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Does Imagination license spell HD-out for future iPhones?

by Michael Rose Dec 19th 2008 at 12:30PM

Over at Ars Technica, Chris Foreman dives into yesterday's story that Imagination Technologies Group, developer of the PowerVR chip for mobile device displays, has a licensing agreement with Apple for its chip designs (long suspected by AppleInsider but only just confirmed) and that Apple has picked up a chunk of ITG stock; cnet puts it at $5 million worth for a 3.6% stake. The 'smoking gun' press release from Imagination that was linked yesterday has mysteriously disappeared from the company's press page, which does lead one to wonder if the news wasn't quite ready for prime time -- but the speculation about what future iPhones might be capable of in the video-out department is still quite enticing. (You can see the Google-cached version of the PR blurb here.)

Foreman notes that the ITG chip designs Apple might use (the PowerVR SGX and VXD) would provide a dramatic boost to 3D performance, with Open GL ES 2.0 support, and also allow for HD-quality video out via the dock connector. Adding the playback power of an Apple TV (or better) to a mobile device, while reducing the power consumption required to pull off the trick? Add in a low-power 802.11n chipset for wireless streaming and you've just turned the home theater and set-top box market completely upside down.

If your iPod touch or iPhone could take over all your video playback needs at HD resolutions, would it find a home on your media center shelf? Mine would.

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Over at Ars Technica, Chris Foreman dives into yesterday's story that Imagination Technologies Group, developer of the PowerVR chip for...
 

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ffresh

I'm still closing my eyes, thinking happy thoughts, and hoping it's at least a year (alright, alright... at least half a year?) until my brand new iPod touch is obsolete.

December 21 2008 at 7:27 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Steve

Erm - the press release is the top entry under 'regulatory statements' on their corporate page:
http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=424

December 20 2008 at 11:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
andrew

Wouldn't it make more sense for these capabilities to be put into gaming rather than movie video playback?

December 20 2008 at 9:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Frantz

I just don't see much demand for this on a cell phone as it would conflict to much with it primary usage.

On the otherhand on a Touch or similar device this would be great. Honestly though I'm not to sure we will see this capability real soon. To much battery power. Bsides Apple needs to vastly increase Touchs storage capacity.

Dave

December 20 2008 at 1:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Darwin Smith

I think it says we can expected a redesigned Apple TV than runs much cooler and handles 1080 in the near future.

December 20 2008 at 12:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Galley

My sister's hair stylist's neighbor's best friend's pet squirrel hinted at this feature coming to the iPhone about a year ago. I don't thnk that crazy rodent new what it was talking about. Instead we got the new A/V cables with the authentification chips in them. Hey, 480p is better than nothing!

December 19 2008 at 6:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jthorpe

I've already got my iPhone wired into my entertainment center with the Universal Dock and Component AV cable. Works like a charm...the only thing missing is an on-screen UI like the AppleTV has. And that's a huge missing piece.

Granted, I don't have an HDTV, but I'm pretty sure we can Handbrake HD content that'll play through the iPhone to an HDTV (and, as you say, streaming HD content through an 802.11n iPhone would be awesome).

December 19 2008 at 4:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
AppBeacon

I would have never considered this before. However, last night, Santa came early with a big plasma HDTV strapped to Rudolf's back (poor guy). Now, I'm in the market for an AppleTV. If I knew for sure that something like an HD spewing iPod Touch was on the way, I might hold off on that purchase.

Speaking of that, what is the rumor mill about any new AppleTVs in the next few months?

December 19 2008 at 1:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to AppBeacon's comment
Anderson

You might want to wait until MacWorld before you go buying any Apple products. Not that there's a ton of products expected to be updated, but maybe some things.

December 19 2008 at 2:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Seamonkeas

An Ipod touch maybe. But not my iphone, text messages and email's are impossible to read when they're connected to the dock sitting above my t.v. I already have qualms about using my laptop to do it...

December 19 2008 at 1:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rTwelve

So what happens when you get a phone call?

December 19 2008 at 1:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to rTwelve's comment
Bill Mac

First off, there'd be an option to completely ignore incoming messages of any type for the duration for the duration of the movie.

If you chose to allow those interruptions, then when a phone call (or text/email/etc.) comes in - you can choose to ignore it, or pause the movie and answer it. At which point (in my fantasy) you get a picture-in-picture from their video-phone (we'll all have them by then, you know) and once done talking you can continue your paused movie where you left off.

Sweet. :)

December 19 2008 at 2:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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