GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL GUIDE - READY FOR 4K?

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL GUIDE - READY FOR 4K?

Here's what the next generation of televisions holds in store

Nothing makes a television manufac turer happier than the ability to slap a bigger number on their shiny new product. At its most basic, 4K describes the resolution of your TV set, but it is also increasingly being used to describe a combination of a whole host of new features which together are ushering in a new era in image quality.

It might not eventually be the resolution of 4K that tempts you into your next TV purchase, but the inclusion of other cool technologies like High-Dynamic Range, Quantum Dot and OLED panels.

WHAT IS 4K?

4K Ultra HD TVs (also known as UHD TVs) deliver four times as much detail as 1080p Full HD, that's eight million pixels compared to two million pixels. That means more fine detail, greater texture and an almost photographic emulsion of smoothness.

Technically, “Ultra High Definition“ is actually a derivation of the 4K digital cinema standard. However, while your local multiplex shows images in native 4096x2160 4K resolution, the new Ultra HD consumer format has a slightly lower resolution of 3840x2160.

This is why some brands prefer not to use the 4K label at all, sticking with Ultra HD or UHD instead. However, the numerical shorthand looks likely to stick.

WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT 4K?

A 4K display reveals so much more nuance and detail ¬ the difference can be astonishing. While 3D has proved to be a faddish diversion, 4K comes without caveats. Its higher resolution images are simply better.

The higher pixel density of a 4K panel also enable you get much closer without the grid-like structure of the image itself becoming visible.This means you can comfortably watch a much larger screen from the same seating position as your current Full HD panel.

ULTRA HD PREMIUM

If you're thinking that all these new technologies and acronyms sound confusing, then you'd be right. That's why a group of companies decided to form the UHD Alliance with the expressed aim of defining what technologies should be included in the next generation of TV sets.

The UHD Alliance is comprised of 35 companies including television manufacturers such as LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, Sharp, audio companies such as Dolby, and media production companies like Netflix and 20th Century Fox.

The result of this alliance is the UHD Premium specification, which comprises a list of features that should be included in products like TVs and Blu-ray players to ensure maximum compatibility with content and hardware produced.Now that this standard has been defined, it should just be a case of checking that your next purchase has the `Ultra HD Premium' logo and not having to worry about your TV being incompatible with the slew of 4K content that's about to emerge over the next few years.

HOW SMALL WILL 4K ULTRA HD SCREENS GET?

In the short term, screen sizes are likely to stabilise at 55-inches and up. That's because as the screen size shrinks, the advantage of having such a pixel dense display starts to diminish.

Generally speaking, a large 4K TV will provide an upgrade for a smaller 1080p screen. However, the 4K resolution will ultimately be about more than just definition.

High frame rate UHD broadcasting could have an even greater impact than resolution when services begin ¬ and the benefits of HFR are not restricted to larger screen sizes. When this second generation 4K UHD breaks cover, expect high-frame rate 4K TVs to drop further down the size scale.

IS 4K OLED EVEN BETTER?

OLED - organic light emitting diodes - have been around for a while, but producing big screens using this tech has proven to be expensive in the past. That said, LG is doing its best to change this, which is great, because OLED technology is stunning, with vibrant colours, deep blacks and bright whites.

WHAT KIND OF CABLES WILL I NEED FOR 4K?

The two standard cables you're most likely to use are either a standard HDMI or if you're connecting a PC to a Ultra HD monitor, DisplayPort.

HDMI cables now come in four flavours: high speed with Ethernet; high speed without Ethernet; standard speed with Ethernet, and standard speed without Ethernet. Standard speed cables are capable of 1080i, but aren't able to handle the bandwidth of 4K. High speed cables can do anything higher than 1080. As long as you're using the same class of cable, there is no distinguishable difference between one manufacturer's set of cables and another's.

The speed of your connection will depend on the types of connectors, which includes HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.0a. HDMI 1.4 connectors support a 3820x2160 resolution at 30 frames per second, while HDMI 2.0 is the latest spec and can output video at Ultra HD resolution at 60 frames per second. HDMI 2.0a is capable of HDR, which is limited to a specific range of TVs from each manufacturer. DisplayPort carries 4K image and audio high end graphics cards to monitors without any noticeable artifacts or delays.

WHAT ABOUT THIS HDR STUFF?

HDR, or high dynamic range, is a concept borrowed from digital imaging which combines three images ¬ one with normal lighting, one with underexposure and one with overexposure ¬ to give more contrast to an image or video.Amazon was the first con tent provider to release HDR video in 2015, and even now is the only streaming compa ny to offer the service. That said, Netflix will use the same technology to deliver its own HDR content this year.

There's a 20 percent increase in the nec essary bandwidth for both HDR and 4K, but Netflix says if there's not enough for both, it will prioritise HDR as that's the most impactful in terms of image quality.

QUANTUM DOT SOUNDS LIKE THEORETICAL PHYSICS

It does indeed, but unlike some problems in theoretical physics, the solution is already here. Quantum Dot displays are simply LED panels with a thin film of nano-crystals in between the backlight and the display. The likes of LG and Sony claim this increases colour depth by 30 percent without adding extra pix els or implementing a wacky algorithm to digitally manipulate the display.

WHAT ABOUT 8K?

If 4K offers four times the resolution of Full HD, then 8K will deliver 16 times the definition. 8K screens comprise a staggering 33 million pixels. This is an order of magnitude beyond any dis play technology currently available, and only one broadcaster, Japanese state owned NHK, has publically said it intends to commercialise the technology.

Because the benefits of 8K image definition only really become appar ent on screens 84-inches and larger, the format is not seen as a commer cially viable platform by most broad casters and TV manufacturers. If you're waiting to jump from Full HD to 8K, you could be kicking your heels for quite some time.

SO SHOULD I BUY A 4K NOW OR SHOULD I WAIT?

If you want the absolute best TV you can get right now and don't mind paying a premium for it, it's a 4K set. If you're buying from one of the top tier manufacturers, you're going to get a good product that's reasonably future-proofed.

However, don't expect to be watching most of your video con tent in 4K for another two to three years. And make sure any set you buy has HDMI 2.0 ports.

On the other hand, if you're price sensitive or want to wait until the content side of the equation is solved, it absolutely makes sense to wait. The UHD Premium specification is still in its infancy, and it remains to be seen if the entire industry will eventually adopt it.

In terms of content, you're not missing out on much at the moment. There are incred ible values to be found in gen erously-sized 1080p sets right now. And 4K sets are only going to get cheaper.

James Rivington MM May 02 2016