Fast forward to 4K!

That ancient latin warning:  Caveat emptor,  'let the buyer beware',  has suddenly  become meaningful, particularly  if you are shopping for a new TV set. Throughout June  the price of "4K" or  Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV has been crashing . On some online sites  it matches the cost of a HD LED TV of the same size. Makers   like Vu and Micromax, are leading the race to cut prices   on 4K TVs around  42 inches to  between Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000. Their aggressive pricing  are forcing other brands to reduce,   if not to the same level.   Buyers needs to know what they are  getting at these deep discounts

I can  vouch from personal experience that the jump from HD to UHD (otherwise known as 4K) is just as stunning,  thanks to a four-fold increase in the number of pixels within a given space as was the change from standard definition to  HD. So if you are able to buy a  4K LED TV , that  is also a Smart TV with built-in Internet for  just 3000 - 4000 rupees more than a HD LED TV,  why not?   But here's a reality check:

Having invested in a 4K TV what is there to see in 4K?  Hardly anything. Unlike Bluray disks which  give you movies in HD, there are,  as yet,  no UHD disks. Today, there are  two DTH operators - TataSky and Videocon d2h, who offer 4K Set Top Boxes for between Rs 5000 and Rs 6000  and at least one permanent channel mostly documentaries of 4K quality. Both of them  broadcast a few matches of the Cricket World Cup in 4K to  let subscribers see the difference. The next big sports event where one can expect to see  in 4K is the Olympics in Rio  and that's 450 days away.

Other Indian satellite and Cable TV operators can be expected to launch their own 4K services by then. For the fast action of sport to be captured at 4K, they have to shoot at higher  frame rates - 60 - 100 frames per second, compared with 30 fps of  HD. This means your 4K TV must also be  capable of this frame rate. TV makers rarely publicize their frame rate in the advertised specs and when they do, they use  misleading jargon like Clear Motion Rate  which could end up being double the actual frame rate. So if you see a great deal online, you have to do your own homework on the  maker's website to ensure that your 4K TV can actually display the 4K content that your TV service provider will offer. Otherwise your 4K experience will be four-fold  frustration, when the Games  begin!

If 4K content is scarce, you can always create your own! Quite a few smartphones,like the Samsung Galaxy range , the Sony Xperia range, select HTC, LG, Xiaomi and Lenovo   handsets  shoot video in  UHD/4K at 60 fps. You can then connect the phone to your 4K TV to view the content. You need an MHL cable to this.

Vipin Sawhney India Country Manager of Silicon Image, the company that has brought MHL to India, cautions that earlier models of 4K TVs might not be MHL-ready, in which case the UHD video will get down scaled  to HD quality. And how do I know if the 4K TV I am about to buy is MHL-ready?  Look at the back of theTV  set. You should find the MHL symbol alongside the HDMI port.  

You may well  get a 4K TV tomorrow for the price of a HD set, but to ensure if you are really ready for the future, you have a to do a bit of undercover work and check those specs!