One of the most confusing terms in the television industry is HDTV. Anybody who has ever gone into a store to buy a new TV has probably been bombarded with this jargon, knowing next to nothing about what it means other than that it’s probably better quality than their current TV.
You may have already noticed that there is a huge jump in quality when watching a movie in HD. That’s because it was made with even higher technology than we have today. But did you also know that there is a huge difference between a regular HDTV and a 4K TV? The main difference is resolution. HDTVs offer you crisp images, clear voices and all around brilliance. But a 4K TV allows you to see fine details with even greater clarity.
While they look alike, a HDTV and a 4K TV are two very different products. The resolution of HDTV is higher than that of 4K. A 1080P HDTV can display images at a crisp, crisp visual quality whereas a 4K TV can produce images that appear much smoother because they were produced at a higher resolution. Both products are excellent for gaming, but there are some key differences between them that you need to be aware of before you choose which one to get. If you’re someone that spends a lot of time on building up their gaming PC and has the desire of owning both a high-quality TV and a powerful gaming machine, then the differences between the two products might be something that interests you greatly.
The HDTV vs. 4K TV debate is a common one in today’s market, but with some simple guidelines it can be easy to tell them apart. Here are the key differences for those unsure of what HDTV and 4K TV are:
Key Differences
The HDTV vs. 4K TV debate is a common one in today’s market, but with some simple guidelines it can be easy to tell them apart. Here are the key differences for those unsure of what HDTV and 4K TV are:
HD stands for High Definition while 4K is short for Ultra High Definition, both of which are video resolutions in the digital era. A resolution is the number of pixels that make up an image, nearly always expressed in terms of width times height. With a higher resolution you can very clearly see objects onscreen- particularly if they’re close or far away from your screen and fading into each other as they get farther away.
HD TV refers to a type of television that has a resolution which is considered high enough (480p or greater) for most people. HDTVs are capable of displaying 720p or greater, but have been dwindling in popularity due to the rise in 4K TVs. Most modern HDTVs can display 1080p, which used to be the most popular resolution for HDTV screens. With an HDTV you can watch any show that is shown on any regular television network and even some shows on cable networks that are broadcasted in 720p or greater. Also, some channels such as ABC, CBS and NBC have begun broadcasting 4K programs, which will give you a true-to-life picture.
A 4K TV is considered a high definition technology and is being used for Ultra HD television resolution. 4K TVs (also known as Ultra High Definition) are capable of displaying 3840 x 2160 pixels, or 8 million pixels on your screen. It displays more than four times the amount of information of HDTV and offers both better picture quality as well as higher frame rates with faster response time. These screens have become very popular in the past few years, costing several thousand dollars, and they’ll continue to rise in popularity.
If you’re looking for a television that will give you the best video quality then a 4K TV is what you should invest in. This type of screen can display images better than HDTVs as well as offer better overall picture quality. While not all TVs are capable of displaying in the Ultra High Definition format, those that do are capable of displaying varying degrees of 4K technology. It comes down to your viewing preference and if you’ll be watching older shows or movies on your new high definition TV, then an HDTV may be best for you.
HD TV is still a new technology and has been around for about 15 years, while 4K TV has only really become popular in the past few years. There still isn’t an over abundance of 4K content available to you, and older programs will look blurry and less defined on a 4K TV than an HDTV. Because of this there are those who are still unclear on the difference between an HDTV and a 4K TV. While there is certainly something to be said about being on the cutting edge of technology, it’s important to consider your wants and needs before making any purchasing decisions.
HDTVs are less expensive than 4K TVs, but don’t always give you a better picture quality over what you get from HDTVs. Most people with HDTVs say the picture quality is similar to what they see on regular cable channels. There are people who say that once they bought an HDTV, buying a 4K TV just wasn’t as important for them. Others don’t have a preference since both tend to look great on the screen and perform equally well (depending on your viewing habits).
Because most media providers are broadcasting in 1080p, this is the most common resolution that is available in today’s HDTV screens. Since 4K is new technology, streaming and Blu-Ray discs are the only way you’ll be able to watch television in a 4K resolution. Regular shows that are broadcasted on networks such as ABC, CBS and NBC can be watched on an HDTV since they’re still broadcasted in 720p or greater.
If you’re looking for the best video quality then investing in a 4K TV is your best bet because it has a higher resolution than anything else available today. If you just want to watch your favorite shows or movies on your new HDTV screen, then that may be good enough for you. However, at some point you may want to upgrade your television for the best experience possible on your screen.
While many people are moving towards their 4K TVs, it’s still a fairly new technology and only available in a limited number of televisions today. While price is the main reason you should consider an HDTV over a 4K one, it’s important to note that HDTVs offer the same quality as 4K TVs if not better. More importantly, HDTVs still perform well even when up scaled to 4K resolution. It’s not uncommon for people to watch TV with their HDTV screens unconverted to 4K, so getting a higher resolution isn’t going to necessarily improve your viewing experience yet.
Is 4K TV Worth It Over HDTV ?
If you’re in the market for a new TV, you’ve probably noticed that most TVs seem to have 4K resolution. You might be wondering if 4K is really worth the extra cost.
We think it is—but maybe not for reasons that will jump out at you right away. To understand why we think 4K TVs are worth it, we need to talk about what they do well and where their weaknesses lie.
The first and most obvious benefit of 4K is the increase in picture quality from 3,840 x 2,160p resolution to 8,294 x 2,736p. More pixels means more detail and deeper colors on screen which is why it has become a top choice for those who like watching sports or movies with a vivid picture.
Another huge benefit of 4K is that it offers improved frame rate. Frame rate is the amount of frames that the image on screen refreshes at. The faster this refresh rate, the smoother the video or animation appears. At 120 frames per second, 4K TV has a nearly four time increase in frame rate over regular 1080p televisions.
The final benefit of 4K television that we will go over is its price. While 4K televisions are more expensive than HDTVs they can still be found at slightly lower prices than some of today’s top HDTVs.
While the benefits of 4K are quite obvious, HDTVs do have a few of their own as well. In fact, there are some people who prefer HDTVs over 4K if they’re looking for something a bit cheaper. If you aren’t too concerned with detail and color and would rather focus on a wider or larger picture without spending too much money, an HDTV may be right for you.
Another benefit of an HDTV is their lower power usage. An increase in pixels in 4K TVs means that they also use more electricity each month than comparative HD televisions do. 4K TVs use about 30% more power than HDTVs which in turn costs more per month.
The final benefit that we will cover when comparing HD and 4K is the size of the television screen. While 4K televisions are getting bigger every year, there is still a hard limit on their size. This means that you’ll never be able to get as large of an HDTV screen as you can with a 4K TV without spending a ton of money.
