Buy 1080p set now, or wait for 4k sets

[rantbot66]

Looking to upgrade some of my AV gear this year and am very close to buying a Panasonic GT series plasma.

Noticed that there's been a lot of talk about 4k sets at this years CES and heard someone saying that these would be available in the home sooner rather than later (aside from the lack of 4k content).

Should I buy a 1080p set now and enjoy that for the next 5 years, or is it worth holding off for a year once 4k sets start to become more cost effective?

 

[bigboss]

I don't think 4K sets will become cost effective within a year. It'll take 2-3 years at least, if not more. There's still no clarity about how are we going to get 4K content in the UK. If I was in the market today, I would buy a 1080p set & enjoy for the next 4-5 years. The rate of fall in 4K prices will easily compensate for your investment in a 1080p set.

 

[laserman16]

I don't think 4K sets will become cost effective within a year. It'll take 2-3 years at least, if not more. There's still no clarity about how are we going to get 4K content in the UK. If I was in the market today, I would buy a 1080p set & enjoy for the next 4-5 years. The rate of fall in 4K prices will easily compensate for your investment in a 1080p set.

Good advice.

 

[GSB]

There is the whole 4k content issue to be solved,i read somewher that the big manufacturers arn't even considering 4k sets for europe!

OLED would be my consideration for my next set,but again new technology (pricey and glitges)...wait five year and they should be in the mainstream.

 

[chris hollands]

The content storage is an enormous problem for the manufacturers, a problem they have not resolved , even though they are bringing out TV`s and projectors that cater for 4K.

The latest spiderman film on blu ray would require 123 discs to store it in 4K !

 

[bigboss]

The latest spiderman film on blu ray would require 123 discs to store it in 4K !

What consumers will get will almost certainly be compressed material, even though advertised as 4K.

Spiderman 4K compressed takes 56GB space. This is what they will sell under the guise of 4K. 100GB blu ray discs are already there, to handle it.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/01/sony-xbr-4k-led-ultra-hdtv-hands-on/?m=false

This is the fastest and most likely way to get 4K content. Let's see what the manufacturers come up with. A part of me thinks that the PS4 will kickstart the 4K (or Ultra HD) revolution, similar to what PS3 did with blu rays.

 

[chebby]

The latest spiderman film on blu ray would require 123 discs to store it in 4K !

That's where streaming comes in. (Once every populated area in the UK has cheap, multi-Gigabit per second, no limits, fibre optic broadband).

Or Sky. (They have already tested 4K). Just imagine the monthly subscription!

Or bundled content on HD from the TV manufacturer.

Or content that is upscaled from 1080.

There will be no more terrestrial bandwidth left for 4K. There is barely enough for a few HD channels now, so it will either be satellite, broadband or 'bundled' content on HD bought at purchase. (Although Sony won't be doing this in the UK.)

Or we could all pile around to George Michaels place (he bought three sets from Harrods) or the Sultan of Brunei's palace (he has six of the 84" sets.)

I am guessing that 4K is going to do well in the USA, Russia, China, Singapore, S.Korea and Japan but fail in most parts of Europe because we are (or will be) financially and technologically bankrupt.

Then there is 8K. Then 8K in 3D, then 16K...

 

[GSB]

Whatever they decide i think 4k+ will be aimed at the projector market.As chebby said we havn't the infrastructure in the uk,and i doubt there would be the demand to warrent the massive investment either.It's something that doesn't excite me tbh.

By the way i'm still ploding along with upto 2gb broadband |(

 

[chebby]

By the way i'm still ploding along with upto 2gb broadband |(

Lucky you!

I only have 20Mbps. 2Gb would be lovely

 

[bigboss]

By the way i'm still ploding along with upto 2gb broadband |(

Lucky you!

I only have 20Mbps. 2Gb would be lovely.

Enjoy dreaming about 4K streaming then!

 

[daveh75]

.As chebby said we havn't the infrastructure in the uk,and i doubt there would be the demand to warrent the massive investment either

That kind of backwards thinking is why we're lumbered with TV platforms with no bandwidth, and CP/ISPs that are taking the cheaper (in the short term) easy option of rolling out hybrid systems that are becoming defunct before they've finished implementing them, etc, etc

 

[GSB]

.As chebby said we havn't the infrastructure in the uk,and i doubt there would be the demand to warrent the massive investment either

That kind of backwards thinking is why we're lumbered with TV platforms with no bandwidth, and CP/ISPs that are taking the cheaper (in the short term) easy option of rolling out hybrid systems that are becoming defunct before they've finished implementing them, etc, etc

Your right,it is backward thinking...rather like the internet service in this country :boohoo:

 

[rantbot66]

Thanks everyone for some great replies.

1080p it is, while the 4K platform sorts itself out and the prices come down.

I wasnt sure to be honest, as this time last year I was reading 4K was 10 years away and then CES happened and it seems like sets are coming to market in the next few months. But yes, the content delivery system is the kicker - that's 10 years away I would say, unless someone figures out holographic and / or quantum storage. Saying that, the studios are getting their back catalog ready for 4K.

Again, thanks for the responses - first post here.

 

[D3CYPH3R]

While i would agree to get a 1080p tv now and see what happens, 4k content will be hear possibly sooner than most think http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding the new standard has shown a 50% efficiancy boost over h.264 so although the amount of data increases they have halved the space it would need to take up on a disc/stream.