All you need to know about 4K
4k
is slowly and steadily moving beyond just televisions. You have projectors,
monitors, laptops and even phones with 4k display available now. But what is 4k
and do you need to bother about it right now?
Karan Bajaj explains the technology and what it means for the common user.
Karan Bajaj explains the technology and what it means for the common user.
WHAT IS
4K?
In basic terms, 4k denotes
the new display resolution used for consumer electronics. In technical terms,
4K or 4096 x 2160 (or 3840 x 2160 for TVs) pixels is four times the resolution
and four times the number of pixels as compared to full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels).
These refer to the number of pixels laid out horizontally vs vertically--1920
pixels across from left to right and 1080 pixels from top to bottom.
Multiplying these numbers will give you the total number of pixels on the panel
that are being used to generate an image. When you look at 4k in the same
number format, simple multiplication will show you that 4096 x 2160 is over
four times the number of pixels as compared to 1920 x 1080. Also, while full HD
roughly translates into 2.1 megapixels, 4K translates into to 8.3 megapixels
roughly, meaning sharper images.
DO I NEED IT?
This is debatable. If you
have the cash to spare, why not? 4K TVs have gotten cheaper over the years and
the new generation of game consoles, USB media players, Blu-Ray players and
even set-top boxes with 4K support are available now. 4K is the next logical
step up from full HD and we will all eventually shift to 4K--just as standard
definition sets are now a rarity compared to HD, HD will become rare compared
to 4K in the next 3 to 5 years. So if you are planning to purchase a new TV
right now, it will be better if you spent a bit more and chose a 4k TV over a
full HD one.
IS CONTENT AVAILABLE?
Right now, real 4K content
is hard to come by. However, 4K content set-top boxes are available that
broadcast directly (limited channel support currently) to your home. Gaming
consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation 4) already have 4k support and 4K Blu-Ray players
as well as discs are available. Plus, consumer smartphones for as low as
`10,000 now support 4k video recording which you can then transfer and enjoy in
full resolution on a 4k TV. This is in addition to DSLR and point and shoot
cameras that also do 4k video recording now. In short, 4K will be
everywhere--it's only a matter of time.
WHY UPGRADE?
When full HD first arrived
and you saw actual, full HD content on a full HD television, the difference was
instantly recognizable compared to SD content. The level of detail was what
catches the attention. However, on a large TV, 46-inches or larger, it's really
easy to see individual pixels with the naked eye if you stand close to the
screen. As TV screen became larger, it's only natural that the total number of
pixels used to generate an image grew in number too. Moving the panel to the
next higher resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) ensures a higher pixel
density and sharpens everything up. With real 4K content, it is the same kind
of feeling that came as moving from standard to high definition.
CAN I UPSCALE FULL HD CONTENT TO 4K?
4K television available
today automatically upscale all the content you play on it. So any full HD or
even 720p HD content will look better compared to standard definition content
when upscaled. If for some reason your TV does not have the upscale
capabilities, you can choose to get an AV receiver that supports 4k upscaling.
There are options available from brands like Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon with built
in 4K upscaling via dedicated hardware and image processing algorithms. While
it will not match the sharpness of actual 4k footage, upscaled full HD content
played via these receivers, will look better on a 4K TV.
ET28MAR16
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