When Will 4k Become Standard? (The Future of 4K Broadcasting and Streaming Services)

4K provides higher resolution images, which are very visible. Who are looking for crisp and detailed TV pictures, 4K will give those opportunities. But when will 4K become standard? What are the 4k streaming requirements?

From our research and present situation analysis, we can expect 4K will become standard within two to three years or before 2025. Broadcasters in France, Brazil and Italy are planning 4K terrestrial deployments for the 2024 timeframe. (Source: TVTech)

Broadcasters will need the flexibility to balance live HD 4K content production which includes resolution, frame rate, pixel depth and cost. Besides, 4k UHD content requires greater bandwidth than HD.

So, when most of us have strong internet connections and producers can balance the live HD 4k, you can have 4k as mainstream broadcast.

The Invention Of 4K

Now, it is the time of 4K, as HDTV pixels have been effectively placed with bigger, brighter 4K TVs. So, what is 4K resolution? 4K resolution means a display device with approximately 4000 pixels of horizontal resolution and 2000 pixels of vertical resolution.

A full HD 1080p image is 1080 rows high and 1920 columns wide, which doubles the numbers in both directions, and four times as many pixels total in 4K. It means 4K is much sharper than 1080p.

Some ask why it is called 4K? the answer is that the images of 4K resolution are around 4000 pixels wide. However, you may have heard this resolution also referred to 2160p.

What Are The 4k Streaming Requirements?

Streaming 4K content, you will need to fulfil some requirements. They are:

4K TV:

At first, you will need a 4K TV if you want to watch 4K content. Watching 4K on 4K TV, you’ll see everything on-screen on crystal clear clarity and remarkable detail. You will find 4K TVs are generally big-screen models of 40 inches or more than this. And for watching higher picture quality, you need a large TV. You also can watch regular resolution stuff on them.

4K Streaming Service or Disc:

For watching 4K content, you will need streaming services or watch it on a disc. Amazon Fire, Roku Ultra are some streaming services that offer 4K content like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more. You can also watch 4K on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, which provides a high dynamic range (HDR) that ramps up contrast, brightness, and color gamut.

HDMI Cable:

There is some confusion about whether an HDMI cable is necessary or not. But many manufacturers recommend an advanced HDMI cable optimized handle Ultra HD content.

Internet Bandwidth:

Streaming in 4K, you will need even more bandwidth than HD or SD. For example, Standard Definition (SD) requires at least 3mbps. For High Definition (HD), you will need 5mbps, and you will need 25mbps download speed for Ultra HD or 4K.

When Will 4K Become Standard?

Some issues are holding back to become 4k standard. The issues with broadcasting 4k contents are not solved. That’s why it is not yet standard.

Broadcasters will need the flexibility to balance live HD 4K content production because there are 50 years of SD and many more HD content. SD content will not look good on 4k. There is a tremendous amount of content that isn’t 4k friendly. So, broadcasters need the flexibility to switch quickly from one format to the other.

On the other hand, it is not cost-efficient. Broadcasters face difficulty in justifying the additional expense to support 4k, and HD live broadcast contribution workflows.

Live broadcasters are still struggling with comparing the resolution, frame rate, and pixel depth; 4k UHD content requires greater bandwidth than HD.

Furthermore, 4k didn’t become a broadcast standard because of the cost to the broadcasters and viewers.

When Will TV Stations Broadcast In 4k?

The advanced Television system committee (ATSC) has declared its newest version of over-the-air TV: ASTC 3.0 that will bring 4k picture, premium sound, and interactive features into your home for free. It is coming to the US in 2020 and will play a significant role in reshaping modern TV experience.

Nextgen TV is a massive upgrade for 4k resolution, HDR content, wide color gamut, and high frame rate for over-the-air broadcasters. ATSC 3.0 also increases audio quality up to Dolby Atmos.

ASTC 3.0 is moving to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFDM), the same technology behind the latest Wi-fi and mobile wireless technologies that are much more robust method for transmitting digital information, for making 4k standard you will need.

What Are The 4k Streaming Services?

You will find many services that offer 4k content. Here, we are giving some services name for your convenience:

Amazon Prime: You need to purchase this streaming service. Amazon Prime video library features tons of 2K Ultra HD contents and a few 4K HD titles.
DIRECTV: It is a satellite provider. DIRECTV was the first provider to offer 4K HD and also the first provider of 4K HD channels.
DISH: DISH is also a satellite provider. It is famous in the cable and satellite industry. But it has been a little slow on the uptake with 4K HD compared to its competitor DIRECTV.

Netflix: Netflix is the best streaming service for a variety of 4K content. It also provides content at a budget price. Many original series on Netflix is available in 4K HD.
VUDU: VUDU is streaming Rentals. Roku4 provides content, but VUDU offers a considerable number of 4K HD movies and other titles. You can watch content in HDR with Dolby Vision.
PlayStation4Pro: It is a gaming system that is quite similar to Xbox-OneS. It is not a Blu-ray player, but you can purchase and download 4K movies with PS4Pro.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs)

When will 4K Become Mainstream?

4k will mainstream when it is in the majority of the home, probably within 2020-2021.

Are 4K & HDR the Same thing?

No. 4K refers to the pixel counts in TV screens that increase image definition, whereas HDR refers to the color depth and image quality. You can check the 4K UHD vs 4K HDR comparison to have better understanding.

What about Gaming in 4K?

We can play 4K gaming on Sony and Microsoft’s gaming machines. But there are Xbox One S along with PS5 that will give 4K gaming on the next-gen.

Is Netflix in 4K?

Yes, you will find 4K content on Netflix if you pay for it.

Is 4K Better than a UHD?

The difference is 4K is production and cinema standard; on the other hand, UHD is a broadcast standard. Both have a difference in pixels; 4K has more pixels than UHD. Again, UHD was replaced by 4K. Apparently, 4K is better.

Final Words

If you want to watch the 4K content above, we have discussed some services. But you may need to wait for some years to become the 4K standard. Then you will get those content quickly, or it can be free of cost. Hope you have got your answer of to the question “when Will 4k Become Standard”.

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