What is 4K?

While buying a TV, or perhaps a monitor for your gaming setup, you’d have often heard the term 4K being thrown around. Ever wondered what it is? Well, you came to the right place. Read on.

What is 4K?

A video with 4K resolution has four times the resolution of a high-definition video (1080p). While those who adopted 4K TVs early on did experience a few pains, as 4K video was in its nascent stages, it has now firmly established itself as the norm and the only kind of TV one should purchase. The resolution of a TV refers to the number of pixels in a television display.  

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4K resolution has been standardised at 3840 x 2160 pixels for televisions. However, 4K resolution in the case of digital cinema is slightly higher at 4096 x 2160 pixels. Regardless of how one defines it though, 4K has over 23 times the resolution of a standard-definition TV, and four times as many pixels as a 1080p monitor.

Do all displays support 4K resolution content?

4K devices, as you may have gathered, naturally provide for a superior viewing experience. Although one may not be able to detect the distinction between a TV that offers a 1080p or 4K resolution in certain situations, the quantity of pixels available determines how the two devices perform. The clearer and more vivid an image appears, means the greater the resolution, which in turn means a more immersive viewing experience.  

However, to view content which has been shot in a 4K resolution, users must have access to a 4K TV or monitor. In case one attempts to view 4K content on a display which doesn’t support the same, they will see it at a reduced resolution.