The future of television has been bestowed upon us. 4K compatible televisions are making their way into our homes and onto our streaming devices. The thing about this brand-new viewing feature is, it comes with terms and conditions, as does most new technology.
The resolution is beyond anything you have watched before, as this feature has four times the pixel count of your average HD display. The detail and flow in the picture create a new and improved quality TV experience. Of course, adding this new device with the sharpest picture on the market seems to be a no-brainer, but can this 4K TV technology be viewed on any program with any content? Simply put, no it cannot.
Broadcast TV is the television programming that is brought to you via a cable provider or an antenna. This programming is not produced in 4K quite yet because of the size requirements for the resolution. Having four times as many pixels means that the material would be substantially more complex to distribute to the public through broadcasting. If and when the technology is updated to handle this resolution, the 4K picture will be easier to relay to customers.
Do not get discouraged though! There are streaming services that currently have 4K content including Netflix, Amazon, Google, and Disney+. This doesn’t mean that 100% of their content is produced in 4K resolution. They do have select movies and shows to choose from on the platforms at this quality, if you select the correct plans within these services.
When streaming content with 4K resolution, bandwidth is an important factor in the quality of the experience. These streams require at least 30 Mbps to view and that is just for a single device. If you have multiple devices within your home running at the same time, then you would need to look into a higher bandwidth to handle all the equipment.
Speaking of equipment, you will need a 4K compatible television to watch these shows in the highest resolution. If the television does not have all the app options you are looking for, you will need a 4K compatible streaming device, such as the newest versions of Apple TV and Roku, Amazon Fire Cube, and Chromecast Ultra. If you are a gamer, there are devices to play video games in 4K resolution as well. A couple of the top 4K gaming products include Xbox One X, Playstation 4 Pro, and Nvidia Shield TV.
You may be feeling a little skeptical about the 4K products and all the components required to enjoy it, but the quality can be a major benefit to your home entertainment. Before purchasing the updated technology, just make sure you understand that not everything will be viewable in 4K resolution. Shop around for the television that offers all needed features and assure that all of these devices are 4K compatible. Make sure you know where to look for the best content and that your Internet services can handle all of the streaming within your home. With regards to our tv boxes, none currently are 4K compatible.
When you have established all of these important factors, you are golden! Sit back, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the show.
