Watching 4K TV

Just Bought a Shiny New 4k Tv? Make the Most of Its Picture Power, by Switching to a Diet Rich in Pixels. Our Uhd Nutritionist Shows You What to Watch and How to Watch It

 

- Steve May

The TV times are changing. 4K UHD TV sales are off the chain. You can’t move for industry pundits offering wild predictions on how many sets are being sold. No one doubts that 4K TV will become the norm, the only question is how long it’ll be before they take over.

This year, some 230 million televisions will be sold worldwide (pub quizzers take note), of which 50 million will be 50-inch plus UHD models. On a high-street near you, the fastest-growing 4K screen size is now 43 inches or thereabouts. It seems soon, we’ll all be looking for 2160p content to watch. So when you’ve invested in your dream screen, what’s the best way to show it off?

The good news is that there’s loads of choice for 4K goggleboxers, not just from premium pay TV operators but also cheaper streaming services and good old-fashioned silver discs. But making the most of 4K can be a head scratcher, not only when it comesto content and value, but also the hardware you’ll need. Time for us to take a closer look at the ongoing resolution revolution…

Pay TV propositions

For many avid telenisas, the prime source of programming will be a premium pay TV operator, like Sky, Virgin Media and BT. While their subscription packages may seem similar at first there’s actually a huge difference between them when it comes to the depth of their UHD catalogue. Of course, your eventual choice might also be influenced by practical complications, such as the availability of fast fibre broadband or dish restrictions (the perils of living in a listed building, Jeeves).

If you want the widest-possible range of 4K content, then you need Sky Q. No other service offers a comparable range of live sports (Sky Sports F1), movies (Sky Cinema) and TV shows in UHD.