So who has (or is getting) a 4K TV?

[Bazzer]

Firstly will your eyes see the difference in real life conditions? Seems to me there is not a lot of point in viewing and shelling out a lot of money on an "upgraded" TV in a showroom which doesn't replicate the light conditions in the room in your house the TV will be situated. I wouldn't buy speakers for my Hi Fi or TV without listening to them. Also TV showrooms do have the habit of displaying larger screens than most people would buy, in order to impress potential customers.

Secondly, unless there have been advances in technology, if something wasn't recorded in 4k, will a 4k TV make that much difference to the viewing experience? - Even if the TV automatically upscales to 4k, it still isn't going to match a 4k broadcast. As I understand it, the quality of an image is determined in the first instance by the recording device. For example, if you take a photo using a crap camera, whilst you can Photoshop it to enhance the image, you are unlikely to get it to the standard of an image taken by a top of the range camera. And of course the TV channels are awash with old programmes and films, recorded using what would now be considered as out of date technology and some of those programmes from previous years look very "grainy" on an HD TV.

If you are going for the full 4k experience, you will probably also have to fork out for a new HDD as your recordings to the device will be not be 4k even if transmitted in 4k. Your Blu Ray device too will need replacing ,as even if the latter was recoded and burned using 4k compatible devices, the transmitting device isn't 4k.

I don't subscribe to pay tv channels, but my guess would be that if you do subscribe to them and want them in 4k,then as it is the latest technology, the subscription channels will charge a premium for you to receive them.

Unless there is some real bargain to be had, personally I'd go for a decent HD TV and a decent sound system (unless of course you already have the latter). Personal opinion of course, but the latter was to me, the best upgrade I made.

 

[Drago]

No one broadcasts in 4k over here, including all the subscription channels.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I auditioned several screens in my local Sony Centre. I picked a 2014/15 model smart TV over a 2015/16 one as live sport in HD looked better. The salesman steered me towards it (friend of my daughter's) knowing Rugby World Cup was coming up. It was half the price and I got a soundbase at half price with is. Said daughter mocked me big time when I bought a BluRay/DVD player to go with it "who even watches DVD's these days?"

I use it with Sky+ HD but was very glad of the youview facility when the neighbours scaffolding blocked our satellite signal. The soundbase lets me stream Spotify with a nice bass response too.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I would also not bother at this stage. A budget 4k TV would not look any better than a high end 1080p Sony or Samsung. My mate has just bought a 47" Samsung 4k (paid about £600 I think in a sale). It's a lovely picture but to be honest not any more crisp than watching 1080p. Your source is always the limiting factor, and as others have said there aren't enough 4k sources around at the moment. In two years; time maybe. And if 4k is superceded, the 4k TVs will have come down in price as well. The SMART features are ok but not actually as simple to use as our 2015 Panasonic (which was about £300 cheaper).

Remember when we all watched a DVD for the first time? I for one thought: "Blu-ray? What a con, how much crisper can they actually make the picture?" Of course I was wrong, but full HD TVs had the benefit of terrestrial HD channels, Blu-Rays, HD streaming from Amazon/Netflix etc. Also the new "flat screen" phenomenon was half of the attraction.

So, if it were me, I'd get a higher end Sony or Samsung 1080p. Our 2015 panasonic was great as a Smart TV though, we just downgraded because we didn't need Smart features (as we use Amazon etc on the PS4). Plus our son smashed the screen. That was about £300 for a 40"

 

[tyred]

You can buy TVs in colour

 

[fossyant]

You can buy TVs in colour

Yep, you can't actually buy Black and White ! Progress.

 

[Drago]

Not sure it'll be viable to supersede 4k, as much beyond that you reach the point at which the human eye is unable to discriminate any improvement in definition. We've already gone beyond that point with music recording and reproduction, and 4k takes us close to it with vision.

 

[Markymark]

You might thing curved is new (or was that last years fashion dying out?) But curved was around when those CRT TVs were around. Only thing is they were curved the other way round (convex) which allowed more people to view it. Idk wth manufacturers what concave crap for.

Hmmm, I understood it that screens on CRT had to be curved to give an equal distance from the ray and a flat screen would be distorted

.

 

[postman]

What has Mort's new telly and Manchester United have in common.

They both look great in the middle of the table.

 

[jayonabike]

I take it those that say getting a 4K is a waste of time/money haven't got a 4K t.v. I have (a Sony 55") and the picture is awesome. It upscales a hd source to almost 4K quality.
Everyone who has seen it comments how sharp and vivid the picture and colours are.
I'd say go for it.

 

[Drago]

My 48" LG 4k looks little different the straight HD Toshiba it replaced. They both look great, but you'd be genuinely hard pressed to tell the difference in the Pepsi Taste Test. We only bought it cos we wanted a big telly in the bedroom cos of the wife's eyesight, and the LGs were in the sale. I neither wanted or expected any improvement, and on a standard HD source there isn't much of one. If anyone ever starts broadcasting in 4k then I'll watch with interest, until then it's much the same. Perhaps I just have eyes of cloth?

 

[Vidor06]

No one broadcasts in 4k over here, including all the subscription channels.

Does that include BT Sport which boasts an Ultra HD Channel? They are selling the lfe out of the fact that its broadcast in Ultra HD.

 

[jayonabike]

And Netflix broadcasts some of its programs in UHD

 

[Drago]

Technically Netflix doesn't "broadcast" anything. Wasn't aware of the BT Sport job in UHD, probably because if it were the last channel left in the world I'd switch it off in favour of the radio. Even then, is it actually recorded in UHD with UHD cameras? Betcha it aint, because BT aren't out there filming it themselves, they're buying other peoples feeds.

 

[marinyork]

If you look at the netflix global originals, a fair bit of stuff is finally coming on-line in 4k.

Still don't have one though.