Movie Quality Stream vs. Download

Question

Level 1

121 points

Movie Quality Stream vs. Download

I thought that there would be no difference in quality between streamed or downloaded films in the TV app. But when I look at the size of the file (for the same film) this is what I see and puzzles me:

On the iTunes Store on iOS and iPadOS I see this: 4.15 GB (1080p HD), 3.45 GB (720p HD), 1.36 GB (SD)
On the TV app on the MBP, for the purchased film but not downloaded - so playing the film streamed: 3.46 GB (Purchased MPEG-4 video file)
On the TV app on the MBP, for the purchased film after downloading it - so playing the downloaded file: 4.16 GB (Protected MPEG-4 video file)

So it appears that streaming would play at 720p and the downloaded file would play at 1080p. Is this true?

MacBook Pro Retina

Posted on Jun 20, 2020 7:57 PM

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Answer 1

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

121 points

Jun 21, 2020 9:55 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Thanks, but it would be useful to read and understand the question that was asked before responding with a generic answer. My settings are at maximum (highest quality) and, of course, I purchased the HD version.

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Answer 2

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

121 points

Jun 21, 2020 5:18 PM in response to ckuan

I'm sorry, but this is not what I asked. Maybe my question was not clear enough.

My question is about the way Apple reports the size of the file in the TV app on macOS (right click on file name in TV app -> Get Info -> File) after purchasing but before actually downloading the file (3.46 GB) and after downloading the file (4.16 GB).

Again, for the example above, assuming a perfectly fast and stable Internet connection, does Apple stream the film at 720p maximum? Whereas the downloaded file would be encoded at 1080p?

In other words, would streaming a film always be lower video quality (720p max) than downloading it (1080p)?

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Answer 3

Jun 21, 2020 8:44 PM in response to Michael9009

Note that the Apple TV app on Mac has preference settings that may influence the file size for streaming vs. downloads, and options to include or omit multichannel audio and/or HDR. Verify your settings.

Streaming Quality: Good | Better | Best Available

Download Quality: Up to HD | Up to SD | Most Compatible Format

☑︎ Download Multichannel Audio

☑︎ Download HDR when available (on devices that support HDR)

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Answer 4

Michael9009 Author

Level 1

121 points

Jun 21, 2020 9:47 PM in response to Urquhart1244

Exactly. Mine are set on “Best Available” and “Up to HD”.

It seems that no one really understands my question. Oh, well!...

I am still hopeful that someone would read my question carefully and provide an answer to it. From the file sizes I see in the TV app on Mac it appears that Apple may limit video streaming to 720p. This may make sense since most streaming services (e.g. Netflix, YouTube, etc.) limit the bitrate these days, due to the virus situation, when most people stay at home...and stream. It would be nice, though, if someone in the know could confirm this hypothesis.

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Answer 5

Jun 21, 2020 11:24 PM in response to Michael9009

While some tech news sites have reported that Apple joined other streaming providers in these efforts (re Apple TV+), there has not been an official statement about this (that I could find).