4K is a resolution standard that is four times the number of pixels on a 1080p display. What is a 1080p display? The 1080p display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This means that the screen will have a width of 1,920 pixels and a height 1,080 pixels. This results in a grand total of 2,073,600 pixels on-screen. I have a Windows 11 laptop that has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. That’s common.
4K Ultra HD is the name assigned to a screen with a resolution that’s four times that of a Full HD (1080p). That translates to 8 million pixels. Full HD is just 2 million pixels, as noted in the above paragraph. What does 4K mean for the viewer? A clearer image, more accurate color, and with most new TV sets, High Dynamic Range, or HDR. Each pixel (dot of color) is smaller on a 4K UHD TV screen.
Is there a difference between 4K and UHD? At the consumer level, no. The two terms are practically interchangeable. However, professionals view things differently. They say that 4K is a digital cinema standard that calls for a 4096 x 2160-pixel resolution. That first number is a horizontal measurement, the latter vertical, and they work out because they fit a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
Let’s go back to the consumer world of TVs. we watch televisions with a 16:9 or 1.78:1 aspect ratio. That’s not quite as wide as what the pros use, so the pixel resolution we get ends up being 3840 x 2160 — double both the horizontal and vertical measurements of Full HD (1920 x 1080).
If you are in the market for a new TV, there is no reason not to look at 4K UHD. If you are willing to spend the money, LG, Samsung, or Sony are great options. Also, there is more to know because we have QLED and OLED. You also need to know about HDR.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) in TVs includes multiple formats that provide brighter whites and darker blacks, making for increased color volume and shading and better contrast than standard displays, ultimately resulting in more vivid detail. Many people say that when it’s done right, HDR is a more noticeable upgrade than 4K resolution. Although these days it’s rare to find a 4K TV that doesn’t have HDR on board. There are a few different varieties of HDR, including Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), HDR10, and its more dynamic counterpart, HDR10+. HDR10 is the most common variety, while Dolby Vision and HDR10+ will usually be found on more premium models
4K Ultra HD TVs can play Full HD content, but it won’t be displayed in the standard 1920 x 1080 resolution we’ve all come to know and love. Instead, to fill the extra pixels that make up a 4K Ultra HD screen, the content first has to be upscaled.
Most of the big-name manufacturers’ 4K Ultra HD TVs do a solid job with upscaling, some budget brands do not, so it’s best to stick to those brands like LG, Samsung or Sony.
Blu-ray
Blu-ray is the abbreviated name for a Blu-ray Disc (BD), which is a digital optical disc storage format, like CD and DVD. Introduced to consumers in 2006, Blu-ray format is a more powerful way of storing high-quality videos, audio, and other data that uses blue lasers. Compared to CDs and DVDs, Blu-ray discs can hold more information and are often used for playing high-definition(HD) videos.
Let’s review what 4K means. If you search the term “4K” online, you’ll find two resolution standards: 3840 x 2160 and 4096 x 2160. In television and consumer media, 3480 x 2160 is the most commonly-used 4K standard, and is also referred to 4K UHD. The movie production industry uses 4096 x 2160, which is also known as DCI 4K.
You can purchase 4K UHD Blu-ray discs that feature HDR. One such example is BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Another example is BBC’s A Perfect Planet. There are many other examples.
DVD
The resolution of a DVD disc depends on the standard. Both resolutions are available in 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. DVD-Video was the dominant consumer home video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia in the 2000s until it was supplanted by the high-definition Blu-ray Disc. There are two standard DVD resolutions:
- NTSC: 720 × 480 (total 345,600 pixels)
- PAL: 720 × 576 (total 414,720 pixels)