Flat screen TV

[kkerry]

Thinking about buying a 4k tv in Thailand. What channels are showing 4k content that my current HD tv can't show properly?

None.

But I can still buy dvd movies and watch them all in 4k, right?

[Anthony5]

Thinking about buying a 4k tv in Thailand. What channels are showing 4k content that my current HD tv can't show properly?

None.

But I can still buy dvd movies and watch them all in 4k, right?

You will mean 4K blurays that can be played witha bluray player that is capable. Not many movie available also, mostly documentaries.

[IMHO]

Thinking about buying a 4k tv in Thailand. What channels are showing 4k content that my current HD tv can't show properly?

None.

But I can still buy dvd movies and watch them all in 4k, right?

DVD has a maximum resolution of 720x576 pixels (0.4 megapixels), An Ultra HD 4K TV has 8.3 megapixels - so no, DVD isn't going to get you anywhere close

Current Bluray has a max. resolution of 1920x1080 (2.07 megapixels) so is still only 1/4 the resolution of Ultra HD 4K.

At the moment, Ultra HD 4K content is limited to some not-so-great quality Netflix and Youtube content. 4K blurays - which will be the way to get the full benefit of these new TV's - are coming later this year.

That said, 1080P blurays upscaled to 4K do look better than the same content to a 1080P set - the upscalers do some amazing things - so not all is lost right now.

By the end of this year, Full HD 1080P TV's will start to be a distant memory, just as HD 720P TV's are already, and Cathode Ray (tube) TV's were several years ago...

In answer to your question, yes, you can playback low-res DVD on an Ultra HD 4K set - but it's not going to take full advantage of what the TV can look like.

Welcome to 2015 guys

Edited February 7, 2015 by IMHO

[IMHO]

Thinking about buying a 4k tv in Thailand. What channels are showing 4k content that my current HD tv can't show properly?

None.

But I can still buy dvd movies and watch them all in 4k, right?

You will mean 4K blurays that can be played witha bluray player that is capable. Not many movie available also, mostly documentaries.

There's no commercially available Bluray player that does 4K (3840x2160) right now. There are a few Bluray discs that have a "Mastered in 4K" sticker on them, but they are still only 1080P res.

[IMHO]

Panasonic TVs are just as good

pansanonic just announced they are getting out the business.

I think you've read something wrong there. Panasonic announced they were stopping all plasma production last year, because as a technology it just doesn't scale well economically, or physically, to 4K resolutions. They are still very much in the game though, and showed off their new Quantam Dot 4K tech last month, along with the world's first ever 4K Bluray player.

Yes, the death of plasma is/was sad, but OLED (available now) and Quantum Dot (first models in March/April) look like they will serve as worthy replacements for those with fat wallets, seeking the best of the best.

[Anthony5]

Thinking about buying a 4k tv in Thailand. What channels are showing 4k content that my current HD tv can't show properly?

None.

But I can still buy dvd movies and watch them all in 4k, right?

DVD has a maximum resolution of 720x576 pixels (0.4 megapixels), An Ultra HD 4K TV has 8.3 megapixels - so no, DVD isn't going to get you anywhere close

Current Bluray has a max. resolution of 1920x1080 (2.07 megapixels) so is still only 1/4 the resolution of Ultra HD 4K.

At the moment, Ultra HD 4K content is limited to some not-so-great quality Netflix and Youtube content. 4K blurays - which will be the way to get the full benefit of these new TV's - are coming later this year.

That said, 1080P blurays upscaled to 4K do look better than the same content to a 1080P set - the upscalers do some amazing things - so not all is lost right now.

By the end of this year, Full HD 1080P TV's will start to be a distant memory, just as HD 720P TV's are already, and Cathode Ray (tube) TV's were several years ago...

In answer to your question, yes, you can playback low-res DVD on an Ultra HD 4K set - but it's not going to take full advantage of what the TV can look like.

Welcome to 2015 guys

Which in fact confirms that it's 5 years too early for a 4K screen.

Why would by the end of this year 1080P be a distant memory, since at that time no there will be still only a very limited availability of 4K material.

By the time 4K movies are available to anyone, and not just those freaks who see a single pixel on 25 meter distance , the TV's will be much more advanced and cheaper as today.

See you in 2020 IMHO.

[IMHO]

Which in fact confirms that it's 5 years too early for a 4K screen.

Why would by the end of this year 1080P be a distant memory, since at that time no there will be still only a very limited availability of 4K material.

By the time 4K movies are available to anyone, and not just those freaks who see a single pixel on 25 meter distance , the TV's will be much more advanced and cheaper as today.

See you in 2020 IMHO.

OK, let's revisit this thread in December and see how many companies still make and sell 1080P sets then At best, 1080P will be absolute bottom of the range sets only (just as 720P sets, which no longer exist in the lineup of brands that are selling 4K, were 1 year ago). No way will there still be any mid or high end TV's being made with only 1080P panels in them.

The content is not the driver of the TV's - the TV's are the driver of the content.

Just wait and see, and if you can, hold off on buying any 1080P sets until you see that I'm right

[Anthony5]

Which in fact confirms that it's 5 years too early for a 4K screen.

Why would by the end of this year 1080P be a distant memory, since at that time no there will be still only a very limited availability of 4K material.

By the time 4K movies are available to anyone, and not just those freaks who see a single pixel on 25 meter distance , the TV's will be much more advanced and cheaper as today.

See you in 2020 IMHO.

OK, let's revisit this thread in December and see how many companies still make and sell 1080P sets then At best, 1080P will be absolute bottom of the range sets only (just as 720P sets, which no longer exist in the lineup of brands that are selling 4K, were 1 year ago). No way will there still be any mid or high end TV's being made with only 1080P panels in them.

The content is not the driver of the TV's - the TV's are the driver of the content.

Just wait and see, and if you can, hold off on buying any 1080P sets until you see that I'm right

You mean my multiple 1080P screens will be vintage and fetch high prices by the end of the year?

[IMHO]

Which in fact confirms that it's 5 years too early for a 4K screen.

Why would by the end of this year 1080P be a distant memory, since at that time no there will be still only a very limited availability of 4K material.

By the time 4K movies are available to anyone, and not just those freaks who see a single pixel on 25 meter distance , the TV's will be much more advanced and cheaper as today.

See you in 2020 IMHO.

OK, let's revisit this thread in December and see how many companies still make and sell 1080P sets then At best, 1080P will be absolute bottom of the range sets only (just as 720P sets, which no longer exist in the lineup of brands that are selling 4K, were 1 year ago). No way will there still be any mid or high end TV's being made with only 1080P panels in them.

The content is not the driver of the TV's - the TV's are the driver of the content.

Just wait and see, and if you can, hold off on buying any 1080P sets until you see that I'm right

You mean my multiple 1080P screens will be vintage and fetch high prices by the end of the year?

Well, I'm hoping my 65" Panasonic VT plasma will have some fans that will pay decent money for it later this year, when it's time in my living room is up

But, they way OLED 4K prices are already falling, I don't hold too much hope

Edited February 7, 2015 by IMHO

[Spaniel]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. This afternoon wife and I went to the Samsung TV shop in Fashion Island and purchased a 55 " LED TV, Model UA55H6340 for B 25,990. Price includes delivery and hookup, which will be on Tuesday.

[lopburi3]

While I do not agree that any normal person needs to go out and buy 4k now (unless as I said earlier it is computer/testing reasons) in time 4k will become available at normal price and for new purchase then fine. But there is no current or in my opinion short term reason to feel we must upgrade now. CRT have still been presenting fine viewing for many years after flat screens arrived and I am sure 1080p will be around and able to display full content of most available material for many more years.

But as production of screens price in minimal agree it will become the system of the future (if not overtaken by something better) within a short time - but its usefulness for most viewers it much further down the road.

[IMHO]

While I do not agree that any normal person needs to go out and buy 4k now (unless as I said earlier it is computer/testing reasons) in time 4k will become available at normal price and for new purchase then fine. But there is no current or in my opinion short term reason to feel we must upgrade now. CRT have still been presenting fine viewing for many years after flat screens arrived and I am sure 1080p will be around and able to display full content of most available material for many more years.

But as production of screens price in minimal agree it will become the system of the future (if not overtaken by something better) within a short time - but its usefulness for most viewers it much further down the road.

The point I'm really making, which everyone seems to be overlooking, is that 4K is already "normal" price, if you shop around - there's no meaningful difference in price between a mid-range 1080P set, and a mid range 4K set.

In any case, It's not my money, so not my problem

Don't say "but I didn't know" though

[lopburi3]

But most people buy at discount - and for TV sets, big discounts - and for that there is still a significant difference between full HD and 4K

[guzzi850m2]

But most people buy at discount - and for TV sets, big discounts - and for that there is still a significant difference between full HD and 4K

I agree.

Since you can't watch 4K tv anyway why bother now, it's too early man unless you absolutely need latest technology.

How much will a typical 4K 2 hour movie fill a hard disk, HD is about 8GB so about min 24GB, only guessing here. I am one of the persons that download heaps of movies/TV shows from the torrent sites and never buy blue ray movies (don't even have a blue ray player, have an old 7 year dvd player but hardly ever uses it).

Anyone dare guessing when TRUE will start broadcasting some channels in 4K? When they do, I will go 4K and not before. My 51" Samsung HD plasma is just fine for the next 2-3 years, I think.

[IMHO]

Guys, go back and read the links I posted

LOL.

[BudRight]

1. Smart TV capabillity is not worth the premium. Just buy a dumb TV and an Amazon Fire Stick on Ebay.

2. We are a transition period between 1080p and 4k. But in two years we'll be going to 8k.

<removed>

Edited February 10, 2015 by ubonjoe
abusive comment suggesting violence removed

[IMHO]

2. We are a transition period between 1080p and 4k. But in two years we'll be going to 8k.

Yeah right

Cinema is still "only" 4K - just because manufacturers all try to one-up each other at tech shows with prototypes doesn't mean it's in the product pipeline anywhere

8K camera's and film scanners exist, but both of these need to be higher resolution than the final content, to allow editors crop and frame scenes without losing final resolution. When someone starts making 16K cameras, you can start predicting we'll see 8K content soon

For computing, give it another 2 years, yes - but for TV's, give it a lot longer than that.