Sony Unveils 84-Inch 4K TV, Scheduled for Release Later This Year
At 84″, the Sony XBR-84X900 is large enough to be impressive in its own right, but making the set even more intiguing is the fact it is a 4K television. With a native resolution of 3840X2160, the XBR-84X900 offers double the number of pixels along both the horizontal and vertical axes as compared to a standard 1080p HDTV. The TV also incorporates a 50 watt virtual surround sound speaker system, WiFi networking connectivity for the Smart TV functionality, passive 3D, and Simulview gaming support for single screen 2-player gaming with the PS3. Sony is planning on releasing the monster television later this year. Pricing details are not available yet, but expect the price tag to be as daunting as the number of pixels on the screen. On a side note, the announcement of the XBR-84X900 is the first time I have noticed a reference to QFHD or “quad full high definition” for describing a 4K TV. I had expected UHDTV, or “ultra high definition television” to take hold.
In addition to the usual networked “smart TV” features, the massive XBR-84X900 set incorporates “proprietary upscaling technology,” which Sony claimed will “ensure that every frame looks clear and crisp, with a 4K resolution regardless of the content source.” We’re highly suspicious of those claims, but native 1080p content should scale well since QFHD is essentially “pixel doubling” of 1920×1080.
QFHD and 4k are not the same
QFHD and 4k are not the same thing. QFHD is exactly 4 times the resolution of 1080p (2x horizontal and 2x vertical). 4k is not. 4k was actually originally targeted at digital cinema and described the horizontal resolution being near 4,000 pixels (4096×1714 for 2.39:1, and 3996×2160 for 1.85:1). Either way, the digital cinema version of 4k is wider than QFHD. The 16:9 version of 4k is called QFHD or UHDTV1. I can understand not wanting to refer to it as UHDTV, since there are two versions of UHDTV. And honestly, UHDTV1 just doesn’t sound as nice as QFHD.
My inner geek wants what my
My inner geek wants what my checkbook won’t allow. <sigh> Someday.
The questions are: 1. When
The questions are: 1. When will 4k matierial/programing become available?
2. Will you be able to notice the difference sitting in your house viewing a 60~80″ screen?
phoneguyinpgh wrote:
2.
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2. Will you be able to notice the difference sitting in your house viewing a 60~80″ screen?
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It depends on how close you sit and what you view.
I’m not sure that it would be worthwhile on a 60″ screen unless you use it as a monitor, but as you get into the 70-80″ range I’m sold at recommended viewing distances.
Viewing distance will be
Viewing distance will be between 10~20′. My house is not that large. My only other hope is that it will drive 1080p OLED $$ down.