4K in the UK

[Colombianlove41]

Per Engadget:

4K in the UK? It could happen sooner rather than later, if viewers give a thumbs up to feedback tests currently being conducted by a British broadcaster. According to a senior figure at a company that is directly involved in the experiments, people are being asked if they can spot the difference between 4K and regular 1920 x 1080, which will help to decide whether the format is worthy of immediate investment. Our source refused to reveal which broadcaster is running the show, beyond saying that it has complete control over its pipeline right down to the set-top box, which hints at Sky or perhaps Virgin being likely candidates. When asked how 4K TV might be transmitted as a mainstream service, given that it contains four times the resolution of Full HD, he simply replied that the broadcaster would "compress the hell out of it," which surely only cements his credibility. Next stop, 8K.

Sweet News :movie:

 

[biscuitnoir]

We don't even get 1080p yet! Isn't that a little bit too early for the 4K technology

 

[Le Marquis]

completely agree with you Mehdi..When I see all the dvds still available around I guess we have some time before seeing the 4K arriving at home ...

 

[Wreck]

Hmmm, hope they arent acting like they are testing this in users homes because 4k tvs arent out ...

4k = new player and new tv. Blu-ray's can be upconverted and would still remain relevant.

 

[Jason Bourne]

Were a good 10 years away from 4K content being mainstream... even then it may fall short, lose steam and become the next "laserdisc".

The move to 1080p and some form of hi-def disc (which obviously blu-ray won over hd-dvd) was inevitable as the difference from tube TV's to flat screens combined with hi-def resolutions was HUGE! 4K is not so much of a difference until you get into HUGE tv sizes or projectors where the images being projected are very large. For most people that own TV sets up to 60" the difference between 4K and 1080p is negligible and barely noticeable. Also the sexy allure of "Flat panel tv's" being introduced along with 1080p really helped boost the switch to hi-def hardware and media as a lot of people were buying high def tv's without any care for hi-def really. People bought the tv's because they looked nice and just now are realizing hey what is this HD stuff that looks so cool. To people on this forum it may seem thats an over exaggeration but really it isn't. People bought hi-def hardware without even knowing it. And this has helped a tremendous amount to get blu-ray and 1080p media sold and mainstream since so many people unknowingly now have the TV's to support the format.

3D was a marketing team's wet dream with its "cool" factor and boy did/have they promoted it like that but still people have not adopted it in their homes. I mean people are still buying dvd's folks!!! DVD's were introduced to the US market in 1997 and it took the studios until 2005 to announce the last few titles that would ever be produced on VHS.... VfreakingHS!! <<< 4K is a LONG way's away without a doubt in my mind.

Ive seen a lot of talk and chatter about 4K content and to me its super premature. I can see a lot of people with deep pockets and huge theatre setups in their homes committing early one but thats about it.

 

[OxfordNick]

One day I'll be asked to be a part of one of these trials for new and cool tech. Well either that or he'll will freeze over.

 

[JPBoston]

This 4k stuff is insane. Especially when we're talking cable/satellite. They're not even fully entrenched in HD yet.

They can't even compress 1080p... forget that... 720p correctly. And they want to step up to 4K? Gimme a break. I still see blocks and junk whenever movement is somewhat quickly paced in 720p TV shows. If a camera has the audacity to move? I may as well be looking at a lego stop-motion remake of the show.

Plus... how big will our screens need to be in order to see the difference? If the majority of theaters project at 4K on their massive screens, how the hell will I see the difference on my 120" home projector? Besides, I'd rather have less compressed 1080p then highly compressed 4K, I can all but guarantee that.

Really wish these tech companies would at least ATTEMPT to get current generation technology correct before moving on to the next best thing.

 

[Jason Bourne]

This 4k stuff is insane. Especially when we're talking cable/satellite. They're not even fully entrenched in HD yet.

They can't even compress 1080p... forget that... 720p correctly. And they want to step up to 4K? Gimme a break. I still see blocks and junk whenever movement is somewhat quickly paced in 720p TV shows. If a camera has the audacity to move? I may as well be looking at a lego stop-motion remake of the show.

Plus... how big will our screens need to be in order to see the difference? If the majority of theaters project at 4K on their massive screens, how the hell will I see the difference on my 120" home projector? Besides, I'd rather have less compressed 1080p then highly compressed 4K, I can all but guarantee that.

Really wish these tech companies would at least ATTEMPT to get current generation technology correct before moving on to the next best thing.

EXACLTY. Great post!

 

[Wreck]

Actually it has been said they would use the larger size BD discs that they dont currently use for 4k. I'm just more happy that it will remain blu-ray ...

 

[JPBoston]

Actually it has been said they would use the larger size BD discs that they dont currently use for 4k. I'm just more happy that it will remain blu-ray ...

That's good news, especially if current gen BD players will be able to properly work with 4K discs.

But my post was more in regards to Cable/Satellite pushing 4K.... annoyed since the 720p/1080i content we get now looks horrible, can't imagine how much they'll compress 4K to push that thru the pipes.

 

[surfury]

The broadcast system in this country (UK) has its knickers in a twist about the current technologies so announces next gen tech as the way forward. I have one word for it: B**L*X. The general infrastructure for terrestrial broadcasting still doesn't exist here. For those who are unaware there are 5 terrestrial channels in UK and 1 sometimes 2 cannot be accessed by everyone in the country.

The broadcasters think that because they've switched from analogue to digital everything in the garden's rosy; it isn't. They live in a cloud cuckooland. In the meantime whilst they've been sorting that out, people have moved on through broadband, podcast, streaming et al, REAL digital but their answer then is to throttle back on the quality of streaming when they pick up on it, I give you BBC iPlayer for instance. The broadband (cable etc) network will deliver at a fast enough rate for 720 possibly but certainly not if junior's gaming, and now they want to raise it higher. Ridiculous.

 

[JPBoston]

Also forgot to mention another annoyance I have...

Display technology still isn't even close to perfect in 1080p. DLPs have rainbow effect, not so great black levels, and can't even display 1080p without some bs 'wobbulation'. Plasma gets burn in and temporary burn in. LCD looks weird and artificial. LCoS was great, but too fragile (always dying). Plasmas and LCDs can have problems with features that cause strobing black levels.

Yet we're gonna start seeing 4K TVs from these companies before they can even give me a legit 1080p set at a consumer level price. Gimme a break.

 

[Wreck]

That's good news, especially if current gen BD players will be able to properly work with 4K discs.

But my post was more in regards to Cable/Satellite pushing 4K.... annoyed since the 720p/1080i content we get now looks horrible, can't imagine how much they'll compress 4K to push that thru the pipes.

Actually no ... read an article it said it could not update a player via firmware would have to be new hardware. ie. new player.

 

[93Cobra]

Personally, I cant wait for 4k!!..LG will be releasing a 84inch 4k tv in early 2013 for $20k!!!
I think by fall 2013 we will see a decent priced 60inch 4k for around $4,000..The Oppo bd player, is already 4k enabled and there are a bunch of receivers with 4k pass through available...Alot of theaters are running 4k projectors already and sony makes a highly priced 4k home projector ($25k)!!..

 

[Sir Hilary Bray]

I'll wait until they are about a grand.

 

[Nisei]

Personally, I cant wait for 4k!!

Why? Can you spot the individual pixels on your 1080 TV/projector at normal viewing distance?

 

[93Cobra]

Why? Can you spot the individual pixels on your 1080 TV/projector at normal viewing distance?

On certain things yes..I dont have a huge room, so the clearer the better..I would love to have a 70 or 80 inch screen and still only sit 8 ft from the screen

 

[Naughtius Maximus]

Colombianlove41, i thought you were running a '4k in the UK'

 

[Researcher]

Jason and JP - both great posts, I would love to have 1080 or even proper 720p come through perfectly. but i guess the marketing depts of big colossal tv manufacturers, player manufacturers and cable companies would love for us gullible folks to shell out big bucks for new and maybe as yet unnecessary products!
I can't get my set top box to show HD content when it's cloudy outside for gawd's sake!