Future proof TV, what's next? And what do I need not to get?
Discussion
I'm looking for a new TV but don't want to find I've Missed the boat on the next new thing as I keep hearing about curve screen technology and 4k etc.
Anyone got advice on what are the must haves (ie what's going to last> 3d, HD etc), what's just a gimmick and what is likely to get replaced with something better in the near future?
Anyone got advice on what are the must haves (ie what's going to last> 3d, HD etc), what's just a gimmick and what is likely to get replaced with something better in the near future?
Most TV's have 3D and HD as standard.
4k will be next but it's pricey at the moment and there is little or no content easily available.
Smart TV (build in iplayer, netflix etc) seems to be big.
Other than that I guess it's what screen technology. OLED, Plasma, LED, LCD etc. Other guys may be able to advise better.
Personally I'd set a budget/size and shop to that getting the most advanced set you can afford.
4k will be next but it's pricey at the moment and there is little or no content easily available.
Smart TV (build in iplayer, netflix etc) seems to be big.
Other than that I guess it's what screen technology. OLED, Plasma, LED, LCD etc. Other guys may be able to advise better.
Personally I'd set a budget/size and shop to that getting the most advanced set you can afford.
4k will be/is the next 'must have' (I've just bought one) but as said, very little content available and currently no standard and technology for broadcast is still way off. Sony's 4k DVD player is currently remarkably priced, I suspect to bump the market. 55" TV is currently 3k though.
Another is OLED which permits the curved screen. Currently being heavily promoted, but curved is only useful if really large and not wall mounted, so market is small.
Another is OLED which permits the curved screen. Currently being heavily promoted, but curved is only useful if really large and not wall mounted, so market is small.
Is broadcasted 1080 yet, or still 720?
I can't see 4k being broadcast for many years yet.
I'd go for a reasonably sized, straight forward 1080 flat screen probably with freeview HD if you're not a sky/virgin subscriber. Tried and tested, and good/trusted manufacturers sets are reasonably priced these days.
Unless of course you really want 3D, then go for it.
I can't see 4k being broadcast for many years yet.
I'd go for a reasonably sized, straight forward 1080 flat screen probably with freeview HD if you're not a sky/virgin subscriber. Tried and tested, and good/trusted manufacturers sets are reasonably priced these days.
Unless of course you really want 3D, then go for it.
davepoth said:
Either way I would buy a good HD TV for not much money and wait a while for the standards to settle on anything better.
I think this is where I'll be heading... I've got a budget of circa £700 give of take £100. SWMBO likes the look of the the 46" Samsung series 7 smart tv, but I fancy a sony. Any recommendations? (For info, I live in Saudi Arabia So no tax which helps the budget somewhat!)z4chris99 said:
I think first most sky channels will be in HD. then a few in 4K...
give it 5/8 years I suspect for 4k to really become mainstream
4K wont be broadcast by BBC, Sky etc for a long time (if ever, something new will be out before they do) Like someone else said internet streaming is the most likely way you will see 4k and that will be a way off yet.give it 5/8 years I suspect for 4k to really become mainstream
4k is a waste of time on most normal screen sizes in a normal viewing environment anyway. If yo are sat 6 foot from a 100" screen you might benefit.
Get a good 1080 screen and use it to watch Blu-Ray or broadcast 720 for the next 5 years. It will almost certainly be 3d by default, but you will probably never use it.
Tend to think that getting into 4K is a waste right now, at least on normal TV sizes. Perhaps projectors etc there is a benefit, etc but by the time the content is out there in sizeable amounts current gen 4K TVs will be obsoleted. It's like paying a premium for a car that drives on special roads that don't exist yet.
Durzel & Toxic are right on the money I think (and thank you Toxic for mentioning the graph, I posted it in a similar thread not so long back and it puts all this written drivel into something easy to understand 
).
Unless you're into small viewing distances and big screens, 4K isn't of huge benefit. The worry about content is un-warranted, as 4K Blu-ray should launch in 2014, and both Lovefilm & Netflix are apparently streaming 4K content from next year (they've managed some clever things with bitrate to get it down to a sensible level, so you don't need 120mb interweb).
The bottom line really is, cash in on the current high end smart enabled 1080p sets from someone like Samsung and Panasonic whilst they're still available, as most stores on the high street will try and ram a 4K set down your throat and sell it to you as if it's worth the huge price tag.
).Unless you're into small viewing distances and big screens, 4K isn't of huge benefit. The worry about content is un-warranted, as 4K Blu-ray should launch in 2014, and both Lovefilm & Netflix are apparently streaming 4K content from next year (they've managed some clever things with bitrate to get it down to a sensible level, so you don't need 120mb interweb).
The bottom line really is, cash in on the current high end smart enabled 1080p sets from someone like Samsung and Panasonic whilst they're still available, as most stores on the high street will try and ram a 4K set down your throat and sell it to you as if it's worth the huge price tag.
anonymous said:
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In the case of the streaming media sites (Lovefilm & Netflix), I'd agree - having had no end of problems trying to stream full HD without it resorting to YouTube style 480p with no warning. However, the work that RED and Sony have done to get media to stream at a bitrate that is low enough for the average household, but doesn't degrade the information, is quite impressive. I'd always prefer a disc over an online stream though, I'm old fashioned
Several Blu spinners already have a 4K passthrough, but that's likely to be useless if the disc itself is essentially in a different language. Fortunately, several AVR's with 4K passthrough, along with a couple of projectors, already exist, so the foundation's been laid already.
anonymous said:
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In the case of Currys, PC World etc, I'd agree - unfortunately 4K will likely go the way of 3D, where everyone jumps on the bandwagon, produces a TV that is equipped with the tech, at a low price, that isn't actually very good, and the subsequent fallout damages the reputation of the entire technology. CES will be interesting next month - the surprise in 2013 was the number of Chinese unknowns producing 4K sets from out of nowhere, which forced the big boys to lower their prices. It's good for a consumer in terms of money, but there's a balance, and the true benefit of 4K sits with the more expensive sets.It's a similar time to when digital camera manufacturer's started pushing the megapixel limit. It's all well and good having more pixels, but that doesn't make them any better if the image isn't being processed and reproduced accurately.
4K is a big thing for the home cinema enthusiasts (specifically us projector owners), as a visible improvement can be had from the increased screen real estate and comparatively small viewing distance. I currently sit 2m away from a 107" screen that upscales to 4K. There's no visible pixel structure, and for an immersive experience, it's hard to beat. I cant wait til JVC produce a native 4K PJ, as that's the only thing keeping me from moving my X55 on
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