The evolution of technology is exponential, and that is also perceived in the main types of current televisions. The most used appliances have different characteristics and, nowadays, not only do you have to choose between a Full HD television versus a 4K one, but new solutions such as 8K are emerging.
In this article, we will try to explain the features they share in this type of technology, what differentiates them and why they are gaining ground.
Similarities and differences of Full HD, 4K, and 8K
The televisions that offer Full HD technology have a resolution of 1080 vertical lines and 1920 horizontal lines, but the new market standard is marked by televisions with 4K resolution, which allows greater enjoyment for viewers.
Full HD
This imaging technology is used in smartphones, televisions, and computer monitors. Its acronym indicates full high resolution (1080p) as opposed to the HD format, which has a somewhat lower resolution.
Full HD resolution is used in movies that are distributed in Blu-Ray format and is common in streaming services such as YouTube, HBO, or Netflix.
4K
The resolution and the millions of pixels with which you can have a great audiovisual experience with a Full HD television are as important as the size of the screen to enjoy a full experience. But if you compare these televisions with the 4K ones, you will realize that the number of pixels is multiplied almost by 4, since its resolution is 2,160 vertical lines by 3,840 horizontal lines.
If you’re wondering what will happen to older content that was broadcast in Full HD format, don’t worry, because 4K TVs can rescale or insert extra pixels and pad the images for the highest possible definition.
8K
In order to explain the differences between 4K and 8K, we must mention that manufacturers are committed to evolution and to improving user experiences.
8K is presented as a new technology that offers a screen resolution with 4,320 vertical lines and 7,680 horizontal lines, multiplying the total resolution of its predecessor, 4K. The brightness of this type of television exceeds 4000 nits and its resolution is such that it allows you to have televisions with a large diagonal at a short distance. This means that in a small room you can also enjoy a large appliance.
At this point, there is hardly any content adapted to this type of resolution, since the cameras that record it have a very high price. Even so, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are going to be broadcast in this format.
The advantage of acquiring an 8K television is that with it you can enjoy any type of content, even if it is in a lower resolution.
Keep these tips in mind to make the most of your Smart TV, and whenever possible, avoid leaving your TV on standby.
What kind of television should I choose?
Next, you have a series of characteristics that you should take into account to determine which television best suits your circumstances.
Resolution
It meets the definition and is measured in a number of pixels in height and width. Each pixel represents each of the small squares that you can see when enlarging an image and the more there are, the better the resolution.
progressive scan
It is the presentation on the screen of an image that is divided into two frames or interlaced parts. Each frame is a series of odd or even horizontal lines and is represented by the letter “i”. It normally projects from left to right and from top to bottom. This process is not appreciable with the human eye, since it is carried out at full speed.
That a screen has a resolution of 1080i means that it has 1080 horizontal lines, where the 540 odd lines from one frame and the remaining 540 another.
Screen refresh rate
This refers to the frames that a screen displays in one second. It is measured in cycles per second or hertz. A display capable of refreshing at 120 frames per second has a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
This feature is, again, related to the resolution of the screen, and the higher the refresh rate, the better and sharper the image you can see.
The resolution, screen size, and visual distance
Another of the most important data that you should assess before buying a television is not the size of the screen, but the distance from which you will view its content.
The higher the resolution, the closer you can view images without seeing pixels. Size is indicated by the diagonal distance between two corners of a screen and is usually measured in inches.
In short, the main types of current televisions have Full HD and 4K technology. But before purchasing one model or another, take into consideration the aforementioned characteristics.