Will 4K television kill HD in Bangalore?

Hyper clarity

For Bangaloreans thirsting for high definition TV content, Hathway’s recent launch of four more HD channels on its digital cable network is cause for cheer. But there is a problem of zero content for the Ultra HD / 4K TV sets, now making a splash in the city.

The UHD screen is four times sharper than HD, and its eight million pixels (3,840 X 2,160 pixels) resolution screen could simply blow you away.

Priced way beyond affordability at Rs. 2.79 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh, the 4K TV is definitely not for the Aam Aadmi. But there is a growing market out there for this revolutionary medium, despite the non-availability of content. Here’s why, as explained by a UHD seller in the city: “There is 4K content available for download on the internet. There are also some Blu-Ray discs with 4K entering the market slowly.”

Since the ultra high price is a definite dampener, people are looking for screens that are smaller than the 55’ and 65’ ones currently available. “We are getting a lot of enquiries for smaller screens. But there are also a few people willing to pay higher for the bigger screens since the resolution remains the same even if you are too close to the 4K screen,” said Suhail Yusuff from Radio House.

Ultra HD television sets had first appeared in Bangalore six months ago. But the prices then hovered around the stratospheric range of Rs. 12 to 15 lakh. With Sony, Samsung and LG accelerating production, the prices dropped to around Rs. 3 lakh now. Dealers say this could fall even further, with more brands set to launch the product in more varieties and screen sizes.

For years, the bulky CRT TV set was king. Few predicted that the lighter, far more compact LCD would so quickly dislodge the CRT sets. LCD TV’s dominance couldn’t beat the LED challenge, reinforced by the 1080-pixelled HD. Ultra HD, with its far superior screen resolution, could soon prove the HD killer.

Growing content

Content could also grow very quickly. Sony’s 4K handycam, launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES-2014) in January, could flood consumer-produced content. So will the new Xperia Z2 smartphone capable of UHD video recording. Sony has also announced plans to film and broadcast four Football World Cup matches in 4K resolution.

Currently, Sony’s Video Unlimited Service with option to buy or rent films, TV shows and other features in 4K resolution is available in 10 countries. This could soon come to India too. Streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube and Vimeo are reportedly getting ready with 4K content. With broadband speeds in Bangalore touching 4G speeds, these services could hit the UHD screens here too.