Author Topic: Curved TV 4K  (Read 9612 times)

Offline rollo

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Curved TV 4K
« on: January 28, 2015, 07:25:18 AM »
  Any new owners out there ? Worth it ?


charles
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Offline tmazz

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Re: Curved TV 4K
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2015, 08:14:16 AM »
 Any new owners out there ? Worth it ?


charles

First off, realize that there is no 4k source material out there. Nobody is broadcasting in 4k and I have yet to see any commercially released 4k discs. As a new technology, the sets are very expensive right now and there is now way to really use them so in my mind it would be best to wait until there is good software support for the format and by that time the price will have hopefully come down some on the sets.

Some of the more expensive sets contain circuitry to do HD to 4k conversions and I have seen that done with marginal success on larger units 60 - 70 inches) I saw on demo on a smaller set (~50 inch) and the difference was not that big. It was only one unit so I cannot tell if it was a poor execution of the conversion or if the extra resolution is just not that important until you get to much bigger screens (Gee who would have thought 20, or even 109 years ago that we would be sitting around calling a 50" TV a "small " set.  :shock:)

And it also depends on just how critical you are of your video performance  and what it is worth to you to get that better performance. Most people cannot even hear half the things we as audiophile obsess over, never mind be willing to pay for it. The same concept applies to video.

BTW, I am not a big fan of the whole curve screen thing. Granted I have only seen them in store showrooms, never in a home setting, but from what I have seen in the store, I find them annoying to watch from any angle at all. To me it is kind of like saying lets eliminate the sweet spot in an audio system by simply making the sound crappy every where in the room. (On second thought that very idea made Dr. Bose a fortune, so there just might be something to it.  :rofl:)
« Last Edit: January 28, 2015, 08:21:07 AM by tmazz »
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Offline satfrat

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Re: Curved TV 4K
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2015, 06:08:56 PM »
 Any new owners out there ? Worth it ?


charles

First off, realize that there is no 4k source material out there. Nobody is broadcasting in 4k and I have yet to see any commercially released 4k discs. As a new technology, the sets are very expensive right now and there is now way to really use them so in my mind it would be best to wait until there is good software support for the format and by that time the price will have hopefully come down some on the sets.



You forgot 1 word,,, yet.
http://about.dish.com/press-release/products-and-services/dish-launch-industry-first-4k-ultra-hd-set-top-box

Dish Network has already announced plans for an Ultra HD channel in the near future and you can bet your bottom dollar DirecTv won't be far from following suit. Heck I just saw a commercial the other day for a Samsung 55' Curved Ultra HD TV for $1,499.99, couldn't believe my eyes. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7XjQ/best-buy-samsung-ultra-curve-uhd-adams-beta-test  =P~

Cheers,
Robin
« Last Edit: January 28, 2015, 06:31:50 PM by satfrat »
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Offline _Scotty_

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Re: Curved TV 4K
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2015, 06:55:56 PM »
The human eye has resolution limits that make 4k almost worthless at the common screen sizes used in most homes.
 Its like a looking at a very fine grained 8x10 photo from five feet away instead one foot. The details that can be seen in the photo at 1ft. can not be seen at 5ft.. A 4k set would come into its own at a screen size of 120 inches and a distance of 8 to 12 ft., the screen would be large enough and the distance close enough that all of the details present in the image could be fully resolved.
 I will probably never have the space or the budget for a 120in screen so 4k sets have very little appeal for me.
Curved screens with their distorted pictures are giant step in the wrong direction, maybe if I had 2.4:1 aspect ratio screen that was 15ft. wide I would have a use for a curved screen.
http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid/
Scotty

Offline tmazz

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Re: Curved TV 4K
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2015, 09:24:58 PM »
 Any new owners out there ? Worth it ?


charles

First off, realize that there is no 4k source material out there. Nobody is broadcasting in 4k and I have yet to see any commercially released 4k discs. As a new technology, the sets are very expensive right now and there is now way to really use them so in my mind it would be best to wait until there is good software support for the format and by that time the price will have hopefully come down some on the sets.



You forgot 1 word,,, yet.
http://about.dish.com/press-release/products-and-services/dish-launch-industry-first-4k-ultra-hd-set-top-box

Dish Network has already announced plans for an Ultra HD channel in the near future and you can bet your bottom dollar DirecTv won't be far from following suit. Heck I just saw a commercial the other day for a Samsung 55' Curved Ultra HD TV for $1,499.99, couldn't believe my eyes. http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7XjQ/best-buy-samsung-ultra-curve-uhd-adams-beta-test  =P~

Cheers,
Robin

Robin, I think you are making exactly the same point I was. There is no 4k material now and the prices are falling , so why not wait until the material is readily available and take advantage of the lower prices at that time.

And keep in mind that the Dish press release is not an announcement that something is now available nor does it give a specific commitment as to when it will actually be available. It is just some vague marketing hype about a promise of a new technology that will be here "soon". Also, just because Dish will have a system capable of distributing 4k material doesn't mean that there will be anything worth watching released in the 4k format at by the end of 2Q. Sorry, but I have a healthy distrust of marketing promises. Remember how we were all promised "perfect sound forever" and look how that turned out. It only took them 30 years to work all the kinds out of that system.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against 4k as a technology, just skeptical about when it will become a reality and I am not about to go out and spend big bucks to become a first adopter of a system that I haven't seen anything from other than short manufacturer demo videos that who knows how they were tweaked. (and before anybody says that major manufacturers would never do anything like that, lets remember that Bill gates first demo of Windows at CES was not a working copy of windows but rather a power point type slide show that would have done exactly the same thing no matter where he clicked on the screen because he was only advancing to the next graphic.)

Bottom line is while it all sounds good in theory there are too many variables in the whole chain and I am not willing to pass judgement or fork over money for the system until I can see a working sample showing commercially available software to evaluate it with.
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
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• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
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