Does my TV really offer 4K resolution? How can I tell if a stream is playing in ultra high definition? Answers!Did you know that the first 4K television is just over 10 years old? Manufactured by Sony, the first commercial 4K television was 84 inches and went on sale in August 2012. However, this format did not become popular until recent years, so there are still many doubts as to how they work. 4K televisions and what requirements we must meet before acquiring this technology.
This uncertainty can arise when we think about the speed of the Internet and the services we should hire to meet our needs, but also how to know if the content we are watching is really in 4K . All that’s left is for them to “string us out” when buying a TV or subscribing to a streaming platform that supposedly broadcasts in 4K/Ultra HD!
How can we know that we are looking at a television with 4K resolution
First of all, if you are looking to buy a new 4K television, check that it is certified by the Consumer Technology Association (also known as the CTA or Consumer Technology Association ) or the Digital Europe body . These certifications guarantee that you are looking at a 4K television and that all its components are quality. There is the case of companies that offer 4K televisions at a lower cost, but their components are low caliber so the screen ends up emitting an image with minimal resolution, little contrast or little brightness.
Secondly, a 4K screen has 3840 * 2160 pixels , while a Full HD screen has 1920 * 1080 pixels, so on a 4K screen you can enjoy greater details in the image compared to Full HD resolution. And let’s not talk about HD televisions, which are located in an even more modest place, with 1280*720 pixels of resolution.
On the other hand, because it has a large number of pixels, the image will always be sharp even on televisions larger than 55 inches if it is 4K, otherwise you will lose the quality of the resolution. This is a good detail to look at when it comes to knowing if we are really looking at a television with ultra high definition resolution.
Furthermore, the brightness offered by 4K certified screens is stable regardless of the image it projects. On the contrary, a screen that is not 4K can cause visual fatigue, its image is opaque or the brightness is unstable throughout the broadcast.
The image doesn’t look good, what is happening?
Now, it may happen that you already have your 4K screen, but the image does not exceed your expectations. You will surely ask yourself why? In reality, there are also other factors that influence the quality of the image you see on your 4K TV:
- The first thing you should rule out is that your television is well calibrated. They usually come with default settings from the factory to enjoy 4K resolution, but they may still need adjustments. If you have a Smart TV with Android TV, you can recalibrate the image by entering the general settings menu, from « Display and sound -> Image «.
- You should only use HDMI cables. RCA cables transmit a maximum resolution of 1080 pixels, therefore, you would be wasting the capabilities of your television. If you already use an HDMI cable, make sure it is a quality HDMI cable . Note: There aren’t many 4K TVs these days that have an RCA connection.
- If you are watching cable or DTT, keep in mind that most channels still broadcast at a maximum of 1080p so you cannot accurately measure the quality of your television with regular channels. Of course, in Spain there are already some channels, such as Televisión Española, that already broadcast in 4K .
General requirements to watch streaming in 4K
Although you must take into consideration two other important points, which are your Internet connection and the company you use to watch the 4K streaming. To watch a 4K transmission with quality you require that the connection be stable and at least 25 megabits per second . Generally, streaming applications scale the quality of the transmission based on the speed of your Internet, so it will be of higher or lower resolution as the speed is higher or lower. Note: you can check the speed of your connection by doing a speed test .
4K content on Prime Video, YouTube and Netflix
So how do I know if I’m watching content in 4K? Everything will depend on the service you are using. Amazon Prime video , for example, clearly shows on its interface the resolution of the stream you are watching. It will mark the transmission with the acronym UHD if you are looking at a 4K broadcast. Often, it will start at HD quality while buffering the rest of the stream and upscaling to the highest quality as soon as your Internet connection allows.
On YouTube , before selecting a video, you can configure your search engine to show you videos in 4K. To do this, enter your search term, then in the 3 ellipses on the right, click search filter. In the features section select 4K and finally apply.
The results shown will be those videos that are in 4K. But if you have forgotten this step and still want to know the quality of your video, you can click inside the player on the 3 ellipses to access the options, then select the icon called “ stats for nerds ” at the end of the alternatives.
A screen will display showing the resolution in which you are viewing the video and the optimal resolution of your device. If these differ, keep in mind that Internet speed may be affecting streaming quality. If both are the same, but below the 4K resolution, it means that the video you are watching is not 4K. A 4K video should have a resolution of 3,840*2,160 pixels just like your television.
Another easy way to check it is to enter the video settings and look at the “Quality” option. If it is marked at a resolution of 2160p it means that the playback is effectively in 4K.
On the other hand, on Netflix we must follow these steps:
- Go to Netflix.com and log in with your account.
- Click on your profile icon and enter the “Account” settings.
- Locate the “Edit settings” option.
- Click on “Playback settings”.
- In the “Data usage per screen” field, select “High”.
This way, whenever a Netflix movie or series is available in 4K, we can view it in maximum resolution. Although if we enjoy Netflix from Windows, we will only be able to view in 4K if we enter from the Windows application or Microsoft Edge. And, from Safari if it is macOS 11 or later. In other browsers you can play Netflix, but at a lower quality, which you can verify by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + D keys where you will access detailed information regarding the transmission at that moment.
Finally, remember that because it is a relatively new technology, there are many movies that have not yet been adapted to be played in 4K. The same happens with conventional TV channels: there are few that have live broadcasts in 4K. And if you use services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Max or Disney+, make sure you pay for the 4K version, it is usually a little more expensive than HD, but the image quality will be higher.