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4k TV - now or wait


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Old 18-12-2014, 22:14
spiidey
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Thinking of investing in a 4k TV but not clear whether they've reached the stage yet where they will be able to display ALL future 4k broadcasts or not.

Ie I don't want to buy the equivalent of "HD Ready" when the broadcasts are 1080p at a later point in time.
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Old 18-12-2014, 22:27
mac2708
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The first page of this thread should answer a lot of questions
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2028755
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Old 19-12-2014, 01:30
call100
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To be honest the prices have fallen to the point where you might as well get one...By the time it's all sorted out you'll probably be in the market for a new TV again anyway.
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Old 19-12-2014, 18:04
grahamlthompson
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To be honest the prices have fallen to the point where you might as well get one...By the time it's all sorted out you'll probably be in the market for a new TV again anyway.
Be careful, 1080p can easily look better on a good 1920 x 1080 set than a 4K one. Think of the electronic jiggery pokery to increase 1920 x 1080 to 4K resolutions. There are some really good buys on the AS800 series Panasonic range. The 2014 1080p models are being sold at about 50% of the launch prices.
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Old 19-12-2014, 22:36
Deacon1972
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Be careful, 1080p can easily look better on a good 1920 x 1080 set than a 4K one. Think of the electronic jiggery pokery to increase 1920 x 1080 to 4K resolutions. There are some really good buys on the AS800 series Panasonic range. The 2014 1080p models are being sold at about 50% of the launch prices.
Out of all the models I've seen 1080p has looked as good as it does on a 2k TV, on high end gear it looked noticeably better, still not a patch on native 4k.

I understand scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is less complicated than scaling 768x576 or 1280x720 to 1920x1080.

If 4k is of no interest then I agree, 1080p models at heavily discounted prices should be top of the list. If you fancy viewing the little bit of 4k out there or you have a 4k camera/camcorder then prices have come down to a more acceptable level which will make the decision a little harder.
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Old 20-12-2014, 15:32
call100
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Price gradually becoming a non consideration...http://www.pixmania.co.uk/led-tv/phi...2299781-a.html
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Old 20-12-2014, 18:33
JARV
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I've got my 49" Sony 4K X85 being delivered on Monday, looking forward to it!
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Old 21-12-2014, 06:41
call100
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Nice one.....Enjoy it and ignore all the curmudgeons who secretly harbour the desire for one.
Do let us know how you get on. Much better getting input from someone who actually has one than all the guessing done by others.
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Old 21-12-2014, 09:59
Nigel Goodwin
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Why buy a poor make 4K when you can get a better 1080 set for less money?.
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Old 21-12-2014, 11:16
call100
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Why buy a poor make 4K when you can get a better 1080 set for less money?.
I wasn't advocating buying it...... The point is that the prices are tumbling and 4K has become another choice and not just a niche product. It's only going to go forward apace, whether some like it or not.....
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Old 21-12-2014, 11:41
Nigel Goodwin
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It's only going to go forward apace, whether some like it or not.....
Just as I've said all along

But NOT because it's supposedly 'better' or because some broadcasting 'might' eventually happen - but simply because all panel production will be moved to 4K panels, so there won't be a choice.
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Old 21-12-2014, 16:13
JARV
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Nice one.....Enjoy it and ignore all the curmudgeons who secretly harbour the desire for one.
Do let us know how you get on. Much better getting input from someone who actually has one than all the guessing done by others.
I will, thanks, just hoping my 18mb broadband is enough to stream some Ammazon Prime 4K, wasn't looking to replace my TV but price and the picture quality tempted me!
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Old 21-12-2014, 17:34
methodyguy
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I got a brand new Samsung Curved 55 inch UHDTv the other and I so glad I got it the picture qualitie is amazing , currently watching Marco Polo in 4K on Netflix and the picture is so good. Prices for 4K TVs are falling all the time I got a curved Soundbar as well and along with HDMI leads the whole lot cost me just over £3000. So now is the time to get a UHDTv.
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Old 22-12-2014, 12:18
JARV
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Nice one.....Enjoy it and ignore all the curmudgeons who secretly harbour the desire for one.
Do let us know how you get on. Much better getting input from someone who actually has one than all the guessing done by others.
Arrived this morning, picture on SKY HD is stunning, fire up a Blu ray and the colours leap out at you, watched some House Of Cards on Netflix in 4K and was blown away, so pleased with the purchase
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Old 22-12-2014, 12:56
call100
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Arrived this morning, picture on SKY HD is stunning, fire up a Blu ray and the colours leap out at you, watched some House Of Cards on Netflix in 4K and was blown away, so pleased with the purchase
Thanks, nice to have some real world input instead of the theories.
Glad you are enjoying it.
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Old 22-12-2014, 15:24
d'@ve
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I wasn't advocating buying it...... The point is that the prices are tumbling and 4K has become another choice and not just a niche product. It's only going to go forward apace, whether some like it or not.....
Still double the price of the cheapest crappy 40 inch full HD TV though.

Now that pixels are cheap as chips, pixel counting has become relatively unimportant as the screen element of a TV (as with the sensor in cameras) affects the overall picture quality and price much less these days than the rest of the TV (or camera/cameraphone). Sadly, many of the great British Public don't yet "get it".

As for curved TVs, why most people would want to have a TV and not be able to see see the nearest part of the screen properly when sitting off to the side, or have to sit in one central place at a certain distance from the screen to get most of the benefit (4-6 feet even in the case of a 4K 55inch screen) baffles me. And never mind the rest of the family!
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Old 22-12-2014, 16:17
Nigel Goodwin
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As for curved TVs, why most people would want to have a TV and not be able to see see the nearest part of the screen properly when sitting off to the side
Yes, the whole idea seems particularly bizarre - presumably it's just a money making gimmick, and won't last long

We wall-mounted a 65 inch curved screen last week, to replace an existing flat 55 inch - we had to bring it back - the acceptable viewing angle was far too low to be usable for the customer. Apart from the obvious reduced angle caused by a curved screen, the main problem was reflections on the screen - not a problem on the flat-screen, but distorted and 'waving' on the curved one
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Old 22-12-2014, 17:49
joshua_welby
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I'd say wait because there is no fixed standard in the UK yet for 4k, your new 4k TV will be only 4k ready meaning you MIGHT need a box to watch 4k TV in the future

4k in the UK will possibly be with the new HEVC and HDMI 2.0 standards
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Old 22-12-2014, 18:02
grahamlthompson
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I'd say wait because there is no fixed standard in the UK yet for 4k, your new 4k TV will be only 4k ready meaning you MIGHT need a box to watch 4k TV in the future

4k in the UK will possibly be with the new HEVC and HDMI 2.0 standards
And HDCP 2.2

http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/hdcp-2-2...-need-to-know/
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Old 23-12-2014, 00:13
call100
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Still double the price of the cheapest crappy 40 inch full HD TV though.

Now that pixels are cheap as chips, pixel counting has become relatively unimportant as the screen element of a TV (as with the sensor in cameras) affects the overall picture quality and price much less these days than the rest of the TV (or camera/cameraphone). Sadly, many of the great British Public don't yet "get it".

As for curved TVs, why most people would want to have a TV and not be able to see see the nearest part of the screen properly when sitting off to the side, or have to sit in one central place at a certain distance from the screen to get most of the benefit (4-6 feet even in the case of a 4K 55inch screen) baffles me. And never mind the rest of the family!
Don't buy one then, simple. Then you can sit at home smugly thinking you are the only one that gets it.
As this is a 4K thread and not a curved screen one I'll take it you just needed to vent. I don't disagree however, that the curve doesn't add a lot for any lounge TV. That said....A curved monitor is a different proposition...
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Old 23-12-2014, 12:49
The Wulfrunian
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It's actually a really difficult time to buy at the moment. I'm ready to reinvest in a new TV as the current Sony is 6 years old, but definitely holding out until the second half of next year when 4K is even better value and also the technical issues regards broadcasting are sorted.

No doubt I'll be going 4K, why on earth would I spend 3 or 4 digit sums of cash on a technology (1280p) that is being superseded? Also the upscaling on some of the 4K's I've seen is truly impressive and makes the time lag until 4K broadcasting very much bearable.

The picture quality of true 4K is staggeringly good. Those who claim emperor's clothes should have gone to Specsavers, and also pop in a drug rehab clinic on their way.
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Old 23-12-2014, 13:37
bobcar
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It's actually a really difficult time to buy at the moment. I'm ready to reinvest in a new TV as the current Sony is 6 years old, but definitely holding out until the second half of next year when 4K is even better value and also the technical issues regards broadcasting are sorted.
I wouldn't have thought that being 6 years old was a major issue especially since being a Sony it's likely to be decent in the first place.
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Old 23-12-2014, 14:45
TrebleKing
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I looked at a 65" Samsung Curved 4K TV in Richer Sounds in Glasgow on saturday. The picture was absolutely phenomenal. I didn't see a Sony but can only imagine they'll be out of this world. I definitely want one.
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Old 23-12-2014, 15:34
d'@ve
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As this is a 4K thread and not a curved screen one I'll take it you just needed to vent. I don't disagree however, that the curve doesn't add a lot for any lounge TV. That said....A curved monitor is a different proposition...
I didn't need to vent, someone else brought curved TVs into the discussion so I responded. But it is a bit of a daft idea IMO unless and until the amount of the curve can be changed (or removed) according to the location of yourself or others in the room, something for the future that, methinks. Maybe as you suggested it could work for large computer monitors where a single user is in a captive position, or people who always watch TV alone from a fixed position (a home 'solo' cinema room for example) but otherwise I find it hard to see it other than as a 3D-style gimmick.

It's pretty well all been said on 4K, but I will just add that it seems odd for people to be buying into a technology that isn't yet standardised for use in broadcast TV in the UK.
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Old 23-12-2014, 15:40
Nigel Goodwin
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I looked at a 65" Samsung Curved 4K TV in Richer Sounds in Glasgow on saturday. The picture was absolutely phenomenal.
Bear in mind it will have been showing a special 4K demo, from a special HDD player

Not representative of real programmes, 4K or otherwise.
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