My thoughts on adopting 4K

[Heche1981]

Two years ago this month I shelled out £3k for Sony's flagship 55" 3D LCD model. I'd only ever had a 19" PC monitor until that point, so it was my very first TV! I didn't particularly want a 3D TV, but wanted a decent large screen for playing games on, and unfortunately these days you have to have 3D as part-and-parcel

I had hoped that it would be a while before I would need to even consider changing it for new tech. I thought LCD screens had come as far as they would for a while, having gotten larger over the last few years as well as thinner. I didn't consider that they might start working on higher definitions, and certainly not so soon!

I initially intended to keep my 55" screen until at least 2020, but seems that I may have to change it for a 4K screen sooner than I thought. I would also like to upgrade in size, and I've been looking at Sony's 84", but the price-tag on that is a whopping £25k! Looks like I will have to start looking for a screen around the same size as I already have, but £4k still seems quite a lot considering all I'd be improving is the definition


I'm keen to know whether Sony will be supporting 4K Ultra HD with the PS4? The PS3 was pretty future-proof when it was released back in 2007, and they added 3D Blu-Ray support at a later date, as well as Vita compatibility and various streaming services like Netflix etc. I'm wondering whether they will do the same with the PS4, and add 4K content further down the line, or whether they are planning a shorter life-cycle for this console before releasing a new 4K console when the medium is more mainstream

I also wonder whether retailers will be keen to stock 4K releases at such an early point? And if so, how much would they cost? Blu-Ray releases would often cost around £30 each before they won the HD war, which was when they became cheaper and more popular. As we've seen many times in the past, new formats are never widely accepted to begin with, and we've seen many fail before - Betamax, LaserDisc, and HD-Dvd to name a few (don't forget that MiniDisc's weren't all that popular either). Even now, Blu-Ray still hasn't gotten the success that Dvd has had, and there are still many people who don't yet own a Blu-Ray player.

I think a handful of new 4K releases may trickle out for a few years, but I think it will still be another 5 years before these screens become more affordable, and the media becomes more mainstream. Blu-Ray has only really just began to take off, and most people are only just switching from Dvd to Blu-Ray, so I can't see them doing teh same again so soon. I doubt I will be adopting 4K until at least the 2020's!

 

[Wreck]

keep in mind there are NO 4k releases out. The sony wave on blu-ray is not 4k. Just mastered in ... still 1080p output.

 

[digitalbabe]

The manufacturers have to announce something new to keep recorded media the preferred medium ( new formats make people buy the same movies over and over). Traditionally the development, launch and maturity of new products has been significantly longer than it is now. 3D at home barely created a sputter in terms of sales and display market share, partly due to consumers 'waiting' during the format war, and not wanting to upgrade all of their equipment yet again. The difference from 1080p to 4K by the naked eye ( unless on a very large screen size) is also already a hot topic of contention. I'll wait until I have time to observe a properly calibrated display at a manufacturer show, before I make my own judgment about what to buy next.Every time they rush one tech closely after another(which is bound to happen as differences between the quality of the former and latter become more and more slight), there is consumer resistance from the masses, especially early on. But, for the early adopter of the newest tech, this presents another opportunity to upgrade to the 'latest', and it has always been that way. As higher end brands in particular demonstrate time and time again, price or the 'threat of yet another thing around the corner' does not impact everyone's buying decisions. There is still squabbling over 4K standards and that confusion will spill into the marketplace for a while as it is already (Sony peddling 'remastered in 4K' titles for instance). Personally, I am excited to see a tech that allows packaged media to shine, as the demonstrated preferred medium (based on sales) on consumed entertainment to date-the disc still provides the best picture and sound quality for movie buffs that consider those two factors paramount. But as yet another jump in display tech is already being discussed, I'll stay tuned to see how the industry finds it's footing amidst our current convergence of media delivery options for consumers.


:::: Digitalbabe ::::

Staff/Community Manager
Hidefninja.com

 

[cooey]

I've said that 4K won't take off in Home Cinema to the masses. Normal Joe Public are just now adopting to Hi-Def and getting Blu-Rays, due to the cost. A half decent HDTV and BD player aren't expensive anymore and 85% of people don't bother with the whole surround sound, etc and BD's are as cheap as DVDs were a few years back.

3D is slowly getting more interest, but isn't as mainstream as the companies were hoping and I still feel that won't succeed as well as they were hoping, depsite prices now starting to come down and I feel it'll stay more popular in the cinema.

4K won't take off. It's way too expensive, and the average homeowner haven't got the room for a screen of the size you'd need to notice the 4k resolution.

 

[denizen]

Absolutely agree. 3D is great but also came out just after Blu Ray was released. Many who purchased Blu Ray are reluctant to go 3D now because of cost of buying another Blu Ray player or a new TV. And now 4K. So the initial speed of tech releases have ade people hold back till something solid remains for a while.

 

[PunkNinja]

but I think it will still be another 5 years before these screens become more affordable, and the media becomes more mainstream.

Yes, 4k will be cheap in 5 years probably because another new format will come out (8k).

 

[Heche1981]

keep in mind there are NO 4k releases out. The sony wave on blu-ray is not 4k. Just mastered in ... still 1080p output.

This is indeed useful information. I suppose it would be the same as studios releasing a Dvd transfer of a film on Blu-Ray, or PS3 games on PS4 during the transition phase


I liken 4K to the SACD or Mini-Disc formats for music, which were both only really adopted by music aficionados. I think 4K will remain the elusive format for the rich, rather than becoming the mainstream standard.

I also believe that many people are currently satisfied with the Dvd format, where Blu-Ray exists for those who want a better HD experience. Blu-Ray itself has still yet to be widely adopted by the masses, and a lot of consumers are reluctant to swap their Dvd collections for Blu-Ray releases so soon after having upgraded from VHS to Dvd. Likewise, those who do have Blu-Ray may not have a 3D screen, and those who do are currently torn between purchasing either 2D or 3D Blu-Ray releases


4K may be taking the clarity a step too far though, and it won't be long before film makers are forced to start covering up all of the minor details that they don't want the viewers to see, which would previously not have been seen. Where they may have gotten away with make-shift sets and covering up blemishes with make-up, they may not be able to do this successfully as the resolution quality gets higher and higher! A lot of people don't realise how much the scanlines actually used to hide!