What is 4K?

4K ready cables.  4K televisions.  The term “4K” is being thrown around a lot lately and does anyone really know what it means?  I recently tried to explain the importance of 4K and how it will impact everyone’s life one day over dinner with a group of friends.  I was met with “I just don’t get it” comments.  Undeterred, I went to work and started a conversation on what is the best way to educate the consumer on the importance of 4K.  Other co-workers have had similar conversations with their friends and family members. 

“What is this 4K I keep hearing about? Should I care? Is this something that should be important to me?”

“I understand that it is something to do with TVs, but does that mean I have to replace all my other gear to go with it – a new Blu-ray player, a new AV receiver, new Blu-rays, new set top boxes or even new cables?”

“Will I have to upgrade my subscriptions to services like Netflix?”

These are some of the questions that came up in our office during our discussion of how to educate customers on the importance of 4K.  These questions led me to this blog post and what needs to be addressed first.  Metra Home Theater Group needs to define what 4K is for our customers before anyone will understand why it is important.

THE DEFINITION OF 4K – stands for four times the resolution of a high definition 1080p TV picture to newer TVs.  The picture looks stunning, especially with 4K content.  The terms 4K and/ or Ultra High Definition (UHD) can be used interchangeably.  So if you are in the market for a new TV, purchase a 4K TV because 4K is coming and according to statistics released by Strategy Analytics, half of U.S. homes will have Ultra HD/4K TVs by 2020.

Eventually, customers will have to purchase a new Blu-ray player and Blu-ray movies, but they are not available for purchase yet.  Most UHD TVs are Smart TVs which means you can watch UHD/4K content using Netflix or Amazon.  In addition, receivers older than six months may not support the UHD content.  Meaning, if you want to see UHD/4K content on your new TVs, you will need an updated receiver.  As the standard moves toward UHD, cables that support UHD content will have to be used in conjunction with your components.  Investing in UHD/4K ready cables will be necessary at this time.

The best advice that Metra Home Theater Group can give you at this moment is the following:  if purchasing a new TV and you plan on having it for 3 years, get 4K Smart TV and the UHD cables needed.  Start making the investment so you are prepared when 4K/UHD becomes the standard.