is it worth investing in 4k tv now ?

[manjunath.forum.all]

is it worth investing in 4k tv now ? atmost we may buy some uhd or 4k blu ray movies to watch. i dont expect our current HD channels to move to 4k sooner.
The current manufactures ( i mean to good ones) are charging huge for the 4k tvs.

 

[balabala]

Yes,the upscaling is awesome,do not buy anything other than a 4k tv,full hd technology is that of last decadw.

 

[ratheesh]

Higher the dimension its better to up the resolution, doesn't matter which source we opt for. Up scaling works fine in most TVs but look out for capable processors and RAM.

 

[Kumar101]

Only thing is the new 2017 Models with HDR from big names like Sony, LG and Samsung are a bit overpriced.

May take a while before they come down to sensible prices.

 

[madhavk8]

Its not about uhd or full hd, Samsung LG Sony etc are bringing their premium display features mostly to UHD models and the hd models get plastic build, poorer panels with not as good picture quality.

4k or uhd honestly doesnt matter a lot unless you have native 4k hdr content but the display technology and premium features do matter which most of the full hd tvs today lack.

 

[audiopro]

All the top of the line models feature 4K so you really do not have a choice. Go with the flagship model or maybe one below the flagship or even last years flagship from Sony or Samsung and you will get excellent performance. Stay away from the IPS displays. Sony had two flagships last year and one was an IPS display. They look good in a showroom but have terrible blacks when viewed in a dark room.

 

[manjunath.forum.all]

Thanks all for the frank response. I suppose i will wait for some more time.Hope by next year world cup football 2018 , the prices fall.

 

[asliarun]

One thing to consider is that more than 4k, it is HDR that provides the real wow factor.

Another thing to consider is that our "source" is rapidly moving away from traditional cable and DVD/bluray to online streaming. Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.

And if you look at these streaming movie/TV providers, there is a surprising amount of 4k HDR content already available. So this is not just a theoretical upgrade but something you can indeed benefit from right away.

Obviously, you can wait another few years until 4k HDR becomes the norm and 4k HDR TVs are also available for bargain basement prices. So it is a personal choice how much everyone wants to pay for new technology and how soon to adopt it.

Another thing to consider is that a good 4k TV will also upscale non 4k content up to 4k. Obviously this is not as good as native 4k format, but it is still an improvement over 1080p in many cases. All this with the assumption that you are watching all this content in a large enough screen - my thumb rule would be 55" or bigger.

 

[noknor]

Things consider when buying
1) What is availability of 4k content. How much price you are willing to pay to get 4k content on your TV
2) The price of a 4K TV, whether it is worth investing the money considering point 1
3) Is it possible to put off buying 4k TV until when we have reasonable pricing

 

[arnprasad]

I have a 50 inch panasonic 720p plasma for 5 yrs now which i got for only 50K in 2012..also got a micromax full HD. For normal viewing..720p..1080p..4k wont make much of a diff unless u compare side by side - I am talking about wife, mother, kids...etc.

The fact that u can get 50+ inches 4K for around 50-60K - one can buy them (TCL..etc). If I have extra money I would rather buy a good home theater for the balance money than splurge on a Sony/Samsung 4K screen.

But again I am not a techie...somebody who goes home after a long day in office and watches some news, youtube...etc. 720p rules!!!:clapping::clapping::clapping:

 

[madhavk8]

I have a 50 inch panasonic 720p plasma for 5 yrs now which i got for only 50K in 2012..also got a micromax full HD. For normal viewing..720p..1080p..4k wont make much of a diff unless u compare side by side - I am talking about wife, mother, kids...etc.

The fact that u can get 50+ inches 4K for around 50-60K - one can buy them (TCL..etc). If I have extra money I would rather buy a good home theater for the balance money than splurge on a Sony/Samsung 4K screen.

But again I am not a techie...somebody who goes home after a long day in office and watches some news, youtube...etc. 720p rules!!!:clapping::clapping::clapping:

720p looks good because its Panasonic plasma. The picture quality the panel can deliver is more important than the resolution.

I had a Samsung 51D550 1080p 3D plasma until recently (panel stopped working) and it still delivers better picture than many of the 4k led tvs available today. I am checking out lots of tvs in stores and am constantly disappointed and still yet to figure out which tv to buy under 1L which can be a worthy successor of the 51D550 .

I think the Samsung 50MU6100 UHD (94k) , Samsung M5570 FHD(1.08 L) and the Sony 55W800d FHD(1.08L) seems to be ok options and price could be negotiated to 1L I guess

 

[dolfin]

One thing to consider is that more than 4k, it is HDR that provides the real wow factor.

Its true that HDR is a real deal for 4K but there are too many standards HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid-Log Gamma, Technicolor HDR, SL-HDR1... Everytime I open web, a new standard pops up

TV industry offered many things like 3D, Curved TV etc but without substance they all perished. HDR is a step towards real improvement in picture quality but it seems that too many cooks will finally spoil the soup...

Another thing to consider is that our "source" is rapidly moving away from traditional cable and DVD/bluray to online streaming. Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.

I agree with this. I get 1400 GB FUP limit every month at 50 MBPS. I no longer worry about streaming. Now a days 70% of my viewing comes from streaming YouTube, Amazon etc. Apart from PQ, I can watch what I want to watch at my leisure and not depend on the mercy of cable. However I still doubt that traditional cable or BluRay will ever be obsolete...

Obviously, you can wait another few years until 4k HDR becomes the norm and 4k HDR TVs are also available for bargain basement prices.

I think the rate at which new technology gets absorbed is increasing drastically. Full HD took over 6 years to go mainstream. 4K took half of that. I bought my 4K AVR three years back but it does not support HDR and I already feel outdated... In short no investment in technology is long lasting. Its individual's choice to be on the edge or be happy without it.

 

[asliarun]

Its true that HDR is a real deal for 4K but there are too many standards HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid-Log Gamma, Technicolor HDR, SL-HDR1... Everytime I open web, a new standard pops up

TV industry offered many things like 3D, Curved TV etc but without substance they all perished. HDR is a step towards real improvement in picture quality but it seems that too many cooks will finally spoil the soup...

There's theory and there's practical. My suggestion would be to look at what currently exists. Currently, Netflix and Amazon both have a fair amount of HDR 4k content. Both of them support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Here are more details in their site for Netflix and Amazon. My TV: LG B6 supports both. I can assure you that HDR on 4k is breathtakingly beautiful and well worth buying a 4k HDR TV for. If you wait for the industry to "settle" on the right HDR format, I feel it will be a birbal ki khichdi. It will never happen, and instead someone will come out with a 8k TV and some new format. They have to come up with these new formats constantly to sell more TVs and to keep creating hype. I really feel HDR10 and Dolby Vision are both here to stay and will represent most of HDR content - currently and for a few years to come.

I do not at all think HDR 4k is anything like 3D or curved or what not. It is indeed the real deal - the benefits are real, and there's reasonable amount of content you can currently enjoy. And as for streaming, Netflix requires 25mbps bandwidth for streaming 4k HDR (3mbps for 1080p) which is very much doable, i feel.

 

[arnprasad]

and for noobs like me...how would buying a 55inch Samsung for 1.5 lacs compare with say a 65 inch TCL for 70-80K? wouldnt an average super large screen be better than super good small screen?

again more from a normal person perspective...not for folks who look at color grading...etc

 

[ItsMe]

In consumer market, there will always be a segment for low end consumers (like 32" HD ready TVs now selling at 15kish) , and there will be a second segment for the mass market (like 42-52 inch full HD LEDs at 25-70k range), and there will be a third segment - the premium segment (like 50 - 70 inch 4K TVs priced above 100k) which only the upper crest can buy. It will always be the same , as consumer electronics giants always needs something new to get the premium segment moving. If you remember, 10 years back the 32 inch LEDs were a premium segment and now it has moved to the lowest segment. Technology evolves and there will always be something which consumers will be attracted to.
My advise in a nutshell is - if you can afford, definitely go for the 4K TV as it is the talk of the town now. An year down the line, 4K will move to the mass market segment and something new like 8K or 16K can come up, and you will have the same dilemma at that time. Enjoy if you can afford

 

[HE-MAN]

Simple and Short answer, Do you have a High speed Internet 30mbps or above with healthy FUP or unlimited if yes, Then 4k Tv is worth investing. Apart from Netflix, Youtube Amazon prime India has started showing some shows in 4K and HDR.

Things to remember before buying 4K Tv now, What HDR does it support and is it HDCP 2.2? Dolby Vision is freaking amazing but according to me having support for HLG will be more important, since they will use it for Live broadcasts.

 

[asliarun]

and for noobs like me...how would buying a 55inch Samsung for 1.5 lacs compare with say a 65 inch TCL for 70-80K? wouldnt an average super large screen be better than super good small screen?

again more from a normal person perspective...not for folks who look at color grading...etc

Please see the reviews of the TCL P-series. This TV has a higher rating across many dimensions than many other premium brands.

My two cents - size always matters. But for 4k vs 2k, it also matters how far away you are going to see the picture. If you will be sitting 10-12 feet away, a 65" 1080p might actually be just fine. But anything nearer, 4k is going to make a difference.

Also if you do a lot of daytime watching, a brighter TV is way better as it will ensure the colors do not look washed out.

I feel the contrast level, color gradient, black levels etc. are relatively minor points in comparison, or only applicable in very controlled environments like a dark room or a home theater setup.

 

[Anandkumarjaggi]

There's theory and there's practical. My suggestion would be to look at what currently exists. Currently, Netflix and Amazon both have a fair amount of HDR 4k content. Both of them support both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Here are more details in their site for Netflix and Amazon. My TV: LG B6 supports both. I can assure you that HDR on 4k is breathtakingly beautiful and well worth buying a 4k HDR TV for. If you wait for the industry to "settle" on the right HDR format, I feel it will be a birbal ki khichdi. It will never happen, and instead someone will come out with a 8k TV and some new format. They have to come up with these new formats constantly to sell more TVs and to keep creating hype. I really feel HDR10 and Dolby Vision are both here to stay and will represent most of HDR content - currently and for a few years to come.

I do not at all think HDR 4k is anything like 3D or curved or what not. It is indeed the real deal - the benefits are real, and there's reasonable amount of content you can currently enjoy. And as for streaming, Netflix requires 25mbps bandwidth for streaming 4k HDR (3mbps for 1080p) which is very much doable, i feel.

Hi,
I am interested in buying an OLED TV. Can you tell me if you watch DTH channels on your TV. If yes then for how many hours a day and if u see any signs of burn in on your by.
Thx.