The
world of TVs has moved on a lot in the past few years. There are new
technologies and certifications, all aimed at making the next leap forward,
none more so than 4K TV.
They
all carry snappy acronyms such as HDR10+, Dolby Vision HDR and 8K. For now, the
main one you need to know is 4K.
4K
is no longer something for early adopters, but is now coming into its own as
studios, broadcasters and streaming services support it.
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Netflix
and Amazon have pushed 4K greatly on their streaming platforms in the past few
years, with the latter also offering several 4K compatible devices. There’s
also Sky Q, which brings 4K to a whole new segment of mainstream TV viewers in
the UK. On the gaming side, there’s 4K love from the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro.
There’s also Apple’s attempt to storm the 4K castle with its Apple TV 4K.
With
all that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about 4K, to save you a
load of time and effort when buying a new 4K TV.
What
is 4K?
4K,
also known as Ultra HD, refers to a TV resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels.
That’s four times as many pixels than in a full HD TV, a total of about 8.3
million pixels. Having so many pixels means a higher pixel density, and you
should have a clearer, better defined picture. It’s not necessarily about
sharpness, but about letting more detail and texture through.
What
is the difference between 4K and Ultra HD?
4K
is more commonly used, but you’ll also find people calling it Ultra HD, or UHD.
For the average consumer buying a TV, these are one and the same. But there is
a small difference.
In
its correct usage, true 4K refers to a resolution of 4096 x 2160, which was
first introduced in digital cinemas. UHD refers to a resolution of 3840 x 2160,
which is the resolution you actually get on the TVs you take home.
So
technically, 4K is the wrong term for 3840 x 2160 displays and content, but
it’s said so often that two terms are interchangeable.
What
does 4K offer?
Simply,
the extra resolution of 4K adds better definition and clarity. The result is
images that look life-like, closer to looking through a window rather than
watching TV.
4K
TV is especially effective on very large screens – so ideally you’d settle for
a 55-inch set or go even bigger. The effect is more noticeable if you’re moving
to 4K from a TV of the same size.
Let’s
say you have a 50-in HD TV and you upgrade to 4K: you are cramming four times
the number of pixels into the same amount of space and that makes for a noticeably
denser picture with finer detail.
8K
has hit the market, although it’s still in its infancy there are 8K screens
available to buy. They are, expensive, however, and will need a screen of at
least 65in to get the best out of them. There’s also no native 8K content to
watch at the moment.
8K
won’t achieve mainstream acceptance (or affordability) for a while yet, so
you’re safe to buy your 4K TV unless you’re desperate for the features that 8K
brings with it.
How
close do I need to sit to the TV?
To
get the best out of 4K, it is recommended that you sit closer to your screen
than you would do with HD. The extra resolution and increased pixel density
means you can sit further forward to get the most from your TV. And filling up
more of your field of view makes for a more immersive experience.
While
sitting close gives you the most impact, we reject the notion that there’s no
benefit from distant viewing positions. Lines are still cleanly drawn, you
still perceive more depth, colours still look more subtly and smoothly
rendered, and objects within the picture still look solid and
three-dimensional.
What
else do I need to start watching 4K TV?
While
your 4K TV will upscale HD and standard definition pictures to 4K, you’ll still
need a native 4K source if you want to take advantage of your TV.
Examples
include 4K streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, several 4K streaming
sticks, Apple TV 4K, as well as Ultra HD Blu-ray players.
Where
can I watch 4K content?
There
are several ways to catch 4K content. If you’ve sworn off physical and are ensconced
in streaming services, your main options are Netflix and Amazon Video. The
former has an ever-expanding library of TV series and films to stream in 4K for
£9.99/month.
In
terms of TV, you’ve got the likes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Maniac and Narcos.
Netflix’s original films offer a few
notable efforts including Apostle, Okja and Mute. There are also films from
other studios to watch on the service, as well as comedy specials and
documentaries.
Amazon
Prime Video offers 4K content as part of its video streaming service, including
original Amazon series such as Mozart in the Jungle, Homecoming, and All or
Nothing: Manchester City.
BT
has also has a 4K TV channel in BT Sport Ultra HD. It shows Premier League, FA
Cup and Champions League football along with Aviva Premiership rugby. You’ll
need one of BT’s Ultra-HD boxes to take advantage of the service.
Then
there’s the Sky Q service, where you can watch the broadcaster’s sizeable
catalogue of films and TV shows in 4K, with most Premier League football games
broadcast in 4K too.
Do
all 4K TVs support 4K streaming?
These
days, yes. The first 4K TVs that came out in 2013 couldn’t handle Netflix 4K
streams. Netflix adopted the HEVC video format and none of the TVs could decode
it. These days, you’ll struggle to find a 4K TV that cannot stream and does not
have access to 4K streaming services.
What
internet speed do you need to stream 4K TV?
Netflix
and Amazon require speeds of at least 15Mbps to stream 4K content. Speeds need
to remain consistently at or above that figure; as soon as you drop – let’s say
due to high contention rates at peak usage times – the picture will slip back
into HD. And don’t worry if you start off with a blurry image: it’s common for
streaming services to start a programme at low resolution and then bump it up
to HD and UHD after the initial buffer.
To
try and cover itself for this eventuality, Netflix actually says on its website
that you need 25Mbps minimum. But we’ve confirmed with Netflix that a
consistent 15Mbps is enough. It’s worth bearing in mind that this means you
need 15 to 25Mbps of spare bandwidth, so if someone else is using your Wi-Fi,
you’ll need to have that amount of bandwidth free after you account for the
other person’s usage.
Compression
techniques improve all the time, so it’s possible you may in the future need
slightly lower broadband speed to experience 4K on Netflix or other rival 4K
streaming platforms. But bear in mind that high levels of compression can
negatively affect picture quality, so if you’re serious about 4K a fast
broadband connection is a must.
What
is UHD Blu-ray?
We’ve
got a detailed breakdown of UHD Blu-ray, for a full rundown of the new format.
In short, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have a much larger capacity than standard
Blu-ray discs, and can carry the information needed to store 4K video without
the compression of streaming sites. Basically, it’s the best form of 4K you can
watch at home.
There
are plenty of UHD Blu-ray players out now, including the Panasonic DP-UB9000
and Sony UBP-X700. Microsoft provides an affordable alternative in the Xbox One
S, which plays 4K Blu-rays alongside games.
What
connections do I need to watch 4K?
We’d
love to say ‘an HDMI socket’ and leave it at that, but unfortunately it’s not
that simple.
The
issue here is that not all HDMI sockets are equal. There have been multiple
versions/standards of HDMI since the digital connection first appeared, with
the latest v2.0 HDMI specification being defined specifically with 4K feeds in
mind.
The
most significant advantage of HDMI 2.0 is that they support increased data
bandwidth, and so enable playback of 4K feeds with full (so-called 4:4:4)
colour sampling at frame rates of up to 60fps. The previous HDMI 1.4 supports
4K feeds up to 30fps.
Most
of the major 4K TV brands now carry HDMI 2.0 in their current TVs – LG, Sony,
Panasonic and Samsung are all onboard with it now, as is Philips.
You
can. There are domestic cameras capable of producing startlingly good 4K
quality without costing the earth. Two of the best examples are the £1,500 Sony
FDR-AX700 camcorder and the (body only) Sony A6400 camera.
Many
modern smartphones are also capable of capturing 4K video, including Apple’s
iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Of course, 4K recording has long been supported at the
top end of the Android market, and 4K video capture is present on current
flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S10+, HTC U12+, and the LG G6.
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Company:
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Address:
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Source:
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You might as well take a look at LG UBK90, which is often compared to Sony UBP-X700.
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