A new generation of exceptionally high-definition TVs came out there in 2012. But these were priced beyond what is reasonable or affordable to most people, starting at about $20,000. The technology is known as 4K since the settlements are 3840 pixels × 2160 pixels (the higher pixel row approaching 4,000). These screens have four times the pixels as a regular HD (high-definition) screen.
Frequent HD TVs look great — until, that is, you visit 4K. The 4K experience could be literally stunning. The facts look more real than reality. It’s very difficult to find any pixelation however close you look at the monitor. Once you’ve observed it, 4K is a very desirable thing.
store.sony.com
Sony 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV – $4,999.99
But let us face it: That is not a very compelling proposition, especially since 4K content is so hard to come by. For today just a very small selection of 4K movies is available on the market. YouTube and a few other online streaming video services support 4K. And there are prosumer (producer-consumer) and extreme-sports cameras that capture content in 4K resolutions. But most 4K TV owners are only watching Blu-ray movies upscaled in software to 4K. That is a personal computer suggestion that 4K TVs can do this makes HD movies higher quality, although not 4K quality.
New alternatives appearing
The content situation is slowly improving, but the cost of 4K is getting better quicker. Just recently new options for 4K have emerged and they’re far more affordable. If you disregarded 4K as a hopeless luxury for the very wealthy, it is time to take a second look. Here’s what’s new.
Sony is in the forefront of bringing down the price of high-quality 4K TV sets. While its flagship 84-inch collection cost $25,000 in its debut, its newest 55-inch TV retails for $4,999.
The Sony 55-inch 4K Ultra HD TV has a sleek, minimalist, modern look, with 65-watt speakers built into the chassis on either side of the screen. The set also plays upscaling, which displays average Blu-ray movies in a higher resolution than they appear on HD sets.
Additionally, it comes with four pairs of 3-D eyeglasses.
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Sony 4K Ultra HD Media Player – $699.99
Content is a problem for 4K TV sets, specifically that there isn’t much. And becoming exactly what does exist is hard and time consuming since the files are gigantic. Sony offers help in the shape of a separate product that operates with its (and just its) 4K sets by streaming and storing those huge 4K movie files onto a 2-terabyte hard disk.
The Ultra HD Media Player even comes with 10 4K movies already downloaded into the drive, including The Amazing Spider-Man, Salt as well as the classic Bridge on the River Kwai. It works with an upcoming Sony paid streaming service that uses compression technology from Eye IO.
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Asus PQ321 4K Computer Monitor – $3,799
Another option for becoming smaller and more affordable 4K in your life is to buy a 4K PC screen. Asus planned as of this writing to establish its own PQ321 screen, a 311/2-inch 4K monitor screen. The screen offers a resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels in an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a gorgeous pixel density of 140 pixels per inch. It has built-in stereo speakers, and it is wall mountable. It’s thin, too — only 35 millimeters.
One device for TV and calculating
This creates a lot of sense for some folks, especially those who want really great high def for both calculating and TV viewing, but don’t want to purchase two expensive apparatus. Additionally, it helps since most of the 4K content is on YouTube and other internet services.
Although at the retail price of $3,799, the Asus 4K screen is far more affordable than larger TV sets, that is a very expensive screen by PC screen criteria. A normal price for a high-quality, conventional-resolution screen of this size would be about $600.
Naturally, that the PC you plug in this monster to will need to encourage 4K output, which newer graphics chips from Nvidia and AMD are ready to do.
It’s apparent that the costs for ultrahigh-definition 4K screens for entertainment and productivity will continue to return. But it’s also apparent that the age when these awesome displays are within reach is already here.
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