Comparison 4K and 1080p. Wide colors gamma
High-resolution video, or how to call it Full HD.With Sony's filing, appeared in 2007. Any film, clip or video, whose pixel density is determined by 1920 horizontally and 1080 vertical pixels, labeled as 1080p or Full HD.
But technology does not stand still and manufacturers of TVs, video cameras, smartphones and tablets have become increasingly mentioning about ultra High Resolution 4K. Apple went even further and decided to replenish the range of your iMac computers with 5K support.
What is 4K video?
Ultra High-Definition (UHD) or 4K is a picture consisting of more than 8 million pixels. On television, the scan is standardized under 3840 x 2160 px. Most television cameras and consumer electronics, which supports 4K, takes off in a higher scan of 4096 × 2160 pixels (2160p).
Alternating these two numbers and get the impressive number of pixels, the combination of which and folds into the amazing image to detail.
"The outgoing century standard", Full HD, contains 4 times less pixels, and analog TV is 23 times. But this is not the only difference between 4K and Full HD
What is the difference between 4k and 1080p?
Put in front of any person two TVs with the same screen diagonal, one with Full HD support, the other - 4K, and you, no doubt, smoke: "4K shows a lot more." This is true. Exactly four times: 1 pixel of information in 1080p is 4 pixels in 4K. This is exactly what the impressive difference in color, contrast and sharpness is explained.
But a large resolution requires increased bandwidth of cables and ports. This appeared HDMI 2.0, the port that supports 4K-resolution by default and reproduces the video in the scan 2160p with a frequency of 60 frames per second. The previous generation of HDMI also supported 4K, but did not allow to play 60fps.
What gives this most fps (from English Frames Per Second - frames per second)? Perception of video. It becomes more sharp, and any movement and dynamics are perceived by more "alive."
You can watch the 4K video today from a variety of devices, but it has certain hardware requirements, and the need for high Internet bandwidth. Thus, the popular NetFlix Stable Stable Stable Connection Speed \u200b\u200bfor 2 Mbps.
But what will happen if you run on the TV, which is proud to spin 4k logo, video 1080p or smaller permission? Engineers have provided that moment.
After launching 1080p on a 4K TV, a special software and hardware converter joins work, which artificially increases the source video scan. No, it not only breeds pixels in a ratio of 1 to 4 or 1 to 10 (in the case of 720p), but also imposes special filters that control the sharpness and smoothness of the transition of the picture between each independent pixel.
Thus, video in 1080p format and even 720p can look great at a 4K TV. Of course, it all depends on the quality of the execution of the built-in converter. That is why, by connecting, say, the same appendant of Apple TV, you can still enjoy excellent video quality.
Another difference is 4K from 1080p - this is a requirement to the diagonal of the screen. I personally repeatedly met the fans of UHD-quality, which proved to me that on the 11-inch MacBook Air films in 4K much entertaining. Alas, this is a global misconception. On the screen MacBook Air. You can only see the difference in the frame rate, but not in the resolution. Therefore, 4k in 60 fps allegedly looks "much entertaining" than 1080p in 30 FPS. It seems so. That's just ...
You can really notice the difference on the screen with a diagonal from 50 inches, and the generally accepted start in the world of 4K TVs is 55 inches. What about Retina? Yes, the resolution of the latter ipad generations Deserves praise, smartphone with a 4k-screen from Sony - it's great, but why such a display on the device, the diagonal of which does not exceed 5-10 inches? Do you see the difference? I doubt.
4K + HDR or "Full Fenshui"
These three letters, HDR, should be understood as an image with wide dynamic range. In the field of photos to HDR, we are already accustomed, but now he got to the video.
Today, HDR video maintains a limited number of flagship TV models. Permission from such a video is exactly the same as in 4K, but each individual pixel has an extended palette of colors. As a result, the picture is even more natural and bright, all the nuances of shadows and shades are displayed.
To date, the HDR video is possible when performing two mandatory conditions. First - you have a display that supports HDR transmission technology. The second is the appropriate content in HDR10 or Dolby Vision format.
Question and how much is now 4K TV
The price abyss between Full HD and TV, which supports 4K, is gradually erased. 4k has already ceased to be premium, and the cost of individual models of the corresponding TV is practically no different from those that are sharpened at 1080p.
The average cost of the TV, which supports 4K varies from 500 to 1200 dollars (33,000 - 80,000 rubles). Samsung, Sony, Philips, Sharp, Leeco, Xiaomi - the range of manufacturers and models grows every day in geometric progression. But…
Do you need a 4K TV?
Answer yourself a few questions. What is your TV at home? What is his diagonal? How much time do you spend "Box"?
Stringing services like Netflix significantly simplified the search for films and serials in 4K format. Content deficit is already in the past, and manufacturers have dealt with standards and specifications, reaching consensus. That is why the purchase of a 4K TV today guarantees you video compatibility in subsequent years.
And if an old plasma is already beginning to refuse, upcomparing faded and sweatful flowers, consider what you are ready for acquisition.
What about a smartphone with 4k?
Take a look at your iPhone screen. It does not matter whether it will be iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or 6S Plus. You are annoyed by pixels, squeeze individual colored dots or maybe there is not enough color scheme?
Not so long ago, Sony introduced "the world's first smartphone with a 4K display" - Model Xperia Z5 Premium. The gadget turned out to be decent, design - in the best traditions of the company, but the screen diagonal is only 5.5-inch. Then Sharp and Lenovo were pulled up to the Japanese ...
4k (permission) is a concept that appeared in the era of digital cinema. In cinema, the resolution of the screen is measured along the length of the frame, horizontally, and not vertically, as in television. Since in digital cinema there are different standards for the ratio of the sides of the screen, it is more convenient to focus on the horizontal resolution, which remains constant, in contrast to the height of the frame. But technology is developing rapidly, and now video of this quality can be broadcast continuously.
4K resolution corresponds to 4000 pixels horizontally. To understand what kind of ultra-high clarity of the video is enough to imagine the 15-meter screen, the picture on which remains as a clear as on an ordinary television screen. TVs and computer monitors 4K according to the standards of the Association of Consumer Electronics must have a resolution of at least 80,000,000 pixels. High Definition Television Frame, HD (High-Definition), consists of 20,000,000 pixels. Classic television standard - 400000 pixels.
Digital film projectors most cinemas support only 2K permissions. To see what picture the picture is 4K the film projector, you will have to look for a cinema where there is a projector with such a resolution. Such cinemas are called Imax, Image Maximum, translated - "Maximum image". An ordinary cinema visitor rarely thinks that the concept of IMAX means that this abbreviation means that the viewer sees the maximum quality on the screen. To answer this question, let's try to figure out how the format and screen resolution are connected.
Aspect ratio
The screens of television and computer monitors of ultrahigh clarity according to the standards of the Association of consumer electronics are produced with a resolution of at least 3840 pixels horizontally and 2160 vertically. This allows the use of large-sized screens than for HD video. If the HD video has a resolution of 1920x1080 or 1280x720, then the 4K permission implies that there will be four times the pixels on the screen. But at the same time, the difference between HD and Ultra HD can be noticed only on big Screens Or approaching the display close.
According to the same standards, the aspect ratio of televisions, monitors and projectors UHD must be 16: 9. This is the standard format of Russian and European television.
Since 2012, the International Telecommunication Union has adopted a recommendation that determines the values \u200b\u200bof these and other parameters for ultra-highly clarity television. And in 2016, the first players and disks for Ultra HD Blu-ray, supporting the resolution of 4K, as well as the speed of 60 frames per second were released. In the same year, Xbox One S from Microsoft appeared in the stores, the game consipier with support for the resolution of 4K.
If the camera's matrix or the monitor stated 4K permission, in pixels, this is the size of the obtained images. Also, the size of the image is often indicated in MPIX, megapixels, such a designation is especially common when specifying the resolution of the matrices of digital cameras.
1 MPIX is 10,000,000 pixels. The more pixels on the camera matrix or film chamber, the more accurate the image will be distinguished and more details will be distinguishable. For the 4K monitor screen with the number of displayed points 4096 × 2160, the image size will be 8.8 MPIX, for the monitor 3840 × 2160 - 8.3 MPIX.
Full frame 4K has aspect ratio 4: 3 (1.33: 1), academic - 1.37: 1. Academic, it is "classic", the format corresponds to 35 mm film. Throughout the 20th century, it was the most common format along with 4: 3 (1.33: 1). Format 4: 3 is still used in the matrices of digital movie cameras, and when shooting on a film. It is easy to calculate that the 4: 3 screen area will be greater than the 16: 9 screen and the same diagonal, because the screen 4: 3 is more vertically.
IMAX technology appeared long before digital cinema. Its feature is in a wide image format, the screen length in the IMAX cinema is much greater than in another movie theater, it exceeds the width of the hall. But with the mass transition of cinemas on a digital show, many Kinostet, who assigned to the brand IMAX, did not rebuild halls, but only installed projectors that meet IMAX standards. The digital standard IMAX assumes the use of two projectors with a 4K resolution, but they are not installed everywhere, often use projectors with a resolution of 2K.
There are still difficulties with the production and rental of IMAX movies close to image quality to film IMAX; At the same time, how many pixels are equal to the permission of the frame of the film IMAX, you can only assume theoretically. Sources lead different figures, but converge that this is a permit minimum of 8K.
In 2014, the first 3D film was released, fully captured by the digital film camera IMAX with a 4K resolution matrix. Despite the fact that the quality is inferior to the film IMAX, it is worth considering: Only the most spectacular and spectacular scenes were removed on IMAX filmmakers. The only films completely removed in IMAX as a film were films "3D Space Station" and "Hubble Imax 3D". Original film equipment IMAX cumbersome and uncomfortable, whereas 4K digital filmmaker IMAX weighs only 17 kg.
In addition to the resolution, the number of pixels, the 4K technology improves the image quality using HDR (High Dynamic Range) and an increase in the colors. Dynamic Range, dynamic range of levels of dark and light shades, is standard and high, both in TVs and monitors with a 4K resolution.
The more shades displays the screen and the larger range of saturation can provide, the more realistic and the video becomes detailed. The brightness is measured in the threads, and so far 4k TVs and monitors can operate only from zero to 2000 yarns, while the brightness of the sky on a sunny day is 20,000 NIT.
Example video
Below you can watch the 4K video resolution, if your video card and your screen are able to support such a format. To find out if your video card can cope, you need to see what the maximum digital resolution it supports.
Conclusion
The answer to the question is whether 4K is needed (permission) to the user depends on what technique it is going to buy and for what is a TV for watching movies and transmissions or a monitor for fresh computer games.
Ultra HD television broadcasting is not too common, now it is only included in the paid channel packages. Computer monitors and televisions are capable of adapting the picture format if it does not match the monitor format and add missing pixels if the video was removed in a smaller resolution. But not always the resulting result looks good. Old films are translated into digital quality with a resolution of 4K frame.
In addition, the 4: 3 format TVs are often cutting the edges of the image 16: 9, which is especially uncomfortable if there is inscriptions in the frame. Black stripes appear on top and bottom, and only 75% remain on the frame.
When using a 4: 3 stretching function to a 16: 9 screen, the proportions can be distorted, for example, to stretch or squeeze.
According to standards, all Ultra HD televisions and monitors have a 16: 9 format, but not the fact that they will show without distortion television programs, movies and videos, filmed and recorded in 4: 3 format. If you can fix it when viewing on a computer using the player functionality, the TVs do not always cope with such a task. On the edges of the screen, black or gray stripes will remain, which is not all found aesthetic.
In addition, many films are removed in the format greater than 16: 9, their format - 2.35: 1, 2.39: 1. These are films of widescreen cinema, their peculiarity is that they create a greater "presence effect" for the viewer due to a wide viewing angle horizontally. Such movies are removed since the 1950s, Scope format (2.39: 1) exists in 4K resolution. When viewing these films on the screen 16: 9 along the edges, there will also be a strip of a width of about 12% of the height of the picture.
But if the stripes do not annoy you, or you are not a movie lover, it makes no sense to choose a 4: 3 format monitor. For those who interfere with the strips on the edges of the screen, there is an original solution - electrical speakers creating a solid black frame, the dimensions of which can be adjusted under any image.
In addition, to view a garbage video on the TV screen, you will have to buy a HDMI 2.0 cable or a suitable video card for high speed and quality of transmission. It may also be that your Ultra HD TV does not provide HDMI 2.0 port. To transmit video with a 4K resolution, it has to be compressed, considering that there are several video encoding formats, but not every TV is capable of decoding all of them.
4K technology provides a high level of detail and a greater shift rate of frames, which is attractive not only for movie lovers, but also for gamers. The update frequency of about 120 frames per second creates a complete immersion effect, and the eyes are less tired. The image is much brighter and rich, since the Ultra HD standards imply an increase in the digital range. Content with a resolution of 4K appears more and more, 4K digital cameras are cheaper, as well as televisions and monitors of past years, and therefore become more accessible to the user.
Computer monitor with a resolution of 4K is needed to those who follow the novelties in the gaming industry, works in areas related to the design and architecture. In these cases, the details of the graphics are crucial.
High resolution is the definition that many remember, going to the store for a new TV. The new word in this area is the format of 4K Ultra High-Definition. For many, it's just a set of letters. So, 4K UHD TVs - what is it? The most popular at the moment can be called Full HD monitor. Ultra HD can be defined as a device that can transmit an image with active pixels. They, in turn, a huge amount (more than eight millions). The resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels.
It turned out such a figure by increasing twice the already familiar resolution of 1920 x 1080. This was the reference standard for definition. Below we look at the varieties of the size of the screens.
So, on this moment Definition permission happens:
- Full HD (progressive scan 1080);
- 1080i (scanned);
- HD Ready (720 pixels per inch).
The latter is the most common of them, because at the moment there are almost all channels of television, dVD discs These are this resolution (720 x 480). But this format can be considered obsolete. If you buy a new one not to consider this option at all, even if it will be large diagonally and favorable price. When choosing a telephoneial, it is still worth paying attention to the frequency in Hertz. It should be no less than 120.
Expansion 4k.
Format 4k appeared quite recently, in 2005. The human eye is not so easy to see the difference in the newest resolution and already familiar 1080. It is especially difficult to see the difference, if shown, for example, Blu-ray.
Difference of the catch when viewing special demo rollers from manufacturing companies. To determine the purchase and its expediency, you need to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of a fabulous product. So with high resolution TV.
What advantages have Ultra HD expansion?
A huge screen shows with incredible clarity, individual pixels on it not to see how on 720p analogues. This is indisputable plus. The same as the realism of what is happening on the screen: you can feel like a part of the filmcene. Saturation of colors and transitions from a shade to a shade allow you to see all the variety of natural and artificial paints.
Even if the movie or transmission is broadcast in an unsuitable format, a special feature will allow you to adapt the image in 4k. Receivers are equipped with a variety of additional features. In televisions with such a resolution can be installed, for example, voice or gestures, the ability to synchronize them with other devices, such as a personal smartphone.
4K-adaptation
The broadcasting itself is not going to the "ultra-HD", but thanks to the ability to adapt the screen with such an extension and enjoy a clear picture. Combine adaptation feature Almost all 4K UHD TVs. What does this give a simple viewer? Not anything else, as an opportunity to see the smallest details even in long-failed transmissions.
A new image format allows you to open new features.
For people whose work is associated with photography, 3D graphics, production of games and, of course, films, new TV It will be an excellent assistant.
Disadvantages of the newest permission
And now a little about the minuses that are still present during the operation of such a novelty, like 4K UHD TVs. What could it be?
Unbroken content distribution. In our country, few channels switched to HD, and Ultra HD is not available to everyone, and it will have to pay separately for it. It enters only paid channel packages, and their choice is small. The price category is high. And although recently, the operators work on this issue, for most consumers the service is not available.
More complete sensations from the new broadcasting can be obtained if the devices connected to the TV will pass through the cable that is not widespread now HDMI 1.4, and already improved 2.0.
Output 1.4 can make the image conversion, but still part of the expansion will be lost. The new cable 2.0 will allow you to watch movies even with a frequency of up to 60 frames per second, while the modern analog reproduces only 30. When choosing a new TV, it is advisable to pay attention to that the HDMI ports were somewhat. 4K UHD TVs, customer reviews about which only positive, most likely, will take a certain place in the consumer market, and, apparently, not the last.
OLED: New Generation
Kinescopic TVs have long been evolved to modern liquid crystal or plasma panels. But the vertex is rightfully occupied by UHD. What is it? This panel of such technology is very likely to discuss manufacturers and interested buyers, as it is very new on the plan. The main advantage of such a panel is a curved screen. Allows such an ability to implement many bold solutions. You do not need to create additional backlight to such a panel, as another screen, for example LED 4K UHD. The TV LCD of the previous generation will not be able to technically approach the illumination problem.
OLED panel with a resolution of 4k is truly the best combination for the TV today. Such a screen is quite large sizes (from 55 diagonal and higher). The price, of course, is also rather big. On average, it is about 400 thousand rubles. On some models, the price comes to one million rubles. Many firms producing household appliancesalready presented their samples of televisions with such an expansion. Leaders in this segment - "Sony" and "Samsung".
Sony KD-65X9005B
This model is one of the most purchased. However, the cost of the current course for the inhabitants of Russia will not seem to all for the pocket - about two hundred thousand rubles. To enjoy all the charms newest technologies, It is worth paying a pretty. This TV is already equipped with a HDMI 2.0 port and already familiar with HEVC.
Thanks to the presence of these gadgets, the TV will not endure for a long time. Quality with an increase in the picture does not change. You can consider the smallest details on high definition. 4K UHD Sony TVs have a wide range and large selection of models.
"Samsung UE65HU8500"
This model appeared at about the same time that the aforementioned. Price on sAMSUNG TVs 4K UHD is not very different from competitors' analogues - about three hundred thousand rubles. But it is this model that looks very stylish. She can fit into any interior and will be decorated. The main difference becomes, of course, curved screen. This is an innovation that makes you get sick of delight. Immersion in the picture becomes more realistic. The effect of full presence is created. This TV immediately draws attention. HDMI 2.0 port is also present, which is an important advantage.
"Toshiba 58L9363"
This model can be called the most affordable 4K TV. It is with its appearance that other manufacturers were forced to reconsider prices at a lower side. This TV does not have many features, but the second generation allows you to watch new 3D.
There are no new ports, but in order to look at the new Ultra-HD format on it, there is everything you need. And most importantly - there is a realistic transfer of the color scheme and the smallest details of images.
Panasonic TX-50AX802
In addition to the natural abilities of reproducing the latest image quality, this model has an interesting feature that rewinds real-time broadcasting programs. It is called Freetime. Connecting to the Internet allows you to create directly on the TV screen of the owner's profile, which will help him share with friends video. So, in addition to watching gears in the highest quality, you can now spend time even more interesting.
LG 55UB950V.
The design of TVs of this brand is always impressive.
This model did not exception. 4K UHD LG TVs contain many different gadgets and have very easy operating system - Webos. This is an exceptional system that is only available in LG electronics. The TV is able to please all the advantages of Ultra-HD - from color reproduction to clarity.
4K UHD TVs. Should I buy?
You can buy a new screen with Ultra HD now, since in the near future it is possible to replace the current formats for clearer. In the coming years, such a model will not have time. Of course, technology does not stand still, and not far from the mountain appearance of newer models (for example, 8k, superior to modern 1080 no longer in 4, but 8 times). True, this can only be available on the screens of a very large format, and it will be difficult to see the difference. While development and large-scale production is expected. Due to high cost, demand will be small. If you allow funds, you can already enjoy a beautiful picture at home. As they say, for quality will have to pay. 4k-TVs did not exception.
If you have time to think about the acquisition of a new TV, then it is worth considering one important question: what permission of the TV is now relevant? In recent years, the evolution of the screens has reached such progress that few people can surprise with a high-quality picture on Full HD resolution in 1920x1080 pixels with a frequency of 120 Hz. It seemed that there would be more for pleasure from viewing? But Full HD is no longer the limit of dreams. On the market, models are already sold with 4K and Ulta HD permission.
I suggest to consider what the difference between 4K and Ultra HD formats and what else you need to know before buying a modern TV or monitor now.
The difference between HD, UHD, 4K and 8K
High-definition TVs (HDTV) are standard that is used for the last decade. It's hard to go to the store and buy a TV that is not at least HD Ready.What means "capable of displaying a resolution of 1280 x 720 points (720p)". But the absolute majority modern televisionswhich you can buy are Full HD.What means "capable of displaying with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 points (1080p)".
Letter " p."In both options means progressiveAnd this means that the entire image draws each frame line sequentially, and such lines 720 or 1080, respectively. An alternative is the letter " i."which means interlaced Scan (1080i is an HDTV standard). Odd and even lines are displayed alternately in each frame, which leads to a small deterioration in the image quality.
Term 4k. Refers to any display format with horizontal resolution about 4000 pixels. It confuses a little, since in lower permissions the format is recorded by the value of the number of pixels vertically, i.e. 1080i or 720p.
UHD. or Ultra HD. - the same as 4k., except for one: it is more suitable for consumers and television, also has a smaller resolution of 3840x2160 points ( 2k.) than 4k..
In this way:
- (DCI) Digital Cinema Initiatives Standard is a professional production standard that is the most common for digital production under a resolution of 4096 x 2160 points.
- UHD-1., often call 4K UHD. or simply 4k.and sometimes like 2160pwhich has become standard for televisions with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 points, which is four times the number of pixels in Full HD format.
Most modern TVs UHD-1. does not use a wider aspect ratio DCI 4K.Since it is not suitable for most television content.
There is also a format Full HD ultrasometimes called it 8k., It has a resolution of 7620 x 4320 points . The Yandex Market presents several TVs that can boast such a screen resolution and a flawless picture, but I would recommend choosing a TV full HD Ultra with a diagonal of at least 85 inches. At a smaller diagonal you simply won't see all the magnificence of the picture that is possible on 8k.
Why do you need UHD?
As already written above, the TV diagonal must be at least 85 inches if you want to enjoy the resolution of Full HD Ultra. But for 4k, the diagonal dimensions should also be appropriate. You just do not notice the difference between higher resolution even when viewing the native 4K content. It is recommended for UHD to choose at least 55 inches of a TV diagonal, on which, from a distance of 2 meters, you can clearly distinguish FullHD and UHD. At large distances and smaller sizes of the difference you will not notice. Therefore, if you do not need such a big TV (55 inches or more), it makes no sense to chase the UHD TV, which is much more expensive than FullHD.
But there may be other good reasons to buy a TV 4K or even 8k.
New standard Ultra HD Premium. Allows you to use an enlarged color depth (more than a billion colors) and a wider dynamic range, so the image quality must be noticeably above the current standards. The appropriate logo on the TV is a guarantee that it matches these strict standards and has the ability to display UHD content as much as possible.
This standard covers global TV manufacturers, such as LG, Panasonic and Samsung, as well as content providers, such as Netflix, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox. But Sony does not use the Ultra HD Premium logo, even if the picture on Sony TVs fully complies with the standard, it was previously part of the UHD alliance, and also herself developed it.
What else needs to know about UHD?
If you have already decided on and soon make a decisive step and beat yourself with a new UHD TV, you may need to produce other equipment updates to get the most out of purchase. Existing devices, cables, and related television broadcasting services will not allow you to view the image in UHD quality.
Maybe you have to change the provider digital television, Internet, replace all cables from peripheral equipment, if used. Recommended content speed for UHD is 25 Mbps or 2 GB.
Your old blu-ray player also needs to be replaced. UHD Blu-ray players are suitable for playing a higher resolution than FullHD, and will be able to play UHD discs.
Also, you may need a new HDMI cable. HDMI 1.4 cable is capable of displaying the UHD resolution, HDMI 2.0 will be required to display 60 frames per second. The overwhelming majority of UHD content is played by 30 frames per second, but not far the day when the UHD content appears at the speed of playing 60 frames per second.
Ultimately, technological progress dictates the harsh conditions of the coexistence of television standards and the video content transmission rate. No matter how sad, but expensive and high-performance technique, which was bought literally "yesterday," after a while asking for a landfill. New permissions formats inexorably take advantage of the TV market, improving picture quality. Therefore, in the very near future, FullHD format will inevitably go to the background, give way to a younger UHD format or 4k.
Have you already purchased a UHD TV or just plan to do it? Is the difference between FullHD and UHD noticeable? Tell about this other people in the comments.
4K is new standard Permits designed for digital cinema and computer graphics. Its advantage is that it provides a higher image quality, more detailed picture and is ideal for dynamic images of large format.
4k format is called so because of its horizontal resolution (approximately 4,000 pixels).
The term 4k became a common name for ULTRA high Definition. Television (UHDTV). Its resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels, has the ratio of the parties 16: 9 and received the name Quad HD. 4k is one of two resolution in the field of television ultra high definition. The second resolution is FUHD or 8K of 7680 pixels x 4320 lines.
The resolution of 4k has a size twice as much horizontally and vertically than 1080p format, and four times more pixels in general.
The origins of 4K are in the cinema industry. When George Lucas in the late 1990s was going to make his promised prehistory for star wars, he experimented with new digital formats to replace the film. After filming a hidden threat, partly in HD, George Lucas took off the clone attack completely in 1080p digital format. But soon it was found that 1080r does not have a fairly high resolution for giant cinema screens. If you are sitting in the first rows of the cinema in front of the screen, which displays a movie in a resolution of 1080p, you can see a relaxed image or a pixel structure mesh, which can be very noticeable.
In 2002, Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) was formed to create a new digital standard. In many ways, two new high-resolution specifications appeared at the expense of this organization, first 2K format, and then in 2005 4K.
The first DALSA Origin camcorder with support for 4k has become available to sales in 2003. Sony offered 4K projectors already in 2004, the first 4K projector for home theater was released by Sony in 2012. The YouTube service began to support video download with a resolution of 4K in 2010. In general, Sony is one of the leading studios that contribute to the support and development of UHDTV, as of 2013, offering just over 70 films for download.
Main definitions
Resolution - This is a quantity determining the number of points per unit area. The term is usually applied to images in digital form.
The higher the resolution, the more points are displayed on the same area and the less grainy and better the image will be. For large quantities Points placed on a small area, the eye does not notice the mosaic of the pattern. Fair and reverse: a small resolution will allow the eye to notice the raster image.
Television permit - The device's ability to transmit the maximum number of image details. For two-dimensional devices distinguish the resolution horizontally and vertical.
Vertical resolution is determined by the number of vertical elements that can be recorded by the camera and play on the monitor screen. The CCIR system is 625 lines, in EIA - 525 lines. The practical boundaries of the vertical permission for PAL approximately 400 TV lines. For NTSC, accordingly, approximately 330 TV lines of vertical permissions are obtained.
Horizontal resolution (horizontal resolution) is determined by the number of horizontal elements that can be fixed by the camera and play on the monitor screen or how many vertical lines can be calculated. Since the ratio of the parties in the standard definition television is 4: 3, where the width is greater than the height, then to maintain the natural proportions of images, only vertical lines are considered in width, equivalent height, that is, 3/4 from the width. For a chamber with 570 TV lines of horizontal resolution, the maximum corresponds to approximately 570x4 / 3 \u003d 760 lines across the screen width.
Frame frequency - This is the number of replacing frames per unit of time in television and cinema. The concept was first used by photographer Edward Maibridge, who carried out experiments on the shooting of moving objects with several cameras sequentially. Generally accepted unit of measurement - frames per second.
In television, to ensure the transfer of the smoothness of the movement, each frame is consistently transmitted by two fields (semi-samples) - even and internally, which increases the frequency of frame sweeping twice. First, odd lines are transmitted, then younger. Such an explosion is called interlaced.
In computer monitors and in some high-defined HDTV television standards, a construction explosion (progressive) is used when the electronic beam passes all rows in order.
Types of 4K permissions. For typical monitor permissions, indicator panels and device screens, there are well-established letter notation.
In SD format, the aspect ratio of the frame is 4: 3, in HD 16: 9. All permissions that are not reaching up to 1280 x 720 belong to SD formats.
To transmit a high-resolution signal, you need to use a wider frequency band, but the picture quality compared to SD is much more pleasant. For example, when watching a football match in SD format, you see the ball, players and a green background, and with HD you can also see the grass and faces of fans.
It is noteworthy that Full HD is a marketing name for the first time invented by Sony in 2007.
According to the Digital Cinema Initiatives Consortium specifications (DCI), the 4K resolution has a size of 4096 x 2160 pixels and aspect ratio 19: 10. For DCI-compatible 4K digital projectors and monitors, it is native permission. Depending on the ratio of the sides, the pixels are cut from above or on the sides. The DCI 4K standard does not match the standard ratio of the parties 1080p Full HD (16: 9).
Thus, despite the good intentions, manufacturers have no single 4K standard. Today there are five or more different to resolve standards for video shooting. In cinemas, we see projectors based on the DCI specification, while Sony promotes its own standard (also 4096 x 2190) and a series of film projectors.
Everything is a bit simpler in the home theater. Recently, HDMI added both 4K support options to its latest Specification HDMI 1.4: Quad HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 4K / 2K (4096 x 2160 pixels).
4k around us
In order for the 4k format to become really mass, it will require the release of available displays with a resolution of 3840x2160 or 4096x2160 pixels. In the end, the consumers of content are always much larger than its creators, so the mass of technology can only be said in the case of the distribution of relevant screens. But this is the role of corporations - the introduction of new technologies in the masses. And if the resolution 8k is still far from being distant, then the 4k video will certainly become the following standard for the propagation of video content.
Practical All switching system manufacturers have already announced support for 4K in their flagship products.
Interestingly, a year ago cameras, capable of shooting 4k-videos, one could recalculate on the fingers of one hand. Now their number has exceeded ten and this is only the beginning.
According to IDC, in the past, 2013, about 3 million UHDTV class televisions were sold in the whole world, that is, just over one percent of the total volume of sales of the TV shows, while 1.2 million from their number had to be on the third quarter, and 1, 3 million on the fourth quarter of the year.
As for retail prices for Ultra HD TVs, they significantly fell from the moment of their first appearance on sale: from a million rubles at the end of 2012 to the level below the level of 150 thousand rubles in early 2014. It is much faster than at one time there was a decline in prices for LCD TVs with a resolution of Full HD.
In 2014, it is expected that the mass production of 4K-panels and powerful competition will lead to a rapid price reduction even on the 65-inch models below $ 5,000, so the price factor is unlikely to be the main problem when choosing such a television for the house, especially since the rest TVs elite class, including 55-inch OLED models, also obviously will follow this trend.
In Japan, they launched the world's first satellite television broadcasting of ultra-highly clarity in Ultra HD format (4K). Full-scale television commercial broadcasting 4k should start since 2016.
New user experience
What role can 4K in the field of video conferencing?
In the world of home theaters still there is a discussion on the application of the resolution of 4k. In fact, many companies manufacturing displays and projectors for home theaters have announced their intention to deliver 4K permission to each home.
Since these are high tech Already available for displays and monitors, how soon 4k resolution will reach video conferencing?
The image below shows a comparison of the survey angles of commercial and home theaters based on SMPTE data (Cinema and Television Engineers Society).
As you can see, viewers prefer to sit at a certain distance from the screen, whereas in the theater there is a significantly larger range of distances. For this reason, 4K is more necessary for neighboring viewers.
For video conferencing systems, an additional 4K permission can be very useful. And that's why.
Consider the figure, where the viewing angles are shown and the distance to the standard 60-inch 1920 x 1080 display based on the SMPTE data.
The minimum review distance is about 3 feet (about 1 meter), with a 60-degree viewing angle. The maximum distance is 8 feet (approximately 2.4 meters) with a 30-degree review.
40 degrees The most ideal screen viewing angle defined by THX-video station ((from the English Tomlinson Holman's Experiment) is the name of the set of requirements for high-quality home theater systems.), Considered optimal for home theaters.
Thus, the perfect place for the best viewing of a 60-inch screen is a little less than 6 feet (1.8 meters). The blue rectangle in the figure displays the minimum, maximum and optimal (dark blue line) view of the review according to SMPTE data and THX recommendations.
Thus, for a standard monitor, the range of ranges of normal review is very limited. If you are sitting further than a 30-degree review, then you can no longer see all the details, and when you are closer to the 60 degree view, you start to see the pixels of the image.
This becomes a serious problem, as shown in the following figure:
Here is a typical 11x14 feet (3.3 x 4.2 meters) conference room with valid review distances for four different dimensions of monitors.
Although the negotiation table is optimized for video viewing, viewing ranges for the respective monitors are completely limited.
While the most appropriate monitors are 65 "and 70" models, only 70 "the monitor will provide all the details of the image to the Far Spectators. However, the most close participants in the conference will already observe the" pixelity "of the screen. For this reason, it is better when all viewers are located on approximately The same distance from the display, for example, as in the figure below.
As you can see, 65 "Monitor provides perfect Overview (at 40 degrees) for this conference room. Posing viewers on one side of the table on the same distance from the monitor, achieved best Overview Screen.
However, there are two significant drawbacks.
First: limited the number of conference participants.
Secondly: restriction on the type of collection, i.e. not ideal for holding meetings without binding to video on the screen.
Potential 4K permissions in comparison with 2K resolution is shown in the figure below:
While the viewing angles do not change, the difference is that, as in the theater, the pixels will not be visible, with a downturn to the monitor. Thus, the viewing area on the near distance is now extended by 50% closer to the screen, as shown on the right rectangle for the 4K display.
Now, as in addition to the "net displays" of tablets and smartphones, even sitting quite close to the monitor with a 4K permit can not be seen of individual pixels.
The last figure shows a comparison for 65 "and 70" monitors from 2k and 4k permissions for the conference room shown earlier on the 3rd figure.
As can be seen from the drawing, 70 inch display Provides the best overview for almost all video conferencing participants.
In fact, the ideal solution would be to use 80 "display, but monitors with such dimensions are not quite completely in the course of their high cost.
As practice shows for video conferencing Big displays better only if you do not sit too close.
4K displays will help solve this issue.
If the flow of video conferencing will remain at FullHD, and the cost of codecs will remain at the same level, then the transition to 4K displays will only help eliminate the visibility of pixels for neighboring viewers.
However, it will significantly affect the perceived quality of display and impressions from viewing in ordinary conference rooms
Causes of skeptic attitude to 4k:
Pay attention to these two photos: 
People fit closer to assess the effect of 4k, say: "Yes, it's awesome! Wow!" But try to substantiate the applicability of 4k not to enthusiasts.
HEVC, H.264 and 4K
Compression: good, bad and lossThe video stream obtained from the HD camera is an array of data in the form rather uncomfortable for transmission. To fix this, video compression is applied to reduce the amount of data and to convert the data stream to the form convenient for transportation.
For this there are many ways, and the simplest of them is a decrease in video quality. In some cases it is suitable. Recall the usual video from YouTube. Not the most excellent quality, isn't it? Often this happens because of the high degree of compression (before or during loading).
But this is not a good idea if in the intentions of the director there was an accurate transfer of all pixels or you want to demonstrate your new 77 "monitor.
So, another option is to use better compression.
In this case, you must think about better compression as "smart" compression. Thus, you need to look for other ways to compress video data without prejudice to quality.
Over the past few years, computational power processors have increased so much that it is possible to allow resource-intensive compression algorithms to process images without loss of quality.
The difference between "more" squeeze and "better" squeeze very importantly and in this context the terms "more" and "better" are not interchangeable. You can reduce the amount of data required for the signal, or greatly increase compression and make the image ugly ("more" compress), or using a more efficient compression method to get a picture of good quality ("better" compress).
Let's say you have an apple container. You need to accommodate 100 apples inside it. You can make it a greater compression (prescribe from above, turning apples in mashed potatoes), or with better compression (folding apples more accurately, so that everyone fit, keeping its shape).
"Greater compression" - apple puree
"Best compression" - more apples, in the same space with conservation of apples
"Greater compression" is easier to implement, while the "best compression" - requires more mind and / or better technology.
Codecs H.264 and HEVC
High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is new algorithm The compression of the video stream (codec), also known as H.265, promising two-time winning Blu-ray compared to the preceding codecs.
H.265 codec is the successor of the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) encoding system - "Improved video encoding", also known as H.264, which is one of the compression schemes used by Blu-ray.
The main idea of \u200b\u200bHEVC is that with the same quality video, which will provide AVC, achieve greater data compression. This is a key point if we want to provide 4K / Ultra HD transmission (including satellite), data transmission from Blu-ray, etc.
But how does all this work, and whether it is enough to display the content with a resolution of 4k?
H.265. How does he workIn terms of data transmitted data, 4K is much more complicated than HD. While most of us simply got used to the advantages of the H.264 codec over MPEG-2 and above Blue-Ray. Motion Picture Experts Group ( Expert Group According to a moving image) and International Telecommunication Union "S Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) (International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunications Standardization Sector) have already begun work on the next generation of video compression, with an eye on the future.
When entering a new compression standard, changes must be significant, in the form of a jump, and with small, gradual improvements there is no desire. As a rule, with each such jump, there must be a double loss of the bitrate with the same video quality, or double enhanced video quality with the same bitrate.
How to do it? In many ways, due to the expansion of what AVC already does (and other compression methods, former to it).
First, the codec looks at several frames to see what does not change for some time interfer. In most scenes in the TV show or in films, the overwhelming majority of frames are not much changed. For example, remember the scene, where someone is talking to someone. Removed mostly only their heads. The background varies quite slightly for many frames. If it came to that, most pixels representing a person are probably not much changed (except for their lips, of course).
Thus, instead of coding each pixel in each frame, only the first frame is encoded, and then only those pixels that have changed are encoded.
The HEVC codec is then expanding the size of the area in which these changes occurred. Large and smaller blocks are essentially provide additional efficiency. Have you ever seen blocks in your image when the picture loses quality? In HEVC, these blocks may be more, less and different forms, unlike previous compression methods. As it was found, large blocks are more efficient.
In the picture on the left, the image is divided into blocks using AVC / H.264, and on the right of the HEVC / H.265 codec. On the right we see more flexibility in the image assessment, not to mention more large sizes blocks.
Further improvement concerns compensation of movement, spatial prediction, and so on. All this was developed with AVC or even earlier, but it required large computing capacities than it was economically advisable at that time.
At the development stage, the compression algorithm is checked objectively on its numerical data, as well as subjective, video professional professionals comparing various compression methods in "blind" tests, where they do not know where and which codec was used. Human factor It is crucial. Just because if the computer "says" that one compression method is better than the other - this does not mean that it looks better than the other.
Since H.265 codec requires much more processor resources, do not expect that after simple firmware update, you will get it in your equipment. In fact, it is only part of the question. In certain cases, you will need a hardware decoder. If your new data transfer devices, such as system cable television, or the BD player, have it, then you can configure everything (it is assumed that you also have HDMI 2.0, so you can get not only 2160p / 30, but also 2160p / 60).
Is high-quality decoding on a computer using software? Maybe.
Is it possible on xbox one or ps4? Unlikely. Everyone loves her favorite console, but remember the devices of this generation are equivalent to a rather middle PC.
| Comparison of coding functions | ||
| Tool | AVC. | HEVC. |
| The main block of coding | 16x16 macroblock (MB) 16x32 "Super" MB for interlaced coding |
8x8, 16x16, 32x32, 64x64 |
| Temporary prediction (between) | Square, symmetrical rectangle | Square, symmetrical and asymmetrical rectangle |
| Spatial prediction (inside) | 9 + 4 Maximum mode | 33 + 2 Maximum mode |
| Transformation size | 4x4, 8x8, two-stage 16x16 | 4x4, 8x8, 16x16, 32x32 plus not square versions |
| Transformation type | DCT. (Discrete cosine transformation. It is used in algorithms for compressing information with losses, for example, MPEG and JPEG) | DCT. or Dst. |
| IN-LOOP FILTERING (loop filtration) | Debloking | Debloking, Sao. |
| Entropy (entropy) | Cabac ((Eng. Context-Adaptive Binary ArithMetic Coding - Contextual Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding) - form of entropy (statistical) encoding, which is used in video codecs of the H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC standard codecs) or Cavlc. CONTEXT ADAPTIVE VARIABLE LENGTH CODING (Video Encoding Algorithm) |
Only Cabac |
It's enough?
Well, technically, yes, but with a big reservation.
Like in AVC (and in the preceding compression standards), H.265 codec can be configured depending on the necessary bandwidth.
Want 4k with mediocre network connections? No problems; "Just connect ..." (remember the apple puree!)
Want to want best quality Images? No problems; Turn the dial, to the other side.
While this mechanism provides flexibility, it also means that "4K" and "UHD" does not necessarily guarantee the best image quality. No more than "1080p" or "HD" provide today. A strongly compressed 4K signal may, in many respects, look worse than the less strongly compressed HD signal.
In other words, the streaming 4K may look worse than the current 1080p Blu-ray currently, depending on how much compression is used.
When testing NetFlix "House of Cards" in UltraHD (Netflix is \u200b\u200ba US company, a vendor of movies and series of streaming multimedia.) At 15.6 Mbps, initial signs have shown that 1080p Blu-ray looks cleaner than a specific implementation of 4K, confirming Some forecasts of experts.
What is the reason?
1080p Blu-ray has a much greater bandwidth for video than streaming video Online, and greater than old disc compression algorithms.
While an increase in processing speed in all devices should be a Moore law (empirical observation initially made by Gordon Murom, according to which (in modern wording), the number of transistors placed on the integrated circuit crystal is doubled every 24 months.), With throughput The Internet does not happen.
I am sure that there are foci of true high-speed compounds, but many people are still struggling, just for obtaining an acceptable signal from streaming HD.
On the soil of "network neutrality" - (network neutrality (eng. Network Neutrality, NN) - the principle of which telecommunication service providers do not prefer one target destination to other, or one classes of applications (for example, WORL WIDE WEB) in front of others (for example, Online games or IP telephony).) - The future of decent and cheap streaming 4K for the masses remains muddy yet.
The only benefitWhile most of the potential benefits of HEVC focuses on 4k, its best compression potential also provides advantages for HD. Little bandwidth for HD means that just more people Can get HD. People with too slow network connections will be able to receive HD in HEVC encoding. If you pay less money for a slow connection, then you will get a cheaper HD video.
conclusionsSee HEVC or H.265 as a new item in the TV line, Blu-ray players and other media players in the future. Almost all the large brands 2014 4K TVs include the necessary hardware decoder, although in 2013 4K there are no TVs.
There was a lot of grumbling during the transition to H.264 / AVC with the advent of Blu-Ray, now it is considered as a given. The same will also be true for HEVC, which will eventually take place H.264.
Finally. Lower data transfer rates, while maintaining quality, good thing for everyone.
Problems 4k.
Data transfer interfaces |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 1.0; 1.1; 1.2; 1.2a; 1.3; 1.3b; 1.4; 1.4A; 1.4b; 2.0 (18 Gb / s) | 1.0; 1.1; 1.2; 1.2a; 1.3 (32 Gbit / s) | SD-SDI ED-SDI HD-SDI Dual Link HD-SDI 3G-SDI 6G UHD-SDI (6 Gbps) 12G UHD-SDI (12 Gb / s) |
|||
| 480i. 576I |
480i. 576I |
480i, 480p, 576i, 576p720p, 1080i, 1080p | 1080p; 1440p; 4K (3840x2160) | 4K (3840x2160) 8k (7680x4320) | 1080p 4kp30. 4kp60. |
| RCA BNC. | 4-pin mini-din 7-Pin Plug 9-Pin Video In / Video Out |
D-Terminal (Japan) 3-BNC, 3-RCA SCART (Europe) 9-pin mini-din |
HDMI Mini-HDMI Micro-HDMI |
Mini DisplayPort Micro Displayport. |
BNC. |
| analog | analog | analog | numeral | numeral | numeral |
Practical application 4K and issues
| Applications 4K | Restrictions | |
| Video conferencing | The desire for telepresence | Channels of connection |
| CCTV | Detailed image from cameras | Volumes for storage of archives |
| Telemedicine | Detailed image of the operation of the operation | Communication channels, lack of equipment |
| Entertainment | Cinema, Television, Gaming Industry, etc. | No content |
8k.
- 7680 x 4320.
- 33 million pixels
- 16 times more than 1080p
- Stream 500 Mbps
- Astro Design camcorder, April 2013
- SHARP 8K TV
