A SIMPLE gadget blunder might be completely killing the quality of your TV picture.
If you’ve got a posh new 4K television and you’re ready to enjoy Ultra HD content, make sure you’re actually getting what you’ve paid for.
WHAT IS 4K?
To understand what’s going, it’s worth knowing what 4K actually means.
The terms 4K, Ultra HD, and UHD all mean basically the same thing.
It refers to the resolution of a screen or a piece of content, and is counted in pixels.
A Full HD screen has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which totals about two million pixels overall.
And 4K has four times that: roughly eight million pixels.
The idea is that with more pixels, you can show a much greater level of detail.
That’s because you have more squares in a grid to fill with colour.
Not all TV models have 4K screens.
So if a TV screen doesn’t have as many pixels as the 4K content you’re trying to watch, it won’t show the full level of 4K detail.
Thankfully 4K TVs aren’t too expensive these days – but even if you buy one, you’re not guaranteed to get a 4K picture.
WHY YOU’RE NOT SEEING 4K
The problem with 4K is that there are lots of things that can ruin it for you.
First up, make 100% sure that you’ve actually got a 4K TV.
Next, you’ll need to ensure that you’re watching 4K or Ultra HD content.
Even if your TV is 4K, you won’t see such high levels of detail unless the movie you’re watching is being streamed or display to you in 4K.
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Usually apps like Netflix or Amazon Video will flag it up as 4K Ultra HD so you can be sure you’re watching 4K.
The next problem you might have is if you’re using a streaming stick.
If you’re watching via an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a Roku box, or some other kind of plug-in device, that also needs to be 4K too.
Cheaper versions of these devices often don’t support 4K at all.
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So even if you have an expensive 4K TV and some Netflix Ultra HD content, it’ll be downgraded if you’re using a cheaper Amazon Fire Stick.
That means you need to make sure you’ve bought a 4K Amazon Fire Stick too – which often costs double the price of a regular model.
If you’ve bought the wrong one already, you’ll have to fork out for a new version to get 4K.
You’ll also need to check the specifications of your particular streaming stick to make sure you’re using the right cables and ports.
What is 4K, Ultra HD and UHD?
Here’s an easy guide to what 4K means…
- 4K, Ultra HD and UHD are all different names for the same type of TV screen. 4K refers to the number of pixels on your TV screen – or the “image resolution”
- The pixels are the tiny dots of colour that make up the image you see on your telly. A pixellated image is one where the pixels are really obvious, because there aren’t many. But images with lots of pixels – like a 4K movie – generally look sharper and clearer
- A true 4K screen has 4096 x 2160 pixels. That means on your TV screen there are 3840 pixels across, and 2160 pixels vertically. That’s roughly 8.3 million pixels on the display in total
- 4K gets it’s name because it’s got four times the number of pixels as a standard Full HD TV
- Full HD (or 1080p) screens have 1920 pixels across, and 1080 pixels going upwards – for around two million pixels in total. So 4K just means your TV has many more pixels on the screen compared to a more common Full HD display
- Ultra HD, or UHD, is basically the same as 4K. If you buy a UHD telly in a shop, you’ll be able to watch 4K content on it with no bother
- But there is a small difference. Almost every TV you ever buy has an aspect ratio of 16:9. That means for every 16 pixels horizontally, there are 9 vertically
- True 4K footage doesn’t quite fit in with that ratio, so you won’t often find TVs with 4096 x 2160 pixels. Instead, to fit with the 16:9 ratio, most 4K TVs will have 3840 x 2160 pixels instead
- If it doesn’t make sense, grab a calculator and divide 2160 by 9. Then multiply it by 16, and you’ll get 3840. That’s the aspect ratio working its magic. So when you see an Ultra HD TV, it just means it’s a 4K image with slightly fewer vertical pixels
- If you try watching a 4K video on a non-4K TV, the video will still play – but it won’t be in 4K quality. To watch a 4K video in 4K quality, you’ll need to fork out for a 4K TV. Similarly, if you’re watching standard or HD footage on a 4K TV, it won’t magically become 4K quality
- Some TVs promise “4K upscaling”, which converts your standard or HD footage to near-4K quality. This works by using software to guess what colours would fill the extra empty pixels missing in HD footage, and then filling them in. This creates a 4K-like effect, but it’s not true 4K
Some streaming devices demand certain types of HDMI cables, and that you’re plugging into specific HDMI ports on your TV.
For instance, Roku devices need you to plug into a HDMI port that supports HDCP 2.2 to enjoy 4K.
It’s a copyright protection to prevent you from recording 4K content for piracy.
And if your HDMI port isn’t marked as offering HDCP 2.2 then you won’t see your 4K content in 4K at all.
The final check to make is if you’re passing your content through a sound bar or some other kind of intermediary device.
Make sure that you’re using the right cables and ports on that too, so that it doesn’t hamper your 4K visuals.
Then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your 4K movies in peace.