4K TV or regular LED?

[Animorph]

You only need 4k if you're going to sit really close to the screen, like one screen width or so IIRC. Well back from that, you probably won't notice the difference. Especially if you're just upconverting 1080p. Very bleeding edge just now. I wouldn't pay much extra for it.

 

[Ready]

I'm pretty sure my old (circa 2005) Mitsubishi can hang on for another year. I'm on my 4th light bulb but they have dropped to less $100 now so if I need another bulb, that will be an option. I'm betting when more media comes out for the 4K, the production will be ramped up and prices will come down. I think I'd pay $2500 for a 60" from what I've seen.

Maybe I'm missing something, but even the 55" Seiki 4K set is only $800.00 at Sears, so why would anyone want to pay $2,500 for a 60" model? Seiki is just doing the same thing in the 4K world that Vizio did in flat panels years ago. They are coming out at very competitive pricing and forcing everyone else to lower their prices or lose business. Now the prices of Vizio sets are usually within 10% of the name brand stuff from Samsung and Sony. The same will happen with 4K, and it won't take as long this time as it did with Vizio.

 

[Chuckanut]

Some of the more knowledgable can correct me if I am wrong, but I heard that the standards for 4K TV have not yet been finalized. Some TV's say they are 4K upgradeable, but that only is true if the software/firmware changes. If the hardware standard changes one is out of luck....

 

[robnplunder]

Some of the more knowledgable can correct me if I am wrong, but I heard that the standards for 4K TV have not yet been finalized. Some TV's say they are 4K upgradeable, but that only is true if the software/firmware changes. If the hardware standard changes one is out of luck....

Good points. Currently, there is no single standard UHD SW format. But I don't believe UHD HW technology between companies are so drastically different to make a UHD TV you buy today obsolete.

 

[Animorph]

Some of the more knowledgable can correct me if I am wrong, but I heard that the standards for 4K TV have not yet been finalized. Some TV's say they are 4K upgradeable, but that only is true if the software/firmware changes. If the hardware standard changes one is out of luck....

Yeah, I read there is no 4k standard input connector. The DisplayPort hardware should be capable of handling the required data rate, but there is no agreement to use it. If all you have is an HDMI input, that's probably not going to do it. So in the future, you get a 4k disk player and can't connect it to your TV.

 

[dtbach]

Maybe I'm missing something, but even the 55" Seiki 4K set is only $800.00 at Sears, so why would anyone want to pay $2,500 for a 60" model? Seiki is just doing the same thing in the 4K world that Vizio did in flat panels years ago. They are coming out at very competitive pricing and forcing everyone else to lower their prices or lose business. Now the prices of Vizio sets are usually within 10% of the name brand stuff from Samsung and Sony. The same will happen with 4K, and it won't take as long this time as it did with Vizio.

Well I'm corrected then as I have only seen these sets in the $4K range. Guess I better dig deeper. I will say though, that I can tell a pretty significant difference between a Vizio and a Samsung or Sony. The later two are much better pictures as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I'll spend my bucks on a Seiki or buy any electronics at Sears.

 

[dtbach]

Here is a pretty good article on why one should NOT buy a 4K this year. . . .

Why you shouldn't buy a 4K TV this year - Computerworld