HD vs 4K and Blu-ray vs 4K Blu-ray

We’re strong advocates of balancing cost with quality. If you bought a flat screen TV in the last few years it’s almost certainly HD or above. Likewise, any relatively new optical disc player is almost certainly a Blu-ray device.

If you don’t have those things then we have a few suggestions to make but we strongly suggest you do your research before making a purchasing decision. Make sure you know what you’re buying and why, if you get the wrong TV you’re unlikely to replace it soon and you could end up being frustrated for years.

The market for new TV’s and the sources that can make the best use of them is constantly changing. Prices for 4K sets and sources are dropping and the variety of options you have available are increasing all the time.

What if I don’t need 4K?

We don’t think it’s worth investing in any TV less than 4K at this point. However, everyone has different needs, you might just want a small screen for a spare bedroom or kitchen diner. You might have limits of space or budget and that’s fine. Regardless of your reason, you need to know that HD ready means it’s 720p as opposed to Full HD which is 1080p. Please don’t buy anything less than a Full HD TV. The cheapest TV John Lewis sell is Full HD so it’s really not worth buying a lower resolution.

For a budget setup we’d suggest that Blu-ray is nice but a luxury. If you are streaming media you may want Netflix, Amazon Instant Video or both. An Amazon Fire TV stick can stream all the major providers for you for under £35. A halfway decent Blu-ray player can provide you with smart TV facilities (i.e. Amazon, Netflix, BBC etc) for a bit more.

 

What’s the Starting Cost for a new 4K System?

4K TV has become surprisingly cheap but the sources have been harder to come by. A 4K TV is still worth having even if you don’t have a source, though. The picture quality will generally be higher than a normal HD TV and they are often able to upscale the content to approximate a 4K picture. It won’t be as good as the picture from a proper 4K source but you can get one of those later.

Because of that if you’re buying a new TV for your living room now and are willing to either wait and save up a bit or already have the cash we can only really recommend that you get a decent 4K TV.

  • You can get a 40″ 4K TV now for as little as £280 (Nov 14th, 2016)
  • A 4K Blu-ray player starts at around £330
  • An Amazon Fire TV (not the stick) is around £75 and handles 4K

Now, if you’re looking to upgrade we wouldn’t recommend splashing out on a new TV and getting one as cheap as that above however it gives you an idea of how cheap they’re getting. You should certainly shop around and get something that’s a fair price for your budget and has received good reviews from trusted sources.

When it comes to any kind of smart TV technology it makes a big difference what processor it uses. The apps you need to use like Netflix, Amazon and BBC iPlayer are all quite light but the faster the computer that’s running them, the smoother your experience will be. You’ll notice the difference between a cheap system and a better one in seconds spent loading apps, switching between them, selecting content, searching and so on. You won’t really notice any difference when you’re actually playing content, though. It’s responsiveness you gain not a better picture quality.

Of course, the better processors usually come alongside better TV screens, 4K sources, new consoles, 4K Blu-ray players and so you’re likely getting other features at the same time.

 

We think it’s too early (Nov 2016) to buy into 4K Blu-ray for most people at this time. However, it’s definitely the way to go if money is no object. You don’t have to stream the content so you don’t have to worry about your internet connection, you get the best picture and there’s no risk of a your streaming provider offering less than full 4K (which some do).

The advantages of physical media still apply to 4K Blu-ray. You can get lots of bonus material and alternate versions of the film. You get documentaries and making off pieces. You get blooper tracks and commentary by the stars and director. If you like any of that content then a physical source is the only way to go at the moment. Until that’s available on the streaming services you are getting bonus content. The price of 4K discs is still high though so beware that you may not be able to afford vast numbers of them unless you’re pulling in the same sort of money people were earning before Brexit and the election of The Donald crashed the world economy.