To 4K or Not to 4K

[Covert Rain]

Hey all. I know where I stand. I am already starting to buy 4K movies and just waiting for a new slew of 4K OLED Products (TV/projectors) to flood the market along with the players. However, Samsung already has a 4K player at $299 which is kind of unheard of for a new product this soon.

However, what is everyone's thoughts on 4K? Excited? Not excited? Don't care? I mean for sure this isn't the same impact of VHS to DVD or DVD to Blu Ray my any stretch. In fact, some feel 4K should have been the next leap and that Blu Ray didn't go far enough.

Is 4K going to drive any of your purchases anytime soon? Are you waiting for the next thing (8K etc..) before a major revamp of your entertainment equipment? Just kind of curious what others think about the entire 4K thing.

 

[BigRedRage]

I bought a 60" tv a few years ago so I am not in the market but I have recently seen some REALLY low prices for huge 4k Tvs so once mine is done, ill go 4k for sure.

 

[BillsCarnage]

The Samsung and LG 4k OLED's are a thing of beauty. I really like that Sammy curved one. But, I'm still waiting for the prices to come down a bit. I'll also wait until 4k becomes more mainstream and that's probably another 3yrs or so.

I purposely bought a Samsung 55" 720p because at the time was not mainstream in broadcast media and the tv was cheap, and i wanted plasma. The other thing is I won't upgrade to anything but OLED. Aside from plasma, it has the best picture and OLED is a bigger jump than 4k technologically speaking.

4k is definitely nice, but it's just the next evolution of viewing video and in another 50yrs (maybe less) pixel density won't matter anymore.

 

[puckhead]

I bought my plasma the last year they were producing them. I'm praying that it will hold on until they finalize a specification on extended color gamut and high dynamic range for 4K. By then, I think OLED should be mass produced enough to be reasonably affordable.

 

[Covert Rain]

The Samsung and LG 4k OLED's are a thing of beauty. I really like that Sammy curved one. But, I'm still waiting for the prices to come down a bit. I'll also wait until 4k becomes more mainstream and that's probably another 3yrs or so.

I purposely bought a Samsung 55" 720p because at the time was not mainstream in broadcast media and the tv was cheap, and i wanted plasma. The other thing is I won't upgrade to anything but OLED. Aside from plasma, it has the best picture and OLED is a bigger jump than 4k technologically speaking.

4k is definitely nice, but it's just the next evolution of viewing video and in another 50yrs (maybe less) pixel density won't matter anymore.

Don't bother with the curved TVs unless you want one just for "looks". It actually reduces the viewing angle and there are a ton of reviews that say it's simply a gimmick that actually reduces the quality of viewing verses it really being a feature that enhances it.

I am dying to pull the trigger on 4K OLED but prices are still too high and I want rock solid specifications on everything before pulling the trigger as well.

Not to mention that I really want a new 4K projector but most of the really good ones are using 4K shift which is pseudo 4K. They have some decent ones out but there are bunch more coming. Primarily I would like to go LED even in the Projector because of heat output.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Don't bother with the curved TVs unless you want one just for "looks". It actually reduces the viewing angle and there are a ton of reviews that say it's simply a gimmick that actually reduces the quality of viewing verses it really being a feature that enhances it.

Of course it reduces viewing angle, but how far off center do people really sit? The way my room is setup I'm probably not more than 20deg off center and 8ft back. It won't affect my viewing angle

Curved or not I am going to bump up to a 65" on the next TV. I remember reading about OLED back in '05/06ish and here we are 10yrs later and it has finally made it's way into the consumer market. I still wish plasma was around, but my only knock on that is the dang heat the TV generates.

 

[Covert Rain]

Curved or not I am going to bump up to a 65" on the next TV. I remember reading about OLED back in '05/06ish and here we are 10yrs later and it has finally made it's way into the consumer market. I still wish plasma was around, but my only knock on that is the dang heat the TV generates.

65" is the sweet spot for regular TV's for me too.

 

[azmike74]

I didn't ever purchase a blue ray player because I was irritated that I spent a lot of money on both VHS and DVD. I won't rush out to get 4k, I will be a late adopter.

Also, riddle me this: when HDTV first came out, I started paying a surcharge on DirecTV for the service because there were only a few providers available. Now there is a tremendous number of HD channels and I still pay the surcharge. Logical?

 

[Covert Rain]

I didn't ever purchase a blue ray player because I was irritated that I spent a lot of money on both VHS and DVD. I won't rush out to get 4k, I will be a late adopter.

Also, riddle me this: when HDTV first came out, I started paying a surcharge on DirecTV for the service because there were only a few providers available. Now there is a tremendous number of HD channels and I still pay the surcharge. Logical?

No, it's a total rip. I have been with DirecTV since the company first started. I finally dropped them this year and cut the cord. It's a rip-off. They are so desperate to get me back, they offered me $200 visa card, Genie HD DVR (which I already owned), 2 HD DVRs, HBO, Show Time for 6 months and free NFL Sunday Ticket.

I still said hell no.

 

[CardsFan88]

Hey all. I know where I stand. I am already starting to buy 4K movies and just waiting for a new slew of 4K OLED Products (TV/projectors) to flood the market along with the players. However, Samsung already has a 4K player at $299 which is kind of unheard of for a new product this soon.

However, what is everyone's thoughts on 4K? Excited? Not excited? Don't care? I mean for sure this isn't the same impact of VHS to DVD or DVD to Blu Ray my any stretch. In fact, some feel 4K should have been the next leap and that Blu Ray didn't go far enough.

Is 4K going to drive any of your purchases anytime soon? Are you waiting for the next thing (8K etc..) before a major revamp of your entertainment equipment? Just kind of curious what others think about the entire 4K thing.

4ktv's are getting cheap. The OLED and HDR are premium features, but of course if you have the money, or are waiting for it, no problem.

My first 4ktv purchase was almost 2 years ago, a Seiki 39" for $299. Worked great, even got 3D going on it. Also did 1080/120. But it popped a cap or something. Got refund, put it towards a Vizio P-Series 55" for $799 and it can also do 1080/120 or 4k/60.

So yeah at this point, unless someone is going for the cheapest thing available, 4k of any kind is the right way to go. Everything now has at least a HDMI 2.0 and would be ready for any of the streams/disc based 4k content.

As for players, you may want to wait. Both the Xbox One S, Xbox Scorpio, and PS4 Neo should all have a 4k blu ray player in it.

So if you or any family members/kids like gaming, you should think about getting one of the consoles. Might be a tiny bit more, but better than buying both separate.

It's all about what you want. Oh I've even seen Vizio 4k's with HDR for I think 799 or 999. Not sure which or what size, but somewhere in the 43-55" range.

Prices are dropping like a rock for 4k. Much, much faster than 1080p. A good price in 2010 for a 40" 1080p LCD was still $499. Now you can get bigger, 4k/60, for same price. Or as I've said been able to get a 4k/30 for $249-299 for the past two years.

 

[Covert Rain]

4ktv's are getting cheap. The OLED and HDR are premium features, but of course if you have the money, or are waiting for it, no problem.

My first 4ktv purchase was almost 2 years ago, a Seiki 39" for $299. Worked great, even got 3D going on it. Also did 1080/120. But it popped a cap or something. Got refund, put it towards a Vizio P-Series 55" for $799 and it can also do 1080/120 or 4k/60.

So yeah at this point, unless someone is going for the cheapest thing available, 4k of any kind is the right way to go. Everything now has at least a HDMI 2.0 and would be ready for any of the streams/disc based 4k content.

As for players, you may want to wait. Both the Xbox One S, Xbox Scorpio, and PS4 Neo should all have a 4k blu ray player in it.

So if you or any family members/kids like gaming, you should think about getting one of the consoles. Might be a tiny bit more, but better than buying both separate.

It's all about what you want. Oh I've even seen Vizio 4k's with HDR for I think 799 or 999. Not sure which or what size, but somewhere in the 43-55" range.

Prices are dropping like a rock for 4k. Much, much faster than 1080p. A good price in 2010 for a 40" 1080p LCD was still $499. Now you can get bigger, 4k/60, for same price. Or as I've said been able to get a 4k/30 for $249-299 for the past two years.

Already own PS4 and XboxOne. Like the performance of standalone players. Really would like to go Oppo for my next player but they are really expensive.

 

[BigRedRage]

Don't bother with the curved TVs unless you want one just for "looks". It actually reduces the viewing angle and there are a ton of reviews that say it's simply a gimmick that actually reduces the quality of viewing verses it really being a feature that enhances it.

I am dying to pull the trigger on 4K OLED but prices are still too high and I want rock solid specifications on everything before pulling the trigger as well.

Not to mention that I really want a new 4K projector but most of the really good ones are using 4K shift which is pseudo 4K. They have some decent ones out but there are bunch more coming. Primarily I would like to go LED even in the Projector because of heat output.

i always thought the curved display seemed silly due to possible viewing angle issues. My current living room is set up to where you are rarely dead on center with the TV so viewing angles become very important.

 

[BigRedRage]

4ktv's are getting cheap. The OLED and HDR are premium features, but of course if you have the money, or are waiting for it, no problem.

My first 4ktv purchase was almost 2 years ago, a Seiki 39" for $299. Worked great, even got 3D going on it. Also did 1080/120. But it popped a cap or something. Got refund, put it towards a Vizio P-Series 55" for $799 and it can also do 1080/120 or 4k/60.

So yeah at this point, unless someone is going for the cheapest thing available, 4k of any kind is the right way to go. Everything now has at least a HDMI 2.0 and would be ready for any of the streams/disc based 4k content.

As for players, you may want to wait. Both the Xbox One S, Xbox Scorpio, and PS4 Neo should all have a 4k blu ray player in it.

So if you or any family members/kids like gaming, you should think about getting one of the consoles. Might be a tiny bit more, but better than buying both separate.

It's all about what you want. Oh I've even seen Vizio 4k's with HDR for I think 799 or 999. Not sure which or what size, but somewhere in the 43-55" range.

Prices are dropping like a rock for 4k. Much, much faster than 1080p. A good price in 2010 for a 40" 1080p LCD was still $499. Now you can get bigger, 4k/60, for same price. Or as I've said been able to get a 4k/30 for $249-299 for the past two years.

Already own PS4 and XboxOne. Like the performance of standalone players. Really would like to go Oppo for my next player but they are really expensive.

something i didnt know about until my internet went down the other day:
The XBOX Blue ray app does not work unless connected to the internet for some. stupid. reason.

 

[oaken1]

I may consider 4k...bedroom TV went out. what concerns me is the point of diminishing returns...I am getting older and my vision is failing...I do not see a huge difference between a bluray disc and a dvd right now on my plasma tv...slight difference, but not huge... just wondering how long I would actually be able to benefit from a higher resolution, if at all.
In the end I will likely upgrade though. Years of experience has taught me that even a cheap radio sounds good with awesome speakers, and even poor video looks better on an awesome tv...
my plasma tv is about 5 years old... just hoping I get another 3 or 4 years out of it before I have to buy another big one.

 

[Covert Rain]

i always thought the curved display seemed silly due to possible viewing angle issues. My current living room is set up to where you are rarely dead on center with the TV so viewing angles become very important.

Agreed. I don't mind new features if they bring something to the table. Curved screens are just a gimmick because manufacturers were trying to come up with something until 4K, new HDMI spec and HDR stuff settled.

something i didnt know about until my internet went down the other day:
The XBOX Blue ray app does not work unless connected to the internet for some. stupid. reason.

Weird. I guess I never tested that. I really don't use the Blu ray drives in my devices verses my standalone so I wouldn't have noticed it. I wonder if the new versions of both systems that are supposed to be full 4K functional will do the same?

All I know is I better save up because once I go 4K, I will want to replace my projector and other TVs as well. If it's anything like Blu Ray....once I upgraded one player I couldn't stand watching regular DVD's. They all seemed blurry to me once I adjusted.

My biggest hesitation is that 8K was prominent at CES this year. My brother in law (who works in the industry) is telling me that in their 8K Demo with HDR that the picture was visibly improved at almost any size TV which with 4K I don't see much of a difference smaller than 65". He said even on smaller sizes you will get that "looking through the window" impact. The flip side is that no market outside of Japan seems keen on doing anything past 4K at the moment so there won't be any material to support the format. Which is sad because he is convinced the industry should have skipped 4K all together and 8K really should have been the next leap.

 

[oaken1]

Agreed. I don't mind new features if they bring something to the table. Curved screens are just a gimmick because manufacturers were trying to come up with something until 4K, new HDMI spec and HDR stuff settled.



Weird. I guess I never tested that. I really don't use the Blu ray drives in my devices verses my standalone so I wouldn't have noticed it. I wonder if the new versions of both systems that are supposed to be full 4K functional will do the same?

All I know is I better save up because once I go 4K, I will want to replace my projector and other TVs as well. If it's anything like Blu Ray....once I upgraded one player I couldn't stand watching regular DVD's. They all seemed blurry to me once I adjusted.

My biggest hesitation is that 8K was prominent at CES this year. My brother in law (who works in the industry) is telling me that in their 8K Demo with HDR that the picture was visibly improved at almost any size TV which with 4K I don't see much of a difference smaller than 65". He said even on smaller sizes you will get that "looking through the window" impact. The flip side is that no market outside of Japan seems keen on doing anything past 4K at the moment so there won't be any material to support the format. Which is sad because he is convinced the industry should have skipped 4K all together and 8K really should have been the next leap.

sounds like the tv industry has learned apple economics..create a finished product, then remove 60% of the functionality, market it, sell it...then next year add back one feature and sell it all over again...
I had always considered my oldest son to be a bright kid,..straight "a"s in school and all that.... but that idiot has paid 800-1000 bucks for an iphone every year for the past five years.... makes me embarrassed

 

[Covert Rain]

sounds like the tv industry has learned apple economics..create a finished product, then remove 60% of the functionality, market it, sell it...then next year add back one feature and sell it all over again...
I had always considered my oldest son to be a bright kid,..straight "a"s in school and all that.... but that idiot has paid 800-1000 bucks for an iphone every year for the past five years.... makes me embarrassed

$800 to $1000? Did he not have plan subsidized phone? I get an upgrade at least every other year on my iPhone and have never come close to that amount and I usually upgrade to the latest.

 

[oaken1]

$800 to $1000? Did he not have plan subsidized phone? I get an upgrade at least every other year on my iPhone and have never come close to that amount and I usually upgrade to the latest.

part of that might be my fault. I will not spend a dime on an apple product,....he has been on my plan the past few years.... and he never likes the phone I get for him whenever we do upgrades...so he buys his own.

 

[Covert Rain]

part of that might be my fault. I will not spend a dime on an apple product,....he has been on my plan the past few years.... and he never likes the phone I get for him whenever we do upgrades...so he buys his own.

Ahhhhh. I am going to probably use the iPhone yearly upgrade plan as soon as my current contract runs out. We will see. I really like the new Samsungs but my wife likes how easy the iPhone is to use compared to Android phones.

 

[BillsCarnage]

something i didnt know about until my internet went down the other day:
The XBOX Blue ray app does not work unless connected to the internet for some. stupid. reason.

wonder if any of the certificates need to be authenticated or BD live running?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[BigRedRage]

wonder if any of the certificates need to be authenticated or BD live running?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

my xbox was not my home xbox at the time so that may explain it. It now is but I like the features and benefits of sharing the "home xbox games" and might do it again in the future. Just need to do it with someone that actually buys games as the buddy i did it with wasnt buying a damn thing =P

not being my home xbox meant when the net went down, I could not do ANYTHING. Not play games, nothing. I tethered my phone internet and connected that way, then changed my home box to my home box and had to start games and sync them before they would work online. It sucked up all my data for the month but at least allowed me to play video games for those 2 days i had no internet. I dont have cable so if the internet is down, I have no TV and video games become mandatory lol

 

[puckhead]

No, it's a total rip. I have been with DirecTV since the company first started. I finally dropped them this year and cut the chord. It's a rip-off. They are so desperate to get me back, they offered me $200 visa card, Genie HD DVR (which I already owned), 2 HD DVRs, HBO, Show Time for 6 months and free NFL Sunday Ticket.

I still said hell no.

Oh, here we go again.

:BIM: cord

 

[Covert Rain]

Oh, here we go again.

:BIM: cord

In my defense that was typed on my phone with auto-correct. Then again that means I spelled it really wrong to begin with. DOH!
Grammar police.

 

[puckhead]

In my defense that was typed on my phone with auto-correct. Then again that means I spelled it really wrong to begin with. DOH!
Grammar police.

Yeah, keep pumping that "my phone's auto-correct" well. That thing will never dry up.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yeah, keep pumping that "my phone's auto-correct" well. That thing will never dry up.

True. I guess no more than grammar policing on a forum to begin with. The lowest form of debate never gets old.

Messing with you puckhead. It's all good.