Today’s TV resolution innovation could quickly become obsolete tomorrow. Resolution norms have advanced swiftly in recent years.
It can be challenging to understand these, and the distinction between UHD and 4K particularly always causes problems. Some people believe they have an identical standard of resolution – however, this is not correct.
Key Takeaways
- 4K and UHD refer to high-resolution video formats, but 4K specifically refers to a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels used in digital cinema. UHD refers to a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels used in consumer televisions.
- 4K and UHD offer higher resolution and image quality than traditional HD formats.
- While the terms 4K and UHD are used interchangeably, 4K is technically a higher resolution format than UHD. However, the difference in resolution is only noticeable to some viewers.
4K vs UHD
The difference between 4K and UHD is that 4K is a professional production and movie standard, whereas UHD is a consumer device and broadcast criteria.
In the display industry, UHD refers to 3840×2160, and 4K is frequently used alternatively to allude to the same resolution. But, in the digital cinema sector, 4K implies 4096×2160, or 256 pixels wider than UHD.
The word derives from film language and, while no longer technically correct, is nevertheless used in television.
A horizontal resolution of 4096 pixels (4K = 4000) is referred to as 4K. For tv sets, the number of vertically stacked pixels is 2160 (2K). As a result, the phrase 4K2K is used.
UHD is a shortened form for Ultra High Definition. It is the next level to Full HD. UHD contains a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and is four times multiplied by its ancestor.
When we speak of UHD, we firstly consider the image resolution, which is higher than those we understand as Full HD.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of comparison | 4K | UHD |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Professional production and cinema standard | Consumer display and broadcast standard. |
| Resolution | 4096 x 2160 pixels | 3840 x 2160 |
| Standards | DCI 4K | 4K UHD or UHD-1 |
| Devices | Cinema projectors | Television monitors |
| User experience | Improved | Larger screens to tell the difference |
What is 4K ?
The TV technology word 4K refers to an extremely high-definition screen resolution. Based on the manufacturer, this may also be referred to as UHD, 4K, or 4K UHD. They’re all referring to the same subject, though.
Currently, 4K has surpassed both HD and full HD to be the most preferred TV resolution for all mainstream Tv manufacturers.
The 4K screen resolution is found in the majority of today’s TVs – except some little TVs, which tend to peak out at Full HD resolution – and even most PC monitors.
It’s not that people in TV production are not aware of the distinctions between these resolutions- 4K and UHD. However, they appear to be staying with 4K for advertising purposes.
To avoid contradiction with the DCI’s standard for 4K, TV manufacturers have started using the phrase “4K UHD,” while others simply use “4K.”
This resolution has been utilized in films for a while, and it was employed because it was vital for high-production movies to seem excellent to every customer in the theater.
The theory states that to get the best view, one must sit one and a half times the height of the display, which is practically unfeasible given the size of today’s movie screens. The new norm – 4K resolution – solves this issue.
What is UHD?
UHD (Ultra High Definition) is the next stage from full HD. It is the formal name for a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080. That resolution is multiplied four times to 3,840 by 2,160 in UHD.
Practically every Television or monitor marketed as 4K is indeed UHD. Certainly, there are a few screens with dimensions of 4,096 by 2,160, resulting in a 1.9:1 aspect ratio. The large percentage, however, is 3,840 by 2,160, with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
When we speak of UHD, we firstly consider the image resolution, which is higher than those we understand as Full HD. Full HD refers to an image with 1920 pixels set in 1080 lines, which is now found across all Televisions from low-middle to high-end.
Ultra HD suggests doubling the number of pixels and lines in its simplest form, which is also known as Quad Full HD because it contains four times multiplied count of a pixel as a Full HD monitor.
All UHD TVs that have already hit the marketplace from 2012 have a UHD resolution of 3840 pixels in 2160 lines, which implies they have four times the pixels of Full HD TVs.
Because there are two Ultra HD resolutions, 3840 x 2160 and 7680 x 4320, the first term is Ultra HD 4K, and the other is Ultra HD 8K.
Main Differences Between 4K and UHD
- 4K is a professional standard used in production and cinema. UHD, on the contrary, is a consumer display and broadcast standard.
- 4K has a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. UHD, on the other hand, has a resolution of 3840 x 2160.
- Main standard for 4K is DCI 4K and for UHD it is 4K UHD or UHD-1.
- 4K can be found in cinema projectors. UHD, on the other hand, can be found on television monitors.
- 4K gives a more improved experience, while users need larger screens to experience UHD.
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7498935
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9136829
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
