Ultra HD

[DyronNix]

I haven't paid attention to what Ultra HD is until I walked past a display yesterday. I am probably due for a big screen tv update anyway but don't know anything about Ultra HD.

I'm guessing that the Ultra HD tvs must have specific UltraHD content. In other words, if I hook my cable up to one of these sets, it'll be HD but not Ultra HD. I'm also guessing Ultra HD content through cable is a ways off in east tennessee area.

The picture quality in the store was absolutely amazing. The difference in Ultra HD versus HD is noticeable.

Anyone know specifics about these sets and Ultra HD content availability?

 

[BenGrimm]

No one is broadcasting in 4k (ultra HD) and most likely will not be for years to come. The cost of updating equipment and the extra bandwidth needed for 4K will be cost prohibitive for most networks. Most are still broadcasting in 720p at this time anyway. So if you buy a 4k TV you will still be watching the Super Bowl in 720p.

Now there will be 4K Blu-Rays out soon so if you are into disc format movies that would be the only area it may be worth it for several years.

4K may be the future but it's not worth the cost at this time.

 

[Thrasher865]

No one is broadcasting in 4k (ultra HD) and most likely will not be for years to come. The cost of updating equipment and the extra bandwidth needed for 4K will be cost prohibitive for most networks. Most are still broadcasting in 720p at this time anyway. So if you buy a 4k TV you will still be watching the Super Bowl in 720p.

Now there will be 4K Blu-Rays out soon so if you are into disc format movies that would be the only area it may be worth it for several years.

4K may be the future but it's not worth the cost at this time.

I thought most broadcasts were 1080i. Maybe that has changed.

But 4k is still probably not a worthy investment. You can stream very limited programming in 4k like on Netflix. If you're just getting it for TV broadcasts, that's a long way off.

But if this is the only TV you plan on buying for 7 or 8 years, by all means make the investment so that you can access the 4k content when it does eventually become more readily available. You will be paying a premium now though. It's probably cheaper to buy a stop-gap TV and then pick up a 4k in a few years when they are mainstream.

Basically, you're going to pay extra for a lower quality TV right now. A really nice plasma is going to look better than a low-end 4k for the money.

 

[DyronNix]

Thanks for the info. These are exactly the questions I needed answered. I don't remember the last time I purchased or even rented a dvd movie, and I don't watch movies or tv from netflix, etc., either.

If there are no tv broadcasts (live sports events) via Ultra HD, then it is of no use to me.

When it does become available, it'll be something to behold.

 

[volmanbill]

I bought a 4k Samsung just before Thanksgiving and love it. It offers upscaling for any content not at 4k already. (Though the upscaling isn't true UHD, it is better). There are a few movie sites, youtube, etc that do offer native 4k content that is amazing. And if you wait for a good deal, the cost isn't that much more than a high end 1080 set. I got a 55" curved set from Sam's for only $1278.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

I thought most broadcasts were 1080i. Maybe that has changed.

But 4k is still probably not a worthy investment. You can stream very limited programming in 4k like on Netflix. If you're just getting it for TV broadcasts, that's a long way off.

But if this is the only TV you plan on buying for 7 or 8 years, by all means make the investment so that you can access the 4k content when it does eventually become more readily available. You will be paying a premium now though. It's probably cheaper to buy a stop-gap TV and then pick up a 4k in a few years when they are mainstream.

Basically, you're going to pay extra for a lower quality TV right now. A really nice plasma is going to look better than a low-end 4k for the money.

I think local broadcasts, like what you can pick up from an antennae are actually 1080i. But standard cable and satellite these days is 720p.

 

[govols/cc]

I think local broadcasts, like what you can pick up from an antennae are actually 1080i. But standard cable and satellite these days is 720p.

I have cable and my tv display says 1080i

 

[Give_All_Vol]

I have cable and my tv display says 1080i

I'm pretty sure that means that your TV tries to default to 1080i but if the station is broadcasting in 720 that's as good as it is going to get.

4K is going to be awesome but way too rich for my blood for the time being.

 

[Thrasher865]

I think local broadcasts, like what you can pick up from an antennae are actually 1080i. But standard cable and satellite these days is 720p.

Nah, I looked it up back when I posted that originally out of curiosity. The majority of broadcasts, including all major networks, are 1080i.

But most sports networks, including ESPN, are broadcast in 720p. Makes sense, because of the amount of movement in sports.

So really they're both right. I was just under the impression that everything was 1080i back when I bought my old TV, but that was like 2006.

 

[govols/cc]

I'm pretty sure that means that your TV tries to default to 1080i but if the station is broadcasting in 720 that's as good as it is going to get.

4K is going to be awesome but way too rich for my blood for the time being.

I just know what the TV info says for each input and broadcast. Cable is 1080i. Switch to Apple TV or PS3 screen goes to 1080p. Most games on PS3 revert to 720p.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

The first 4K Blu-ray players and 4K Blu-rays are slated to be released by late summer or fall.

Panasonic Exhibits Prototype of World's First Next Generation Blu-ray Disc Player At CES 2015

Panasonic Corporation announced today that it has developed the world's first Blu-ray Disc™ playback technology supporting the latest technologies such as 4K and High Dynamic Range, which are expected to be adopted in the next generation Blu-ray Disc standards (ULTRA HD BLU-RAY™). A prototype player will be on display at the 2015 International CES (Las Vegas, NV, United States) January 6-9, 2015.

This prototype integrates video processing and optical disc drive technologies that Panasonic has refined over many years, making it capable of reproducing 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixel)/60p[1]/10-bit[2] high resolution video, and supporting the latest technologies such as High Dynamic Range[3] that marks a major leap in the brightness peak from the previous 100 nit3 to 1,000-10,000 nit to improve the power of expression; wide color gamut standard BT.2020[4], which greatly increases color reproduction; high-efficiency video compression technology HEVC (H.265)/ Blu-ray Disc playback at a high bit rate of 100Mbps[5].

This marks a major advance in picture quality over current Blu-ray Disc players, and paves the way towards allowing consumers to enjoy the crisp, true-to-life quality of amazing 4K Ultra HD content in their own homes.

Since the announcement of the Blu-ray Disc standards in 2002, Panasonic has consistently taken the lead in standardization. In 2004 it released the world's first 50GB Blu-ray Disc recorder capable of double-sided recording, and in 2006 the world's first recorder capable of playing BD-Video, as well as being the first in the world to develop the technology to play back full HD 3D image data recorded to the Blu-ray Disc in 2008. With these and other achievements, Panasonic has constantly led the industry in developing Blu-ray devices.

Panasonic is now further redoubling its R&D efforts to bring its customers products that deliver amazing experiences and emotional impact. Panasonic will also participate in the newly-formed UHD Alliance4 to contribute to the progress of whole 4K (UHD) industry.

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates around 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.74 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2014. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at Panasonic Global Home.

1. As of January 6, 2015, for a Blu-ray Disc player supporting the latest technologies (e.g. 4K (Ultra HD) and High Dynamic Range) to be adopted in the ULTRA HD BLU-RAY™ next generation Blu-ray Disc standards.

2. The next generation Blu-ray Disc standards are being formulated by the Blu-ray Disc Association and have not yet been finalized. The technology to be adopted may change in the future.

3. Luminance per square meter (cd/m2) - "Blu-ray," "Blu-ray Disc," and "ULTRA HD BLU-RAY" are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.

4. The UHD Alliance is a global coalition of leading TV brands, film studios, content distributors and technology companies that aim to create a unified criterion for premium UHD platforms, from devices to content.


SPECIFICATION NOTES

4K / 60p
High speed display in 60 frames per second of 4K video (3,840 x 2,160 pixels - Ultra HD), which has four times the resolution of Full Hi-vision, for highly detailed videos with extremely smooth movement.

10-bit gradation
Previous Blu-ray Discs displayed the color signals (Y, Cb, Cr) in 8-bit gradation each (256 gradations). By expanding this to 10-bit gradation each (1,024 gradations), even minute signals can be faithfully reproduced to realize richly textured video.

High Dynamic Range
A technology that drastically expands the brightness peak from the previous 100 nit to 1,000-10,000 nit, marking a significant leap in the dynamic range of the picture. Bright light sources (e.g. lights or rays of the sun) and reflected light (from metal or water) that up to now were difficult to display can now be shown in rich textures.

BT.2020 wide color gamut
Compliant with the ITU-R BT.2020 wide color gamut signal formulated for 4K/8K broadcasting. Enables vividly rich coloration not previously possible on Blu-ray discs (BT.709 standard).

HEVC (H.265) / 100Mbps
Support for the highest 100Mbps video signal using the latest high-efficiency video compression technology. Compression efficiency and high bit rate far beyond previous Blu-ray discs (MPEG-4/AVC (H.264), maximum 40Mbps) enabling outstanding playback of high quality video with 4K/60p/10bit, High Dynamic Range, BT.2020, etc.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

We sell 4K interactive (touch) flat panels to businesses, schools, government, etc. from sizes of 55" up to 84", and they are great. However, like many have said, it will likely be a couple of years before a lot of content is available from a streaming perspective. Some of last year's World Cup was actually shown in 4K, and Netflix and Amazon are also streaming limited content in 4k (e.g. House of Cards, Breaking Bad and others). However, one other thing to think about is gaming. Because a 4K TV has 4 X the number of pixels as standard HD (8,000,000+ vs 2,000,000+), if you split your screen for gaming then the display in each window will still be exceptionally high quality.

Below is a link to a good article on the subject. Make sure you read the part about "sitting close enough". The human eye is only capable of detecting a certain level of detail, so if you plan on sitting 15-20 feet away from your TV then you won't really notice any difference. UHD will change the way people watch TV because now you can sit 5 - 10 ft away and really experience the effects, and since the quality of the display is so pure you won't get any headaches and you won't see any deterioration in the picture quality by being too close (and no... it won't damage your eyes either).

If it were me, as long as it's not a major jump in price, then I'd go for a 4K model... jmo.

4K TV and Ultra HD: Everything you need to know | Television News | TechRadar

 

[agent|orange]

I was able to roll into HHGregg and talk them down on a 60" LG 4K TV and got them to price match a 60" 1080p TV so the total price was about $1100.

In short, 4K doesn't matter. As others have said, most broadcasts are in 720p and only a couple are in 1080p. Netflix has something like 13 4K titles and most are simply old and upconverted. Very little pure 4k stuff filmed with UHD cameras.

Upscaling to 4K is a catchy tech, but it costs you your refresh rate. So, if your TV is getting a 1080p at 60Hz, it'll double the resolution to 2160p but give you 30Hz. This results in a jittery image and you'll really notice it for sports. I got a decent amount of screen-tearing and that is for a 1080p signal from my 360 being upscaled by my TV. A true 1080p signal at 60Hz looks far better, with the right calibrations.

And if you go through your receiver, you'll have to upgrade that as any external 4k will just be downsampled if the receiver maxes at a 1080p throughput.

So, for most people 4K doesn't make sense. It's a cool technology but a lot of people fall into a trap when they go to a showroom that has pure 4K using still(ish) images next to "1080p" that is usually just a poor 720p signal.

The HHGregg floor was awful. The 4k stuff looked amazing and the "1080p" barely looked like it was a 480p signal. Probably not even using RBG inputs.

They're trying to steer people to 4k. It's pretty catching on a sales floor though. Just keep your head on a swivel as they also won't show models that are price protected.

 

[VolnTitan]

Most every thing that we work from at our post house is shot in 2k or above. 4 and 5k mostly. Of course delivered in 1080i mostly.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Nah, I looked it up back when I posted that originally out of curiosity. The majority of broadcasts, including all major networks, are 1080i.

But most sports networks, including ESPN, are broadcast in 720p. Makes sense, because of the amount of movement in sports.

So really they're both right. I was just under the impression that everything was 1080i back when I bought my old TV, but that was like 2006.

All I know is that over-the-air antenna regularly picks up better quality than the compressed "HD" broadcasts you get in your satellite or cable packages. Even when both are the same channel and supposedly the same resoluation, over-the-air antenna still picks up the better picture. Cable & satelite providers are notorious for throttling the network bandwidth to cheat you out of a 1080i resolution.

 

[VolnTitan]

Compressed doesn't mean it still isn't 1080i.

 

[n_huffhines]

Just read that people in a study were told they were watching HD tv (when it was a new thing) but in reality they were shown standard definition and in the exit survey most marveled about the clarity of the picture.

Pretty interesting.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Compressed doesn't mean it still isn't 1080i.

Perhaps not. Truthfully I don't know much about this stuff I just find it interesting. Correct me if Im wrong but it is my understanding that cable companies have to compress it because they are handling such a massive pool of data at one time (and the more HD, the more data of course). My question is if you aren't losing true 1080i when it's compressed, then how exactly does the picture get re-compensated to bring it back to 1080i? With digital antannas the signal from local channels is always uncompressed, so you are seeing about as clear a picture as possible. Naturally it makes you wonder when you compare the "cable" HD version vs the over-the-air digital version. Over-the-air HD always has the clearer picture when I've tested it - maybe it has more to do with my area.

 

[Zues1]

Just read that people in a study were told they were watching HD tv (when it was a new thing) but in reality they were shown standard definition and in the exit survey most marveled about the clarity of the picture.

Pretty interesting.

I've heard people say they can't tell the difference in SD vs HD. Oohkay. U blind or what

 

[volmanbill]

I've heard people say they can't tell the difference in SD vs HD. Oohkay. U blind or what

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear someone say this.

Youtube has some good split screen comparison vids for 1080 vs 4k.

 

[Nerd-Vol]

What resolution is pornography in?

A friend of mine is curious.

 

[BenGrimm]

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear someone say this.

Youtube has some good split screen comparison vids for 1080 vs 4k.

Wouldn't you have to see it in 4k to tell the difference?


I will say the 5K iMac is beautiful. Text and photos are so crisp it's amazing. If I could justify upgrading my late 2011 iMac to the wife I would already have it.

 

[BenGrimm]

I've heard people say they can't tell the difference in SD vs HD. Oohkay. U blind or what

I mostly hear older people say that. My inlaws swore they couldn't tell the difference. I went over there and realized they were using coax to connect to the cable box. Fixed it for them. They still acted like they couldn't tell the difference. When I go over there to watch football on occasion they are still watching the SD channel. Smh.

 

[smashmouth98]

yes the signal from a regular antenna is better than what you get from your cable/sat provider because it is uncompressed.

just because you get/bought a 4K tv doesn't make it great. the processer/panel determine the picture quality. I would buy a higher series 1080P tv before I bought an entry level 4K. FWIW

 

[VolnTitan]

Essentially "compressed" refers to type of codec and then stuff like bit rate etc.

All TV signals are compress, including over the air. Nobody is broadcasting a "uncompressed" signal. Over the air looks better because there are less levels of compression, so to speak. With directv, they receive the signal from the networks, recompress it to mpeg4 and then send it out. With cable it gets redo pressed more I believe. I know more about what is delivered to the networks from us, but we try to deliver as good of quality as we can. Right now we "master" most stuff to prores hq, which is compressed, but very high level compression.