How far have you embraced 4k?
Discussion
My TV is 4K and my main laptop and desktop are 4K. My gaming's turned down a tad but I've never had any performance issues.
Overall it's cool and I'd miss it if I didn't have it available, but I find it generally far more subtle than the move from SD to HD. I'd probably miss 4K gaming more than film and TV.
There are also plenty of films that I don't think I'll ever need to go beyond HD with. I'd definitely seek out newly-made films in 4K, the older stuff converted occasionally is breathtaking, the rest of the time they're a grainfest.
Have you made the switch or are you not too bothered?
Overall it's cool and I'd miss it if I didn't have it available, but I find it generally far more subtle than the move from SD to HD. I'd probably miss 4K gaming more than film and TV.
There are also plenty of films that I don't think I'll ever need to go beyond HD with. I'd definitely seek out newly-made films in 4K, the older stuff converted occasionally is breathtaking, the rest of the time they're a grainfest.
Have you made the switch or are you not too bothered?
I recall seeing some early trade demos of 4K and everyone was staring at screens with their eyes practically pressed up to the glass and marvelling at the incredible detail.
However in real life people watch TV sitting further back, at which point the step from HD to 4K is more subtle and I now firmly sit in the not bothered about it camp. This is probably not helped by the likes of Netflix and Sky Q using loads of compression which destroys the quality anyway.
However in real life people watch TV sitting further back, at which point the step from HD to 4K is more subtle and I now firmly sit in the not bothered about it camp. This is probably not helped by the likes of Netflix and Sky Q using loads of compression which destroys the quality anyway.
SD looks a little unimpressive on 4K, which I guess is to be expected, but nonetheless disappointing for those with DVD collections which are not going to be replaced.
TBH, not sure that I have yet seen the full magnificence of 4K UHD, since the only sources that I have available are via streaming, which may be compromised by compression.
That said, HD/UHD does look splendid in comparison to SD!
TBH, not sure that I have yet seen the full magnificence of 4K UHD, since the only sources that I have available are via streaming, which may be compromised by compression.
That said, HD/UHD does look splendid in comparison to SD!
My everyday monitor is a 40" 4K TV. Love it.
Main "TV watching TV" is a 42" 1080p Sony I bought 5+ years ago which is still working fine. Distance between TV and sofa means I doubt 4k would be much benefit anyway. And thus PS4, Roku, etc are all the non-4k versions. If I really wanted to watch something in 4k I could do it at my desk from a couple of feet away.
Main "TV watching TV" is a 42" 1080p Sony I bought 5+ years ago which is still working fine. Distance between TV and sofa means I doubt 4k would be much benefit anyway. And thus PS4, Roku, etc are all the non-4k versions. If I really wanted to watch something in 4k I could do it at my desk from a couple of feet away.
pozi said:
However in real life people watch TV sitting further back, at which point the step from HD to 4K is more subtle and I now firmly sit in the not bothered about it camp.
it's not that it's more subtle - it's that your eyes can't see it unless you're very close. The distances are bonkers - you've got to be like 3ft away from a 49" TV, but you should be at least 6ft away for the minimum field of view.Having said that we just bought a new TV from Costco and I don't think they had anything that wasn't 4K. Bought a £300 "Toshiba" and it looks crap compared to our old Panny plasma, although we are getting used to it.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Friday 3rd May 17:23
Tony1963 said:
I have eyesight better than 20/20, and can tell the difference so easily if the source material is up to it. Perhaps those with less than 20/20 struggle to see the improvements?
20/20 is normal, so many will be better than that - an old colleague had freakishly good eyesight, it was a bit of a party trick that he could read stuff at distances no-one else could.If you know what you're watching it's tricky to be subjective - one of the reviews sites put a 4K TV next to HD and asked people which looked better and most picked the HD.
Integroo said:
I bought a 4k OLED recently, and a 4k UHD bluray player and a few 4k hd blurays. They look magnificient. Playing games on my ps4 not sure i notice a huge difference.
It's more noticeable in gaming for me. I have a HD laptop for travel. The same games are a 'mmm, nice' rather than a 4K 'ooh'. 3.1416 said:
SD looks a little unimpressive on 4K, which I guess is to be expected, but nonetheless disappointing for those with DVD collections which are not going to be replaced.
I have quite a bit of SD content. The DVDs I've ripped uncompressed can look shockingly bad on a 4K TV, like they've been run through a bunch of Russian streaming sites and stomped all over too. Being ultra super cheap cheapskate, I haven't upgraded any of my PC's graphics cards to be UHD 4K.
That said, the effect that a large screen, lights out, in a small room equipped with large surround sound - can be awesome.
For emotional intensity, sound has it (providing that the visuals are not so compromised as to be risible)
That said, the effect that a large screen, lights out, in a small room equipped with large surround sound - can be awesome.
For emotional intensity, sound has it (providing that the visuals are not so compromised as to be risible)
3.1416 said:
For emotional intensity, sound has it (providing that the visuals are not so compromised as to be risible)
They always say filmmakers on a budget should never, ever skimp on sound. An audience may forgive the odd dodgy image. If the sound's bad it's over. I've seen a few Tom Sizemore/Michael Madsen lost years type trailers with sound that would get you a kicking for a wedding video shot on VHS. I have not got any 4K stuff (yet) My 12 year old Panasonic plasma is still battling on and until it dies it will not be replaced, probably with an OLED of some description. (I am sorely tempted though...…)
I am not sure whether I would be able to appreciate the difference between HD and 4K with the state of my eyes though
Mike
I am not sure whether I would be able to appreciate the difference between HD and 4K with the state of my eyes though
Mike
bloomen said:
Integroo said:
I bought a 4k OLED recently, and a 4k UHD bluray player and a few 4k hd blurays. They look magnificient. Playing games on my ps4 not sure i notice a huge difference.
It's more noticeable in gaming for me. I have a HD laptop for travel. The same games are a 'mmm, nice' rather than a 4K 'ooh'. 
4k, interesting..... HDR - amazing.
65" OLED and 4k hdr is superb. Resolution alone is nothing to get worked up about. My 1080p projector is still amazing and I don't see pixels.
1080p to 2k (1440p) on my computer is a nice but not "amazing" step up.
We've hit "peak resolution" with 1080p really, until we all have 150" + screens
65" OLED and 4k hdr is superb. Resolution alone is nothing to get worked up about. My 1080p projector is still amazing and I don't see pixels.
1080p to 2k (1440p) on my computer is a nice but not "amazing" step up.
We've hit "peak resolution" with 1080p really, until we all have 150" + screens
RogerDodger said:
We've hit "peak resolution" with 1080p really, until we all have 150" + screens
Yeah. I'm interested to see how they try to sell 8K to us. The few who've had a look rave about upscaling. For most of the stuff I watch I can't really find myself yearning for much more than there already is. From now on it's going to be more tinsel than anything compared to going from SD to 1080p. mike9009 said:
My 12 year old Panasonic plasma is still battling on and until it dies it will not be replaced,
Ours lasted 11 years, although my next door neighbours is 12, but ours is probably on 12hrs a day - I'm expecting a noticeable reduction in our electricity bill now it's been replaced by LCD, but it was useful as a radiator.We'd noticed a light blueish blur in the middle of the screen for a few weeks - apparently that means the power supply is failing. One day it just died, fuse in the plug blew.
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