Self-test: can you really see better in 4K?
20.10.2016
Translation: machine translated
4K is four times Full HD. So the difference must be enormous, right? I made a direct comparison between my old Full HD TV and my new 4K TV. Here are the results.
In order to put 4K and Full HD head-to-head, I compared my old and new TVs using, on both sets, 4K Blu-ray, Netflix streaming content and whatever else I could get my hands on.
Here are the two candidates:
Native 4K vs Full HD
Image source: Netflix
I've helped myself to Netflix's 4K material and have to say the difference isn't as easy to tell. Luke Cage's 4K picture is a little sharper. While certain details sometimes disappear on the Full HD device, everything remains clear in 4K. But you really have to look hard. Even when you pay attention to the characters in the background, both versions are generally well legible.
Natives 4K vs upscaled Full HD
Image source: Netflix and cable TV
Here, the TV plays a decisive role. Cheaper models often falter when upscaling, offering poorer picture quality of Full HD content. Apparently, my Sony TV has very good up-conversion and with good material, such as good BBC documentaries, it's hard to tell the difference from 4K Netflix content. On the contrary, if you zap to HD TNT series and watch "2 Broke Girls" or similar, the difference is striking. Everything looks slightly washed out. It's almost impossible to see the pores on the characters' faces. There, you see how bad some TV content is.
Full HD blu-ray vs 4K streaming
Image source: Blu-ray and Netflix
4K is more detailed and the textures definitely finer, but as soon as the picture changes quickly, all the detail disappears, here too. This is clearly seen on faces. In 4K streaming, you can see the pores, whereas in Full HD, the skin is smoother. However, Blu-ray sound is better. Only Blu-ray supports lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD.
Full HD Blu-ray vs 4K Blu-ray
Image source: Blu-ray
The 4K Blu-ray is more detailed, but again, you have to look hard. In "Mad Max: Fury Road" (apparently filmed in 2K) the HDR is added to the 4K, offering a better colour balance. On my old plasma, colours were very bright - too bright. These differences can only be seen in direct comparison. Overall, both versions prove that investing in Blu-ray is well worth it.
4K Blu-ray vs 4K streaming
Image source: Blu-ray and Netflix
It's hard to say. Blu-ray still looks a little better. But depending on the film or series you can hardly see any difference. What streaming lacks is HD sound.
Gaming: 4K vs Full HD upconversion
Image source: Xbox One and Xbox One S
Games are the perfect opportunity to compare resolutions. "Gears of War 4" or "Battlefield 1" really do look a bit better on the 4K TV. Textures are sharper and everything looks "cleaner". Before slaughtering monsters with a chainsaw, that is.
Gaming: native 4K vs Full HD
Image source: Nvidia Shield Android TV and Xbox One
Using the Nvidia Shield Android TV, I played PC content on my TV. It's highly likely that the result would have been better via an HDMI cable, but the difference is already glaring as it is. I'd even go so far as to say that this is where the greatest added value lies. Playing games on Full HD TVs has always bothered me, especially on the big ones, because the image was washed out and you could see too many pixels. In contrast, the 4K image is perfectly sharp and doesn't flicker. You can't look away. This is where I see the greatest danger of wanting to change your Full HD TV.
In conclusion:
The differences were often less than expected in most comparisons. But overall, the 4K picture is sharper, more detailed and colours come out better - sometimes you have to look hard to see the differences. However, the 4K image is better overall, even if you can't always tell where the difference is coming from. This site also shows a more detailed comparison: Whathifi
A good TV and good video equipment are far more important than resolution. The differences between screens can be huge and it's entirely possible for an expensive Full HD TV, to be better than a cheap 4K TV. The right mix makes all the difference. Personally, I find that it's games that benefit from the best resolution. Maybe I'm just particularly sensitive to this, but if you've ever had the chance to play "Everspace" or "Battlefield 1" in 4K on a big TV, you won't want to get used to anything else.
The following equipment also helped me during my tests
If a 75 TV is too expensive for you, we can recommend the following alternatives
Here's even more info on 4K:
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Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.