. Downloading overnight/over a couple of days what I do for the most part for 1080 content now.
 
A friend of mine works in IT at a college campus. He is the one who receives complaints from copyright holders when students (and probably faculty/staff) torrent stuff. He said with the advent of Netflix/Hulu services, the number of torrent users on the campus network has decreased some. A lot more people would be willing to have a legal service as long as it doesn't suck.
I use Plex at home - I have all of my DVD's ripped to a hard drive. Is it legal? Not really. I bypassed the DRM. However, since I bought the content - what am I doing wrong? It's just a lot more convenient to pull up a nice menu than go to my discs (which are boxed up at this point), find what I want to watch, go to the DVD player, put it in, etc. I don't own any BluRay discs and think the only player in the house is a PS4 my kids have. I have no interest in buying physical media.
I don't have a 4K TV yet - so maybe by the time I take the plunge, some of this nonsense can be sorted out. However, I suspect it might not...
 
Mmm... 4K streaming.... Mmm... ever more restrictive bandwidth caps even on landlines.
 
That was probably the concession Apple had to agree to in order to get movie studios to go along with their pricing plans.
 
And this is why piracy continues. They charge extra for higher resolution which should be the standard anyway and continue to hinder those who would buy it legally with extra DRM restrictions that make no sense.
 
Welcome to the future were everything is streamed and we have to pay per gb.
 
lassiterb said:
And this is why piracy continues. They charge extra for higher resolution which should be the standard anyway and continue to hinder those who would buy it legally with extra DRM restrictions that make no sense.
Click to expand...

Yup. If you don't have a connection fast enough to stream at 4k reliably, you can't just download it to watch it later where your own device holds the content or your local network can handle streaming from computer to TV. It makes sense with high bandwidth streaming to download and then play locally to avoid varying image quality if the feed lags.

It is the same reason that delays in posting things that people are supposed to have "on demand" access to leads to piracy.
 
It’s probably due to a deal Apple made with movie studios to keep the 4K content same price as HD and where you get the 4K version of movies you already own.
 
gxp500 said:
It doesn't have enough storage, that's why, you could only fit a few movies tops.
Click to expand...
Probably 1 movie on the 32GB and maybe 3 on the 64GB Apple TV4K's.

It looks like the 64GB version doesn't ship till Oct 23, unless they all sold out and that is when they get more units in.
 
Last edited:
Chromecast Ultra + Emby. There, now you can set up your own 4k shit way better than Apple TV.
 
lassiterb said:
And this is why piracy continues. They charge extra for higher resolution which should be the standard anyway and continue to hinder those who would buy it legally with extra DRM restrictions that make no sense.
Click to expand...

You do realize that there is no extra charge for higher resolutions...The movie's are the same price whether you buy a 4k or non-4k movie.
 
jnick said:
You do realize that there is no extra charge for higher resolutions...The movie's are the same price whether you buy a 4k or non-4k movie.
Click to expand...

Yes, I wasn't clear in my statement. Was referring to the movie industry in general charging more for higher resolution content. Not an Apple fan myself but am happy to see them push back somewhat against higher prices for 4k when it should already be considered the standard.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to hide the fact that their 4k version was just a 1080 version upconverted on the fly. If you were able to download it, someone would eventually notice the file sizes were the same for both resolutions.
 
Wrecked Em said:
I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to hide the fact that their 4k version was just a 1080 version upconverted on the fly. If you were able to download it, someone would eventually notice the file sizes were the same for both resolutions.
Click to expand...

Theres many more ways to confirm this without having it stored on a device.

I only wanted one for streaming anyways, looks like I'll be picking one up.
 
My internet is plenty fast (Apple says 25 Mbps for 4K,) but I want to download it to iTunes on my computer for two reasons:

1. To keep a backup. I've had streaming content I purchased be removed from online stores before - I want a local copy to ensure I have what I purchased. (With iTunes I can download the 1080p version, but I'd rather have the full quality copy I'm entitled to, dammit!)

2. For repeat viewings. Even though my internet is fast enough to stream it (and do five other things at once,) I'd prefer to 'stream' it from a local-to-my-network computer than over the internet every time. In case my internet *DOES* have congestion, in case I want to watch it when my internet isn't working, so I don't hit my ISP's "it's not a cap, but we'll slow you down to crap" cap. (I almost never get close, but if I start streaming 4K movies I might start to get there. I've streamed more than usual this month, along with updating iPhones, iPads, and Macs in the house, and I'm only halfway there.)
 
Nanogrip said:
Doesn't affect me much as I still run a 720p monitor
:,(
Click to expand...

My main theater TV is an old 72" 1080 rear-projection TV (one of the first generation of TVs with HDMI.) Annoyingly, it has proudly emblazoned "TI 1080p DLP!" on the front - but the HDMI inputs only accept 1080i max! My cable box and Blu-ray player both support 1080i output, but AppleTV doesn't. It only does progressive-scan, so it's restricted to 720p.

I did buy a 4K model, though. Mostly because I have the much-older pre-apps "short" version, and wanted app support.

I do have a 4K display on my PC, though. And it does work at full 4K/60 on that just fine. Kind of funny to watch 4K on a 23" display, but only 720p on a 72" display! (Hey, I got the TV for free off Craigslist a few years ago. I was listed as "broken," but it just needed a new bulb, which I suspected was the problem.)
 
Verge said:
I think it's wildly apparent this is the real reason. 4k HDR rips would be flooding the internet.
Click to expand...
You think they're aren't already out there?
Let me re-iterate for the millionth time: restrictions on paying users do nothing to reduce piracy. On the contrary, some people will say fuck it I'll just download it trough illegal channels.
 
M76 said:
You think they're aren't already out there?
Let me re-iterate for the millionth time: restrictions on paying users do nothing to reduce piracy. On the contrary, some people will say fuck it I'll just download it trough illegal channels.
Click to expand...

No, not really. 99% is fake
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top