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4K TV is real... who's getting one first?

Google has dozens of hardware partners signed up for their new 4K format decoder. That ensures you can easily play 4K video from YouTube when that hardware starts shipping.
 
I was going to say something smartassed about how nobody needs to see creepy cat videos in 4K but it's actually good that Google (YouTube) is ahead of the curve here.
 
If the question isn't "if" but "when," then to me the answer has more to do with the price/performance curve of not just the set itself, but any other components surrounding it. Factor in the availability and usefulness of 4K source media.

I'm still a bit of a skeptic here... I mean sure, they're sure going to push them on us, but they did that with 3D and that's pretty well stalled. Unless I'm buying a really huge TV, I just won't see any difference at 4K resolutions... so why swap out that much stuff?
 
You haven't seen 4K or you wouldn't say that. The difference between 1080p and 4K is clear, especially with a clear TV. As I mentioned earlier, the difference isn't one of pure resolution, but also of color, speed, accuracy and such. There are many "non-detail" improvements which come with 4K which make it look better.

I am convinced now that I've seen it over and over and over again.

What I am less sure about is the new curved screen idea. Several companies were showing curved 4K televisions, and Samsung was showing many which allowed you to adjust the amount of curvature via remote control, but I am not sure if that matters to most users.
 
I still don't own a 1080p display.

For me, prices will have to come down and I'll have to justify the purchase. I usually don't upgrade something until it breaks....so that could be the deciding factor for me as well.
 
Here's a chart I saw from Carlton Bale:

Ideal-Distances-Chart.jpg
 
Visio just announced a line-up of 4k sets ranging from $999 to $2599 (70") that are getting some decent buzz. The prices on these things is going to fall faster than I thought.
 
Although, resolution is one factor in determining overall picture quality. Black levels and color accuracy are more important to me than seeing every detail on an actor's face.
 
But...this adds to a dilema I've been having. I'm looking at procuring a projector for my bonus room this year...maybe...and with the coming of 4k, it has me wondering which direction I should go.

Option A: Go with a high quality 1080p projector and enjoy until it dies...could be a few years and forget the "4K revolution".

Option B: Go with a cheap projector now until 4K units become affordable. Cheap projectors equal bad black levels....a very important aspect for video quality in my opinion.

Once 4K units become available, the resale value of any 1080p PJ will plummet.


The other unknown with me is...for 4K units, will HDMI 2.0 be the standard input? If so, will everyone need to update their receivers/pre-pros/blu ray players?
 
Flint said:
You haven't seen 4K or you wouldn't say that. The difference between 1080p and 4K is clear, especially with a clear TV. As I mentioned earlier, the difference isn't one of pure resolution, but also of color, speed, accuracy and such. There are many "non-detail" improvements which come with 4K which make it look better.

I am convinced now that I've seen it over and over and over again.

What I am less sure about is the new curved screen idea. Several companies were showing curved 4K televisions, and Samsung was showing many which allowed you to adjust the amount of curvature via remote control, but I am not sure if that matters to most users.
Click to expand...

True, I've yet to see one.

Right now my main theater TV is a 57" 1080p RPTV at about a 10-13' distance. For 4K to "resolve" at that distance I'd need something north of a 80" set... something I'm really not sure I'd put in that room.

I've little doubt that 4K looks great... when you use a huge screen and you're close up. I will not be easily convinced that it is going to be that much different at the screen sizes and distances I use at home. It's not going to only need to beat 1080p at those distances, it will need to do so by enough margin that I'm willing to fork over the cash for not just the TV but also the receiver to handle the signals. That's a tall order.
 
After I get settled into a larger home and finish furnishing it they way I want, I will likely move my current 67" set to a secondary viewing area and get something bigger for the main HT. At that point, I'm sure I will go 4k. Granted, that's a couple years out. I am in no hurry to move faster. I want the tech to mature and for prices to drop anyway. I won't be an early adopter this time.
 
I would imagine something like this will be in my future to replace my current JVC PJ. Right now it says $5k US. I imagine that price will come down?



30643.JPG


But again, isn't it all about the content available in 4K?
 
You all completely missed the point I've been trying to make about the benefits of 4K being in color and brightness accuracy and speed being better because of the added resolution, ESPECIALLY with current lossy encoding techniques. Just because you cannot "see" the individual pixels doesn't make the added resolution an improvement at more normal viewing distances. Most of the comment are myopic (pun intended) with only consideration being given to the pixel size visibility.

You guys have all seen how a black and white laser printer can give the impression of thousands of shades of gray by spreading out individual dots of black on the page. The tint options of the "pixel" on that laser printer "grayscale" image is just two shades, black or white, and yet a higher resolution laser printer will give a better impression of true gray shading because of the greater variation of dot densities with one color printing.

That concept is just one of the added benefits of 4K over 1080p. If you reduce the number of colors in the video stream to reduce bandwidth on the network, having more pixels allows for more shades of color at greater viewing distances and the bandwidth can be reduced even more.

There are other benefits as well, like greater inherent contrast and speed and such.
 
^^ I can definitely see where you're coming from! there's no doubt that a 4k display has more "POP" in the image, in a side-by-side comparison, that I'd attribute to exactly what you describe.
 
Flint said:
You all completely missed the point I've been trying to make about the benefits of 4K being in color and brightness accuracy and speed being better because of the added resolution, ESPECIALLY with current lossy encoding techniques. Just because you cannot "see" the individual pixels doesn't make the added resolution an improvement at more normal viewing distances. Most of the comment are myopic (pun intended) with only consideration being given to the pixel size visibility.

You guys have all seen how a black and white laser printer can give the impression of thousands of shades of gray by spreading out individual dots of black on the page. The tint options of the "pixel" on that laser printer "grayscale" image is just two shades, black or white, and yet a higher resolution laser printer will give a better impression of true gray shading because of the greater variation of dot densities with one color printing.

That concept is just one of the added benefits of 4K over 1080p. If you reduce the number of colors in the video stream to reduce bandwidth on the network, having more pixels allows for more shades of color at greater viewing distances and the bandwidth can be reduced even more.

There are other benefits as well, like greater inherent contrast and speed and such.
Click to expand...


I guess I was thrown off by the title.

Without doubt, I do feel, if properly done, 4K will have superior improvement over 1080p.

Now, will it be commercially successful? I think ONLY if the prices drop along with no other options will it be successful. I view this differently than Blu-ray, which also touted superior audio.

Most TV buying people by 50" sets and sit 12 feet back. They have HD, which they are unaware of the amount of compression and artifacts present. They stream movies. They are content and not even receiving the max. potential of their TV's.

I think it would have greater chance of success if 3D's failure wasn't so recent.

Once 4k becomes the standard, then I'll buy...but then 8K will be around the corner........

But, and maybe I'm jaded, I think the whole Home Theater thing is going away. I see less and less of it at other people's houses. Soundbars are the new Home Theater.
 
I think I'm going to need one soon - the green splotches on my Sony SXRD are really starting to annoy me, maybe because it's hockey season and they really stand out against the ice.
 
CMonster said:
I think I'm going to need one soon - the green splotches on my Sony SXRD are really starting to annoy me, maybe because it's hockey season and they really stand out against the ice.
Click to expand...
You still have one? I gave my SXRD to my nephew and purchased the cheapest 60" plasma I could find
so that I could wait for the tidal wave of 4K w/ HDMI 2.0 to drop under the $2k price point.

Based on this thready, it doesn't seem like I'll be waiting as long as I thought I was going to...

EDIT: Though, if I want to wait for OLED 4K w/ HDMI 2.0...I might be waiting a while...
 
I have no intentions of buying a new TV. I am not saying that by not buying a 4k TV you are a fool.

I am saying it is superior, in virtually every application it is superior. That's all.

Also, based on what I saw this week hear at CES, every single one of us won't have a choice in 12 months. I think every single moderately good or better TV in every single store will be a 4K model. 1080p sets will be relegated to budget models.
 
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