Is It Time For 4K TV? - Comments Page 2

I'll bypass buying the "sizzle" for now and wait until the "steak" arrives.

Our main cable/Netflix/dvd/Blu-Ray viewing LCD (Vizio) is just fine for its size:viewing distance ratio in our family room. Any better perceived resolution would just be a waste.

4K a waist out here in the country. internet comes in by Hughes Net so it would take several days to use up a months worth of download. after the second day of the month we would be in the 500kb range for the next 28 days.

We still have one of the 1998 HDTVs made by Hitachi. A 55" rear projection unit without HDMI and it still works fine. We also have a 55" Toshiba HDTV DLP technology which I'm getting tired of replacing bulbs in, but it still does the job. The market for TVs is in the dumpster so they are trying to stimulate sales. First they tried pushing 3D TVs and that didn't work. Now they're trying 4K TVs to get people to buy TVs again. All very nice, but when the bulb goes again in that Toshiba, I'll replace it with a 1080P HDTV that has no voice command, internet connections, or other gimmicks, etc.. I see no real advantage to 4K over HD. I know, I'm starting to sound like an old curmudgeon but I don't have Netflix or any other streaming online service. Don't need them as I still have several years worth of DVDs I have yet to watch.

About two years ago, I bought three new
TV's. They are working well and I have no desire to upgrade. Ironically, the three "old fashioned" TV's are working well in a friend's house. The "price" was right for my friend. This constant "better and "better" is not for the average person. Sitting down and watching a good program is still what it's all about. I do have Netflix,too.

About a year ago, I purchased a large HD plasma Samsung TV. I don't think anyone is making plasmas any more. I still think that for HD, plasmas STILL look better then UHD LCDs/LEDs. The plasmas have deeper blacks and greater viewing angles. Maybe in a few years, 4K will match the CURRENT plasma picture quality (other than pixel density).

Maybe this is another Betamax VHS situation. Beta was a better format then VHS. Sony held it as a proprietary format and, in general, Betamax players were more expensive the VHS. Eventually VHS won out.

I wonder what will come after 4K? Samsung introduced an 8K (SUHD) model at CES this year. Maybe by the time I'm ready to give up my plasma, I can skip the 4K phase.

I would rather have the snowy TV(antenna) from the 1970's and the analog cable of the 1980's, compared to today. At least there was a drama that lasted for 20 minutes between commercial breaks. Now I have 200 channels and have to keep changing the channel, because of the excessive commercial breaks.

What I find interesting is the sale of 4K video cameras and webcams. One can make their own videos in stuning details. Also, instead of having to buy a property along the shore, one could put an 4K camera and stream down the video to a 4K TV on the wall, so there you get an excellent ocean front view!

I currently have a Panasonic Plasma so I'm a little reluctant to ditch it just yet. Although everytime I go to Costco it gets a little harder. :-)

Great article as always Bob, thanks. Something to consider before buying is that, probably like here in Oz, free to air tv is mainly in SD (standard definition) Even cable, one has to pay extra for HD content. So, if most of what one watches is in SD, on a 4K box, it will look so crappy as the technology struggles to upscale low resolution to high resolution. I wish my son-in-law had asked me first, he wouldn't be so frustrated with his spanking new 4k with nothing to watch but cartoon like SD and GoPro footage that he has to take himself. ;-)

Bloody well right!! Bleeding edge is the cutting edge of the leading edge! 4K, for K, smore K - whatever........ for these worn out eyes, HD is plenty good. I also have never had pay TV. If THEY want to pump all of those ads into my house, THEY can pay ME!! amen....