4K TVs.. waste of time?

[segamer]

I have a 4k TV. I have an upgraded version of Netflix for 4k content. I'm happy with my investment.

[Arseen]

because there's actually no agreed-upon standard - some say it's 3820 pixels wide, others say it's 4096, etc.).

First is TV standard, second cinema standard.

[marioxb]

I love the "grain" look. Without grain, everything looks stupid to me.

[Polygon]

For most people, yes. The average consumer will not see the difference.

[Thom Grayson]

If you can see and are bothered by the individual pixels on your current TV, then no, they are not a waste of time. Waste of money though, maybe...

However, most people I know personally who have bought them are just doing it because 4K is 'better' and that's the beginning and end of their opinion on it. For those people... yes, it's a waste of time, but at least it makes them feel better?

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My opinion is that with the viewing distances and TV sizes that the vast majority of people use, 4K TVs are going to waste.

For computer monitors though, since you are typically much closer to them than you are to your TV, 4K can make a noticeable difference. But the quality differential isn't so large as to make going back to 1080p painful. My every experience with real-world 4K (as in non-tech-demo) has been 'yeah, that looks a bit better' followed by wondering what the big deal is.

The drop-off between SD and HD was massive and immediately obvious to everyone (except for a few people who I'm pretty sure are lying about not being able to see the difference). HD and 4K shows some severe diminishing returns. And I fully expect the difference between 4K and 8K to be imperceptible.

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You specifically asked about TVs, but I will say that 4K is probably going to be relevant for VR.

And I will also say that 4K screens are really stupid on phones. I'm looking at you Sony.

[Einhander]

And guess what? This aint Einhander. Anyway, does anyone else think 4K and curved inward TVs are a waste? Personally, I don't think home TVs should look crisper/ "better" than movie theaters. I think theaters should be the end all, highest quality you can get. Plus, I already hate that "soap opera look" on regular HD tvs. It makes it look like a movie set, rather than an actual movie. I can't really even tell DVD from Blu Ray personally. But then I do wear contacts and am red/green color blind, meaning I can't see rainbows.

You may not be Einhander, but bro you are starting to sound someone like me. You are complaining about 4k? I mean I'm not saying you're wrong, I don't understand where you are coming from. But anyways to answer your question, 4k tvs might be a waste right now because nothing is in 4k, so why spend the money on something that you can't fully benefit from? Wait a couple of years and then things will look good.

I don't know if 4ks are bad or just too good. But I do know that the 4k tvs I saw at Cosco looked pretty beautiful. But as far as I know, you can't use them that much, except for very limited things. And movie theaters will definitely be 4k, they will have to be.

[marioxb]

All I'm saying is that TVs already look perfect to me, and I think movie theaters should always look better or equal to home. Home should never look better than theaters. That's my opinion. I'm never buying 4k until it's the only thing available and all my other TVs break.

[TDIRunner]

All I'm saying is that TVs already look perfect to me, and I think movie theaters should always look better or equal to home. Home should never look better than theaters. That's my opinion. I'm never buying 4k until it's the only thing available and all my other TVs break.

I'm the opposite.  I want my home theater to look and sound better than the theater.  In the past, I put a lot of time, effort and money into making a great home theater.  By today's standards, it's not great, but I'll upgrade again after I finish my basement.  With that said, I've never been the type of person to buy the newest technology when it's super expensive. 

[Einhander]

All I'm saying is that TVs already look perfect to me, and I think movie theaters should always look better or equal to home. Home should never look better than theaters. That's my opinion. I'm never buying 4k until it's the only thing available and all my other TVs break.

I think tv can still look a little better. The 4k I saw at Cosco was really beautiful. It was a great experience, it was like I was there. Having said that, it was a monster tv and my HDTV is only 40 inches, so that could be the reason why. But it was beautiful.

It's not about homes looking better than theaters. Theaters need to do a better job not looking worse than homes. I feel disappointed sometimes with the movie theater image quality.

But I would love to watch outdoor channels and even golf in 4k. It's quite an experience, it's like you're on a vacation.

[marioxb]

But see, that's the thing. I don't want to be "there". I want to be watching the movie, not in it. I cannot stand when it looks so real that you are on set with the actors. Looks sooooo damn fake. Maybe for sports and travel shows, but I don't really watch them. I pretty much only like scripted movies and shows. Sitcoms, cartoons, blockbuster movies. Stuff like that. Don't really care for reality tv, be it sports, news, anything on TLC, etc, don't like any of it. The closest I like to "real life" om TV are game shows like Price is Right or Family Feud.

[KalessinDB]

I cannot stand when it looks so real thay you are on set with the actors. Looks sooooo damn fake.

I do understand what you're trying to say, but my goodness that's an amazing quote right there.

[marioxb]

I know its kinda contradictory "so real that it's fake". I want it to look like a movie, not real life.

[Megatron]

But see, that's the thing. I don't want to be "there". I want to be watching the movie, not in it. I cannot stand when it looks so real that you are on set with the actors. Looks sooooo damn fake.

I'm so spoiled that if my movies DONT look like this, I immediately am disinterested.  Or at least put in to a "meh" mood by it.
The James Bond blu rays showed it was possible for almost anything to look like this, so when a 2015 film only looks OK by comparisson, I tend to immediately care less about it.
But I'm a videophile.  I notice 1080 p vs 1080i, 240 vs 120 fps, etc.  So my opinion is a bit biased.

[palmer6strings]

Sooo.... Does that mean you like to molest movies??

[Megatron]

Sooo.... Does that mean you like to molest movies??

Surprisingly there is no paraphilia denoted to sex with inanimate objects other than the word "fetishism" pared with the specific object.  There is spectrophilia, which is a sexual attraction to ghosts...yet nothing for objects.  Go figure.
That said, I'm neither confirming nor denying anything, just clarifying the terminology.