As anyone with a technology obsession can attest, the most exciting terms in recent years have been 4K, 8K and UHDTV. But why did the industry have to make it so confusing?
Fun & Confusing Facts
- The industry named 1080 resolution after image height, but named 4K after image width
- K refers to pixels
- 4K televisions have about four times the pixels of what your current 1080p set can display. Another words, you could fit every pixel from your 1080p set into one quarter of a 4K screen. See image below.
- 4K = 8 Million Pixels
- 8K = 32 Million Pixels
- 4K can be also referenced as 2160p
- UHD is any display that has a resolution of more than 3840 by 2160
- UHD is the same as 4K and 8K
- 8K displays are only used for movie theaters or very large screens
Seeing the Difference
You will only see the difference with a 4K television if you are watching 4K content through it and if you’re sitting close enough.
Pixel Difference Between Displays
Current 4k Content Options
Direct TV released a press release on 11/13/2014
The press release reads in part:
“DIRECTV will begin offering a variety of new releases, popular films and nature documentaries in 4K, the industry’s best picture quality that features life-like clarity with nearly four times the resolution of HD. DIRECTV has teamed up with Samsung, the leading brand in UHD TVs, as its exclusive CE 4K UHD launch partner. Customers who have DIRECTVs Genie HD DVR will be able to watch 4K programming on supporting 2014 Samsung UHD TVs.”
Below are several other options for 4K content.
If you have any questions about 4K, 8K and UHD televisions, please feel free to contact us. We can answer any questions you may have.