The 4K evolution
Like much in technology the race to bring consumers higher-resolution TVs, monitors and projectors at lower prices has moved at an unrelenting pace. Only a few short years ago, HD seemed somewhat exotic as conventional TV channels first started broadcasting in this higher definition—and then HD sets and boxes became the norm.
Where broadcasters slowly rolled out their HD output, streaming services came out all guns blazing. The likes of YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have had HD output from the get-go — now they are also leading the charge in 4K or UHD (Ultra HD) content, while conventional broadcasters lag behind.
4K Ultra HD essentially has four times the pixel density of 1080p (regular HD). At 2160p, or 3840x2160, it renders crisper images with greater detail than standard HD. One of the major hurdles to 4K becoming ubiquitous is domestic internet speeds—given that the picture is four times the quality of regular HD, so is the amount of data needed to transmit it. 25Mbps (megabytes per second) is the recommended minimum speed for 4K playback—and this only increases, should other devices be working on the network.
According to the Worldwide Broadband Speed League 2018, based on over 163 million speed tests in 200 countries the average global internet speed sits at 9.10Mbps. In fact, only countries ranked in the top 20 of the league table have average speeds high enough to support 4K content—these are mostly European, with some Asian/Pacific states and North America also included. However much of Africa sits well down the rankings: the huge land mass is connected by 3G and 4G (third/fourth generation) wireless services, instead of using cables to cover the vast spaces.
For those that can support the speed required, Netflix are at the head of the pack in the 4K stakes. They offer all their own-branded content in 4K—but you need to pay for a premium subscription to avail of it. Amazon Prime Video also offer a good proportion of their content as UHD, but include it in their standard package.
BT Sport and Sky are the only two mainstream broadcasters to really jump into 4K so far—with the former focussing on its sports offering, while Sky is also including some movies and TV shows too. The BBC have tentatively dipped their toe into the water, offering one programme in 4K (Planet Earth II).
User-generated content has also had a major role to play: while shooting 4K or UHD content was once the preserve of production studios, now it’s possible to capture on a wide range of smart phones. YouTube, Vimeo and other user-video sharing apps are now commonplace on most smart TVs—meaning they sit comfortably in the gamut of home entertainment options.
While it’s a race to rock-bottom prices for tech manufacturers, it’s a sprint to top speeds for internet service providers. It’s where they meet in the middle that 4K can truly flourish. That is, until 8K does it all over again…