Looking for a TV upgrade? Here’s all you need to know about 4K Ultra HD TV. Is it worth buying a 4K TV?
The market is flooded with TVs with smart features and there are indeed many technical terms to get you confused.
There is SD, HD Ready, Full HD, and now UHD. You have an LED TV and now you might be thinking of upgrading further and you might be confused about what to do.
In this post, we will talk about UHD TVs and how this new revolution stands out from other TVs, and whether you should buy one. Let’s get started then.
What are SD, HD, and Full HD?
You might have come across the terms HD and SD. Basically, SD is the Standard Definition, meaning your TV supports 360p or DVD-rated resolution videos and is generally not considered to be high-resolution video support.
Next comes in line with the range of HD televisions with 720p video playback and if you go up a bit more, you get 1080p video streaming on your full HDTV. Basically, an SD is like a 5X5 square board with a 24-inch HD screen.
Click here to read: What are OLED TVs and How are They Better?
Where Does a 4K UHD TV Stand?
Now, with the onset of 1080p videos, there was an inclination to achieve visual excellence and that led to 2160p videos and with that the emergence of 4K TVs or in other words a UHD (Ultra-High Definition) TV. The screen has a minimum resolution of 3840 pixels X 2160 pixels. This is basically fitting two 1080p full HD screens into a UHD TV. You can only imagine the picture quality and depth in a UHD or a 4K TV.
An Ultra HD screen has over 8 million pixels as compared to around 2 million pixels in a Full HD screen. This is a quite noticeable change especially when you are watching 4K content because the pixels are four times smaller. That itself explains why 4K TVs have unmatched picture quality.
Click here to read: What is QLED TV Technology?
Benefits of 4K UHD Resolution
With a UHD LED display, you get more pixels, crystal clear clarity, greater depth, incredible details, a wider color gamut, and above all an amazing TV viewing experience.
The 4K UHD LED TVs are the trend of the day because of their incredible picture quality and performance. These TVs might be a little expensive but when you compare the viewing experience with the HD or Full HD screens, the UHD LED TVs stand out hundred times above these.
Imagine the thrills of watching action scenes and the thrill of sports on a UHD TV. You can immerse in the depths of the picture and this will probably be the finest video experience you can get.
Can an Ultra HD TV Display Standard or HD Content?
With not enough 4K content available at the moment, you must be thinking buying a 4K UHD is really worth it.
Will the HD or Full HD content look the same as on an HD Ready or Full HD TV or would it look worse?
These are some of the questions that pop up in the minds of anyone who is planning to buy a 4K UHD TV.
The answer to all your queries lies in a technology known as ‘Upscaling’.
Click here to read: QLED Vs OLED TVs
Upscaling Lower Resolution to 4K Quality
As the name suggests, Upscaling is the ability of a 4K TV to upscale or convert SD or HD content to Ultra HD resolution before displaying it on the screen.
Content with SD, HD, or Full HD resolution contains fewer pixels as compared to a UHD. So, in order to display lower-resolution content on a 4K TV, the screen should be filled with the required no. of pixels to maintain or improve the picture quality.
This magic or transformation is achieved through Upscaling.
Most of the 4K UHD TVs available in the market today are pretty good at upscaling but you should carefully check the same in newer budget brands.
Upscaling is a very crucial feature when you consider any 4K UHD TV. If the 4K TV you are buying does not have this feature or does an awful job of upscaling then watching lower-resolution content on this 4K TV will ruin your TV viewing experience and will send your investment in the new 4K TV down the drain.
In such a case you would be better off going with a Full HD TV than a 4K UHD TV.
Bottom Line: Always buy a 4K UHD TV with an effective Upscaling Engine.
What is HDR and its Benefits?
High Dynamic Range (HDR) refers to multiple technologies used in TVs that provide brighter whites and darker blacks, delivering true-to-life color, clarity, and better contrast.
For starters, Contrast is the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites a TV can display, measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2), known as nits.
It is important to note that not all Ultra HD TVs by default support HDR, but this feature is becoming more and more common nowadays.
The two most common standards of HDR are HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
Overall, High Dynamic Range is a feature to strongly consider, as 4K TVs with HDR deliver better picture quality and a better viewing experience.
Bottom Line: Always look for an HDR feature while buying a 4K UHD TV.
Should you Buy a 4K TV?
You just found out an irresistible deal on a big size 4K Ultra HD TV on Flipkart or Amazon and you feel tempted.
But, should you give in to your temptation?
Read on to know if the answer to your confusion is a Yes or No.
You might be thinking of getting a UHD TV but is that feasible now? To put on the facts, there are very few channels that offer 4K video streaming.
The majority of you might want to buy a UHD TV to enjoy sports but currently, in India, no service providers are offering ultra HD streaming. That makes one of the setbacks.
But, if you are someone who uses a Netflix subscription or you have a good internet connection to stream YouTube, then this is the right stuff for you. Not only this, you can even plug in and watch your favorite Blu-ray movies on your UHD TV or maybe a recorded football match.
You would want to buy a 4K UHD TV if you are gaming buff and have the latest version of Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and PlayStation 4 Pro.
Another important point you must consider before buying a 4K UHD TV is the TV size you plan to buy.
Though you will find many manufacturers selling 4K resolution in TV sizes starting from 39 inches if experts are to be believed then the improvement in picture quality is more noticeable on TVs with screen sizes of 55 inches or higher.
If you are watching the TV from a typical viewing distance of 7-8 feet than your eyes will not be able to make out the difference between a full HD or 4K UHD on a smaller size TV.
Bottom Line: Choose 4K UHD TV only if you are buying 55 inch or larger TVs, have high-speed internet connectivity (50 Mbps or higher), have access to 4K content.
Verdict
If you’re happy with your TV, there is no need to upgrade to a 4K TV just because you hear so much about 4K TVs or your friend or neighbor just bought one. But if you’re shopping for a new TV, have the required budget, and would like your new TV to be future proof then it’s time to take the leap to Ultra HD.
If you want a better picture experience and you are someone with access to 4K quality content, it is only wise to buy a 4K UHD LED TV. Also, many channels are doing their best to move to 2160p standard and it will not be long before all your favorite channels will be in 4K.
So we recommend you get one soon. Cheers.