Who has a 4K TV?

[A.H.Black]

This is a purely selfish request.

NBC plans to broadcast special programming for those who have 4K. For Figure Skating, Charlie White and Chris Vosters will be the commentators. I don't know if this will be on a special channel, if the camera work will be different, or if there will still be the same amount of commercials.

I'm hoping someone with a 4K TV will know more than I do. I'm also hoping (big time) that someone will record that programming and upload it somewhere (youtube?) I know the picture quality would not be the same as 4K. I just want to have access to the different commentary and any other programming that is different/extra.

Thank you.

 

[A.H.Black]

I know they are rare, but I was hoping some affluent soul on these boards would have popped for an ultra-high def, 4K TV/monitor.

 

[Aceon6]

I know they are rare, but I was hoping some affluent soul on these boards would have popped for an ultra-high def, 4K TV/monitor.

You’re just a year ahead of us. Our 42” plasma is still going strong, so we’re holding off until more programming is available.

 

[A.H.Black]

I think you should go out and buy one tomorrow. I have been entering our local TV station contest to win one every night this week. I'm sure I will win tonight.

 

[Simone411]

Actually, I looked into it. I found that I'm happy with what I have which is a 47 inch VIZIO that is 1080P. After reading this article about it, I decided not to get one.

Why Ultra HD 4K TVs are still stupid.

The article is from CNet.

5. Why 4K?
Ah, now this is an interesting question. It's clear many seem to think TV manufacturers are some sort of altruistic entities that only do new things if there's a benefit to the consumer. How adorable, but no. Ultra HD isn't the "new technology" it appears. Modern TVs are made from huge sheets of "motherglass." From this big piece, companies slice up smaller pieces to make televisions. It's easier (read: cheaper) to make a big piece and cut it into smaller TVs.

Originally this was in case there was a problem with part of the glass, the rest could still be sold as TVs. When you read about "yields" as part of TV manufacturing, this is largely what they're talking about.

But manufacturing has gotten really good, so most of these pieces of motherglass are fully used. Instead of slicing up one piece of motherglass into four 42-inch 1080p LCDs, what if you just kept the whole thing as one piece? What would you have? You'd have an 84-inch TV. Use the exact same (or similar) drive elements/electronics and all the various bits, and you've got a 3,840x2,160-pixel, 84-inch UHD TV. Hey, wait.

You see, TV companies are pushing 4K because they can. It's easy, or at least easier than improving the more important aspects of picture quality (like contrast ratio, color accuracy, motion blur, compression artifacts, and so on).

I guess there will be several eventually that will purchase 4K TVs. But to tell the truth, I don't have room enough in my living room for an 84 inch TV. It would cover my whole wall where I have my 47 inch VIZIO TV.

 

[MacMadame]

I don't have room enough in my living room for an 84 inch TV.

I have a 70-inch tv and it's already so big that it is limiting (in terms of how big the room has to be and how the furniture can be set up). Next one will be smaller, not bigger.

 

[icie]

Sadly, I don't have the funds for one, but my cable company doesn't offer 4k.

 

[Simone411]

Sadly, I don't have the funds for one, but my cable company doesn't offer 4k.

I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to afford one, either! I had a 37 inch VIZIO, and my home was robbed while I was at the Nurse Care facility in 2012. My TV was also stolen, and then I found out that my home owner's insurance didn't cover theft.

My brother helped me out and went to Walmart for me before I came home in 2012. He found a 47 inch VIZIO 1080P capable that was twice as cheap than the 37 inch VIZIO I had. I had already given him a set amount of money to buy me another one with, and it was 300 dollars cheaper.

After seeing the prices on these 4K TVs, I'll just keep what I have and it's big enough for me.

 

[skatesindreams]

Until there is more programming; like others here, I'll wait to upgrade.

 

[MacMadame]

Btw, Angie's article was written originally 3-4 years ago(with minor updates 2x since then). I would search for something more recent in making the decision because the article does point out that at some point 4K is inevitable and we may be nearing that point by now.

Both of these were written in 2017 so less than a year ago:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-wolpin/5-reasons-not-to-buy-a-4k_b_14682700.html
(TL;DR - wait for the new 4k tvs coming out with a different standard and only if you want a 65" or larger tv)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-you-get-one-year-heres-how-decide/871959001/
(TL;DR - some really good deals on 4k will be out for the Holiday shopping season and are worth taking advantage of)

 

[SkateSand]

I have a 4K TV. I bought it last summer at Costco because for "just a little bit more" I could get 4K instead of what I should have bought. Only to get home to set up programming from my satellite dish system and find out that all of the channels I watch aren't set up for 4K so I'm getting exactly the same picture as before. I console myself with the thought that someday the TV will be able to be used as intended and confirm my wise purchase. Unless it's obsolete by then.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I know they are rare, but I was hoping some affluent soul on these boards would have popped for an ultra-high def, 4K TV/monitor.

Can't think of a better time to get one

 

[A.H.Black]

I have a 4K TV. I bought it last summer at Costco because for "just a little bit more" I could get 4K instead of what I should have bought. Only to get home to set up programming from my satellite dish system and find out that all of the channels I watch aren't set up for 4K so I'm getting exactly the same picture as before. I console myself with the thought that someday the TV will be able to be used as intended and confirm my wise purchase. Unless it's obsolete by then.

Yay. Are your going to watch the special NBC programming for 4K? Say yes, please. Then say you are going to record it and post it. (picture panting dog here).

 

[SkateSand]

Yay. Are your going to watch the special NBC programming for 4K? Say yes, please. Then say you are going to record it and post it. (picture panting dog here).

My satellite dish package doesn't currently have any 4K channels.

 

[MacMadame]

I have a 4K TV. I bought it last summer at Costco because for "just a little bit more" I could get 4K instead of what I should have bought. Only to get home to set up programming from my satellite dish system and find out that all of the channels I watch aren't set up for 4K so I'm getting exactly the same picture as before. I console myself with the thought that someday the TV will be able to be used as intended and confirm my wise purchase. Unless it's obsolete by then.

This is exactly the situation all the "don't buy 4k" articles describe. But here we are less than a year later and UHD tvs are cheaper than our HD tv. In fact, PC World says "now is the time" to get a 4k tv:

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412174,00.asp

We were one of the first families to go HD and there was a period where we weren't getting the most out of it. Cable channels weren't HD and then there were some HD channels but the DVR couldn't record them. And everything cost more. Getting the HD channels meant paying the cable company more. Replacing the DVR would have cost more. But then one day HD was mainstream. And we had a tv that could take advantage of it. So I don't actually regret buying it.

Right now we have a 70inch tv that's 1080i (I believe, might be 1080p) and we've been happy with it. But we are downsizing and moving to a new place. If the living room is small enough, we'll have to buy a smaller tv. And then we'll be deciding if 4k is worth it or not just like everyone else...

 

[Simone411]

@MacMadame, your 70 inch TV probably is 1080P capable. I don't know what year you purchased it, but my 47 inch Vizio is 1080i and also 1080P capable, and it was purchased in 2012.

 

[love skating]

Question about 4K... can you get 4K programming over the air (like NBC's Olympic coverage for example?) or does it have to be with a provider? Just curious.

 

[Simone411]

Question about 4K... can you get 4K programming over the air (like NBC's Olympic coverage for example?) or does it have to be with a provider? Just curious.

I found this information online from Consumer Reports, and it explains a lot about what you're asking. The date of the article is May 19th, 2017. So some of the changes may already be occurring.

Free Over-the-Air TV is going to get better

Let's start with 4K.

Right now, you can't get 4K video via over-the-air broadcasts. That will change with ATSC 3.0 because the new standard uses a more efficient video format, called HEVC or H.265, the same one used by streaming services such as Netflix. That will allow broadcasters to send data-heavy 4K video over the airwaves, along with other picture enhancements, such as HDR, which yields brighter images with greater contrast and highlights and richer, more saturated colors.

You'll also be able to get higher-quality "immersive" audio—so-called 3D multichannel sound—from content that supports it.

And because the new signals follow the internet protocol, they'll support movie and TV show metadata, so you can get plot summaries, poster thumbnails, and actor bios, just like you do with online streaming services.

In addition, ATSC president Mark Richer says, the ATSC 3.0 signals will be "more reliable" than current over-air broadcasts, "which were designed 25 years ago for living-room viewing with an outdoor antenna." Reception should beat what you get with the current system, even if you're using a less powerful indoor antenna.

ATSC 3.0 has been designed from the ground up to support mobile uses, so you'll be able to receive signals on smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices, even deep inside buildings, or in cars speeding along streets and highways.

And, Richer says, next-gen TV is compatible with so-called single-frequency network systems, which work like cell-phone networks. Without getting into the technical details, that means they can be used to fill in coverage in urban areas or hilly regions where interference and obstructions make traditional broadcast reception spotty.

Last, next-gen TV will enable enhanced emergency alerts, so consumers will receive more precise, localized warnings during natural disasters or fast-moving weather events.

 

[A.H.Black]

The Olympic programming issue is that same as I experienced in 2002 with HD. There was special programming in 2002 that was only available to HD customers. Those who had HD were able to see all the figure skating without commentary - every performance, every discipline. I talked to the engineers at my local station and with someone who had an HD TV and saw the coverage. Problem was, no one recorded it and I have never seen any of that programming anywhere or been able to obtain any recordings.

This year NBC is producing special coverage for the Olympics for 4K owners. As I mentioned in my original post - For Figure Skating, Charlie White and Chris Vosters will be the commentators. I don't know if this will be on a special channel, if the camera work will be different, or if there will still be the same amount of commercials.

However, just like in 2002, there are so few people who have 4K tvs and even fewer that know about the coverage and yet even fewer who know how to access that programming. I am very afraid we will never see that programming anywhere. Maybe it won't be a big deal but I would like to know it's available somewhere.

ETA - barbk just posted on the TV thread that she has a brand new 4K TV and had signed up for Youtube TV. She needs a little bit of help so if someone can help her out, the post is here - https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/nbc-network-olympics-coverage.102244/page-3#post-5271632

 

[Simone411]

@A.H.Black, I saw a commercial with DirecTV yesterday on my local NBC station (channel 6) regarding viewing the Olympic Games in 4K on channel 106. Of course, I don't have channel 106. I did input 106 on my DirecTV remote just to see what would happen, and got a message that channel 106 wasn't available.

I guess that means either it's an over-the-air channel or that I can't view it because I don't have a 4K TV. I'm still confused about this, but I believe if I had a 4K TV that I could watch channel 106 with DirecTV.

Just editing to add that I called DirecTV regarding watching in 4K. The rep I talked to said that people who buy 4K TV's can watch in 4K, and that DirecTV has 4K receivers. Their regular HD receiver would have to be replaced with their 4K receiver.

 

[A.H.Black]

Thank you. TanithandBenFan posted this link about Direct TV - https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/nbc-network-olympics-coverage.102244/page-4#post-5272236

ETA DISH information. They will also have 4K available - https://planetdish.com/winter-olympic-games-on-dish/