When the highly anticipated Apple TV arrives, it will feature a 4k Ultra HDTV panel. According to a new rumor from DigiTimes, the display will feature 3840 x 2160 pixels of resolution.
DigiTimes claims that Apple and manufacturing partner Foxconn have been in long-talks about the TV’s production schedule. The rumor says much of that talk has been focused on acquiring Ultra HD products. The new TV technology, which rolled out at CES 2013, is running at near full capacity through the rest of 2013. China TV vendors are believed to be gobbling up most of the UHDTV production numbers.
Several suppliers have the ability to produce Ultra HD panels at high capacity, but they are already pushing most of their resources towards producing iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini panels.
Apple, at this time, is believed to be counting on higher LG Display production for the second half of 2013. If LG can push up its production numbers, the company could produce enough Ultra HD panels to help Apple launch by end of the year. However, given the high demand for most Apple products, it is likely the company will wait until early 2014 to launch its Apple TV product with full production support.
While a 4K UHDTV unit would give Apple TV a premium feature that is only available on a handful of televisions at this time, it is also an expensive piece of technology that could scare many buyers away. On the other hand, Apple is know for big markups on its products, which means a high cost of initial acquisition might not scare Apple’s customers at all.
In the meantime, the 4K format has not yet been standardized, and there is very little content available for 4K resolution panels. Perhaps Apple could drive down costs through mass productions while also helping drive the new standard towards mass acceptance.
