Evidence Mounts that Apple is Preparing to Unveil 4K HDR iTunes Content

A member of the MacRumors forums (via iDownloadBlog) recently purchased the 2016 movie “Passengers.” Taking a closer look at their receipt, they noticed an indication of “4K, HDR.” The actual movie file, though, was only in HD at 1920×1080 resolution.

While the notation could simply be a mistake on Apple’s part, rumors have been pointing to an upgraded Apple TV arriving sometime soon. The current, fourth-generation model can only output in HD resolution, so a new set-top box would be required to see 4K HDR content. Interestingly, the newest iPad Pro models can play HDR content as well.

Back in February, Bloomberg reported that Apple was planning to introduce a new Apple TV model in 2017 featuring “ultra-high-definition 4K and more vivid colors.”

Apple is significantly behind other competitors in the space like Amazon, Google, and Roku. All three companies have already introduced streaming hardware capable of playing 4K HDR content.

And earlier this week, a new report from eMarketer put the Apple TV in a distant fourth place in the United States with 21.3 million users. Roku continues to lead the way with 38.9 million users.

Along with the lack of UHD content, the Apple TV – starting at $150 – is significantly more expensive than other 4K-capable players.

While a new model with 4K HDR capability could help spur some interest in the platform thanks to the growing number of 4K TVs, Apple will also need to work on making the price more reasonable.