4K is it worth it?

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  • oldbob
    Member
    • Aug 2016
    • 53

    4K is it worth it?

    I know these things are personal preference but, I think that 4k is the future. Unlike a gimmick such as 3D it is the continuation of the visual refinement that we are constantly striving for in our equipment. While it still doesn't quite compare to the very expensive 4k monitors and hardware that we have available on film sets, it is a pretty substantial visual upgrade from just a few years ago. Content is sparse at the moment and to fully realize it the image has to have originated in the 4k format and stayed that way throughout the editing and addition of special effects etc. Since most of the better films are now being filmed in 4k I would imagine that content will follow. Of course, we have a history of watching superior visual formats dying on the vine going all the way back to Beta tape so, who knows.
    if you decide to take the plunge I have found that these 4 discs have a noticeable improvement over standard Blueray. Dead pool, The Kinsmen, The Revenant, and Lucy.
    Hopefully as more players are released the price for them will come down to close to a regular Blue Ray player. And, along with that perhaps less expensive discs. Of course, streaming is really where it could become worthwhile. At the present though the outlets that do have 4k streaming are providing content that is right up there with the boring stream of images you see on TV at the local Best Buy show floor.
  • Alaric
    Ultra Senior Member
    • Jan 2006
    • 4143

    #2
    The hindrance to streaming for a lot of people will be internet speeds. My neighborhood only has access to DSL (seriously) and 1080p is pushing the envelope, sometimes farther than it can stretch. Digital artifacts have caused me to turn movies off. I think 4k will eventually be the standard, but I wonder if we're approaching a state of diminishing returns.
    Lee

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    • madmac
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Aug 2010
      • 3122

      #3
      Originally posted by Alaric
      The hindrance to streaming for a lot of people will be internet speeds. My neighborhood only has access to DSL (seriously) and 1080p is pushing the envelope, sometimes farther than it can stretch. Digital artifacts have caused me to turn movies off. I think 4k will eventually be the standard, but I wonder if we're approaching a state of diminishing returns.
      Diminishing returns is right !! I'm all for improvements in audio/video but to honest, I'm perfectly happy with 1080P for now and have no intention to rush out and buy into the 4K world.
      Dan Madden :T

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      • Alaric
        Ultra Senior Member
        • Jan 2006
        • 4143

        #4
        Same here. I looked at 2k and 4k displays recently and couldn't justify the difference in price. Once you get in to the settings in-store and turn off demo mode, etc., and all on the same signal (there are a lot of tricks used in stores) it just wasn't worth it. There were minor improvements over my 1080p on a 40"-43" display, but nowhere near enough to double, triple, or in some cases quadruple, the price. Huge chunks of the cost are in streaming software and features like a dozen inputs of every flavor. You may get what you pay for, but you aren't paying for picture quality as much as sales pitch and esoteric BS. My TV was payment for a job, and I had a lot of choices when he took me to BB. I ended up with a 43" Toshiba 1080p with three HDMI inputs and a fantastic picture for $250. 480p DVDs look great. I'm content with good 'ole 1080.
        Lee

        Marantz PM7200-RIP
        Marantz PM-KI Pearl
        Schiit Modi 3
        Marantz CD5005
        Paradigm Studio 60 v.3

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        • oldbob
          Member
          • Aug 2016
          • 53

          #5
          I certainly agree that if you have a perfectly good TV and Blueray player it does not make sense to move up to 4k. Just like there was no reason to go from a regular DVD to a BlueRay player in the beginning. But, eventually you will need a new tv and a new dvd player and hopefully the price point will have come down. At that point you will probably want whatever the best is at that point. I had to buy new TVs and players so it made sense to me.

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          • Kevin D
            Ultra Senior Member
            • Oct 2002
            • 4601

            #6
            Honestly, the biggest reasons for going 4k aren't even really here yet, HDR and high bit color.

            Kevin D.

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            • Ovation
              Super Senior Member
              • Sep 2004
              • 2202

              #7
              4K with HDR on a 55+ inch screen, with 4K content is great. I was shopping displays about a month ago and saw a good number of 4K TVs. Ended up getting another projector (1080p, replacing a 720p), though I was tempted by a few TVs. In the, as it was an unplanned upgrade (other pj died), my budget didn't stretch far enough for a screen that looked good enough with non 4K material that also was as big as I'd like (especially as I plan to upgrade my screen from 64" to 80"). There are some really nice displays out there (OLED especially) but the magic priceerformance ratio for large displays isn't quite there yet. Soon, though, it won't matter outside 32" or under, as 4K will simply be the standard above that size, as 1080p became a few years ago. So, your (general population) next TV, 12-18 months from now, will be 4K. For videophiles, besides resolution (listed 4th in importance by ISF engineers for PQ, behind contrast [aka deep blacks], colour accuracy, and smooth gradations of colour and grayscale, IIRC), a high quality 4K display will need those characteristics along with wide colour gamut HDR (in both flavours). HDR, from what I saw, is a far bigger improvement than increased resolution.

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              • JonMarsh
                Mad Max Moderator
                • Aug 2000
                • 15259

                #8
                First, I agree that you'll get the biggest bang for you buck holding out for 4K with HDR. HDR is more than just lighting dynamic range, it's also improved color gamut. The latter is often overlooked, but as a photographer who is fussy about the monitors I have at home, both with regards to color gamut and resolution, let's just say you need both.

                Then, let's remember the whole visual acuity and angle of resolution limitation of the human eye. With the smaller sets, 50" and less, at typical living room distances, 4K unfortunately is not discernible.

                I look at 4K as being similar to the whole Apple "Retina" resolution thing with computing devices- but for smaller screens, and longer distances, they eye can't resolve the difference. Think of what a UHD monitor looks like viewed at 6 - 8 feet, instead of desktop distance. If you have a Mac, you can rescale the desktop so that all the details are readable, but you can't readily tell the difference between that and a Dell 5K monitor (I own one) if the color gamut capabilities are comparable.

                I think I likely will move up to a 65" set when I do go 4K and HDR. Right now my preferred video viewing setup is an LG Cinema 4K (4096, not 3860) 31" monitor, viewed at desktop distance with ripped Blue ray on one of my Mac Pro's. Scaling that up to even a small living room setup for the same impact will require a fair size screen and a relatively close viewing distance.

                That said, I love 4K and 5K for computing, and when I have to run Windows, my favorite laptop is a Dell XPS15 4K model. Even on a 15" screen, at normal viewing distance, one can switch between 1080P scaled for the screen or full 4K, and the difference is quite clear to my 64 year old eyes.
                the AudioWorx
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                • oldbob
                  Member
                  • Aug 2016
                  • 53

                  #9
                  I thought that my new Samsung SURD was 4K with HDR, maybe I misunderstood their website. All I know is it is much better than the 2 year old Samsung TV it replaced.

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                  • JonMarsh
                    Mad Max Moderator
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 15259

                    #10
                    I think you mean SUHD TV, don't you?
                    the AudioWorx
                    Natalie P
                    M8ta
                    Modula Neo DCC
                    Modula MT XE
                    Modula Xtreme
                    Isiris
                    Wavecor Ardent

                    SMJ
                    Minerva Monitor
                    Calliope
                    Ardent D

                    In Development...
                    Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                    Obi-Wan
                    Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                    Modula PWB
                    Calliope CC Supreme
                    Natalie P Ultra
                    Natalie P Supreme
                    Janus BP1 Sub


                    Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                    Just ask Mr. Ohm....

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                    • oldbob
                      Member
                      • Aug 2016
                      • 53

                      #11
                      Yes, I guess that is why there is a preview mode. Did I misunderstand the Samsung website and my TVs do not have HDR?

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