Hey guys, i noticed on alot of fourms people getting confused and lost regarding 4K, HDR etc so i thought id create a quick and simple FAQ in the simplest terms to help people out as all the terms that get thrown around can be a tad confusing.
What does HDR Stand for?: High Dynamic Range
What is HDR?: An image's dynamic range is the contrast between its brightest whites and darkest blacks, and HDR images boast a much greater and more life like constrast and detail than regular images.
Example of HDR:
Check out this video from Techmoan for deeper info on 4K and HDR:
Do i need new HDMI leads to view 4K and HDR? No, as long as your current cables are high speed cables you do not need to run out and buy new £100 leads. There is also no difference between a £5 lead and a £100 lead, they both do exactly the same job as long as they state high speed which 99% of them do nowadays, don't be fooled by people telling you otherwise.
How can i watch HDR 4K Content?: In order to watch 4K HDR content (i.e UHD Bluray) you must have a TV which is HDR enabled with HDMI 2.0a, most if not all 2016 tv's will come with HDR natively with some various 2015 models having it patched in via a software update. For Non HDR 4K Bluray content you will need HDMI 2.0 at least which most if not all 2015+ Tv's came with as standard.
Can i watch 4K bluray on a non HDR tv?: Yes you can, Your UHD player will detect that your TV is not HDR compatible and will down convert the HDR Meta data to a SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) signal instead of a HDR (High Dynamic Range) signal, you will still have all the benefits of 4K UHD Bluray just minus the added definition of HDR.
Can i watch UHD Bluray on my current 4K Upscaler bluray player?: No you cant, i see alot of people on amazon giving UHD blurays 1 stars because it wont play on their 4K upscale bluray player, those players were designed just to bridge the gap between 1080p and 4K as there was no content available in 4K in 2013, 2014, The only thing those type's of players do is upscale your current Bluray discs to 4K nothing else, Most 4K tv's from 2014 onwards do this already. The UHD bluray players that are available right now are the Samsung UBD-K8500 and the Panasonic DMP-UB900EBK, Xbox One S and other brands are planning to release their players in 2017.
Can i/Will i be able to watch UHD Bluray using my PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 or Xbox One Launch model?: Same as above No you cant unfortunately and will not be able to with the current hardware as these require the actual UHD optical drive and will not be able to be patched in later (even though some people say its possible, its not), But the new revised Xbox One S does have UHD HDR Bluray support and soon will support Dolby Atmos audio also.
Will 3D be available in 4K?: Although possible, 4K 3D is not apart of the offical UHD Bluray standard so at this point in time nothing will be released in 4K 3D, the closest you will get is your 3D 1080p Blurays upscaled to 4K automatically when viewing on your tv.
Will my new UHD Bluray player be able to play normal Bluray, 3D and DVD discs?: This is completley dependant on the manufacturer, the Panasonic DMP-UB900EBK does play Them as does the Samsung UBD-K8500 and i should imagine most future players will too, the good thing is before purchasing it will state if it does or not on most sites.
Is UHD Bluray the only way i can watch 4K and 4K HDR Content?: Amazon Prime currently support some shows in HDR and 4K, Netflix support 4K also for some shows with HDR & possibly Dolby Vision to possibly follow later.
What requirements does my TV and sound system need to play UHD 4K HDR Bluray?: Your TV and your sound system needs to be HDCP 2.2 compliant, if its not you will not be able to play UHD bluray in 4K resolution it will only be downscaled to standard 1080p. If your sound system/Sound bar is purely run through optical and not HDMI ARC you will be fine. In order to play HDR UHD bluray you will need HDMI 2.0a with any HDMI High speed cable.
What is HDCP 2.2 and what does it do?: HDCP 2.2 is a technology designed to prevent illegal copying of 4K Ultra HD content. Every link in your video chain must support HDCP 2.2 — your TV, video source, and any component the video signal passes through. If one does not, you won't see a 4K picture. HDMI 2.0 is also required for TVs and components to be able to pass 4K video. But you can't assume that every device that has HDMI 2.0 will also support HDCP 2.2.
What is Dolby Vision?: (Taken from a CES Document from Dolby)
Dolby Vision mastered content and technology in the TV enables each pixel to take advantage of HDR and wide colour gamut content, making every pixel better. It adds new perspective, brighter highights, wider contrast and shading and overall vibrancy to the screen.
It will compliment all resolutions, including HD, 4K, 8K and beyond.
Display mapping technologies in the TV take advantage of the TV's hardware capabilities so consumers get the best possible image.
Again, you'll need a Dolby Vision-compatible display to take advantage of this new tech. So far Philips, Hisense, Toshiba and TCL have said they will produce Dolby Vision TVs, with streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and VUDU hoping to distribute Dolby Vision movies and TV shows once they are available. More on Dolby Vision later.
I Hope this thread helps anyone who is confused, if you have any other questions let me know and ill answer them if i can and ill add them to this post to help out others.
What does HDR Stand for?: High Dynamic Range
What is HDR?: An image's dynamic range is the contrast between its brightest whites and darkest blacks, and HDR images boast a much greater and more life like constrast and detail than regular images.
Example of HDR:
Check out this video from Techmoan for deeper info on 4K and HDR:
Do i need new HDMI leads to view 4K and HDR? No, as long as your current cables are high speed cables you do not need to run out and buy new £100 leads. There is also no difference between a £5 lead and a £100 lead, they both do exactly the same job as long as they state high speed which 99% of them do nowadays, don't be fooled by people telling you otherwise.
How can i watch HDR 4K Content?: In order to watch 4K HDR content (i.e UHD Bluray) you must have a TV which is HDR enabled with HDMI 2.0a, most if not all 2016 tv's will come with HDR natively with some various 2015 models having it patched in via a software update. For Non HDR 4K Bluray content you will need HDMI 2.0 at least which most if not all 2015+ Tv's came with as standard.
Can i watch 4K bluray on a non HDR tv?: Yes you can, Your UHD player will detect that your TV is not HDR compatible and will down convert the HDR Meta data to a SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) signal instead of a HDR (High Dynamic Range) signal, you will still have all the benefits of 4K UHD Bluray just minus the added definition of HDR.
Can i watch UHD Bluray on my current 4K Upscaler bluray player?: No you cant, i see alot of people on amazon giving UHD blurays 1 stars because it wont play on their 4K upscale bluray player, those players were designed just to bridge the gap between 1080p and 4K as there was no content available in 4K in 2013, 2014, The only thing those type's of players do is upscale your current Bluray discs to 4K nothing else, Most 4K tv's from 2014 onwards do this already. The UHD bluray players that are available right now are the Samsung UBD-K8500 and the Panasonic DMP-UB900EBK, Xbox One S and other brands are planning to release their players in 2017.
Can i/Will i be able to watch UHD Bluray using my PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 or Xbox One Launch model?: Same as above No you cant unfortunately and will not be able to with the current hardware as these require the actual UHD optical drive and will not be able to be patched in later (even though some people say its possible, its not), But the new revised Xbox One S does have UHD HDR Bluray support and soon will support Dolby Atmos audio also.
Will 3D be available in 4K?: Although possible, 4K 3D is not apart of the offical UHD Bluray standard so at this point in time nothing will be released in 4K 3D, the closest you will get is your 3D 1080p Blurays upscaled to 4K automatically when viewing on your tv.
Will my new UHD Bluray player be able to play normal Bluray, 3D and DVD discs?: This is completley dependant on the manufacturer, the Panasonic DMP-UB900EBK does play Them as does the Samsung UBD-K8500 and i should imagine most future players will too, the good thing is before purchasing it will state if it does or not on most sites.
Is UHD Bluray the only way i can watch 4K and 4K HDR Content?: Amazon Prime currently support some shows in HDR and 4K, Netflix support 4K also for some shows with HDR & possibly Dolby Vision to possibly follow later.
What requirements does my TV and sound system need to play UHD 4K HDR Bluray?: Your TV and your sound system needs to be HDCP 2.2 compliant, if its not you will not be able to play UHD bluray in 4K resolution it will only be downscaled to standard 1080p. If your sound system/Sound bar is purely run through optical and not HDMI ARC you will be fine. In order to play HDR UHD bluray you will need HDMI 2.0a with any HDMI High speed cable.
What is HDCP 2.2 and what does it do?: HDCP 2.2 is a technology designed to prevent illegal copying of 4K Ultra HD content. Every link in your video chain must support HDCP 2.2 — your TV, video source, and any component the video signal passes through. If one does not, you won't see a 4K picture. HDMI 2.0 is also required for TVs and components to be able to pass 4K video. But you can't assume that every device that has HDMI 2.0 will also support HDCP 2.2.
What is Dolby Vision?: (Taken from a CES Document from Dolby)
Dolby Vision mastered content and technology in the TV enables each pixel to take advantage of HDR and wide colour gamut content, making every pixel better. It adds new perspective, brighter highights, wider contrast and shading and overall vibrancy to the screen.
It will compliment all resolutions, including HD, 4K, 8K and beyond.
Display mapping technologies in the TV take advantage of the TV's hardware capabilities so consumers get the best possible image.
Again, you'll need a Dolby Vision-compatible display to take advantage of this new tech. So far Philips, Hisense, Toshiba and TCL have said they will produce Dolby Vision TVs, with streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and VUDU hoping to distribute Dolby Vision movies and TV shows once they are available. More on Dolby Vision later.
I Hope this thread helps anyone who is confused, if you have any other questions let me know and ill answer them if i can and ill add them to this post to help out others.
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