What is 4K?
4K is a new tv and cinema resolution standard which stands for the 4096 horizontal resolution. The tv standard is actually 3840 but they are still using the 4k name along with Ultra HD. The reason the digital cinema and tv standards don’t use the same resolution is because they also use different aspect ratios. They are both double the height and width of current resolutions. Digital cinema being 2048X1080, and HD tv being 1920X1080. So the real question is why should you care? The answer to that is 4k provides a much better overall picture, the same way 1080p did when it came out. There are some important things to know when purchasing a 4k tv that will allow you to watch content in 4k.
Just as in the days when flat screen high definition tvs came out, it takes a while for everything technologically to catch up and work together. I don’t know how many people I have heard brag about their new HD tv and have had it hooked up to a standard definition source. Now days pretty much every device offers an hd signal but we are in the same situation with 4k. There are very few true 4k sources and they are just now coming out. A lot of people who own a 4k tv at this moment have never played true 4k content on their it. So what do you need to know to not be one of those people?
Early 4k tvs came out before HDMI 2.0 was released. HDMI 2.0 is needed to support 4k at 60 frames per second. So all the tvs before that will be limited to 4k and 30 frames per second. That’s not a huge issue for watching movies as they are typically filmed at 24 frames per second. It will be an issue with sports because they are filmed in 60. Pretty much all 4k tvs out now support HDMI 2.0 now on at least one port. Along with HDMI 2.0 you will also need HDCP 2.2, which is the newest version of the copyright protection.
So now it comes down to 4k content. One of the best ways to enjoy 4k content is by using the apps built into the tv itself. Most of the new tvs are able to stream Netflix, youtube, and amazon instant in 4k. There are 4k blu ray dics starting to come out but there aren’t many players for them yet. There is a lot of 4k upscaling players but that isn’t the same. Direct tv also offers some 4k content, but you have to have a compatible genie dvr system (HR54 or later) and a tv with built in RVU support or and special mini geni box (C61K). Even if you can get directv in 4k there are only a handful of station and movies available.
If you are a PC gamer you probably already know most of this, but there are some things to know if you want to play games on a 4k tv or monitor. A 4k monitor will have a displayport which will take care of your 4k needs assuming you have a relatively new graphics card. There are a few tvs such as the top of the line Panasonic that have a displayport. If HDMI is your only option than you will need a 9 or 10 series gtx card to have HDMI 2.0.
4K Checklist
-4K tv
With HDMI 2.0 if you want 60 frames a second.
With HDCP 2.2 if you want to be able to watch 4k streams.
-A 4K player such as a Amazon Fire TV, if your tv doesn’t support what you want with its built in apps.
-A High speed HDMI cable that is certified to the latest standards. This sounds expensive but it really isn’t. A high speed cable you already have might work or you can by one on amazon for around $5. Whatever you do don’t buy a $70 dollar one from a store.