What is 4K TV?

What's the deal with 4K?
Read on to find out.

What is a 4K TV?

4K TV resolution has emerged as a pinnacle of visual technology in recent years. As the demand for high-definition viewing experiences is on the rise, 4K quality TVs have gained immense popularity with customers, all thanks to stunning clarity and immersive detail that sets them apart from other standard resolutions. If you are contemplating buying a new screen, keep reading to learn more about 4K TVs and why you must bring one home today.

What is 4K resolution?

Let’s start from the beginning! The number of pixels in an image or the image's pixel density is known as resolution. Now, you may wonder what a pixel is. A pixel is a tiny square within a larger image that projects a part of the image. This means, that the more pixels in an image, the better the quality.

A 4K TV is a TV set with 4K resolution. That means the TV has 3,840 horizontal pixels and 2,160 vertical pixels, for a total of about 8.3 million pixels. On TV product specifications, resolutions are usually shown as "3840 x 2160" for 4K TVs.

When approximately 4000 pixels align horizontally, the image is referred to have 4K resolution or 4K quality. You may also have heard 4K being referred to as 2160p. As discussed above, the number refers to the number of vertical pixels in a 4K image. However, the ‘p’ in 2160p does not stand for pixels. It actually stands for ‘progressive scan’, a way in which pixels are loaded into a video frame so that all of them can appear simultaneously.

How good is the picture quality?

Let’s discuss why a 4K resolution TV may be the right pick for you. The first obvious benefit is that 4K TVs provide improved picture quality, with over four times the number of pixels found in a standard HD screen. Another advantage of a 4K quality TV is that you can opt for a larger screen without having to compromise on picture quality. Since 4K TVs have gained immense popularity in the last few years, there are multiple model options for customers to choose from.

4K TVs have four times more pixels than traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs. Even on TV screens of the same size, the 4K quality ends up being more vivid and detailed thanks to the greater pixel density. This difference is especially obvious in big-screen TVs. For example, if you compare the quality of a traditional 65" Full HD TV to a 65" 4K UHD TV, you'll notice a difference in the pixels that make up the screen. For high-resolution TVs, the pixels are smaller than in a lower-resolution TV of the same size, so you can enjoy a more immersive experience without restrictions on viewing distance and watch from up close without noticing the individual pixels. A big advantage of a 4K TV is that you can opt for a larger screen without letting your image quality take the hit.

With 4K quality, you can enjoy picture quality like never before. While 1080p resolution might take up less space on your devices, they are far lower in quality than 4K quality videos. This means that they usually have lower detail quality and if you try to zoom in or stand quite close to your monitor, you will be able to identify individual pixels in an image. Recording videos in 4K resolution also gives you a great advantage when it comes to post-production and editing. You can enlarge a 4K quality video without losing on image quality and you can also edit elements neatly.

What 4K content is available?

When 4K TVs were first introduced, there was not much 4K content to watch. This led to hesitancy to purchase these TVs. Now there's so much 4K content available that it's no longer an issue.

Currently, there are various forms of 4K content from 4K broadcasting and 4K streaming services to 4K Blu-ray players, discs and even UGC videos filmed with 4K cameras or 4K smartphones. There are approximately 80 channels worldwide that broadcast in 4K (according to Wikipedia), and VoD services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Rakuten also offer a wide range of content such as 4K movies and TV series. Plus, if you have a 4K Blu-ray player you can easily purchase and enjoy 4K videos from places like Amazon.com.

Recently, a lot of people have been enjoying filming videos using 4K cameras or smartphones with built-in 4K cameras and sharing that content with other users through video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. So, feel free to explore whatever catches your interest.

Enjoy all your content in
4K-like quality

It would be great if all recorded content were filmed in 4K, but there's still a lot of lower resolution content out there in comparison to 4K content. However, thankfully this is not a concern because of 4K upscaling.

So, what is 4K upscaling and what can it do for you?

If you want to watch lower-quality FHD content on a 4K TV, upscaling is the technology that increases its resolution, converts, and optimizes it to fit the display panel of a 4K TV. In other words, it doesn't just stretch the image — it upgrades it for the 4K display. Upscaling automatically analyses resolution to reduce noise, improve details, and provide optimum contrast and color so that you can view this content in 4K-like quality. And since every brand does upscaling differently, be sure to choose the one that does it the best.

We are now in the midst of transitioning from 1080P resolution to 4K quality. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, and more now offer 4K resolution shows and movies. Even in the realm of broadcast television, the number of 4K channels is steadily increasing. Not to forget that Facebook and YouTube now allow 4K quality videos and even gaming consoles are beginning to offer 4K quality content.

The city night view displayed on the TV screen is divided with 4K resolution and Full HD resolution picture quality. The 4K-like picture quality on the right side brings a more realistic image than the other side showing Full HD picture quality. The city night view displayed on the TV screen is divided with 4K resolution and Full HD resolution picture quality. The 4K-like picture quality on the right side brings a more realistic image than the other side showing Full HD picture quality.

4K vs UHD

To put it simply, UHD stands for Ultra High Definition and 4K Resolution is a type of UHD resolution.

Different brands use various expressions such as Ultra HD, 4K TV, Ultra High-Definition TV, and 4K UHD TV. As time passed, the TV industry found the phrase "4K" easier and more intuitive for consumers and began to use it more and more. Today most manufacturers and distributors now use the term 4K TV or 4K UHD TV.

It is time for you to choose the finer things in life. Bring home a Samsung 4K TV today and explore exceptional picture quality, pixel density, and much more. These TVs are designed to bring your favorite fictional characters to life. Explore the best of content in 4K realism and take your entertainment experience a notch higher. Browse our range of 4K TVs and choose the size that fits your space the best.

Get on board
with 4K

Considering buying a high-resolution TV? Check out a wide range of 4K TV from Samsung Malaysia now.

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