Here come the 4K tellies

JoeZhang · August 29 2012, 09:05 PM

High-definition TVs roughly quadrupled the resolution of the sets that came before them. Now, the industry is poised to do it again.

By December, U.S. stores will sell a TV set with four times the resolution of today’s best HDTVs, Sony Corp. said Wednesday. The set will measure 84 inches on the diagonal, making the screen area four times as large as the common 42-inch set.

Executives said Sony will reveal the price of the set next week.

There is, for now, very little video content available that can take advantage of the higher resolution. With some work and know-how, a computer connected to the set can display video in the ultra-HD “4K” resolution. The set will also do its best to “upscale” TV, DVD and Blu-ray movies, so they look better.

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2012/08/29/...#ixzz24y2jPQJN

Obviously the first generation of sets are going to silly priced and content is going to be thin on the ground but we can look forward to people complaining that they don't want it and they will not be switching from bluray/dvd.

davejames · August 29 2012, 09:48 PM

It'll be interesting to see, but right now I'm perfectly happy with my current HDTV. It's already a pretty gigantic upgrade from the picture quality I grew up with.

Mr. Laser Beam · August 29 2012, 09:54 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither Blu-Ray nor broadcast cable can support resolutions like this, can they? So why would I want to buy a set that has nothing to 'feed' it?

MacLeod · August 29 2012, 09:59 PM

I won't be rushing to upgrade anytime soon. HD and Blu-ray does just fine don't really see a need for SHD. The change from DVD to BR appears to have been slower than the change from VHS to DVD.

Ar-Pharazon · August 29 2012, 11:06 PM

davejames wrote:

It'll be interesting to see, but right now I'm perfectly happy with my current HDTV. It's already a pretty gigantic upgrade from the picture quality I grew up with.

When ST-TNG started in 1987, I still had a 10" B&W

Geckothan · August 30 2012, 01:08 AM

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither Blu-Ray nor broadcast cable can support resolutions like this, can they? So why would I want to buy a set that has nothing to 'feed' it?

This. At such a resolution, even the best satellite channels that hit up to 20 mbit/s would look like crap, BDs wouldn't have the capacity to store a whole movie without turning down the bitrate so much that all the extra pixels are wasted on artifacts, and internet streaming just plain sucks at any high resolution unless you have FTTH or something.

Mr. Adventure · August 30 2012, 01:38 AM

You could buy four 42-inch sets for about $2000, someone needs to sell a special mount and a player with four HDMI outputs.

Icemizer · August 30 2012, 01:47 AM

I can safely say the broadcast industry will not be moving in this direction any time soon in the U.S.I believe the price on this is $25k. I can get a nice 90" set from Sharp for half that and it looks damn amazing. Maybe Sony should concentrate on tvs they can actually sell so they can make some money.

Captaindemotion · August 30 2012, 08:50 PM

Surely there also comes a stage at which the change in resolution becomes too subtle for the human eye even to detect? How much better than current HD screens can tv get?

JoeZhang · August 30 2012, 08:53 PM

Icemizer wrote:

I can safely say the broadcast industry will not be moving in this direction any time soon in the U.S.I believe the price on this is $25k. I can get a nice 90" set from Sharp for half that and it looks damn amazing. Maybe Sony should concentrate on tvs they can actually sell so they can make some money.

The first generation is always expensive - the first bluray player was $1000 and the first HDTVs were about $7000.

davejames · August 30 2012, 09:12 PM

Captaindemotion wrote:

Surely there also comes a stage at which the change in resolution becomes too subtle for the human eye even to detect? How much better than current HD screens can tv get?

I suppose they could make it so it's crystal clear even with your nose pressed up against the screen or something.

But I certainly don't have any desire to watch TV that way. Lol

Redfern · August 30 2012, 09:44 PM

I'll wait for the screens that we can apply to the wall with a paint roller.

Sincerely,

Bill

Mr. Laser Beam · August 30 2012, 09:52 PM

Or the screens that ARE a wall.

I'm not joking.

Methos · August 30 2012, 10:04 PM

i believe the next generation after these ones are called 'holodecks'...

M

JoeZhang · August 30 2012, 11:05 PM

Methos wrote:

i believe the next generation after these ones are called 'holodecks'...

M

Hah

- not quite there yet, the next standard after this has just been agreed - it's 8K (which according to wikipedia is about the same level of detail as the 15/70mm used for imax) but we will not see that until at least 2020.

Oh and it uses 22.2 speakers.

August 29 2012, 09:48 PM	#2
davejames Vice Admiral Location: Sac, Ca	Re: Here come the 4K tellies It'll be interesting to see, but right now I'm perfectly happy with my current HDTV. It's already a pretty gigantic upgrade from the picture quality I grew up with.

August 29 2012, 09:54 PM	#3
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: Here come the 4K tellies Correct me if I'm wrong, but neither Blu-Ray nor broadcast cable can support resolutions like this, can they? So why would I want to buy a set that has nothing to 'feed' it? __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

August 29 2012, 09:59 PM	#4
MacLeod Vice Admiral Location: Great Britain	Re: Here come the 4K tellies I won't be rushing to upgrade anytime soon. HD and Blu-ray does just fine don't really see a need for SHD. The change from DVD to BR appears to have been slower than the change from VHS to DVD. __________________ On the continent of wild endeavour in the mountains of solace and solitude there stood the citadel of the time lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe looking down on the galaxies below sworn never to interfere only to watch.

August 30 2012, 01:38 AM	#7
Mr. Adventure Admiral Location: Mr. Adventure	Re: Here come the 4K tellies You could buy four 42-inch sets for about $2000, someone needs to sell a special mount and a player with four HDMI outputs.

August 30 2012, 01:47 AM	#8
Icemizer Fleet Captain	Re: Here come the 4K tellies I can safely say the broadcast industry will not be moving in this direction any time soon in the U.S.I believe the price on this is $25k. I can get a nice 90" set from Sharp for half that and it looks damn amazing. Maybe Sony should concentrate on tvs they can actually sell so they can make some money.

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

August 30 2012, 08:50 PM	#9
Captaindemotion Vice Admiral Location: Ireland	Re: Here come the 4K tellies Surely there also comes a stage at which the change in resolution becomes too subtle for the human eye even to detect? How much better than current HD screens can tv get? __________________ Hodor!!!!!!!

August 30 2012, 09:44 PM	#12
Redfern Fleet Captain Location: Georgia, USA	Re: Here come the 4K tellies I'll wait for the screens that we can apply to the wall with a paint roller. Sincerely, Bill __________________ Tempt the Hand of Fate and it'll give you the "finger"! Freighter Tails: the Misadventures of Mzzkiti

August 30 2012, 09:52 PM	#13
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: Here come the 4K tellies Or the screens that ARE a wall. I'm not joking. __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

August 30 2012, 10:04 PM	#14
Methos First Officer: USS Aventine Location: Hiding under Gaila's bed...	Re: Here come the 4K tellies i believe the next generation after these ones are called 'holodecks'... M __________________ In Russia, a 122 year old man has passed away, he credited his long life to abtaining from alcohol, tobacco and women. His last words were "I've made a huge mistake."