As one of the fun benefits of working abroad in Asia is that we get new tech quicker, I took a quick trip down to the mall today here in Shanghai to check out the 4k TV sets available.
Won't be around in South Africa for a while still (unless I buy and bring one in when I return in Feb), but they're coming - and for reasonable pricing (considering its new tech).
Whats 4k?
4k is 3840 x 2160 (which is double the effective resolution of HD 1920 x 1080).
4k is being rebranded as UHD (Ultra HD), but for now we'll refer to sets as 4k compatible.
I saw 3 Chinese sets in action - one from Haier @ 84", one from Skyworth @84" (who is also making panels), and one from TCL @ 100"
I also saw a 50" from Toshiba @ silly money - 60k!, but it uses the same chinese made panel as a Changhong set which retails for 10k rmb.. (which no-one had yet to hand)
More reasonable screen sizing is available, but no-one had display stock on hand - although I could have bought a 50" then and there if i wanted.
Currently there are sets in the following sizes available for purchase:
50" - 10,000RMB retail / 8500rmb online
55" - 14,000RMB retail
65" - 35,000RMB retail
84" - 99,000RMB retail
100" - If you needed to ask... you couldn't afford it.
I took a look at the Haier and the Skyworth ones.
Both are pretty impressive specwise (even if ignoring the glorious resolution).
Android 4 + TV based UI for playback of major web video content providers (in China). Given that the Haier will be sold in the USA, I expect the international firmware versions to include Youtube etc.
UHD resolution.
Wifi
Ethernet
HDMI 1.4b x 2, VGA!, USB x 3, AV, RF, PCMCIA (for the cable cards in usa), SD, SPDIF
USB - both came with Webcam's for Skype.
UI was English and Chinese.
Playback of video from usb hdd (which is how we played the 4k content).
3D
LED backlit IPS 10bit LCD panels.
The Haier had built in power over ethernet @ 100mbp/s and came with an paired adaptor for that.
The Skyworth had a "kinect" style i/r built into its webcam, and came with some games that utilized it - ping pong was pretty decent. More of a gimmick though.
Why Android?
Well, gaming, browsing, video playback all without a separate box. And you can download new apps directly in the TV as it has wifi/ethernet.
Currently android 4.0, but I expect them to upgrade the OS, as its pretty much standard on all new TV's here within each manufacturers ranges.
The UI's are quite nice - the Haier UI was slightly cleaner than the Skyworth one, but both did the job, and didn't get in the way.
Note that the only real way to playback faster than 24fps 4k content currently is locally via the set (due to limitations on hdmi 1.4b).
The sets support usb hdd's, usb sticks, and network devices. So they're relatively future proofed from that aspect. Once we start seeing h.265 content appearing, will see if that changes though - as that requires a beefy cpu or hardware decoder.
The Haier had Skype on also, although the store didn't have a network available for testing that.
These will be pretty cool for boardrooms, as you can basically hang them on the wall, and have a meeting room videoconferencing ready to go (over skype).
So, enough about the spec's - how did they look?
Pretty good, but distinct lack of content available!
The clarity of the images was good. It wasn't amazing, but definitely a real improvement. Stuff just looked clearer - static images were good - great, and slow moving stuff was good, moving stuff was average (that was more a factor of the encoding rate used for the video though).
Power usage - something thats usually not really covered - is excellent.
The 50" sets consume about 130w.
The 84" sets that I saw only consumed 300w!
Thats incredibly good, considering the size of the screens!
Some photos below:
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
Obviously the photos don't do it justice, but the sets do look rather good in reality.
The video we watched on them is available online here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NClYDJBFNLA
Looks good in 4k, but not really long enough to give a great demo of the tech.
So, you're jealous - well, what are the downsides of buying one early -
HDMI 1.4b only supports 4k content at either 24fps or 30fps.
These only support whats available now - eg HDMI 1.4b.
So, if you have a bluray player that can support 4k content natively - eg not the current 4k upscaling ones available., it will only support 24fps.
New blueray's are coming in march 2013 allegedly, with h.265 support.
Same for computer output via HDMI - only 24fps @ 4k.
If they'd added DisplayPort, then faster refresh rates would have been available via PC, sigh.
I'm really rather disappointed that they stuck VGA interfaces on these, DisplayPort really would have been the right choice.
I guess this is due to the built in support on the Realtek Chipset all the current sets appear to be using for 4k.
Whats going to happen in the future then?
HDMI 2.0 (which is expected to be ratified in feb 2013), should support double the bandwidth, so 60fps @ 4k.
I'm pretty sure that we'll start seeing sets with that once its finalised, as the panels are already available in volume, and its more or less a matter of plugging the new revised chipset into the design.
This will be useful for stuff like gaming, and computer output, as Hollywood seems rather set on limiting 4k content to 24fps.
The upcoming PS4 and RedRingOfDeath720 should support 4k output, and will probably be the initial drivers for higher resolution usage until UHD playback becomes mainstream.
Next year should see Bluray players supporting 4k natively using h.265 and double sided bluray disks, probably under the name UHD Bluray, but for now content is only available via hdd or usb storage medium.
They do look very good, and pricing is reasonable (for new tech) - I can purchase a 50" for about 8500rmb delivered.
I'll probably wait till the HDMI 2 or DP ones start arriving before I jump in, but it looks like that won't be long at all.
Yay for technology!
Won't be around in South Africa for a while still (unless I buy and bring one in when I return in Feb), but they're coming - and for reasonable pricing (considering its new tech).
Whats 4k?
4k is 3840 x 2160 (which is double the effective resolution of HD 1920 x 1080).
4k is being rebranded as UHD (Ultra HD), but for now we'll refer to sets as 4k compatible.
I saw 3 Chinese sets in action - one from Haier @ 84", one from Skyworth @84" (who is also making panels), and one from TCL @ 100"
I also saw a 50" from Toshiba @ silly money - 60k!, but it uses the same chinese made panel as a Changhong set which retails for 10k rmb.. (which no-one had yet to hand)
More reasonable screen sizing is available, but no-one had display stock on hand - although I could have bought a 50" then and there if i wanted.
Currently there are sets in the following sizes available for purchase:
50" - 10,000RMB retail / 8500rmb online
55" - 14,000RMB retail
65" - 35,000RMB retail
84" - 99,000RMB retail
100" - If you needed to ask... you couldn't afford it.
I took a look at the Haier and the Skyworth ones.
Both are pretty impressive specwise (even if ignoring the glorious resolution).
Android 4 + TV based UI for playback of major web video content providers (in China). Given that the Haier will be sold in the USA, I expect the international firmware versions to include Youtube etc.
UHD resolution.
Wifi
Ethernet
HDMI 1.4b x 2, VGA!, USB x 3, AV, RF, PCMCIA (for the cable cards in usa), SD, SPDIF
USB - both came with Webcam's for Skype.
UI was English and Chinese.
Playback of video from usb hdd (which is how we played the 4k content).
3D
LED backlit IPS 10bit LCD panels.
The Haier had built in power over ethernet @ 100mbp/s and came with an paired adaptor for that.
The Skyworth had a "kinect" style i/r built into its webcam, and came with some games that utilized it - ping pong was pretty decent. More of a gimmick though.
Why Android?
Well, gaming, browsing, video playback all without a separate box. And you can download new apps directly in the TV as it has wifi/ethernet.
Currently android 4.0, but I expect them to upgrade the OS, as its pretty much standard on all new TV's here within each manufacturers ranges.
The UI's are quite nice - the Haier UI was slightly cleaner than the Skyworth one, but both did the job, and didn't get in the way.
Note that the only real way to playback faster than 24fps 4k content currently is locally via the set (due to limitations on hdmi 1.4b).
The sets support usb hdd's, usb sticks, and network devices. So they're relatively future proofed from that aspect. Once we start seeing h.265 content appearing, will see if that changes though - as that requires a beefy cpu or hardware decoder.
The Haier had Skype on also, although the store didn't have a network available for testing that.
These will be pretty cool for boardrooms, as you can basically hang them on the wall, and have a meeting room videoconferencing ready to go (over skype).
So, enough about the spec's - how did they look?
Pretty good, but distinct lack of content available!
The clarity of the images was good. It wasn't amazing, but definitely a real improvement. Stuff just looked clearer - static images were good - great, and slow moving stuff was good, moving stuff was average (that was more a factor of the encoding rate used for the video though).
Power usage - something thats usually not really covered - is excellent.
The 50" sets consume about 130w.
The 84" sets that I saw only consumed 300w!
Thats incredibly good, considering the size of the screens!
Some photos below:
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
upload by sheedl, on Flickr
Obviously the photos don't do it justice, but the sets do look rather good in reality.
The video we watched on them is available online here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NClYDJBFNLA
Looks good in 4k, but not really long enough to give a great demo of the tech.
So, you're jealous - well, what are the downsides of buying one early -
HDMI 1.4b only supports 4k content at either 24fps or 30fps.
These only support whats available now - eg HDMI 1.4b.
So, if you have a bluray player that can support 4k content natively - eg not the current 4k upscaling ones available., it will only support 24fps.
New blueray's are coming in march 2013 allegedly, with h.265 support.
Same for computer output via HDMI - only 24fps @ 4k.
If they'd added DisplayPort, then faster refresh rates would have been available via PC, sigh.
I'm really rather disappointed that they stuck VGA interfaces on these, DisplayPort really would have been the right choice.
I guess this is due to the built in support on the Realtek Chipset all the current sets appear to be using for 4k.
Whats going to happen in the future then?
HDMI 2.0 (which is expected to be ratified in feb 2013), should support double the bandwidth, so 60fps @ 4k.
I'm pretty sure that we'll start seeing sets with that once its finalised, as the panels are already available in volume, and its more or less a matter of plugging the new revised chipset into the design.
This will be useful for stuff like gaming, and computer output, as Hollywood seems rather set on limiting 4k content to 24fps.
The upcoming PS4 and RedRingOfDeath720 should support 4k output, and will probably be the initial drivers for higher resolution usage until UHD playback becomes mainstream.
Next year should see Bluray players supporting 4k natively using h.265 and double sided bluray disks, probably under the name UHD Bluray, but for now content is only available via hdd or usb storage medium.
They do look very good, and pricing is reasonable (for new tech) - I can purchase a 50" for about 8500rmb delivered.
I'll probably wait till the HDMI 2 or DP ones start arriving before I jump in, but it looks like that won't be long at all.
Yay for technology!
