Top 5 Things You Should Know About 4K TVs

Black Friday is right around the corner and if you’re looking to buy the latest 4K TV, which most are, here are some things you should know about 4K TVs while out shopping this Black Friday holiday.

1. Why is it called ‘4K’?
   

   Your 4K TV quadruples the pixel density horizontally from 1080p to roughly 4000p (3,840p). That means your 4K TV delivers four times the picture resolution of regular ‘full HD’. It can be compared to looking out a window of your house, which is why everyone is so quick to buy one.

2. Does Hertz matter for getting the best quality picture from my 4K TV?
   You’ll probably hear terms like ‘120hz’, ‘240hz’ or even ‘480hz’ being pitched; one of the many aspects to also consider. What is it? Hertz refers to the refresh rate of a TV. The refresh rate is the number of times the picture is shown per second. The quicker a picture is refreshed the less flicker it has, which appears smoother to the human eye.
   Most movies are recorded at 24 frames per second, or pictures per second. If you have a 240hz refresh rate, your picture quality is going to refresh ten times faster at 240hz compared to five times faster at 120hz. Get the picture?

3. You bought a 4K TV but now it’s buffering.
   
   Buffering happens when your Internet connection is too slow to stream a video in real time. In more technical terms, buffering involves pre-loading data into a certain area of memory known as a “buffer,” so that the data can be played smoothly since it’s already queued up ahead of time. A buffer acts as a temporary storage location for data while the video is being transferred. In other words, it’s that annoying delay when watching a video via the Internet. If you see this often, it’s probably time to upgrade your Internet speed.

4. Why does the picture look frozen?
   
   Another problem you could run into when upgrading your television to 4K is pixilation issues. Pixilation (squares) observed on your TV represent packets of data that were lost in transmission due to a poor connection. This could be due to damaged cables or faulty splitters. Pixilation and freezing occur when there is a disruption in the TV signal. Check your cable connections.

5. How fast of an Internet connection does my 4K TV require?
   
   Because 4K enhances more picture detail, you will more than likely need to upgrade your Internet speed. Or, you can run into the aforementioned buffering issue. More detail requires more data to be transferred. 

   Virtually all 4K TVs come with built-in apps for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu which offer a growing selection of 4K TV shows and movies. These apps all require an Internet connection. Not just any old Wi-Fi connection will do!

   Netflix recommends you have a 25 Mbps Internet connection to stream 4K movies. Don’t know how fast your current Internet connection is? Check using our Ookla Speed Test by clicking below.

Open Speed Test