The iPhone Gets Supersized, But How Will Video Look on It?
The tech world tuned into Apple's live video stream of its iPhone 6 and Watch announcements this afternoon (or tried to, anyway) and learned that the iPhone 6 will include a new larger size version called the iPhone 6 Plus. But how will video already encoded for current iPhones look on that jumbo screen? Will Netflix have some re-encoding to do?
According to StreamingMedia.com contributor Jan Ozer, content owners likely have nothing to worry about. If they're following Apple's recommendations -- which Ozer details in this feature on encoding video for HLS delivery -- they already have a 1080p variant of their content created for iPad streaming. Having that will keep video looking crisp on the iPhone 6 Plus's 5.5-inch, 1920x1080, 401ppi display.
It's a good thing the iPhone 6 offers 4G cellular connectivity, because Ozer notes that video at that resolution will take 5 to 7Mbps of bandwidth. According to Ozer's research, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile should be safely able to handle that on 4G, but keep at eye on those data overage charges. Anyone in a 3G-only location will be out of luck for 1080p HD video streaming.
By the way, video creation on the new iPhones will be much improved, thanks to their 8 megapixel iSight cameras, which will offer 60fps 1080p recording and include an f/2.2 aperture for better low-light performance. The iPhone 6 Plus will benefit from optical image stabilization.
Look for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to hit stores on September 19. Pre-orders start on September 12. The latest version of the iOS software, iOS 8, will be available September 17.
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