When is 4k Going to be Standard?

We are currently living in a period where the image quality widely available to us has never been better.

4K resolution has truly revolutionized the way we experience visual content, offering clarity and detail that was once unimaginable.

As 4K technology continues to gain traction in the consumer market, many are left wondering when it will become the standard for all forms of media consumption.

So let’s answer this question, When is 4K Going to become standard?

4K will not become standard anytime soon. There are still many factors that lead people to watch 1080p content and not 4K mostly. These Factors include affordability and availability.

4K Content is expensive for providers to produce and most people simply don’t see enough of a difference between 1080p and 4k. This is why it hasn’t become standard.

When it comes to movies the highest quality 4k format that is widely available is 4k Blu Ray and the vast majority of people do not watch it.

If people are not buying the best 4k format what makes providers think they will pay for 4k streaming?

Will 4K Become Standard?

As of now, 4K is not yet the standard due to various reasons.

One of the primary reasons is that it’s cheaper to distribute 1080p content.

Most streaming services, for instance, still offer their content in 1080p.

This is because not enough consumers have shown they care enough to pay extra for 4K streams.

You can look at something like 4K Blu-ray as an example.

While 4K Blu-ray offers superior quality compared to regular DVDs, more people still buy DVDs than 4K Blu-ray.

In fact, I wrote an entire article about why consumers continue to do this, you can read it here.

This goes to show that most people do not care about quality as much as they care about convenience and affordability.

Personally, I buy 4k Blu-ray and recommend it to others, the quality difference is noticeable. Here are some of the best 4k Blu-Rays in my collection.

Despite this, 4K technology is becoming more accessible and affordable. As more and more people upgrade their TVs to 4K, the demand for 4K content will likely increase.

Because of this one would think 4k will become standard eventually it’s just so hard to predict when.

4K TV is Standard but 4K Content is not.

4K TVs are now standard in the TV market, accounting for nearly 50% of all TVs shipped worldwide.

Most TVs sold at places like Best Buy or any other business that sells TVs are 4K TVs.

However, 4K content is not yet widely available.

Most content is still in 1080p, and if you want to watch 4K content on streaming or television, you will likely have to pay extra.

Even if you have a 4K TV, you might not be watching content in 4K if the content is not available in 4K.

It’s important to note that most 4K content does not come from cable TV.

Most of the content you can watch on cable is not 4K, even if you are using your provider’s 4K set-top box.

To watch 4K content, you will need to use a streaming service that offers 4K content.

Some popular streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, offer 4K content, but you will need to pay extra for the service.

Why is There Such Little 4K Content Available?

Despite the increasing popularity of 4K TVs, there is still a limited amount of content available in 4K resolution.

This is due to several factors, including a lack of proper infrastructure and equipment costs, bandwidth limitations, content production challenges, consumer adoption rates, and limited content availability.

Delivering exceptional 4K content requires much more bandwidth compared to a typical HD 1080P stream.

This causes problems for broadcasters and consumers, as streaming 4K content demands a reliable internet connection.

In regions where internet infrastructure is shotty, offering 4K broadcasts can result in bad quality streams and furious customers.

Creating content in 4K requires more than just using a fancy camera.

Everyone involved in the production needs to adjust their entire production process to get the best quality and use of 4K resolution.

There might be a hesitancy to adopt a new format, it took forever for people to switch from film to digital.

I’m sure plenty of producers just want to make things how they are used to making them, in 1080p.

Not enough People are Watching in 4K

While 4K TVs are becoming more affordable and standard, the adoption rate of these devices fluctuates among demographics and regions.

Many households still own 1080p TVs or even standard-definition TVs, which means that the customer base for 4k streams is relatively niche.

Providers have to consider the potential benefits of catering to a niche 4K enthusiast audience against the costs and efforts required to produce and distribute 4K content.

Even if TV networks/studios decide to go all in on 4K, the lack of availability of this content can be a major problem.

Many existing TV shows and movies were not produced in 4K when they were made.

Because of this alot of the content available in 4k is upscaled, which can lead to mixed results in terms of image quality.

For example, some of the most beloved films of all time like Terminator 2 and Forest Gump have produced 4K Blu Rays that look absolutely atrocious because they upscaled the resolution and tried to artificially reduce film grain.

However, there are 4K movies that have been upscaled that do look good to be fair.

I actually named several I recommend buying if you want to check that out.

What 4K Content is Available?

When it comes to 4K content, there are a variety of streaming services that offer a plethora of options.

Some of the most popular services include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Vudu.

These services offer a range of 4K content, including movies, TV shows, and documentaries.

Netflix is a clear winner in terms of sheer volume of 4K content available to watch.

However, it does require the most expensive plan to access this content.

Amazon Prime Video also offers a significant amount of 4K content.

Hulu and Vudu also have a decent amount of 4K content available,

Additionally, YouTube offers a variety of 4K content, including music videos, short films, and documentaries.

When it comes to streaming video in 4K, it’s important to have a compatible device and a strong internet connection.

Most services require at least 25 Mbps or higher for 4K streaming, this is especially true if multiple devices are being used from different people on the same network.

However, if it is just you then speeds of 15-16 Mbps are plenty good enough.

The best way to watch movies in 4K: 4K Blu-Ray

If you want a 4k viewing experience with fantastic audio and picture then 4k Blu-Ray is the way to go.

You get lossless audio and less compression when viewing movies or TV shows compared to streaming.

You also are not beholden to your network connection or not at the mercy of bandwidth requirements like you are with streaming.

You get an exceptional viewing experience no matter where you are watching. Here are some of the best 4K Blu Rays out there that I recommend buying.