My 2014 prediction

[tom95521]

My prediction is 4K UHDTV will be the new 'normal' HDTV resolution as prices drop. Looking at the screen on a 55" model at our local Costco the increase in detail was amazing. Need to have a powerful graphics card to drive 3480 x 2160 (or create MP4 video). I am sure PTE slideshows would look fantastic.

Tom

[Lin Evans]

One of the real issues which must be dealt with before that can become de jure is a major improvement in our ability to transmit this magnitude of information over the airwaves and networks. Rather than a linear increase in composite signal complexity, it's more logarithmic. Hopefully, we will be able to keep up so that this can become a reality, but I'm a little afraid it may be like broadcast 3D and get sidetracked for a few years.

I agree - PTE shows would be amazing at 4K or even 8K if technology in the GPU and such can stay abreast.

Best regards,

Lin

[tom95521]

The video about half way down the web page looks great even at 1920 x 1080.

http://www.costco.com/Hisense-55%22-Class-4K-Smart-LED-Ultra-HDTV-55T880UW-.product.100087504.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=4k+55&langId=-1&storeId=10301

4K streaming videos will be more efficient using H.265. I hope ffmpeg and PTE 9? support H.265 encoding -or- maybe YouTube will re-encode to H.265.

Tom

[Lin Evans]

It looks great on my 30" 2560x1600 display. I'm not certain what actual resolution it's being shown at. Since there was zero download time it's really hard to know. Of course the subject matter was carefully chosen for optimal color and impact but the details were quite good. Not as good as an image displayed from one of my higher resolution cameras on the same display so perhaps the output was only HD 1920x1080, but still impressive. I'm wondering how they can display it without significant download time? It must be streamed directly...

Best regards,

Lin

[Guest Yachtsman1]

The video about half way down the web page looks great even at 1920 x 1080.

http://www.costco.com/Hisense-55%22-Class-4K-Smart-LED-Ultra-HDTV-55T880UW-.product.100087504.html?catalogId=10701&keyword=4k+55&langId=-1&storeId=10301

4K streaming videos will be more efficient using H.265. I hope ffmpeg and PTE 9? support H.265 encoding -or- maybe YouTube will re-encode to H.265.

Tom

Tom

When I saw your post I remembered a conversation with a friend who has just bought the Panasonic 38" "Smart" tv. So I did some checking on Amazon & found lots of bad feedback on the Panasonic & one in particular where the buyer found the picture quality so bad when viewing live sports sent it back & bought the Sony, which at the moment is £100 less expensive. However, both TV's had bad feedback regarding picture stabilisation, which is supposed to be switchable on or off. One Sony poster said the on/off feature was there initially, but later disappeared. When he queried this he was told the feature is now on permanently. Sounds like another case where the consumer is being used as a test bed.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[tom95521]

Google is using their own free VP9 4K video codec to compete against the H.265 with their YouTube service. There are many patents involved with H.264 and H.265 so theoretically it is more expensive to license H.265. It will be interesting to see what future graphics cards use for their 4K hardware codecs. Whatever they support will become the standard 4K codec. I have been reluctant to buy a 4K UHDTV until all this gets sorted out (this year I hope). It should be an interesting CES this year. I think ffmpeg will eventually support both of these formats in the future. H.265 is supposed to be really slow encoding.

http://www.techspot.com/news/55192-youtube-to-showcase-4k-streaming-using-vp9-codec-at-ces.html

Tom