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Challenges with high-res displays

Apple would have to address significant challenges in order to bring a 2880×1800 resolution display to a MacBook Pro, which DigiTimes reports is in the works. Currently, the max screen res on the biggest MBP is 1920×1200, so a bump up to the reported resolution wouldn’t require a doubling of vertical and horizontal pixels, but it would be a considerable step up.

And taking that step would come with a cost in terms of requiring more processor power, and in terms of battery life, too. Also, producing high-res displays at scale is a tricky thing; the higher the resolution, the more difficult it would be for Apple to produce screens in THE numbers they require. But, next-generation chips from Intel could address some of these problems, especially as Intel says it’s investing more on graphics and media.

What Apple stands to gain

Some might think that Apple stands to add relatively little to its MacBook Pro with the introduction of a much higher-resolution display; Apple’s notebook market share has steadily risen for many years, after all, and the last time it changed its max resolution at the top end of its laptop offerings was in 2008. Do users really need higher resolution in a notebook?

The short answer is yes. Digital graphics and video pros invest in larger-screened MacBook Pros precisely because of their real estate advantage relative to other computers. Advancements in this area mean that Apple can continue to maintain a competitive advantage with pro users who still seek portability as well as power, and don’t want to depend on connecting to an external display to accomplish certain tasks. And with HD resolution offerings set to become more common among PC laptops, any measures Apple can take to stay ahead of the game will go a long way in terms of consumer perception.

OS X Lion also suggests that this is something Apple has been working toward for a while now, since it contains resolution independent features that allow developers to include “2X” graphics resources just like those found in apps compatible with the iPhone’s Retina Display. That the system is basically ready to go in Lion suggests the introduction of Macs that can take advantage of it during the lifetime of that OS.

Less of a leap than you might think

A jump up in resolution is actually something Apple is just about due for in its MacBook Pro line anyway. And the proposed change isn’t about something as dramatic as doubling res, as it is with the rumored iPad 3. It’ll no doubt be a big step up, but one in a key area that consumers will easily be able to see and experience, which is crucial in a market where big, visible feature changes are now relatively few are far between.

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Such a screen rivals that of Apple’s Retina Display, which is used on the current iPod touch and iPhone models. These boast 960×640 resolution in a 3.5-inch screen, which works out to 329.65 pixels per inch. At that level, the human eye can’t detect individual pixels when the phone is held at normal usage distance, making for an extremely crisp viewing experience. LG’s True HD IPS provides 326.36 pixels per inch, which is essentially identical.

Last week, LG introduced its Optimus LTE; the company’s first phone that will use a True HD IPS screen. The handset, debuting in Korea, is launching with Android 2.3. I’d hope that any phones that use a 1280×720 display would see an upgrade to the next version of Android — Ice Cream Sandwich — so high-resolution Android tablet applications could easily run on the handsets.

Android 3.2 introduced new screen-density APIs to help developers code a single application for multiple screen sizes, but that version is intended for tablet applications. Ice Cream Sandwich is expected to unify the Android smartphone and tablet platforms. An upcoming Google Nexus phone, dubbed the Nexus Prime, is expected to showcase Ice Cream Sandwich on a rumored 4.65-inch, 1280×720 screen.

Regardless of the current and future version of Android supported by phones with this display, the end-user benefit will remain the same in terms of visuals. User-created content such as high-definition video and still images will look much better, for starters. High definition video purchases or rentals will also shine and won’t require any conversion to a lower-quality format, while gaming too could be vastly improved.

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While not all shows have received the HD treatment (The Wire and Treme are still SD-only, for instance, along with older seasons of long-running shows), it’s a good start. Pricing varies, but per-episode costs for HD shows is either $2.99 or $3.99 depending on the title. Seasons are priced accordingly, so a full nine-episode season of Big Love, which is priced at $2.99 per episode, runs $26.91.

HD on the iTunes Store means 720p resolution, and the purchases are then available for playback on your computer, your iPad and over AirPlay to your Apple TV. Of course, HBO Go offers free high-definition streaming of HBO shows, so long as you have an active subscription to the network on one of its participating cable or satellite providers. But the HBO Go iOS app doesn’t support AirPlay streaming, and it requires an active connection to work.

It’s nice to see Apple’s available library of HD content expand with the addition of a number of quality titles. But at the same time, the pricing model still seems broken when measured against more affordable all-you-can-eat streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Do you plan on taking advantage of the new HBO content, or are you still holding out for a change in Apple’s approach to digital video sales?

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Video requires a lot of bits to create the moving pictures in such fine detail, and it’s also sensitive to latency and packet loss. Unlike an email that can be reassembled piecemeal at the end of its journey across the pipes and routers that make up the web, video packets generally have to travel in a preordained order. Adaptive streaming technologies can help break down video into smaller chunks to compensate for network quality, but video content is essentially a linear stream. So with a lot of bits and a need for those bits to arrive in line, ISPs, be they wired or wireless, have to dedicate enough bandwidth to make sure the streams aren’t interrupted.

On wireless networks where bandwidth is limited by an operator’s spectrum holdings (you can always add more backhaul for a price, but spectrum is more challenging) video delivery can clog a cell site with only a few users. How few? Thanks to Steven Crowley, a networking engineer and consultant, I learned of a Motorola study that shows that a cell site could support up to 5 users that require a 1 Mbps stream. Halving the bit rate to 512 kbps supports 20 users, but as Crowley point out, “that’s not HD by any standard or convention of which I’m aware.”

So why are Verizon and AT&T (even MetroPCS) pitching HD video on mobile networks? The physics of the spectrum don’t support it, and from an economic perspective, the current pricing plans offered for cellular data make it expensive for consumers. Since I don’t see that pricing going down anytime soon, I’m puzzled. Joseph Ambeault, director of media and entertainment services for Verizon, told me that given the on-demand nature of video on mobile devices, he believes that the network can handle it — especially given some technical tweaks Verizon can offer.

For a look at those technical tweaks, Crowley offers a primer on cellular vs broadcast spectrum use, and notes LTE supports broadcast technology. He also explains that broadcasters are reworking the over-the-air transmission standard and may adopt a different technology. However, since most broadcasters are planning to use their existing airwaves for mobile television, and the FCC wants some of that spectrum back, the technology built to support HD video suddenly becomes a matter of hot debate. Which may be the best way to deliver what consumers want when it comes to mobile video?

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Now that I’ve spent some time testing out the Intel Wireless Display system, I can say that it lived up to my expectations — for the most part. The system was not without the occasional hiccup, but overall, it provided one of the best ways I’ve found for viewing PC-based content on your TV.

The system is only available on three laptops: the Toshiba E205-S1904, Dell S15Z-2249CPN, and Sony VPCS111FM/S, all of which are available exclusively from Best Buy. As of this writing, the retailer is offering the Push2TV adapter as a free add-on when you purchase one.

Once you have a compatible laptop and the Netgear Push2TV adapter (I tested the system out on the Dell model), the setup is quick and easy. You connect the Push2TV, which is about the size of a small external hard drive, to your TV using the included HDMI cable and then plug it in. (Alternatively, the box can connect to your TV via component A/V, but you’ll need to supply your own cable.) You then turn it on, and you’ll see a screen on your TV telling you the device is ready to make a connection.

The Push2TV box came with a note suggesting that you update the Intel Wireless drivers on your laptop before using the Intel Wireless Display software. As it turned out, updating the drivers was the most time-consuming part of the setup. After I installed the new drivers, I was unable to connect my laptop to any wireless networks for several minutes. It took several reboots before my computer was up and running again. (NOTE: I’ve asked Intel about this and they are looking into it.)

Once my laptop was back in working order, I launched the Intel Wireless Display software using the handy shortcut button on the top of the keyboard. You press a button to scan for available adapters if yours is not showing up in the list of devices. (On subsequent connections, the device should already appear when you launch the software.) You click a button to connect, and, if it’s your first time making a connection, you’ll need to enter security codes that appear on your TV screen into the software on your laptop.

Once the Intel Wireless Display is connected to the Push2TV box, you’ll see your laptop screen mirrored on your TV. You do not have the option to extend your computer display over to your TV, thereby leaving you with space to work on your laptop; both displays show the exact same contents. If you bring up your e-mail, you’ll see your e-mail on your TV. If you bring up your Facebook page on your computer, you’ll see it on your TV.

And if you bring up Hulu and launch a video, you’ll see it on your TV. You’ll also hear the sound on your TV — and through your laptop, so you’ll want to mute your computer in order to have the best audio experience. 

I watched an episode of Lost from ABC.com and it looked and sounded very good on my TV. In fact, the video looked just as good –- if not better –- on my TV than it did on my computer. Audio and video were perfectly in sync, and I noticed only one small instance of the video stuttering. The only oddity was that I was unable to get the white cursor of my computer to disappear, so I saw it on my TV screen, even when I was watching the video in full-screen mode.

The experience was even better when I used the Intel Wireless Display system to watch a video that was stored locally on my hard drive. I used VLC’s excellent media player to watch an episode of 30 Rock that I had downloaded, and when I put it in full-screen mode, I was able to forget that I was actually watching it via my computer — that is, until my screen saver launched, obscuring the video.

The Intel Wireless Display and Push2TV box are designed to play back almost any kind of content, including YouTube videos, Flash content embedded in Web sites, video from Hulu, and content purchased from iTunes. The Best Buy sales rep that I spoke to said that the system would not play back content from commercial DVDs or Blu-ray discs, though, as they were copy protected. But when I inserted a DVD in my laptop (a new copy of the Disney Pixar movie “Cars”), it played back on my TV without a problem. In fact, it looked stunning. Video was crisp and clear and very, very bright.

It supports video resolutions up to 720p, which may seem low if you have a 1080p TV. But keep in mind that the video resolution is more likely to be restricted by the source content anyway. Netgear’s instructions tell you to keep your laptop and the Push2TV box within 12 feet of each other, and say that you need a line-of-sight between the two. I tried putting my laptop in another room, though, and the video played back flawlessly.

Oddly, though, on another occasion, when my laptop was sitting less than five feet away from the Push2TV box, the Intel Wireless Display lost the connection between the two. It was unable to find the Push2TV box again until I rebooted.

This was a minor annoyance only, though, and one that seems even less consequential when thinking about how easy this system is to set up and use. Right now, the biggest weakness of the Intel Wireless Display/Netgear Push2TV combo package is how limited it is in availability. You need to purchase a brand-new laptop in order to take advantage of it. If Intel could offer the Wireless Display technology as an add-on for existing laptops, it would make this system more appealing — and affordable.

On the support page created to describe the problem and the resulting warranty extension, Apple doesn’t mention which brand of hard drives are affected by name, which could mean that the problem doesn’t lie with the hard drives themselves, but with some other system components. Another indication that this is indeed the case is that all capacities of hard drive are also affected.

If you’re wondering whether or not you have an affected unit (Apple says only a “small percentage” of users will experience problems), it’s very easy to identify. Your MacBook will just stop working altogether, and any attempts to boot it will result in a screen that displays a folder icon with a question mark over top of it, as in the image below. As someone who’s seen this screen many times while fixing up old PowerBooks, I can tell you it isn’t a heartening experience.

Apple describes what you should do if you’re greeted with such a screen:

Please take your MacBook to the Apple representative most convenient for you:

• Apple Authorized Service Provider – Find one here.
• Apple Retail Store – Set up an appointment with a Genius.

If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider confirms that your hard drive is affected, Apple will replace it with a new hard drive. You will need to have the original OS installation discs that were shipped with your product in order to re-install your operating system, other applications, and any backed up data.

If you need assistance finding the best service option in your area, you may contact Apple Technical Support for more information.

It sounds like any data you may have stored on the drive will be irrevocably lost if this does happen to you, so if you have one of the affected models and you haven’t yet implemented any kind of backup system, you should probably consider doing so.

If your machine has already had this problem, and you’ve already paid out of pocket to get it fixed or replace your drive, you can contact Apple Technical Support and inquire about a reimbursement process. No word on whether that extends to at home HD replacements, which is how I would’ve tried to solve the problem, but if you haven’t kept your old faulty drive, I highly doubt it would. Mostly I expect this will apply when people have taken their machines through official Apple repair channels to correct the problem.

The extension period covers affected Macs three years from the date of purchase, for this specific problem alone, or until August 15, 2010, whichever comes last, so you still have about six months in which your HD can fail and you’ll still be covered. It may seem like an arbitrary window, but Apple does include a caveat that it will be evaluating the repair need on an ongoing basis and extend that deadline if circumstances require.

Anyone experienced the symptoms Apple is describing with this model MacBook?

…the maximum video width is up from 768 pixels to 1280, and the maximum number of pixels per frame is up to 921,600, which just happens to work out to 1280 x 720. The device’s AVC profile has been bumped from 3.0 to 3.1, too, which adds in support for 720p.

Image by Engadget

Does this mean we can expect a (much) higher resolution screen in the next iPhone, possibly even OLED? (Mind you, it doesn’t matter one jot how brilliant OLED is – watching HD on a three and a half inch screen is still Teeny-Weeny-Eye-Strain-O-Vision, however you look at it.)

More sensibly, the baked-in HD capabilities might be intended for those times when connecting the iPhone to a big screen. (Which raises new questions about the method Apple might use to connect an iPhone an external HD monitor; Mini DisplayPort? HDMI? I’m pretty sure LightPeek is out of the question, but, heck, while we’re speculatin’…)

Alternatively, this might not be relevant to the iPhone at all but, instead, is relevant only to the iPad (which shares the same OS).

Foxconn’s New Friend

Meanwhile, the Taiwan-based DigiTimes yesterday reported that consumer electronics manufacturer Pegatron is set to produce the next revision of the iPhone, due later this year. Presumably veteran manufacturer Foxconn, who has produced each generation of the iPhone since 2007, are also continuing to produce Apple’s handsets.

What can I tell you about Pegatron, aside from the fact that its name is worthy of a Transformers character? (Megatron, Galvatron, Pegatron… yes?) Pegatron was founded by netbook giant ASUS two years ago. It is a consumer electronics manufacturer dabbling in all manner of devices, from LCD TVs to Microsoft’s upcoming Natal controller. According to DigiTimes, Pegatron has managed to score handset orders from “various telecom carriers.”

This is all absolutely essential background information when cooking-up new iPhone conjecture. Why would Apple secure a second handset manufacturer? Does Apple expect significantly greater demand for the next iPhone (more than Foxconn could satisfy?) Could Pegatron be the manufacturer of the first CDMA iPhone?

Could the addition of a second OEM point to Apple producing (or maintaining) multiple iPhone SKUs? There are six different iPad SKUs, why not have six different iPhone SKUs, too?

If Apple maintains the current iPhone lineup as well as adding a next-generation handset later this year, we would be left with a somewhat convoluted product line; there would be the iPhone 3G (black, 8GB) the iPhone 3GS (black/white, 16/32GB) and then, presumably, an iPhone 4G in Black, White, ‘iPad Silver’ and, of course, ‘Unicorn.’ And don’t forget the SKUs that will be introduced as a result of supporting different carrier frequencies. What was once a relatively simple (and fairly minimalist) lineup is made painfully complicated. It’s one step shy of producing a whole series of iPhone ‘Editions.’ Can you imagine it? ‘iPhone Home Premium’, ‘iPhone Professional’, ‘iPhone Ultimate’. (Who will buy ‘iPhone Starter Edition’?)

I kid of course, but there’s good reason to be wary. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 90′s he axed entire product lines in an effort to simplify the company’s offerings (and, no doubt, cut costs). Since then, the variation in individual products that was, for a brief time, refreshingly limited has diversified into quite an astonishing array; just three ‘species’ of laptop and three desktop families manage to produce, between them, bewildering variations in size, capability and price. (Apple calls the iMac the “Ultimate all-in-one” which is amusing when one considers the enormous variety in iMac SKUs.)

The Ultimate all-in-one… depends on which 'one' you buy…

Apple understands the enormous value (and profits) in offering customers multiple variations of the same product. It’s how they present that variety that’s so clever. Apple somehow manages to keep their lineup simple, identifiable and easy. A quick glance at a Mac will tell you, broadly speaking, what kind of Mac it is. Can the same be said of a modern Dell computer?

The point is customers expect wide variation between computers, but when it comes to smartphones they want a certain degree of homogeny. Particularly among high-profile, expensive smartphones. If you’re spending a lot of money on a so-called smartphone, you don’t want to perceive it as being somehow less-smart than a similar product from a competitor – or worse, a similar product from the same manufacturer!

Apple changed the rules of the game; if you wanted the best smartphone in the world, you bought an iPhone. Could the rules change later this year to “If you want the best smartphone in the world, buy an iPhone, but… be really careful which one you buy, ‘cos some are better than others.”

Of course, we’ll know in a few short months. But in the meantime, there’s nothing to stop us debating the possibilities.

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