What is 4K Ultra HD?

4K Ultra HD is a new class of high-definition resolution offering unprecedented picture clarity and detail. Although the technology was already in use in film production and movie theaters, it is just now coming home to the television, offering nearly 4,000 (or “4K”) pixels across the screen’s horizontal.

Before 4K Ultra HD arrived, the highest-definition resolution on the TV market was Full HD 1080p, which consisted of 1920 x 1080 pixels, thus giving it its “1080p” name. 4K Ultra HD has four times the number of pixels as Full HD (3840 x 2160 pixels, or 4096 x 2160 pixels for cinema screens), resulting in its “4K Ultra HD” title. The increased resolution...even up close images seem clearer, more realistic, and less pixilated.made possible by 4K Ultra HD’s 8.3 million pixels (vs. Full HD’s 2.2 million) enhances picture quality by reducing gaps between pixels (called the “screen door” effect) and visible pixels (called “jaggies”). This sharpens detail and shows smoother lines so that even up-close images seem clearer, more realistic, and less pixilated.

Besides enhancing your viewing experience, higher resolution 4K Ultra HD TVs also allow you to sit closer to a screen and/or view a larger screen without seeing pixilation of scenes. That’s why it’s possible for manufacturers to make larger TVs with screen sizes of 80 inches and above while still providing excellent picture quality. By enabling superior picture quality on large screens and enhanced picture quality even up close, 4K Ultra HD technology gives you more freedom in your home to sit wherever you like and watch on a larger screen without compromising clarity. All in all, the enhanced resolution in 4K Ultra HD products helps deliver a more detailed, immersive, and realistic entertainment experience.

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4K resolution helps improve picture quality by minimizing the "screen door" effect.
Image provided by Sony