The video quality on TVs and monitors of new generations is getting better and better. Video resolution plays an important role in this. Increasingly, various advertisements for 4K video are starting to appear in magazines and electronics stores. Today I propose to understand what 4K is?
4K
The high definition television standard 4K Ultra HD TV (or UHD TV) provides high definition images that are four times higher than the 1080p Full HD standard known to many of us. Ultra HD 4K pixel resolution at 16: 9 aspect ratio is 3840 x 2160.
In reality, excellent image clarity is obtained, with excellent detail. This image on the TV screen is perceived in a new way.
The widespread use of the 4K standard requires the replacement of various studio television equipment and not only. Therefore, it will take several years to introduce 4K into our lives. Already, TVs are being sold that support Ultra HD resolution, the only thing for them is still difficult to find videos or films. Although something can already be downloaded on the Internet or bought on discs.
Even 1080p content looks much better on Ultra HD screens, so it's worth taking that into account when buying a new TV.
YouTube supports downloading and watching videos in 4K resolution. In order to watch a video in 4K resolution, you need to select the 2160p quality in the player settings. For smooth viewing of such a video, you need a fairly powerful computer.
If we compare the image of already outdated LCD TVs with lamp ones, the viewer will probably be shocked: everything is indistinct, blurry, flickers, and it is better to keep silent about the color rendition. Roughly the same effect can be observed when a third model is offered for comparison: a modern TV with Ultra HD resolution.
Ultra HD (UHD) refers to the ultra high definition digital format. Often "UHD" and "4K" are used interchangeably, but this is not entirely true. The popular 4K and just hitting the market 8K are varieties of ultra high resolution.
The format comes from digital cinema, where 4096 x 2160 pixels are considered the standard for widescreen film production. In cinema "4K" is not only the resolution, but also the corresponding encoding method, bit rate and color depth
In the TV market, the meaning has changed somewhat: speaking of a 4K TV, most often it is simply a model with a screen resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels.
Why do you need 4K format?
The answer is simple: the higher the pixel density on the screen, the sharper and more realistic the image looks. 4K TVs have 8.3 million pixels on screen - four times more than standard HD. At the same time, detail is significantly increased, and the comfortable viewing distance is reduced: a 65-inch UHD TV can be watched from 2 meters away.
Finally, a 4K TV is needed to watch movies and digital channels in ultra-high resolution: Netflix is \u200b\u200balready working in UHD, 4K videos regularly appear on YouTube, and new films are also released on UHD blu-ray. According to the forecasts of American TV people, most of the world's major television companies will switch to UHD TV by 2020.How to choose an Ultra HD (4K) TV
It's a paradox, but two models of TVs with the coveted 4K can produce images of completely different quality, and sometimes the difference between FullHD and Ultra HD is not noticeable at all. The fact is that high static resolution by itself does not guarantee a fascinating picture: the result is broken from a number of criteria.
Diagonal size
Whatever one may say, even now UHD TVs are not very affordable. Flagship prices openly "bite", so second-tier brands offer a compromise: models with advertised 4K and a relatively small diagonal of 32-40 inches.
There is little sense in such a purchase - you can see all the charms of 4K only on a TV whose diagonal exceeds 50 inches, and 65-inch models are considered optimal. On TVs with a smaller diagonal, the difference with Full HD will be much less noticeable, and the overpayment can be quite noticeable.
Screen type
There are two main classes of devices on the market: with LED and OLED screens. In the first case, the TV has a liquid crystal screen illuminated by compact LEDs. When choosing an LED TV with UHD resolution, special attention should be paid to the type of matrix: IPS provides the best color rendition, brightness and contrast. However, even a modern matrix does not solve the main problem of screens - mediocre black reproduction.
Much more advanced and () displays are arranged differently: each individual pixel emits light, and backlighting is not required at all. On average, an OLED display transmits 64 times more colors than its LED counterpart. Combined with a wide diagonal and UHD resolution, the image looks fantastically realistic, but this set of features will have a lot to pay for.
HDR support
In the labeling of top-end models, 4K is almost always adjacent to HDR, and this is not surprising: in ultra-high quality, accuracy and variety of shades are especially important. HDR TVs (or high dynamic range TVs) bring the picture to life by rendering the subtlest tones in both the light and dark areas of the picture. Dolby Vision, which flagships flaunt, is an advanced version of HDR, more specifically HDR10.
As with resolution, to unleash the full potential of an HDR-compatible TV, you need the right content. In Russia, the most common UHD HDR blu-ray discs and streaming services from Netflix and Megogo.
HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0 support
Before buying a 4K TV, it is better to make sure in advance that these parameters are declared: they are needed for full 4K playback from discs. There are quite a few models on the market with outdated HDMI 1.4 ports that can be considered UDH only de jure.
With a limited amount of content, losing the ability to play UHD blu-ray is simply unacceptable.
Matrix type
Another important point in choosing a 4K TV is the type of matrix of the model. This characteristic is not always stated in the list of the main ones, therefore it is worth checking with the consultant.
Even UHD TVs still have budget TN panels. As a rule, they are used by little-known manufacturers to reduce the cost of the model. The TN matrix itself is not bad: with the proper quality, it can provide good color rendering and brightness. The problem with TN is narrow viewing angles, especially along the vertical axis, and the quality of each specific matrix is \u200b\u200bdifficult to check.
VA matrices are used in TVs and monitors of various classes, up to the upper price segment. The reason for the popularity is excellent contrast, sufficient black depth and optimal brightness characteristics at a reasonable cost.
Finally, the matrices iPS type, allow you to achieve the best image that modern LED-backlit LCD screens are capable of. They offer the widest viewing angles with minimal color distortion, accurate color reproduction and high brightness. At the same time, IPS is inferior to VA matrices in terms of contrast, so the former are better suited for well-lit rooms, and the latter for darkened ones.
Best Ultra HD (4K) TVs
It's time to move from theory to practice and take a close look at the market: unlike 3D TVs that have not really taken root, UHD models have occupied their niche and are clearly not going to leave.
40-43 ″
Irbis 43S30UD108B
A budget TV with full 4K UHD resolution. Has analog PAL / SECAM and digital DVB-T2 tuners, supports standard connections, including HDMI x3 with HDMI 1.4 interface version. It has high contrast and good color reproduction and is equipped with 24p True Cinema.
The Irbis brand is popular in the Russian Federation. In 2014-2015, it was recognized as the leader in sales of 2-in-1 devices and budget tablets in Russia, and in 2016 it became the leader in supplies in the low price segment (according to IDC).
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 43 "(109 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD resolution: 4K UHD;
- Sound power: 20 W (2 × 8 W);
- Inputs: AV, component, VGA, HDMI x3, USB x2.
Additionally: LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound; DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-T2; teletext; two speakers, formats: MP3, MPEG4, MKV, JPEG; optical output; headphone jack; 2 TV tuners; sleep timer; wall mount.
Advantages:
- low price;
- 4K UHD;
- color rendering;
- brightness;
- headphone jack;
- lightweight (7.96 kg).
Disadvantages:
- no Wi-Fi;
- old hDMI version — 1.4;
- glossy screen finish.
Cost: 18-21 thousand rubles.
LG 43UK6200
The resolution of the LG 43UK6200 UHD TV is 4 times higher than that of Full HD. Sharpness of the image, high-quality picture from any angle and optimal cost make this model attractive. The device uses a TFT IPS screen matrix, which improves the vividness of the picture.
The dynamic scenes index is 100 frames / sec thanks to the proprietary True Motion technology.
A quad-core processor delivers the quality you need to capture 4K images. HDR10 Pro and HLG Pro formats are an important advantage of the LG 43UK6200. Smart TV of this new product in 2019 runs on webOS. The built-in memory of the TV is 4 GB, which is a bit on the one hand - but enough in everyday use.
A nice addition to the good functionality of the model is the ivi button: this is an access to the application, which contains hundreds of thousands of films and cartoons for home viewing. LG Plus Channels app — this is a complete set of your favorite channels.
Artificial intelligence, developed by the creators of LG 43UK6200, picks up video recommendations for users.
The universal remote control Magic Remote recognizes the voice, and the sound system reproduces the sound of Dolby Digital, DTS.
The device has tuners: T2 (terrestrial), C (cable), S (satellite), S2 (satellite).
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 42.5 "(108 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- Refresh rate index: 50Hz;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Inputs: AV, component, HDMI x3, USB x2, Ethernet (RJ-45), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Miracast.
Additionally: Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound, Dolby Digital, DTS; DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-С MPEG4, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2; teletext; two speakers, automatic volume leveling (AVL); formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), DivX, MKV, JPEG; optical output; 2 TV tuners; sleep timer; protection from children, voice control, wall mount.
Advantages:
- price-quality ratio;
- screen matrix -TFT IPS;
- color rendering;
- viewing angles;
- HDMI 2.0;
- fast Wi-Fi;
- unlimited built-in browser;
- web OS 4.0;
- good sound;
- recording of TV programs;
- Bluetooth;
- multimedia console;
- quick pairing with a smartphone;
- automatic subscription to megogo for 4 months;
- lightweight (8.4 kg with stand).
Disadvantages:
- brightness is lame in strong light;
- build quality;
- inconvenient location of the necessary connectors;
- design.
Cost:25-34 thousand rubles.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 43
The main advantages of this cute modern smart TV model from Xiaomi are the TFT IPS screen matrix and Smart TV.
A decent diagonal, video in high resolution 4K UHD with support for advanced HDR 10 technology, excellent brightness, a Mali-450 GPU - the characteristics of Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 43.
This beautiful TV with a thin frame has built-in memory of 8 GB, "reads" popular audio and video formats, controlled by a remote control with voice recognition.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 43 will fit into any interior and give you a pleasant watch while watching quality video in 24p True Cinema format.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 42.5 "(108 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD Resolution: 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- Refresh rate index: 50Hz;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Inputs: AV, component, HDMI x2, USB x2, Ethernet (RJ-45), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11n;
- Power consumption: 75 watts.
Additionally:Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound, two speakers Dolby Digital, DTS; formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), MKV, JPEG; coaxial output; TV tuner; wall mount.
Advantages:
- price;
- tFT IPS screen matrix;
- 4K UHD, HDR-10;
- HDMI 2.0;
- wi-Fi support;
- Smart TV;
- dLNA support;
- large amount of built-in memory;
- low energy costs;
- design;
- lightweight (7.6 kg with stand).
Cost:29 thousand rubles.
With a diagonal of 46-49 "
SUPRA STV-LC50ST2000U
With this model, SUPRA has taken its approach to advanced screen illumination with a high-tech DLED (direct backlight) matrix. The manufacturer promises the user 1.07 billion colors.
This new product from a well-known brand with extensive experience in the field of TV technology is a Smart TV in the operating room android system with Wi-Fi support.
24p True Cinema is fully realized on the screen. The device has advanced functionality, considering that the model is budgetary, this is impressive.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 49 "(124 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD resolution: 4K UHD;
- Refresh rate index: 60Hz;
- Brightness: 300 cd / m2;
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 120,000: 1;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Sound power: 12 W (2 × 6 W);
- Inputs: AV, component, VGA, HDMI x3, USB x2, Ethernet (RJ-45), Wi-Fi;
- Power consumption: 100-240 V.
Additionally:Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound NICAM, DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-С MPEG4, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2; teletext; two speakers; formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), MKV, JPEG; coaxial output; headphone jack; 2 TV tuners; recording video to a USB drive; TimeShift; sleep timer; childproof, wall mount.
Advantages:
- optimal cost;
- diagonal;
- image quality;
- Smart TV;
- Wi-Fi;
- 4K UHD;
- viewing angles;
- functional;
- metal stand;
- appearance.
Disadvantages:
- HDMI 1.4;
- no HDR;
- high power consumption;
- the speakers are weak.
Cost:26 thousand rubles.
Samsung UE49LS03NAU
Quite an expensive "smart" TV with a decent diagonal and amazing "Samsung" functionality. The TFT VA sensor provides excellent black depth, high contrast and excellent image quality in a somewhat dark environment.
4K technology makes the picture clearer and more detailed. The model has an extended dynamic range and operates on the built-in UHD Mastering Engine graphics card. Smart TV is supported thanks to Tizen OS, and a new version the HDMI interface expands the connectivity of the device.
The manufacturer focuses on such characteristics of this TV as: Picture Quality Index 1800 Hz, Supreme UHD Dimming, One Invisible connection (one wire), IPv6 support.
Customers will love the new "Painting" mode for converting the TV into a favorite painting on the wall while keeping the TV in power saving mode. With The Frame app you can connect to the ALBERTINA and SAATCHI ART online galleries in the Art Store.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 48.5 "(123 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD Resolution: 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- Brightness: 200 cd / m2;
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 6000: 1;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Sound power: 20 W (2 × 5 + 2 × 5 W);
- Inputs: HDMI x4, USB x3, RS-232, Ethernet (RJ-45), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, WiDi, Miracast;
- Power consumption: 125 W.
Additionally:Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo audio NICAM, DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-С MPEG4, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2; teletext; 4 speakers, Dolby Digital; formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), DivX, MKV, JPEG; optical output; 2 TV tuners; recording video to a USB drive; TimeShift; sleep timer; child protection, light sensor; Motion Sensor; wall mount.
Advantages:
- picture;
- diagonal;
- viewing angles;
- color rendering;
- functional;
- HDMI x4;
- Wi-Fi;
- built-in browser;
- recording of TV programs;
- Miracast;
- Bluetooth;
- dLNA support;
- "Painting" mode;
- anti-reflective coating;
- style solution.
Disadvantages:
- high price;
- energy consuming;
- quite heavy (13.8 kg without stand).
Cost:80-100 thousand rubles.
Sony KD-49XF7596
This "smart" novelty from Sony may well compete with TVs of other well-known brands. Equipped with high quality tFT matrix IPS, with Local Dimming support, this TV delivers an admirable picture.
Sony KD-49XF7596 easily connects to other devices via wireless connection... The model is equipped with Smart TV on Android. Sound is not a good thing for this TV, although it does support Dolby Digital, DTS audio decoders and Auto Volume Leveling (AVL). However, the advanced HDMI 2.0 interface provides more options for connecting to external audio systems and computers with equalizer. The built-in memory of 16 GB is enough to realize the possibilities of this cute model.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 48.5 "(123 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD Resolution: 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- Refresh rate index: 50Hz;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Sound power: 20 W (2 × 10 W);
- Inputs: AV, HDMI x4, USB x3, Ethernet (RJ-45), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Miracast;
- Power consumption: 120 watts.
Additionally:Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound NICAM, DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-С MPEG4, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2; teletext; two speakers, surround sound; formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), Xvid, DivX, MKV, JPEG; optical output; headphone jack; 2 TV tuners; recording video to a USB drive; TimeShift; sleep timer; child protection, voice control, light sensor; wall mount.
Advantages:
- picture as a whole;
- diagonal;
- 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- tFT IPS screen;
- Android;
- HDMI 2.0;
- 16 GB of internal memory;
- build quality;
- design.
Disadvantages:
- expensive;
- the sound quality is not perfect;
- Smart is slow;
- external power supply;
- inconvenient remote control.
Cost:50-65 thousand rubles.
With a diagonal of 50-55 "
Philips 50PUT6023
This model is not equipped with a Smart TV, however, it has a brilliant 4K Ultra HD LED display and decent surround sound. Support for 24p True Cinema with a dynamic scene index of 800 frames / sec / PPI / - it really gives a vivid picture.
It is convenient to connect the TV to a computer, play games and watch movies in high quality (60 Hz at 4k). Buyers note that the device does not differ in special "stuffing", but it does everything that is required of it, the main thing is that it is very pleasant to watch movies and TV programs on such a diagonal.
From the additions, the model has: an electronic TV guide for 8 days, 1000-page hypertext, an automatic shutdown timer, ECO-mode. With such functionality, Smart TV is not required for many users.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 50 ″ (127 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD resolution: 4K UHD;
- Refresh rate index: 50Hz;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Sound power: 16 W (2 × 8 W);
- Inputs: AV, VGA, HDMI x3, MHL, USB x2.
Additionally: Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo sound; DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-T2; teletext; two speakers, formats: MP3, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), MKV, JPEG; coaxial output; headphone jack; 1 TV tuner; remote control; wall mount.
LG 55UV661H TV will certainly attract you with its brightness. A high-quality TFT IPS screen matrix allows you to comfortably watch TV in any light. It can handle even direct sunlight.
The model has an improved audio component Sound Mode, with additional sound settings from 6 modes: Standard, Cinema, Clear Voice III, Sports, Music, Game.
Wi-Fi in this model is convenient to use pro apps: Centric® Smart as well as Miracast.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 54.6 "(139 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD Resolution: 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- Refresh rate index: 50Hz;
The manufacturer promises Full Array Local Dimming backlighting; picture quality index (Picture Quality Index) 3600 Hz; QHDR 1500; Supreme UHD Dimming; Motion Rate 200 Hz. The brightness of the image and the color rendering are determined by the quality of the screen, while the TV has a built-in light sensor and brightness that is adjustable depending on the lighting.
Fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity and access to a host of proprietary apps is impressive. Additional functionality of "smart" samsung TV QE55Q8DNA will not leave you indifferent either. For example, using the remote control, you can turn on the picture-in-picture function, which allows you to control the start of your favorite show when watching an audio clip or listening to music on Bluetooth headphones from the same TV.
Characteristics:
- Diagonal: 54.6 "(139 cm);
- Screen format: 16: 9;
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160;
- HD Resolution: 4K UHD, HDR 10;
- Refresh rate index: 100Hz;
- Brightness: 500 cd / m2;
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 3000: 1;
- Viewing angle: 178 °;
- Sound power: 40 W (2 × 10 + 4 × 5 W);
- Inputs: HDMI x4, MHL, USB x3, Ethernet (RJ-45), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, WiDi, Miracast;
- Power consumption: 235 W.
Additionally:Direct LED backlight; progressive scan; stereo audio NICAM, DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-С MPEG4, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2; teletext; 5 speakers; formats: MP3, WMA, MPEG4, HEVC (H.265), DivX, MKV, JPEG; optical output; headphone jack; 3 TV tuners; recording video to a USB drive; picture in picture, TimeShift; sleep timer; protection from children; light sensor; wall mount.
Advantages:
- brightness;
- screen refresh rate;
- diagonal;
- sound quality;
- subwoofer;
- Bluetooth;
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac;
- functional;
- appearance;
- anti-glare screen coating.
Disadvantages:
- very high price;
- energy consuming;
- heavy (20 kg with stand).
Cost:114-135 thousand rubles.
Let's sum up
Please note that there are a couple of models in our rating of UHD TVs for 2019, namely Philips 50PUT6023 and Irbis 43S30UD108B, which have no functionality. This is due to the fact that a significant part of buyers choose TV only for watching TV channels, personal photos and videos, so such buyers will not overpay for technology.
It is worth choosing a TV with the functions that you will use. The same can be said about the brightness and detail of the image: our rating includes both models with conventional LED screens and those supporting advanced technologies with backlighting of each pixel. Regardless of all of the above, the presence of a UHD TV already means high definition and brightness of the image. Perhaps this will be enough for someone.
Updated in January 2019
Following last year's LED and 3D TV models in 2012, another type of HDTV appears on store shelves - TVs with support for 4K resolution. The event is being heralded by company marketers as the next step in high definition television, and manufacturers are already lining up to present their products to us.
But, just like in the case of 3D, there is still nothing to watch in natural ultra-high resolution on the screens of such TVs. There is still no 4K content available for viewers and no means of delivering it to TV screens. Nevertheless, if you listen to the manufacturers, the higher resolution will soon be in demand. So what is 4K, after all, and how does the new resolution differ from the existing Full HD?
The LG 84LM9600's 84-inch LCD TV is expected to be the largest 4K display yet this year.
Digital TV resolutions in examples
Today, more and more often you can hear about the appearance of TVs and projectors with support for 4K resolution, which is intended to replace Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution in video films and, possibly, television programs in the future.
The 4K standard generally refers to a resolution of about 4000 pixels wide and about 2000 pixels high. Which makes it the area equivalent of four Full HD screens. Although nowadays 4K is used as an overarching term for a number of standards that are close enough to this resolution. TVs labeled 4K will be on sale this year, when they actually support Quad HD. But frankly, 4K is a more attractive-sounding designation.
Meanwhile, we have been able to watch Blu-ray movies and high definition (HD) TV programs for a decade now. There are three varieties of high definition. Full HD or 1080p (progressive scan) and 1080i (interlaced), as well as 720p (also known as HD Ready). While the majority television programs, and all DVD discs are encoded in standard definition (SD) 720 x 480 pixels. SD is the oldest resolution and is still widely used for many TV programs and reports.
Comparison of four resolutions: standard (SD), high definition (Full HD), Quad HD and 4K / 2K.
Fundamentals of digital cinema
The origins of 4K are in the movie theater industry. When George Lucas was about to make his promised backstory to Star Wars in the late 1990s, he experimented with new digital formats to replace film. Film films are incredibly expensive to manufacture, transport and store. If cinemas could simply download digital video files and display it through a digital projector, they could save a lot of money. Now that cinemas are under severe pressure from cable and streaming video, cutting costs helps them stay competitive.
After filming The Phantom Menace, partly in HD, George Lucas filmed Attack of the Clones entirely in digital format 1080p. It was a great Blu-ray release for the future, but it was soon discovered that 1080p was not high enough resolution for giant movie theater screens. If you are sitting in the front rows of a movie theater in front of a screen displaying a 1080p movie, you may see a softened image or a pixelated grid that can be very noticeable.
The film industry needs a standard that assumes you can sit half the height of the screen, and that requires a higher resolution than 1080p. In 2002, with the aim of creating a new digital standard was formed by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI). Largely due to the activities of this organization, two new high-definition specifications have emerged, first the 2K format, and then 4K in 2005.
The first notable 4K movie was Blade Runner: Final Cut 2007, a reimagined version of the 1982 film masterpiece. Unfortunately, very few cinemas at that time were able to show it in full resolution.
Standard 4K
Despite good intentions, manufacturers do not yet have a single 4K standard. Today there are five or more standards for video that differ in resolution. In cinemas, you see projectors based on the DCI specification that support 4K and 2K, while Sony is pushing its own standard (also 4096 x 2190) and a series of cinema projectors.
Things are a little easier in home theater. HDMI recently added two 4K support options to its latest HDMI 1.4 specification: Quad HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 4K / 2K (4096 x 2160 pixels). Only Quad HD matches the classic 16: 9 aspect ratio of modern TV screens.
Meanwhile, some experts have questioned the need for 4K in home theater given the lack of content and the need for very large displays to really appreciate the higher resolution.
A huge and noticeable leap was at one time the transition from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD), but the difference between 1080p and 4K is no longer so noticeable, many experts say. The increased resolution to 4K may only provide some benefits for screens larger than 55 inches.
3D
The Phantom Menace episodes were shot digitally and the film was given a new lease of life in early 2012 in 3D theaters.
If you've watched the James Cameron movie Avatar in 3D, then you've seen 4K in action. One of Cameron's highest grossing films, Sony projectors helped see 4K resolution worldwide. Other film studios have followed suit and have already produced many 3D films, mostly digitally filmed and artificially converted to 3D, and 3D cinemas have continued to expand worldwide.
However, this progress did not lead to the successful and widespread adoption of home 3D TVs, despite all the efforts of manufacturers and a powerful advertising campaign.
Given the mediocre returns in response to their efforts to introduce 3D, mainly due to the expensive and inconvenient active glasses, manufacturers began to look for alternatives. And 4K resolution allows you to improve the quality of 3D images with passive glasses or get rid of them altogether.
Present and future of home 4K
4K TVs are going to be big and expensive over the next few years.
LG and Toshiba are starting to sell their 4K TVs in the absence of 4K footage, which minimizes their advantage while still improving passive 3D quality. The lack of resolution on LG's passive 3D system could, in theory, be compensated for by doubling the horizontal and vertical pixels in passive 4K displays such as the LG 84LM9600 to provide a 1080p picture for every eye.
Click on the picture to enlarge it
4K TV Toshiba
First 4K toshiba TVs already on sale in Japan is a 55-inch Toshiba LCD, also called an autostereoscopic or glasses-free 3D TV. It complies with the Quad HD specification (3840 x 2160 pixels), which is four times that of Full HD.
There are no other 4K TVs on sale yet. Sony unveiled its 4K projector last year for home theater - VPL-VW1000ES. Meanwhile, JVC already sells four high-end projectors capable of upscaling 1080p content to 4K, but they currently cannot display native 4K video on screen.
In the absence of 4K content, players and displays will have to upscale video footage from HD or even SD resolution. To this end, Sony has developed and is marketing the new BDP-S790 Blu-ray player, which is capable of upscaling normal video in real time to 4K resolution.
It can be expected that 4K resolution will be officially added to the Blu-ray specification in the near future.
Conclusion
Can higher resolution 4K make movies better? It can be argued that this depends on the original format of the film. For example, if movies were shot with camcorders in SD resolution, there is probably little benefit buying a 4K movie versus a DVD. Of course, depending on the quality of your video system upscaling to 4K.
However, even with the exemplary quality of native 4K footage, a 4K TV or projector will not show as clearly visible improvement as it did when moving from standard definition to 1080p. The only way to experience the benefits of 4K is to sit close enough to a large screen at home, like watching in the front row of a city cinema.
But you can be sure that manufacturers will gradually begin to introduce ultra-high definition already in the next generation TVs.
4k Is a new resolution standard developed for digital cinema and computer graphics. Its advantage is that it provides higher image quality, more detailed picture, and is ideal for large format dynamic images.
Yes, another type of high definition television has appeared on store shelves - 4K TVs... But, just like with 3D, there is almost nothing to watch in natural ultra-high resolution on the screens of such TVs. 4K content is still sorely lacking. You can only use the hardware capabilities of 4K-capable AV receivers and upscale FullHD content.
Sony has released a line of Blu-Ray discs called "Mastered in 4K". These discs do not contain 4K, but high-quality video in the usual 1080p24 (Full HD) format with a higher average bitrate. The difference is that the source code for these releases will be fully prepared in 4K without unnecessary conversions, which slightly increases the perceived detail. Sony says "Mastered in 4K" discs are combined with Reality Creation's proprietary upscaling to deliver picture quality that comes close to true 4K. Blu-ray disc data is already on the network.
The 4k format is so named because of its horizontal resolution (roughly 4,000 pixels), as opposed to the 1080p and 720p standards, which are named after their vertical resolution. The new 4k standard delivers more than four times the resolution of 1080p.
4K outperforms the other standard - 2K - by about double on each side of the frame.
Since 24 October 2012 4K resolution adopted also for television ultra high definition, denoted as Ultra HD... The decision was made by the Electronics Consumers Association (CEA).
Changing the aspect ratio for 4k format is achieved by changing the vertical resolution, while the horizontal remains fixed. For example, 4096 × 2304 is a frame size with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, 4096 × 3072 is an aspect ratio of 4: 3. The table shows examples of 4k resolutions:
YouTube has included support 4k video in mid-2010. The 4k format has great potential as it has the highest resolution available to the user. It is possible that in the near future this format will be popular in new youTube services... The video posted below demonstrates a video sequence with 4K resolution, you just need to specify the resolution in the settings - Original.
4K and 3D without glasses
Owners of a home theater with a 4K display should only despair due to the temporary lack of ready-made content. For those chasing technology, consider the fact that a very large display is needed to fully enjoy high-resolution. The slight difference between 4K and 1080p will be different for displays 55 inches and above. The main advantage that the consumer will gain after purchasing a 4K TV is improved.
Today 4K resolution, namely TVs, is an expensive pleasure (250,000 - 300,000 rubles). The downward trend in the cost of these devices will not be observed in the next few years.
4K resolution support
The HDMI 1.4 specification already has 4K support. The new interface actually supports 2 formats, both of which are supported in the HDMI 1.4 specification:
- 3,840 pixels wide by 2,160 pixels high
- 4096 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high
HDMI 2.0
By the way, hDMI 2.0 standard was introduced in 2013. The latest version of HDMI supports data transfer rates up to 18 Gbps, which is enough to broadcast 4K UHD (3840x2160) video at 50/60 frames per second. At 8.3 megapixels, each 4K UHD frame contains twice as much information as a 1080p (1920 × 1080) frame. HDMI 2.0 supports up to 32 audio channels with sampling rates up to 1536 kHz.
Best of all, the new standard is compatible with the old hDMI cables High Speed \u200b\u200bcategory (category 2) and old connectors, so there is no need to update the equipment. Other interesting features and differences of HDMI 2.0 from previous standards:
- Simultaneous broadcast of two video streams to multiple viewers on one screen.
- Simultaneous broadcasting of up to four audio streams.
- Supports screens with aspect ratios up to 21: 9.
- Dynamic synchronization of video and audio track.
- CEC extensions for advanced control and command transfer to electronic devices from a single control point.
HDMI 2.0 is expected to increase the Maximum Differential Signaling with Minimized Diversion (TMDS) per channel bandwidth from 3.4 Gbps to 6 Gbps, which will increase the total TMDS bandwidth to 18 Gbps. This will enable HDMI 2.0 to support Full HD 3D resolution at 120fps and 4K resolution at 60fps (FPS). Other features expected for HDMI 2.0 will include support for 4: 2: 0 (color downsampling), support for 25 fps 3D formats, improved 3D capabilities, support for more than 8 audio channels, support for HE-AAC and DRA audio standards and other advanced features. HDMI 2.0 was officially announced on September 4, 2013.
- Added support for 4K (3840 × 2160) @ 50/60 Hz
- Added support for up to 32 channels of audio
- The audio frequency is increased to 1536 kHz for the highest sound quality
- Simultaneous dual video streaming for multiple users on one screen
- Simultaneous multi-streaming audio to multiple users (up to 4)
- Added support for 21: 9 displays
- Added dynamic synchronization of video and audio streams
- CEC enhancements provide enhanced consumer electronics management capabilities from a single point of control
4K displays will bring high-performance home theater systems virtually on par with today's digital cinema projectors used in many commercial cinemas. True to its rule of preparedness for future technologies, HDMI can now support these systems with the extremely high bandwidth that multimedia data systems may require.
How to make it work 4K on your home theater system
Requires a 4K capable display device (monitor or TV such as Sony X9000A Series or Philips 9000 Series)
and a playback device (for example a 4K player - Sony FMP-X1 4K Media Player).
All High Speed \u200b\u200bHDMI cables will support 4K resolution when connected to 4K capable devices. You can use your existing HDMI cables or opt for new HDMI 2.0 cables.
I also want to note that 4K TVs now all well-known manufacturers have it: Sony, Samsung, Philips, LG, Toshiba and Panasonic. There are tablets with support uLTRA HD resolutions and even smartphones.
4K gaming
4K dramatically enhances gaming details by increasing pixels per degree of field of view.Games in 4K resolution were taken over by Nvidia. It announced that it will revolutionize gaming with 4K. UltraHD (4K) resolution is designed for 4K monitors with a resolution of 3840x2160, which are not very popular among gamers today. This innovation is already available to owners of high-end PCs with select GTX series graphics cards.
4K Video Cards: SLI GeForce GTX 770, GTX 780 or GTX SLI TITAN. The more such video cards in a bundle on one PC, the better.
4K Games: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Batman: Arkham Origins, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Watch Dogs.
“4K is really a new word, and when you see and feel the coolness of it, you don't want to go back to normal. If you consider yourself a gaming enthusiast and have one of the most powerful PCs out there, then you should definitely try 4K. "
UHD TVs are getting cheaper
There is already a downward trend in prices for 4K TVs: at the moment the cost of UHD-models from Sony, Samsung and LG has dropped to 150,000-200,000 rubles, and Chinese counterparts can be purchased for only 50,000. In 2014, we will be surrounded by TVs with OLED screens and LCD models with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels). Earlier, the acquisition of 4K TVs on the market was the lot of geeks due to the very high price (even up to 1 million rubles). Since 2013, you can purchase a very available models from Sony, Samsung, LG and others. Sony X9 UHD TVs will have a new firmware update before the end of this year, allowing them to play 4K video at 60fps via HDMI (HDMI 2.0 standard).
The Sony KD-84X9005 TV is the first device from a Japanese company with UHD resolution (screen diagonal size - 84 inches), available for purchase since the end of 2012 at a fabulous price of 1 million rubles. In 2013, models of the X9 line with 55 and 65 inches diagonals appeared on sale, delighting users with excellent quality not only of the image, but also of the sound. Their recommended retail prices after the recent decline are respectively $ 4,000 (135,000 rubles) and $ 5,500 (185,000 rubles), but in Russia they still cost 200,000 and 300,000 rubles. It is Sony that leads the 4K TV market (it took 37.8% of the market share). LG offers a UHD TV with a diagonal of 84 inches: the 84LM960V model can be purchased for 600,000 rubles. More affordable devices with 55- and 65-inch screens (55LA9650 and 65LA9650) should be on sale before the end of this year.
With a curved display, Samsung's UHD LCD TVs presented at the recent IFA 2013 enhance the viewing experience by keeping every point on the monitor equidistant from the viewer, thereby minimizing distortion. In addition to these TVs, Samsung's product range includes 55- and 65-inch models (UE55F9000AT and UE65F9000AT costing 200,000 and 285,000 rubles), as well as 85-, 98- and 110-inch devices. Despite the breadth of the lineup, Samsung still controls only 4% of the UHD market.
The first concave LCD TV
Samsung was the first to demonstrate UHD concave LCD TV... The novelty is available in two versions - with a diagonal of 55 and 65 inches. The SE50UY04 model from the Chinese company Seiki Digital claims the title of "people's" 4K TV. In the US retail market, this device is available for $ 1,500 (about 50,000 rubles). A 39-inch 4K model SE39UY04 can be purchased for only $ 700 (23,500 rubles). Other chinese company - Hisense - supplies to the global market both affordable UHD TVs, for example the 58-inch XT880 for $ 2,000 (67,000 rubles), and top-level devices that cost at least 500,000 rubles.
The first monitors supporting 4K resolution have been demonstrated more than once at various exhibitions. Some of them even went into series, but the price of the device reached, and even now it comes to frightening amounts. And even rich enthusiasts are not ready to shell out 5-10 thousand dollars. What can I say, if in the test laboratories of many publications such displays are akin to ghosts. At first glance, they are available, but in fact no one gives.
The situation began to change when Sharp announced and then began mass production of 4K panels measuring 31.5 inches. Even earlier, companies producing TVs stocked up on 55-inch matrices (it is easier to make them, and the pixel size is not so small, and low power consumption requirements only spurred manufacturers to release 4K models), then smaller matrices appeared.
The size of 31.5 inches can hardly be considered a purely computer format. Usually, users are accustomed to seeing displays such as 24 or 27 inches, maximum 30, and here we are offered to go to 31.5, and even immediately to 4K. Thanks to the support of our partner, Regard, the laboratory, the site was able to check whether the current single-processor graphic flagships and their bundles are ready to work in 4K resolution.
But first, a few words about the monitor used. ASUS is one of the few that have decided to try themselves as a pioneer in the 4K device market. Do you think she is not under pressure from competitors with the release of ASUS PQ321Q? Be that as it may, at least three other manufacturers come to mind: Samsung, LG and Viewsonic. True, the models of these companies have not yet appeared on sale.
4K - how it works
So we got to the main thing, now it's worth finding out if 4K is already a reality or this technology still raw? You need to start simple, with an explanation of the principles of the structure and operation of 4K in the ASUS monitor. In other words, with those problems that users may encounter.
Problem # 1
The problem, quite understandable and without deep analysis, is power graphics system... The number of pixels in 4K is four times that of Full HD, in practice a 4K display can accommodate four Full HD monitors. As a result, the enormous footprint entails high performance requirements for video cards.
To say that 4K resolution requires at least a couple of good graphics accelerators is like saying nothing. Two GeForce GTX 670 / GTX 680 and even a GTX 770 won't get off here. For a normal screen refresh rate in fresh games and on medium settings will require something equivalent to a GTX 780.
Problem # 2
It's a data interface that just isn't 4K ready. The only interface suitable for 4K displays is DP. DisplayPort version 1.2 features a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of up to 21.6 Gbps. Thus, through it, you can connect a monitor that reproduces a picture of 3840 x 2400 pixels at 60 Hz. Just DP 1.2 suits us, because the nominal operating mode of the ASUS monitor coincides with the specifications of the standard. Remember, this is important.
The second option for connecting such a device is a pair of HDMI connectors. Why a couple? The HDMI interface has received bandwidth ranging from 4.9 to 10.2 Gbps. It is clear that one connection cannot provide the transfer of the required amount of information. Let's see how much information has to be transmitted to the monitor. 4K is 8.3 Mpix, multiply by 60 fps, and as a result we have an astronomical figure of ~ 500 Mpix per second!
Problem number 3
There is still no available video processor on the market that is responsible for outputting the information received from the video card to the monitor. Therefore, ASUS has as many as two SoC microprocessors (STMicroelectronics Athena). Characteristic feature This SoC is capable of supporting various resolutions: 2560 x 1600 (STDP93x0), 1920 x 1200 (STDP73x0) and 120Hz FHD (STDP9210). Unfortunately, there was no data on the hertzovka compatible with the controllers, I can only assume that at the maximum resolution the frequency does not exceed 120 Hz. Physically, the monitor matrix is \u200b\u200bone-piece, but logically it is divided into two identical 1920x2160 workspaces. A personal microcontroller is responsible for each half of the screen.
The question arises, how then does the monitor work via DisplayPort? To do this, ASUS has a hub-splitter until the data reaches the SoC processors. Here is such a funny diagram of connection and further signal flow used in a 4K monitor. By the way, some manufacturers of SoC controllers have already expressed their desire to release more efficient models, but not earlier than 2014.
Problem # 4
Not even a problem, but a consequence of the fact that the monitor for the system is presented as a combination of two panels with a resolution of 1920x2160. AMD uses Eyefinity technology, NVIDIA talks about automatically merging two sources into one workspace.
Alas, both technologies do not always lead to the desired result. I will give an illustrative example of what happens in the system with aMD graphics (only in CrossFire mode).
Since the monitor for the system remains visible as a pair of workspaces connected together, on a system with AMD graphics cards operating in CrossFire mode, when dragging and displaying dynamically changing information, the effect of a broken mirror occurs. This happens because both parts of the display do not have time to synchronize. Obviously, this is a bug in Eyefinity and CrossFire modes, because there is no distortion on a single card.
Other ridiculous situations arise on NVIDIA video cards. The native resolution of 3840x2160 is not recognized correctly by games. Instead, the monitor receives a picture of 7xxx pixels by 2160 pixels, horizontally compressed to 3840 pixels. I came across two games at once where this defect is clearly visible: Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.
The enlarged JPG screenshots are PNG images, so they can be quite “heavy” (on average 9-11 MB).
In addition, there are programs that do not tolerate 4K resolution at all, although they recognize it in the settings. As an example, I will give Sleeping Dogs.
Overall impression of 4K
In general, not everything is as bad as it seems at first glance. 4K resolution is perfect for hardworking people, for those who need a large workspace for programs (as an option - Photoshop, Premier, AutoCAD and others).
There are still much more problems with games. The price of the monitor itself comes to the fore, here we must pay tribute to ASUS, which offers the most humane price for its product, and the cost of a pair, or even more, video cards of the AMD HD 7970, NVIDIA GTX 780 class.
In the meantime, we smoothly approached the identification of game nuances. But now we will not talk about an absolute comparison between the two solutions of competitors, full testing will be carried out a little later with different settings.
Test configurations and software
The site laboratory conducted an express test of the performance of several video cards (both individually and in NVIDIA Sli / AMD CrossFireX mode) in 4K resolution. As you probably already guessed, the resolution was set to 3840x2160.
For testing, the FCAT method was used, you can take an introductory course and learn more about its work by following the links below.
- Frame Capture Analysis Tool (FCAT) - a new method for assessing performance;
- FCAT - Let's try a new method of performance assessment in practice.
Capturing system configuration
- Motherboard: MSI 990FXA-GD80 (AMD 990FX, AM3 +);
- Processor: AMD FX-6350 (3900-4200 MHz);
- Cooling system: Corsair Hydro Series H110;
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3 2400 MHz, 2 modules x 8 GB, (10-12-12-31-2T, 1.65 V);
- Video card: Zotac GTX 680 AMP !;
- Drives:
- SSD Plextor PX-128M5S, 128 GB;
- Two SSD OCZ Vertex 4, 256 GB (RAID 0);
- Power supply: Corsair CX600M 600 Watt;
- Video capture: DataPath VisionDVI-DL card.
Gaming system configuration
- Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO (Intel Z87, LGA 1150);
- Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K 4500 MHz (100 MHz x 45, 1.25 V);
- Cooling system: water cooling system;
- Thermal interface: Arctic Cooling MX-2;
- RAM: GeiL EVO Veloce 2400 MHz, 2 modules x 8 GB, (10-12-12-31-1T, 1.65 V);
- Video Cards:
- HIS HD 7970 Turbo X;
- PowerColor HD 7970;
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780;
- Zotac GeForce GTX 780 AMP! Edition;
- Hard drive: SSD Corsair Force Series GT, 128 GB;
- PSU: Corsair AX1200i Digital 1200 Watt;
- Audio card: ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3.
Software
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 x64 SP1;
- Drivers: NVIDIA 327.23, AMD 13.10 Beta, in both cases SLI compensation, CrossFire was enabled;
- Frame Capture Analysis Tool.
Game applications
