4k Televisions is there a point?

[JRowley]

Well, if you are using it as a computer monitor, you may suffer a drop in framerate on games as they have to deliver more pixels. That may or may not be important to you.

 

That's only if you ask the games to run at a 4K resolution, you don't have to do that, especially as currently the hardware and game engines to deliver 4K gaming content aren't really there. The point is that for £50 you could have a panel that will do 4K once the rest of the kit catches up. Otherwise when the kit does catch up and you want 4K you have to spend another £500 on a new TV.

Edited December 10, 2014 by JRowley

[mikecain]

bought a Samsung 65" 4K tv about 6 monts ago, and its amazing, upscales everything to 4k, with really good results. I love mine and wouldn't be without it now.

[pcstru]

There is a decent amount of nice 4k content on Netflix and Youtube. On larger screens 4k is massively better. What I really look forward to are decently priced 4k projector as once you get to 100"+ 4k is needed.

Rot! I have an Epson TW8200 projecting onto a wall giving a 3m/120" picture and it is flipping fantastic in HD.

[JJonas]

There is a decent amount of nice 4k content on Netflix and Youtube. On larger screens 4k is massively better. What I really look forward to are decently priced 4k projectors as once you get to 100"+ 4k is very noticeable.

 

Yes there are on Netflix and Youtube but they were referring to 4K programs from the likes of BBC at Sky being delivered by the traditional transmission methods rather than over the Internet.

[beancole]

I wouldn't bother. nothings filmed in it. give it a few years but not now. I reckon it will be a betamax jobby. wait for the next one.

[JRowley]

Yes there are on Netflix and Youtube but they were referring to 4K programs from the likes of BBC at Sky being delivered by the traditional transmission methods rather than over the Internet.

 

But the same argument can still be made to a degree for HD, there is some HD content but the vast majority of broadcasting isn't HD. You would still buy a HD TV though as it has other uses, and it's practically the only way to go these days. 4K broadcasting isn't currently available but that's not to say it wont be available in the future. 8K is even less likely to be broadcast given the amount of bandwidth it requires.

 

To be perfectly honest the days of TV being broadcast are limited, the bandwidth required going forward is going to grow substantially, we don't have every channel in HD and the market is already moving on from that. The only feasible way will be to stream it over the internet in future.

Edited December 10, 2014 by JRowley

[tmcd35]

HD and UltraHD isn't really about broadcast or streaming. It's about local content. Downloads and BluRay. In this market there's a wealth of HD and growing amount of UltraHD content. Then there's gaming. We're 5-6 years off from the next gen of games console, so I doubt there'll be too much of a push until then but it'd surprise me if next gen wasn't 4k. PC's will be doing 4k comfortably with cheap to mid range graphics cards in the next year or so, will there be enough games to support it though until consoles catch up?

[LosOjos]

To be perfectly honest the days of TV being broadcast are limited, the bandwidth required going forward is going to grow substantially, we don't have every channel in HD and the market is already moving on from that. The only feasible way will be to stream it over the internet in future.

 

I agree and I've been saying it to anyone who will listen for years! The only way I can see TV going is all on demand; on certain dates, new content is released (e.g. new episode of Gotham every Monday), from that point it's up to you when you watch it. No more TV schedules beyond release dates.

 

In fact I think the main reason we're not already there is that we have an awful network infrastructure in this country. Should have scrapped HS2 and invested the money in the network infrastructure, would have been exponentially more useful to everyone. IMO of course

[tmcd35]

I agree. On demand streaming is the future. But I think the reason we are not there is a little more basic than "awful network infrastructure". Companies like Sky and ITV don't want it to happen. They struggle to envisage a world in which they can make money without setting the schedule and cramming it full of adverts.

[Pottsey]

Yes there are on Netflix and Youtube but they were referring to 4K programs from the likes of BBC at Sky being delivered by the traditional transmission methods rather than over the Internet.

Most of the 4k TVs I have seen have been designed with Netflix and 4k streaming in mind. All the 4k TV’s I have seen in friends’ homes have come with free 4k Netflix as part of the TV package. I would estimate the majority of 4k content is via streaming.

 

Traditional transmission is on the way out. People who watch traditional transmission have dropped massively in recent years in some areas as high as a 50% drop. If someone is looking at a 4k TV then surly they will be looking at modern forms of watching TV like streaming?

 

EDIT: LG the TV the OP is looking at are one of the brands which have a high focus on Netflix and 4k Streaming.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Pottsey

[LosOjos]

I agree. On demand streaming is the future. But I think the reason we are not there is a little more basic than "awful network infrastructure". Companies like Sky and ITV don't want it to happen. They struggle to envisage a world in which they can make money without setting the schedule and cramming it full of adverts.

 

It's easier to force adverts via streaming though, as 4OD proves; you can't even fast forward past them! They still produce and commission the shows, they still decide when/where to make them available, they still charge you a subscription to access it - I can't see any reason they wouldn't want to do it to be honest. Plus it'd mean Sky can stop relying on satellites which you can't get a signal from if there's anything more than mild drizzle!

[JRowley]

The company driving 8K managed to broadcast an 8K piece of footage at 120fps (which runs at about 48Gbps, after compression it's 500Mbps) using today's tech, so it can be done. The problem is that for that single stream you can send 166 SD channels, or 50 HD channels. This should illustrate the issues with broadcasting going forward.

 

4K is going to be here for quite a long time, the bandwidth to stream 8K is just beyond our infrastructure (in every sense), even 4K is going to require serious changes if it is ever to be used for broadcasting. 8K panels probably aren't that much more difficult to make than 4K, but we don't have a physical format which can store enough data for it to be useful unless you spread a single 8K film over a boxset of blurays.

[tmcd35]

It's easier to force adverts via streaming though, as 4OD proves; you can't even fast forward past them! They still produce and commission the shows, they still decide when/where to make them available, they still charge you a subscription to access it - I can't see any reason they wouldn't want to do it to be honest. Plus it'd mean Sky can stop relying on satellites which you can't get a signal from if there's anything more than mild drizzle!

 

Hey, I'm with you. But then I'm not on the Sky board of directors either! Besides 4OD is a bad example. It's broken as hell. Rarely get though an entire program without the adverts causing an issue. Often I think it forgets what program I was watching when the ads finish. Usually it plays the same ad three times, nice.

[LosOjos]

8K panels probably aren't that much more difficult to make than 4K, but we don't have a physical format which can store enough data for it to be useful unless you spread a single 8K film over a boxset of blurays.

 

Or a single HVD (once they can make, print and sell them for less than £30 a piece!), which will of course mean another new disc player!

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Cable up a 12 volt battery to one end and then go lick all the loose leads in the comms room until you find the correct lead (this does work!, I can confirm it!).

Might want to do with with the business manager or someone with authority to verify the need for a tone generator !

 

Wrong thread?

[tmcd35]

Or a single HVD (once they can make, print and sell them for less than £30 a piece!), which will of course mean another new disc player!

 

Problem solved: 1TB Intenso Portable External Hard Drive - Ebuyer

[JRowley]

Problem solved: 1TB Intenso Portable External Hard Drive - Ebuyer

 

Not quite the same as buying a disc in the shops...

[Nibiru]

Plus it'd mean Sky can stop relying on satellites which you can't get a signal from if there's anything more than mild drizzle!

 

If you lose signal on the main channels in anything short of monsoon conditions there is something wrong with your satellite setup. The new high power Astra 2 series satellites are chucking out so much power you shouldnt lose signal unless the conditions are horrendously wet or there is wet snow sitting on the lnb on the arm of the dish. (IF your dish is correctly aligned, the connections are sound and the coax cable is undamaged)

 

There are a few mainly fairly minor channels still broadcasting of Eutelsat's decepit old 28A craft but that one is due to be retired in the not too distant future, with the channels moving over to the high power Astra's

[mac_shinobi]

Sorry if I am hijacking this thread a bit but am after a HD TV 1080P

 

Any suggestions - looking between 42" to 50"

 

Thanks

[Nibiru]

In fact one of the lads on the satellite forum I staff on recently managed to get a usable signal bouncing the incoming signals off a saucepan lid rather than a dish

[abillybob]

Not quite the same as buying a disc in the shops...

 

If you can buy a 1TB hard drive now for £40 I think you should be able to buy a 250GB hard drive for around £15-20 in a couple months time. I'm sure they could adapt a hard drive to be used like a disc for every film.

I did also hear companies are now looking into make 1TB Disc Will We Finally See A 1TB Optical Disc In 2015? | Gizmodo Australia

[LosOjos]

There are a few mainly fairly minor channels still broadcasting of Eutelsat's decepit old 28A craft but that one is due to be retired in the not too distant future, with the channels moving over to the high power Astra's

 

I've had numerous Sky engineers out to look at it. Last guy improved it somewhat with new LNB, but it's still sketchy in anything but clear blue sky. Have had similar experience in the past; I avoid Sky at all costs (the missus insisted this time as we can't get Virgin, 12 months with it has convinced her to ditch it!)

[JRowley]

If you can buy a 1TB hard drive now for £40 I think you should be able to buy a 250GB hard drive for around £15-20 in a couple months time. I'm sure they could adapt a hard drive to be used like a disc for every film.

I did also hear companies are now looking into make 1TB Disc Will We Finally See A 1TB Optical Disc In 2015? | Gizmodo Australia

 

You certainly could use hard drives in place of discs, however could you keep up with demand? You would need to produce somewhere in the region of 400 - 500 million hard drives every year if you wanted them to act as a viable replacement media for blu ray alone. That would basically mean doubling the quantity of hard drives produced every year.

 

To be honest, I have no idea how realistic that would be. I would expect that a different optical disc would be preferable due to the materials involved and simpler production methods, plus optical discs are more durable than hard drives and weigh less.

Edited December 10, 2014 by JRowley

[tmcd35]

Is the future really larger optical discs? Digital movie downloads set to take over from slumping DVD sales | Digital Trends Surely, if it was BluRay would have gotten a warmer reception? Whatever happened to Blu-ray? | ZDNet

[JRowley]

Is the future really larger optical discs? Digital movie downloads set to take over from slumping DVD sales | Digital Trends Surely, if it was BluRay would have gotten a warmer reception? Whatever happened to Blu-ray? | ZDNet

 

Considering the bandwidth required to stream 8K, which we were discussing, is between 250Mbps and 500Mbps depending on compression, yes I think the near future is larger optical discs, until such time that we get our hands on 500Mbps or 1Gbps internet connections. Which, given the progress BT OpenReach has made in getting us from 2Mbps to 20Mbps should be in approximately 30-50 years time.

 

And you imply that Blu Ray hasn't had a warm reception, but it still shifts around 500 million discs a year.

[Arthur]

I did also hear companies are now looking into make 1TB Disc

No need for 1TB discs when you have HEVC. Also, 4k UHD Blu-rays will be available by next Christmas.

 

www.cnet.com/uk/news/4k-blu-ray-discs-arriving-in-2015-to-fight-streaming-media