With the LCDs becoming obsolete and consumers losing interest in LED and 3D technologies, consumer-electronics firms are thinking of promoting a new display technology called 4K. Below is an expert guide to the 4K display technology.

Q. What is 4K display technology?
A. 4K is a new display technology which can phenomenally improves the display quality of televisions and computer monitors. Also known as Ultra High-Definition, the new technology offers a resolution of 3,996 * 2,160 pixels.

4k TV

Q. How superior is 4K to the existing display technologies?
A. 4K display provides almost four times clarity when compared to the conventional display technologies like Full HD which have a maximum resolution of 1080p (1920 * 1080). Pictures on the 4K display look razor sharp and have better detail when compared to the existing display technologies.

Q. How big can the display of a 4K screen be?
A. The maximum possible screen for the present HDTV sets with out losing any depth and clarity is just 80 inches. As 4K has 8.3 megapixels per each frame , Ultra HD screens can be made up to 160 inches without losing any depth.

Q. Where can we get 4K content?
A. Being a new to the world technology, very little content is now available in the market now for the 4K technology. The production of 4K content is still in a very nascent stage with very few movies like ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, ‘District 9’, and ‘Knowing’ now available in this format.

Q. Where is the 4K content be stored?
A. Storage devices for 4K content are almost non-existent now. A Ultra High-Definition movie will have 216,000 frames (with 24 frames for second). With each frame containing 8.3m mega-pixels a full movie in 4K need a 5.6 terabytes of storage space. Technology companies are working to develop a four layered Blu-ray disc which can hold a movie in the 4K format.

Q. Is it possible to download or stream 4K content online?
A. It is not possible to download or stream 4K content online with the available bandwidth. A minimum bandwidth of gigabit a second is needed to download or stream 4K content. Very few homes around the world now have such high speed broadband connections.

Q. Then how can we watch 4K content in our homes?
A. To over come the limitations regarding the storage of 4K content, Sony has launched a media server. The media server has 10 4K movies preloaded on it and comes bundled with the Ultra HD televisions. But, it is not possible to load new content on to the media servers.

Q. Are 4k televisions available in India?
A. Sony has recently launched  an 84 inch television, Sony BRAVIA 84 4K priced at Rs. 16,99,900.

Q. Should I buy one?
A. No. Unless you are super rich and want to makes your friends and neighbors jealous. Wait till the prices of 4K technology come down and good quantity of content is made available by movies studios, cable networks, and technology companies.