How can I tell if Apple TV store content is HD or SD pre-purchase

Question

How can I tell if Apple TV store content is HD or SD pre-purchase

Browsing through some classic TV series in the Apple TV store, I can't tell if the show is SD or HD.

I'm after the HD versions because 480px looks bad on a big screen TV - and I know some of those series I'm after have had HD bluray releases.

So ... how do I know (pre-purchase) if the Apple TV version of these shows are SD or HD?

There's no icon and no information specifying it in About sections . I want to know this pre-purchase to help my buying decision.

If the Apple TV content version is HD then I'd buy it, but
If the Apple TV content version is only SD then I'd opt to go the old fashioned physical media route

Is there any way that I can see the resolution of the content when deciding whether or not to by a show from the Apple TV store? iTunes used to clearly show this but doesn't seem to now.

MacBook Pro 16″

Posted on Aug 18, 2023 1:42 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 19, 2023 3:54 AM in response to brbo

Thanks. Not hugely helpful as it doesn't clarify how customers get a heads-up that the content is available only in SD irrespective of the device they use (and nothing that pretty much every device these days is HD capable).

If anyone else has the same question in future, this is what I figured out.

Other series and movies in the Apple TV store have icons showing HD, 4K and HDR.
Therefore, my guess is that if you're looking at an older TV show or movie, and there's no icon whatsoever then it means that the content is available only in SD.

It seems like a bad design in my view - because there really should be an SD icon to clearly let Apple TV customers know about the video quality ahead of making their purchasing decision. There used to be an SD icon showing on shows and old movies in the past when everything was still under the iTunes banner.

As I said - the classic TV shows that I was after definitely are available in HD format elsewhere, so knowing that the Apple TV version is lesser quality, I'll instead opt for the blurays. With luck Apple TV will upgrade their back catalogue with HD versions in future though.

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