First anniversary of 4K UHDTV

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January 12th, 2014 at 1:01:53 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569


The first UHDTV's premiered almost exactly one year ago. It was an 84" model by Sony that sold for$35,000 . Now a year later that same model. That model, the Sony XBR-84X900 84" 3D LED TV with 4K Resolution now sells for $24,998


TCL was the first to sell a UHDTV for $1,000 but now Vizio has followed with their model under $1K.

Since you can't really buy a TV anymore with less than 720p resolution, and new ones are sometimes sold for less than $100, I am assuming almost everyone has one.

Netflix is going to release it's sequel to House of Cards in 4K resolution. Amazon has announced that they will try and develop programming using 4K resolution.

Who is going to take the plunge with a 4K TV?
January 12th, 2014 at 1:22:32 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
I've pretty much seen this "I Love Lucy" show and the "Friends" show on various TVs.

How high in price do I have to go before the shows get better?

I understand that these new TVs have VWLB ability.
If so, when the Vast Wasteland Looks Back mode is activated, what will sponsors say when they see:

A vacuum bedecked housewife fast asleep on the sofa?
A bored housewife staring at the TV as she waits for a male visitor to be through with her?
A gaggle of unattended kids bouncing up and down on the couch and ignoring the TV?
January 12th, 2014 at 5:41:48 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Write-in vote:

When will prices of the new car model fall this way?
The President is a fink.
January 12th, 2014 at 8:32:30 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: AZDuffman
Write-in vote:

When will prices of the new car model fall this way?

The TV's at 84" and higher still remain very expensive. In theory the largest screens will look the best with UHDTV despite the fact that there is almost no content.

The sad joke, though, is that despite widespread proliferation of Full HD 1080p TVs consumers actually consume very little 1080p content. Very few TV stations (cable and satellite) broadcast in 1080p due to bandwidth restrictions, instead opting for 720p or 1080i. 1080p is available in some areas from Netflix, and on Blu-ray discs, but that’s about it.

So people are buying the next generation in high density resolution, but are hardly using the previous generation (1080p).
January 13th, 2014 at 9:09:31 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
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Quote: Pacomartin
The sad joke, though, is that despite widespread proliferation of Full HD 1080p TVs consumers actually consume very little 1080p content. Very few TV stations (cable and satellite) broadcast in 1080p due to bandwidth restrictions, instead opting for 720p or 1080i. 1080p is available in some areas from Netflix, and on Blu-ray discs, but that’s about it.


I've heard it's even worse. For example, that a cable box using coaxial cable to connect to the TV does not display HD in your TV even if it is HD. Likewise even with Blue Ray if you make use of RCA cables.

As for 4K, the sensible move is to wait until they drop enough in price.

Today's flat screens have dropped precipitously. I paid about $900 US for one in 2008 (I think), and that only because my old TV died on me. Still, I got a $200 rebate in the say of in-store credit, which is good enough as I bought it from a supermarket. So that paid for groceries. Today i could get a better model fo the same size for less, rebate or not. And that pales to what the early adopters laid out.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
January 14th, 2014 at 6:39:19 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Nareed
For example, that a cable box using coaxial cable to connect to the TV does not display HD in your TV even if it is HD. Likewise even with Blue Ray if you make use of RCA cables.


That is correct. If you cable set top box is displaying HD you must connect via HDMI, DVI or component cables (red,green blue for video).

Best Buy was selling brand new in the box High Definition TV's for $79.99 (19 inch), and there were door-busters on Black Friday for $98 (32 inch).
January 14th, 2014 at 7:17:02 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
That is correct. If you cable set top box is displaying HD you must connect via HDMI, DVI or component cables (red,green blue for video).


One thing I noted immediately with the Chromecast was much better definition as compared with regular cable (on shows shot on HD; the old TNG eps are not). I also noted this when I got a Blue Ray, even though I was playing regular DVDs on it.

BTW when plasma and LED HD TVs dropped to accessible prices, they makred the end of the flat tube displays which had been quite popular just a year earlier. It's curious how a development can kill another. Remember Polaroid's instant movies? No? Well, they were expensive and lacked sound. But you could shoot 3 minutes of super-8mm film and have it on your projector in under an hour. At the same time, though, there were portable VCRs and video cameras. The setup was expensive, but the cassettes were dirt sheap, and you could film 2-6 hours on each, with sound, and reproduce it on any TV in minutes. Poor Polaroid never stood a chance.

It's not uncommon for a prodcut to kill another. Digital cameras killed film, eventually. But these things usually take time. It's odd to have two products come on the market at nearly the same time and for one to kill the other. Even Beta vs VHS took years to play out. More common is for one product not to kill another. Radio persists despite TV (though I include podcasts and satellite on "radio"). The movies persist despite TV, too.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
January 14th, 2014 at 12:29:23 PM permalink
DJTeddyBear
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 5
Posts: 265
I think the conflict between the TV's spec capabilities and what the consumer feeds to the TV is a big part of the slow adoption problem.

Truth is, most consumers, myself included, don't understand all the options and differences. Or don't want to pay for it.


At home I have 4 regular TVs and one HD TV, but don't have HD cable service.

I wanted to vote "plain old TV" but didn't see that option. Is that what "480i" is?
Ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power. But having only some facts can get you into trouble!
January 14th, 2014 at 1:33:30 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: DJTeddyBear
I wanted to vote "plain old TV" but didn't see that option. Is that what "480i" is?

You should consider getting rid of your CRT televisions, as they may start charging more than what they are worth to recycle them in the future.

Yes, 480i ("i" means interlaced, so it is 240 horizontal lines at a time) is standard definition or "plain old TV". There was a 480p ("p" for progressive, so it was 480 lines at a time) but it is seldom used.

The lowest level of high definition is either 720p or 1080i. ABC, FOX, and all sports networks and National Geographic broadcast in 720p because they feel that there is less jitter in fast motion action. So do channels owned by these companies. Most of the other networks broadcast in 1080i. To simplify things TV's sold in this format are uniformly labelled as 720p.

The first major sporting event broadcast nation wide in HD was Super Bowl on January 30, 2000. Getting this level of HD involves nothing more technical than hooking up an antenna. Although they initially charged for HD, cable usually offers HD for free.

The standard for full high definition is 1080p. Computers using the TV as a monitor can use this standard. Also movies on blu-ray disks are often recorded at 1080p.

The Ultra High Definition standards are 4K UHD (2160p) and 8K UHD (4320p). The 8K standard may not be sold anywhere at this time, and is probably ridiculous.
January 14th, 2014 at 2:24:48 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
another thing. Many people recently have upgraded their TVs from tubes to plasma/LED/LCD/OLED HD screens. Few will be in th emood to upgrade again so soon, even if 4K is the bestest image quality ever.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
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