The second-generation Apple TV is capable of decoding and playing back 1080p video, according to a discussion thread on Mac Rumors’ forums. Users of the new set top box report that iTunes accepts 1080p content, which can then be streamed to the Apple TV 2G. While some 1080p material has caused the Apple TV to struggle—likely because of a higher bit rate than other 1080p files that did play without issue—it is encouraging that the second-generation Apple TV is able to decode 1080p at all, a process that’s considered the most resource-intensive part of playing a video. Unfortunately, 1080p video streamed to the Apple TV is downscaled to match the device’s 720p output cap before being sent to the connected TV, but this discovery bodes well for a potential future 1080p update to the device, and also keeps users with large libraries of 1080p content from needing to re-encode those videos, as long as they play back normally.
Charles Starrett
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.