And that’s exactly what has happened.

 

Today, our collection of 4K Ultra HD televisions is bigger than ever with models featuring flat or curved screens in just about every size imaginable – from bedroom-perfect 40-inch screens to family room-filling 85-inch screens.

 

Even though 4K Ultra HD is now a maturing technology, many people still have questions about what it is, how it works, and why it’s so desirable. Let’s take a look and see what all the fuss is about. 

 

4K video technology started out in movie theaters. Did you know that there are currently over 16,000 professional cinemas with 4K digital projection systems installed. When you charge 10 bucks for a movie ticket you better make sure your customers are getting the best possible picture on those big screens. With 4K projection technology, first-run movies look every bit as good as film – maybe even better. The customers are happy. The cinemas are happy.

 

Pixels! More precisely, four times more pixels than HDTV. If you don’t know what a pixel is, here’s a quick review: Pixels are the little dots that make up the video image. If you look close enough, you can clearly see the pixels on any TV. Here is the important part: the more pixels in the screen, the sharper and more detailed the picture is going to be. It’s that simple.

 

A few years ago, HDTV was a major advancement in video technology because it created picture images with over 2 million pixels (1920 horizontal x 1080 vertical). The detail was breathtaking and HDTV technology quickly became the standard in the industry. Chances are you have one in your home right now.

 

But as good as HDTV was, it wasn’t good enough for professional movie theaters. When movies are viewed on really large movie screens, those individual pixels become annoyingly visible. It’s almost like watching the picture through venetian blinds. The individual pixels can be clearly seen.

 

The solution was again the same: pack more pixels into the screen. And that’s exactly what 4K Ultra HD does. With four times more pixels in the picture (now you see where the name 4K comes from) movie theaters are able to treat movie buffs with superb film-like images on the big screen, while eliminating the clumsiness and costs associated with old-fashioned film. It’s a no brainer.

 

Those professional 4K digital video projectors can easily run over $100,000. That’s a bit rich for most of us. But as usual, technology has a way of significantly bringing costs down. Affordable 4K Ultra HD TV is now a reality for every home theater with prices that are only moderately more expensive than less desirable standard HDTVs.

 

 

Now that 4K televisions are becoming more mainstream, you’ll find a few commonly used terms that can be a bit confusing. The terms 4K and HDR are right at the top of the list. Increasingly, 4K and HDR are being used synonymously, but technically there are differences. 

 

4K describes a screen resolution of 4,096 by 2,160, which is exactly four times the previous standard for digital editing and projection (2K, or 2,048 by 1,080).  HDR is color feature on your display and a very important feature on new type OLED TV.

 

Absolutely! 4K television screens are considerably sharper and more detailed that even the best conventional HDTV. This is especially true when the viewers are seated close to the TV, and when viewing bigger screen sizes. With an 85-inch screen the difference between 4K and conventional HD is amazing. With four times the number of pixels (if you’re counting, that’s 8 million) you’ll experience television with film-like detail and smoothness. No jagged lines. No venetian blinds.

 

The same holds true the closer you sit to the TV. Since there are so many pixels, the picture remains incredibly smooth clear. There are simply no bad seats in the house.

 

What difference a couple of years can make! When 4K Ultra HD TVs first arrived there was virtually no 4K content to play on them. Today you have several options. Netflix and Amazon both stream hit movies in 4K. Sony has its Video Unlimited Service for Sony TVs that are equipped with the optional FMP-X1 Media Player. But there is one thing to keep in mind: Since the video content from these sources comes from online, a robust 25Mbps Internet connection is required. As an alternative to downloading, DirecTV has 4K programming for compatible TVs and Blu-ray discs will soon be available in 4K resolution.