The evolution of television to 4K has picked up speed over the last 12 months and many of the sets you now see on sale incorporate this latest step in television technology.
But what exactly is 4K? In the simplest terms, 4K TV offers four times as many pixels as your old HD model, therefore offering better picture quality and details.
But as with much technology the change is hard to read and complicated by no small amount of marketing hyperbole. While innovations such as 3D television have failed to take off, manufacturers are now widely adopting 4K, leaving many asking if it is time for an upgrade.
Cutting through the hype is challenging, but there are some key questions you should ask yourself if you are thinking of upgrading to a 4K TV.
The best 4K TVs for 2018 so far
Samsung Q9
Screen size: 65 inches
Featuring Samsung’s QLED screen, the Q9 is an expensive beast with the manufacturer’s latest screen tech. At more than £4,000 it is hugely expensive, but the model is also sumptuously bright recording more offering up to 2,000 nits of brightness, significantly brighter than most OLED screens.
The design is stark and memorable and the remote features voice commands with the latest ‘Eden’ interface for its smart TV’s engine. If you can get over the price tag, the Q9 is best new release this year.
LG OLED B7V
Screen: 55 inches
If you are after the very best you want to consider this top-of-the-range Oled TV. With each pixel emitting its own illumination you get true and deep blacks that are only achieved when pixels shut themselves off.
The LG Oled B7 also comes with four HDR formats, which means all 4K HDR content will be supported, and is wickedly thin to sit stylishly on your wall or on a stand. A 65-inch version is also available, although that will take you to £2,500. At £1,799 this TV has come down in price significantly, making it a more attractive deal for one of the 4K TVs available from 2017.
Philips 55POS9002
Screen: 55 inches
Philips second Oled television creates its stunning picture with HDR colours and comes with Android TV. Philips uses its Ambilight technology, giving out light on three sides to mirror what's on screen. It has Android TV with 16GB of internal memory to store your downloaded films.
Samsung KS7000
Screen size: 49 inches
With a slight drop in price since it was first launched, the Samsung KS7000 is considered one of the benchmark 4K sets for quality and now comes in at a justifiable price tag of just £749.
The KS7000 is also one of the most affordable smart TVs to feature UHD Premium, meaning you will get high-end picture quality. This Samsung doesn’t feature the Japanese manufacturer’s latest innovations for its Quantum LED (QLED) screens.
LG 43UJ634V
Screen size: 43 inches
For those who don’t want an imposing screen, South Korean manufacturer LG offers a line of 43-inch 4K TVs that are well worth a look. Realistically, you are not going to experience the full quality of 4K on a 43-inch screen, but the visuals on upscaled HD content will still look great.
This model comes with high-dynamic-range (HDR) support and the latest webOS 3.0, considered one of the most usable systems, as well as Freeview Play. The prices have just dropped on this model, meaning if you shop around you can find deals for under £400.
What is 4K and Ultra HD?
The term 4K refers to ultra-high-definition screen resolution, which comes in at 3,840 x 2160 pixels. Manufacturers and brands often refer to these as 4K UHD or 4K Ultra HD, or just UHD, although in practice these all mean the same thing.
But more simply, 4K TVs have four times as many pixels as 1920 x 1080 (or 1080p) HD TVs, or around eight million pixels in total. What 4K offers is an exceptionally crisp picture, more detailed than standard HD, that can be blown up onto much larger screens.
Do I need a 4K TV?
Until very recently there were few programs or films that were even 4K ready, with a trickle of videos on Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube supporting the format. So while you may want the best resolution for your TV, you may be limited on the number of shows you can watch right now.
That said, 4K is certainly the direction of travel for top range TVs. If you want the best viewing experience or a large TV of 50 inches or more it is time to settle on a 4K.
And nearly all 4K TVs have a the ability to 'upscale' standard HD content. Essentially this involves touching up the image to make it appear higher quality on the 4K display, due to the fact 4K has four times the pixels of normal HD. More expensive 4K TVs are likely to be better at upscaling than some cheaper models.
What can I watch in 4K?
There are now more 4K videos supported by Netflix, Amazon Prime and Youtube, although the format is far from universal. On Netflix, there are now more than 100 titles in 4K while Amazon Prime Instant Video has been supporting 4K films and series since 2015. For Netflix you will also need to spend a little more to watch 4K with its Premium service.
Meanwhile broadcasters have only been very slowly catching up, with some limited adoption from Sky and BT in the UK. BT introduced BT Sport 4K UHD in August last year, with Sky quickly following suit with the launch of Sky Q. For gaming, 4K has been available for those using PCs for sometime, but 4K now has support from the PS4 Pro and is set to be supported by Microsoft's Xbox One X.
Is my broadband fast enough?
This could be the kicker of whether you should be upgrading to a 4K TV. The national average was around 29mbps (megabits per second) in 2016, but in many areas this can be significantly lower. Netflix recommends a minimum of 25mbps to stream 4K UHD titles, so in some cases you may be limited to downloading at a slower rate for your 4K videos.
What about 3D and curved TVs?
The deluge of advertising geared at pushing an adoption of 3D TVs has died. LG, Sony and Samsung have all dropped support for the gimmicky plastic specs from their latest models, but it is still available on some 2016 devices.
Many tech commentators speculate of a similar death for curved TVs, however Samsung has continued to push the format. Curved TVs can create a more immersive experience, particularly on larger sets. The major drawback is the "sweet spot" for watching the TV is a little smaller, so if you have multiple viewers at different angles they may not always get the best picture.
How much should I pay?
Things have changed in the last two years and you no longer need to drop thousands of pounds for your first 4K set. Still, many smaller 4K TVs are considered not worth the price tag. If a small screen is what you want, it's probably not worth paying more than £500 for anything less than a 43 inch screen. For the best results in 4K, you will need a screen size of around 50 inches or better, unless you want to sit very close to the screen. For just under £1,000 you can get a quality mid-range 50 inch model with HDR.
Then there is a high upper limit, or lack of one. A 4K TV may cost in the region of £1,500 to £2,000 for the highest quality, while anything more expensive than that is likely a luxury model with an OLED or QLED display and impressive screen size.
Other key things to consider:
- Screen size: 4K looks best on larger screens, but you do not necessarily need a 75-inch TV that dominates the room to get the best results.
- Sound: Many 4K TVs come with built in sound bars which will provide decent quality sound to the room, but you may want to invest in a speaker system for better results.
- Connectivity: Check the number of HDMI and USB ports the model has. Four HDMI ports may be necessary if you have several gaming devices.
- Brightness: If you plan to watch TV in a dark room then a TV with an OLED screen will give greater contrast and have better blacks and darker colour, in a lighter room the difference will be less pronounced.
- HDR compatibility: Given this is such a new technology many video apps or services do not even support the content except on certain TVs. Amazon has a list of compatible HDR models for its video app here, while Netflix supports most brands.