4K televisions are an emerging technology which –similar to its predecessor, the HD TV- is gradually becoming more popular. In the same way that HD TV’s were rolled out just over ten years ago, 4K is showing similar adoption rates and buying trends, and is likely to be the next big advancement in audio visual technology.
Where once there was Standard Definition (480p resolution or lower), technology advanced and SD was phased out by the superior visual experience of High Definition (720p resolution or higher, usually 1080p). 4K is standardised at 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, eclipsing the pixel size of HD fourfold, and offering a significantly superior viewing experience. How long has 4K been around? 4K televisions have actually been available for several years, however, they’ve been only slowly adopted mostly due to the price (which until recently was at least £4000), the lack of standardised formatting for video transmission, and the minimal amount of 4K content available. How much 4K content is available? As the market has developed, streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix have massively ramped up their 4K content, with many shows now available for viewing, and many more on the way. 4K programming is proving to be quite popular, and so it is likely that other streaming services will follow suit. Is Broadcast TV available in 4K? At present, you won’t find much standard television programming available in 4K; this is because the additional pixel size makes 4K programming 4x larger in terms of file size, making it unprofitable and cumbersome to broadcasters, however, as the market grows and the technology becomes more common, this is sure to change. Does HD content look any different? Thanks to a process called ‘upconverting’, lower resolution video signals will actually produce a crisper, sharper image when viewed with a 4K television. No doubt, the effect of 4K will be far more noticeable when native 4K content is watched, but the added clarity of HD content is still a bonus. This also applies to Blue-rays, which will look better on a 4K TV even if the disc only contains 1080p video data. What about the price? The price has fallen too, with budget models available for less than £500. A top name brand such as LG or Samsung will still cost several thousand pounds, but if you’re happy to accept lower specs and aesthetics, a 4K TV can be purchased relatively cheaply. What about ‘retina display’? ‘Retina display’ is a marketing term coined by Apple to refer to devices and monitors that have a resolution and pixel density so high (around 300 or more pixels per inch) that a person would be unable to discern the individual pixels at a normal viewing distance. With so many more pixels than a HD TV, this has been a concern for many. There is some truth to this; if you’re located at a relatively far distance from your 4K TV, you may not be able to notice the difference between a 4K TV and a HD TV. For this reason, it’s imperative that after purchasing a 4K TV, it is located at a distance in which the difference in quality is noticeable. It should also be noted that with 4K TV’s, the pixel gridlines cannot be seen even a few inches from the screen. The size of the TV makes a significant difference to the picture quality, and the larger the TV the more the retina display impact is minimised, which is why all 4K TV’s on the market are in excess of 50 inches.
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