4K Trend Report

 

In the world of smart home automation and integration, technology is always rapidly changing. In the home theater system market specifically, 4K, or Ultra HD, has been the trend. Visit your local movie store in the Chestnut Hill area and you’ll notice 4K movies are starting to pop up in the aisles. But did you know a good movie-watching experience takes more than just installing a 4K TV? There are other factors to consider. Here is the latest news. 

 

 

See Also: The Best Remote for Your Home Theater

4K or UHD?

The terms 4K and UHD are used interchangeably, but in truth they are not exactly the same thing. True 4K displays are used in professional production and digital theaters and have a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels. 4K gets its name from being more than 4,000 pixels on its longest side, while UHD is determined by having three times more pixels than standard HD. The minor difference comes down to the variation in the aspect ratios between digital cameras and home displays. In plain language that means the dimensions of the film movie directors shoot in could be different than the dimensions of your screen at home which alters the number of pixels you see. To avoid confusion, 4K and UHD are often referred to as the same thing in marketing materials.

What about HDR? 

One of the most common technologies associated with 4K, or UHD, is high-dynamic range. HDR refers to the way digital cameras artificially enhance the colors of an image by widening the difference between the brightest white and deepest black. This allows for more gradients of each color, so you in effect see more variations of each. That makes the picture look even more realistic. Both 4K and HDR go hand-in-hand to provide you with the finest picture. Both are necessary if you want cinema-quality images in your home theater.

How to Achieve a True 4K Experience

Here is what you will need to enhance your home theater experience:

The Display: You could purchase a 4K TV, but we recommend going with a projector to receive a big theater experience at home. Sony has projectors that have “true 4K” meaning it just doesn’t enhance the picture, it has the technology necessary to produce the full amount of pixels on your screen. Not all projectors are made the same way, so make sure your dealer knows exactly what you want.

The Screen: Typically screens are white, but if your space has a lot of large windows or ambient light, consider a high-contrast gray or black screen.

4K Sources: This is certainly a crucial aspect of watching 4K content; you need to upgrade your Blu-ray player to one that can play 4K movies. If you're a fan of downloading movies, ensure your server has enough space to store the large 4K collection you'll accrue. If you choose to stream 4K, you’ll need a professional network that can deal with the high bandwidth.

Cabling: One of the most common mistakes homeowners make in their home theater installation is not upgrading their cables along with their sources. Your standard HDMI cables can't handle full 4K UHD, so make sure you upgrade to HDMI 2.0 or above!

Want to make your next home theater project in Newton, MA even easier? Contact Tailor-Made Audio + Video today for more information!