Next Gen Apple TV to Dispense With 4K Streaming?
News has emerged Apple is geared to unveil its new and upgraded set top box for Apple TV at the WWDC this summer, but will withhold the 4K video streaming technology.
The next generation Apple TV is reportedly making its entrance at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June this year, and speculations have emerged Apple's new revamped set top box won't be supporting 4K video streaming.
While the upcoming version of the Apple TV will still include a variety of innovative features expected of an Apple product, including online-based TV streaming and A8 chip compatibility, it appears the Cupertino, California corporation will be keeping away from 4K streaming, despite peers like Amazon and Netflix having already embraced the technology.
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While the technology innovation leader may be aware of the market potential of 4K streaming, it may have also computed the costs involved in the large scale roll out of 4K video streaming service with as yet unprojected adoption rates.
Set top box service providers and media streaming companies have been predicting 4K video streaming is set to dominate the market in the near future. However, both the technology and the market are still in their infancy, and there is a limited quantity of compatible hardware and an inadequate amount of 4K content available in a majority of households today.
In addition, there is the huge bandwidth requirement for 4K video streaming technology. A State of the Internet Report submitted by Akami Technologies in 2014 found that only 12 percent of global networks could supply connection speeds over the 15 Mbps average required to adequately carry 4K video streaming technology.
Instead, Apple will be focusing on a wider segment of their target market with its refurbished Apple TV, and is even looking into including "skinny bundle" packages in its list of offerings featuring a limited number of popular channels at less the cost. Dispensing with 4K video streaming technology will also allow Apple to offer more affordable service to a wider audience of consumers.
Whether Apple will include 4K video streaming in the future still remains the subject of speculation, however.
