Ultra high-def “4K” TVs. Due to big price drops, 4K TVs are flying off the shelves fast. According to analysts with Trendforce, these ultra high-definition televisions will account for 23% of all TVs sold in 2016.
4K TVs are selling great for a reason — even the cheap ones can look amazing. “It goes beyond just resolution, to providing better color, frame rates, and the specific content that was shot for 4K originally,” says Jeff Park, a senior manager of product marketing and technology evangelism with HDMI Licensing.
But just being able to afford a new 4K isn’t reason enough to buy one. Though more 4K video content is available every day, it still isn’t accessible to everyone, everywhere, and for every viewing need. So, if you’re thinking of buying a 4K television for yourself or a loved one this year, consider these factors first.
Your Television Provider
To watch 4K content on your brand new television — even just the run-of-the-mill local news and network shows — you’ll need to have ultra high-definition service from a television provider. Unfortunately, those don’t actually exist yet.
Comcast, the largest cable provider in the U.S., announced plans to launch a 4K set-top box and offers an app for Samsung’s smart 4K televisions that lets those specific TVs access some ultra high-definition content.
Dish Networks has announced its 4K Joey set-top box, but it currently doesn’t have a release date. Meanwhile, DirecTV offers 4K service, but it requires that subscribers rent the company’s new Genie HD DVR. Right now, its 4K catalog includes — get this — “at least two 4K movies” every week.
While its tempting to ridicule DirecTV for passing this paltry selection off for real 4K service, it’s not exactly the satellite provider’s fault. In order for content to be broadcast in 4K, it had to be filmed at a high enough resolution (or be remastered) to be broadcast in 4K. To date, most television shows and movies have been filmed in high-definition, at best. So really, there’s precious little 4K content to be watched.
Streaming Services (and Streaming Boxes)
One exception to the 4K famine is streaming video services. Produced by deep-pocketed tech companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Google, some new, original streaming video content is produced in 4K. For example, shows like Netflix’s House of Cardsand Amazon’s Transparent are 4K ready.
But just because this content is produced and even streamed in ultra high definition doesn’t mean that your 4K television is able to view it in such detail. Not all 4K televisions are “smart TVs” (meaning they have apps and software able to connect to online streaming services), and not all smart TVs can stream a 4K feed (even though they have the technical ability to display a 4K image).
Instead, your best bet to ensuring that you’re watching the ultra high definition content that you’re expecting is to buy a streaming box that has 4K capabilities. The new Roku 4 is capable of relaying a 4K signal, as is the Amazon Fire TV, TiVo BOLT, and Nvidia Shield Android TV set-top box. Curiously, the new Apple TV, which is one of the hottest video gadgets of the year, lacks 4K capabilities.
Internet Connectivity
If you need to stream your
4K video content over the Internet, you’ll need a considerably fast connection.
According to Netflix, viewers need “a steady Internet connection speed of
25 megabits per second or higher” to enjoy its 4K content. This is a deliberately worded sentence worth picking apart.
Comcast, the country’s largest broadband provider, currently says 25 megabits per second is “best for 2-3 devices online at the same time” for surfing the web and streaming more than one television show. But if one of those shows is being streamed in 4K, you can forget about doing anything else with that connection. And if you were planning on streaming that 4K show in primetime, when everyone else is streaming television shows, your “steady” 25 megabit Internet service will likely be half that fast.
Realistically, 4K video requires connection speeds of at least 50 megabits per second, if not faster, considering the demands on the overall network once everyone starts streaming video with their ultra high-definition televisions this year. So, if you don’t have a fast Internet connection, a 4K television might be a poor investment for you.
Gaming Consoles and Blu-Rays
So if your cable and Internet can’t get the job done to make a 4K worthwhile, surely gaming consoles and Blu-Ray players can, right? Wrong again.
As powerful as the Xbox One and PS4 gaming consoles are, they are not equipped to run a true 4K signal. Instead, these systems display their games in 1080p, which is one quarter of the resolution of the newer 4K screens. While their games will undoubtedly look great on a 4K television, the hardware is only scratching the surface of what’s possible on the new displays.
Likewise, disc-based content like Blu-Ray movies are typically formatted for high-definition as well — at least, that’s true of the discs that have been stuffed in your closet since you started streaming everything over Netflix. But there is a new standard called UltraHD Blu-Ray or 4K Blu-Ray that does tap into the new televisions’ vast amount of pixels. However, in order to see them in all their eye-popping glory, you’ll have to invest in a new Ultra HD Blu-Ray player.
But this is what progress looks like, says HDMI Licensing’s Park. “Once the content availability expands — and that comes with the release of [Ultra HD] — and there is support of content owners like Hollywood and TV studios, you will see a much quicker adoption of 4K in general,” he says.
