4k television technology will quickly surpass the various devices currently on the market. With one of the most intense endings to a Suberbowl in recent memory, you may be interested in a new TV so you can watch all the best plays in mind-blowing HD. There are a multitude of options on the market now, one of which is the new 4K TV. Here’s everything that you need to know. |
4K is just a fancy name for Ultra HD. The name stuck because it is quadruple the resolution of a standard HDTV. The 4K resolution weighs in at a massive 3840 x 2160, which dwarfs the standard 1920 x 1080 for HDTVs. This means that there is four times the standard amount pixels which, in turn, creates a much clearer image. While 4K has its detractors, it has the potential to be the next wave of entertainment. The extra resolution of 4K images adds more detail, more depth and more color resolution to the picture, resulting in images that look incredibly life-like – more like looking through a window than watching TV.
4K TVs most certainly do have their benefits. The aforementioned sharper image is the main selling point of these TVs for a few reasons. The increased resolution makes them “future proof”, which just means that if you were to purchase one today, you would be able to have it for quite a while. 4K is still a very new technology; it is estimated to become more and more standard as sales for these TVs increase month to month. In fact, recent sales data from Europe shows that 17% of all TVs sold in the UK in September carried the necessary 3840×2160 resolution, with this percentage rising to 40% in the 50-59-inch category, and 57% in the above 60-inch category. Now, with people wanting bigger and better TVs many are nervous about purchasing one of them, especially because some companies are selling monstrous 85-inch 4K TVs for upwards of $100,000. Luckily, they aren’t all that outrageous. Currently, a Seiki SE39UY04 4K TV costs just $455 on Amazon.
4K TVs most certainly do have their benefits. The aforementioned sharper image is the main selling point of these TVs for a few reasons. The increased resolution makes them “future proof”, which just means that if you were to purchase one today, you would be able to have it for quite a while. 4K is still a very new technology; it is estimated to become more and more standard as sales for these TVs increase month to month. In fact, recent sales data from Europe shows that 17% of all TVs sold in the UK in September carried the necessary 3840×2160 resolution, with this percentage rising to 40% in the 50-59-inch category, and 57% in the above 60-inch category. Now, with people wanting bigger and better TVs many are nervous about purchasing one of them, especially because some companies are selling monstrous 85-inch 4K TVs for upwards of $100,000. Luckily, they aren’t all that outrageous. Currently, a Seiki SE39UY04 4K TV costs just $455 on Amazon.
However, that being said, there are a few drawbacks to these devices. First of all, the human eye has a finite resolution, such that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a 1080p TV, with some critics crediting the better display to increased brightness and color depth. In conjunction with that, many of the benefits of the 4K TV can’t be visualized unless you have a certain size TV, or are sitting a certain distance away. Most 4K manufacturers suggest sitting much closer to the 4K TV than you would your average TV in order to create a more immersive experience. However, CNET explains that the benefits of a 60-inch 4KTV become noticeable when you are seated just over 5 feet away. Once you get farther away, they become less and less noticeable. What this means is that at a certain point, it would be more efficient to buy a regular HDTV because the image looks the same depending on how far away you are from the TV. With most people sitting an average of 9 or 10 feet away from their TVs, you would need about a 90-inch 4K TV in order to notice the advantages of the technology.
In the end, it really depends on the user as to whether or not a 4K TV is worth the hefty price tag. Overall, it appears that 4K will become the next big thing in entertainment, with many companies (including Netflix) making 4K broadcasts available. Right now there is not too many broadcasts that take advantage of the 4K capabilities, but there will be much to look forward to in the coming years.
-Ryan Sonntag, News Editor
In the end, it really depends on the user as to whether or not a 4K TV is worth the hefty price tag. Overall, it appears that 4K will become the next big thing in entertainment, with many companies (including Netflix) making 4K broadcasts available. Right now there is not too many broadcasts that take advantage of the 4K capabilities, but there will be much to look forward to in the coming years.
-Ryan Sonntag, News Editor