What you need to know about 4K technology

If you listen close enough to the murmurs on the tech circuit, everyone seems to be talking about 4K. It’s a revolutionary technology that is changing the way people view image quality. As of now, many major television manufacturers in the market like Sony, Samsung, LG and Vu are already offering 4K TV sets. But TV is just one parameter that 4K has extended to. Its reach is far wider, among smartphones, cinemas, computer monitors, tablets and video games. In the next few years, pretty much everything that records video or displays videos has the possibility of acquiring 4K tech.

So here is what you need to know about 4K technology:

What 4K means

In essence, 4K means one key thing — more pixels, 8 million more to be precise. This works out to about 4 times what a 1080p TV set is capable of displaying. This translates to more pixels, which automatically means better picture quality. If you look at your television set like a grid, with rows and columns, a full HD 1080p image would be 1080 rows high and 1920 columns wide, whereas a 4K image would be double those numbers.

It is referred to as ‘4K’ because the images are about 4,000 pixels wide. While the 1080 resolution was named after image height, 4K was named after image width and might also be referred to in some circuits as 2160p.

What the extra pixels will do

The extra pixels actually mean more information and sharper pic ture quality — meaning content that is more compelling and fun.

A noticeable difference?

There is similar jump in resolution from SD (480 lines high) to HD (1080 lines high). 4K screens are known to be noticeably sharper than the 1080p screens. The important thing to note about 4K technology is that you will only be able to see the difference if you are either watching 4K content on your new 4K set, or if you are sitting close to it.

Should you buy one now?

If it is on your agenda to have the most topof-the-line TV set that money can buy, then you may go in for a 4K TV set. Remember, you should choose a product that is fairly future-proofed.