4K HDTV - Super-High Definition is almost here

Now that most of us have settled in with our 1080P televisions and are enjoying high definition which is indeed much better than the old standard definition TV’s/VCR’s of 240/480i resolution, television manufacturers are trying to sell us on a better technology again, called 4K HDTV.

The new 4K technology consists of a display which is about 4,000 pixels wide (hence the 4K terminology) and about 2,000 pixels high resolution. This resolution is four times the quality of our the high definition output from most new HDTV's sold today with 1080P.

So why is 4K needed? Although 1080P brought clarity and enhanced picture quality, it just doesn’t work so well when it is displayed on a movie theater screen. This is due in part because of its pixel structure, 1080P is limited in size. The 4K size however works much better on theater screens and a lot of the newer movies are now using this format. According to one engineer, 4K displays looks best on a 25 foot screen. Looks like we are going to need a bigger house.

Various TV manufacturers displayed new models at the Consumer Electronics Show of 2012. None of them have come out with an actual date of availability or a cost projection, except for Toshiba. Some have released a new 4K set sold only in Japan (Model #55X3) which is a 55” set that sells for 650,000 Yen. That’s about $8,100 US dollars. LG has an 84” which was shown off at the CES, set up for 3D high resolution at 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, but have yet to put a price on it or a release date. LG did say they plan on releasing it for sale sometime this year. Sharp displayed a 4K LCD TV as well as an 8K prototype (to make the 4K obsolete). Talk about planning ahead. Even Canon is getting in on the act with a 4K display prototype.

The biggest question is whether this new format will take hold and we will all be replacing our current TV’s.

As of right now, there is very little content available for viewing in the 4K resolution. The new TV’s will obviously be very expensive (as is all new technology), and you will need to go to a fairly large screen to get the full benefit of this enhanced high definition display.

Are we ready for a new technology this soon after switching to high definition? I guess time will tell. We’ve gone from 8 track/VHS tapes to CD/DVD’s to Blu-ray/digital storage in a rather short period of time. Look at the difference in picture quality. You can’t stop progress and the fact that technological advancements like this make your life so much more enjoyable, we should welcome them with open arms.