Netflix UHD on BT TV had to happen sooner or later once the new UHD YouView box was announced the other day. Plaudits to BT for not letting the grass grow under their feet.
Sky are being left so far behind in innovation now, it's just embarrassing.
I wonder if TalkTalk will offer a similar box. It's all a bit academic for me as I don't have a 4K TV, and have no intention of getting one in the near future (quite happy with my 'ordinary' HDTV for quite a while yet, I think). I can't see them allowing their main rivals to steal such a march over them, however, so I will watch this space with interest.
Seems an unnecessary expense at the moment, both to the consumer and the broadcaster. The difference between Ultra HD and 1080i is going to be similar to the difference between 720p and 1080i. Unless we're all going to sit with our noses pressed to our sets. Ultra HD will become the norm eventually, just as 1080i/p has but I can see the uptake being a lot slower, there is a considerable difference between SD and HD that just isn't there between HD and Ultra HD.
There is a difference, a very noticeable difference and if you check the way ultra TV and content is going, the take up from HD to ultra will be much faster than the change from SD to HD.
Seems an unnecessary expense at the moment, both to the consumer and the broadcaster. The difference between Ultra HD and 1080i is going to be similar to the difference between 720p and 1080i. Unless we're all going to sit with our noses pressed to our sets. Ultra HD will become the norm eventually, just as 1080i/p has but I can see the uptake being a lot slower, there is a considerable difference between SD and HD that just isn't there between HD and Ultra HD.
You could say that noses to the set thing about SD versus HD. Some people do have big enough sets and sit close enough to benefit fully from HD, though most people only benefit partially from it (they sit in that 'in between' zone).
Resolution-wise, we are sensitive to vertical resolution more than horizontal (which why widescreen TV gets away with SD anamorphic encoding) so to compare common UK TV and video formats, we have:
576i
576p
720p
1080i
1080p
2160p. (UHD 1)
For European viewers, the jump from full HD to UHD 1 is bigger than the jump from SD to full HD! But in UHD 1 phase 1, which is what BT introduces, most people will sit too far from their shiny new 4K sets to benefit from the improvement.
But for the minority who really care, UHD 1 phase 1 will provide a better more detailed picture not only on their huge new 4K sets, but also when downscaled onto their full HD sets, due to the higher bit rates and better compression. I don't know what frame rates and colour depth they will be using, maybe the same as HD. So as a specialist and still experimental format, it's a good idea I think... but it's only for that minority who care.
One thing I am interested in, is whether the UK UHD trials will test 1080p at 50/100 fps? Now that would be cool!
It will be at lest another 2 or 3 years before I even think about getting an ultra HD(4K) TV as im happy with the two full HD Samsung smart TVs that I have the now.
So I will not be rushing to get the new BT Youview ultra HD(4K) box.
I do like how the new box will come with an 1TB version. As the now I must have used just over 60% of the space on the G4 box and now and again have to delete a recording I have watched.
It will be at lest another 2 or 3 years before I even think about getting an ultra HD(4K) TV as im happy with the two full HD Samsung smart TVs that I have the now.
So I will not be rushing to get the new BT Youview ultra HD(4K) box.
I do like how the new box will come with an 1TB version. As the now I must have used just over 60% of the space on the G4 box and now and again have to delete a recording I have watched.
Darren
It's funny how people come on these threads to tell you how they are sticking with what they have and won't be investing in 4k or anything to do with 4k, why?
I might be alone here but I wouldn't feel comfortable watching 4K content streamed over my internet connection. On an unlimited data plan or not, the amount of data that would be consuming would be huge.
I might be alone here but I wouldn't feel comfortable watching 4K content streamed over my internet connection. On an unlimited data plan or not, the amount of data that would be consuming would be huge.
Well yes you are, you pay for unlimited then use it!!
Actually, I really do have no intention of buying a 4K set in the near future. I may get one eventually, but I don't see it as a priority at all. My current HDTV is only three years old and delivers superb picture quality as it is. I do not want the domestic equivalent of IMAX in my living room (anywhere between 40" and 48" will do nicely, thank you - big enough to be impressive, but not so big that it swamps everything else). The UHD sets that I have seen so far are all huge. I know that they are becoming available in smaller sizes, but as I sit about eight feet from the screen, the difference is not going to be that marked. I daresay it will be visible, but whether it will be worth the outlay is another matter. People who habitually sit close to a vast screen to analyse the resolution really ought to have more respect for their eyes.
I think that 4K will have become more of a mainstream attraction by the time that my current set starts showing its age, so I expect that I will upgrade then, but not before.
Netflix UHD on BT TV had to happen sooner or later once the new UHD YouView box was announced the other day. Plaudits to BT for not letting the grass grow under their feet.
Sky are being left so far behind in innovation now, it's just embarrassing.
Don't most UHD TV's have HEVC and Netflix/Amazon apps included? Unless they're included in a package there's little point having them twice.
Getting the main PSB catch up services in 1080 HD and largely ad free like Sky have, is currently a better proposition.
The only thing that stops my tv from being perfect is banding which would be fixed by 10 bit colour. HFR would be interesting for sport but the actual resolution is the least interesting aspect to me.
I might be alone here but I wouldn't feel comfortable watching 4K content streamed over my internet connection. On an unlimited data plan or not, the amount of data that would be consuming would be huge.
You are alone, because BT don't charge anything for TV data usage if you have BT TV with BT broadband/fibre, not even if you are on a limited data plan. All BT TV data comes "free"; your general Internet data allowance is not affected at all.
Your maximum download speed drops a bit when watching or recording BT TV Extra channels (but not the Freeview channels) and would of course drop a lot more when viewing or recording UHD. This may put some people off BT TV for UHD, so it is an incentive for BT to find ways of increasing their fibre connection speeds as soon as possible.
You are alone, because BT don't charge anything for TV data usage if you have BT TV with BT broadband/fibre, not even if you are on a limited data plan. All BT TV data comes "free"; your general Internet data allowance is not affected at all.
Your maximum download speed drops a bit when watching or recording BT TV Extra channels (but not the Freeview channels) and would of course drop a lot more when viewing or recording UHD. This may put some people off BT TV for UHD, so it is an incentive for BT to find ways of increasing their fibre connection speeds as soon as possible.
Thank you for the explanation. I hadn't actually realised that BT seperate their TV service bandwidth with normal internet usage.
Comments
Sky are being left so far behind in innovation now, it's just embarrassing.
You could say that noses to the set thing about SD versus HD. Some people do have big enough sets and sit close enough to benefit fully from HD, though most people only benefit partially from it (they sit in that 'in between' zone).
Resolution-wise, we are sensitive to vertical resolution more than horizontal (which why widescreen TV gets away with SD anamorphic encoding) so to compare common UK TV and video formats, we have:
576i
576p
720p
1080i
1080p
2160p. (UHD 1)
For European viewers, the jump from full HD to UHD 1 is bigger than the jump from SD to full HD! But in UHD 1 phase 1, which is what BT introduces, most people will sit too far from their shiny new 4K sets to benefit from the improvement.
But for the minority who really care, UHD 1 phase 1 will provide a better more detailed picture not only on their huge new 4K sets, but also when downscaled onto their full HD sets, due to the higher bit rates and better compression. I don't know what frame rates and colour depth they will be using, maybe the same as HD. So as a specialist and still experimental format, it's a good idea I think... but it's only for that minority who care.
One thing I am interested in, is whether the UK UHD trials will test 1080p at 50/100 fps? Now that would be cool!
So I will not be rushing to get the new BT Youview ultra HD(4K) box.
I do like how the new box will come with an 1TB version. As the now I must have used just over 60% of the space on the G4 box and now and again have to delete a recording I have watched.
Darren
It's funny how people come on these threads to tell you how they are sticking with what they have and won't be investing in 4k or anything to do with 4k, why?
I think that 4K will have become more of a mainstream attraction by the time that my current set starts showing its age, so I expect that I will upgrade then, but not before.
Don't most UHD TV's have HEVC and Netflix/Amazon apps included? Unless they're included in a package there's little point having them twice.
Getting the main PSB catch up services in 1080 HD and largely ad free like Sky have, is currently a better proposition.
You are alone, because BT don't charge anything for TV data usage if you have BT TV with BT broadband/fibre, not even if you are on a limited data plan. All BT TV data comes "free"; your general Internet data allowance is not affected at all.
Your maximum download speed drops a bit when watching or recording BT TV Extra channels (but not the Freeview channels) and would of course drop a lot more when viewing or recording UHD. This may put some people off BT TV for UHD, so it is an incentive for BT to find ways of increasing their fibre connection speeds as soon as possible.
Thank you for the explanation. I hadn't actually realised that BT seperate their TV service bandwidth with normal internet usage.