4K TVs: How Much Resolution Do We Need?
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What about you, readers? How much resolution is too much? Are you looking forward to 4K TV? And do you think it's worth buying a 4K TV this early in the development of the technology? (One of our writers thinks not.) Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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The color gamut that 4K can display is far superior to that of 1080p. That being said, I'll be sticking with my plasma for the foreseeable future. People are correct that it is currently pointless to own a 4K display unless you are a graphic designer or something.
On a side note, for us fans of the late great podcast, it would be helpful if these "Your $0.02" videos were noted as such on the main dealnews page. Right now it's a guessing game trying to figure out which topic is worthy of the $0.02 treatment.
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For example, if you have a 50" TV, you would need to sit about 6 ft or closer to appreciate 4K. Most people I know site farther away than that, and they have smaller TV's! Mix this in with the fact that a significant number of people have less than 20/20 vision, the average viewing environment is not idea (high ambient lighting, reflections, glare, suboptimal viewing anlges, etc..) this 4K TV is a gimmick to sell a bunch of new TV's.
And another huge factor completely ignored is the bitrate on the video streams which is just as important as resolution. That's why HD Netflix streams often look much worse than SD DVD's!
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If I'm watching the NBA Finals, do I need to be able to count the pips on the dice on Chris Anderson's tattoo? Someone sitting next to Justin Bieber and Flo Rida in the front row of AA Arena, can't see as much as I can at home. I can see more details on Diane Sawyer's huge face than I can on my wife's. Seeing more than real life is no more "realistic" than seeing less is.
If your desire is to one-up your friends, go for 4K. If you've already bought every movie you would ever want to watch and subscribe to every cable channel and streaming service, but still have money to spend, go for 4K. I'll spend my money on content rather than resolution I don't need.