4K TVs On Sale

What is 4K Ultra HD resolution?

To start with, 4K and Ultra HD (sometimes abbreviated to UHD) are not two different things. They both refer to the same resolution, but the names are mostly marketing choices made by certain manufacturers. 4K Ultra HD is all about resolution, meaning how many pixels are displayed onscreen to visualize the image you see when viewing your TV.

4K resolution is four times the pixels of 1080p HD (1920 x 1080), amounting to eight million pixels for 4K over two million for 1080p HD. You may also notice two different resolution standards. Commercial films, like those from Hollywood, are shot at 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160, whereas content for home theatre displays on 4K TVs at 3840 x 2160. Since movie theatre screens are longer horizontally, that’s where the extra pixels come in.

How are 4K TVs better than 1080p HD?

While 1080p HD is still common in both streaming and live video content, 4K provides a visual upgrade in a number of ways. Native 4K content, meaning a show or movie filmed at that resolution, will look sharper and more lifelike, especially on larger screen size tv's. The individual pixels are less obvious, smoothing out edges and tightening fine details, like hair, fur and textures.

Larger-sized TVs benefit the most from 4K because there is less of a chance the image will degrade on models that are 65-inches or higher. You can sit closer to a large 4K TV and not be able to discern the individual pixels that make up the image. It’s almost like sitting in a movie theatre in the comfort of your own living room.

TV manufacturers often include technology with the ability to upscale 1080p or 2K content to 4K resolution. While it won’t be able to match native 4K, it would be an upgrade over HD, especially when watching on a very big screen.

What sizes do 4K TVs come in?

While it’s easier to see the difference 4K makes on larger screens, there are TVs supporting it at a wide range of sizes. You can find models as low as 36-inches, to as high as 80-inches or bigger. The ability to sit closer to a 4K TV helps install one in any room, with the general rule of thumb being that you can comfortably sit back about one-to-one-and-a-half times the screen size.

There are many manufacturers who make 4K TVs, including Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense, Vizio, Sharp, Insignia, Toshiba and more. They may also support different screen technologies, like LED (light emitting diode) or OLED (organic light emitting diode), which can affect, not just the image quality, but also the TV’s weight and thickness.

Where is 4K content available?

4K content is widely available from a variety of streaming services, like Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube. Live TV via cable or IPTV is also available, with the largest providers offering channels broadcasting at the higher resolution.

A number of set top boxes also support 4K, including those from Roku, Nvidia, Apple and the Google Chromecast Ultra. The latest smartphones support 4K video recording, as do many DSLR, mirrorless and action cameras, letting you create your own videos and watching them later on a 4K TV.