Are 4K TVs Worth the Money?

Think your HD television set offers the best picture possible? Then you haven’t seen a 4K model yet.

The wave of 4K televisions represent the new state-of-the-art way to watch TV. Consider the math — 4K sets deliver roughly four times the number of pixels of a 1080p HD television, meaning a sharper, more compelling picture. These televisions cost more than a HD competitor, but the price differential isn’t steep — generally in the $300-$400 range.

So where do we sign up? Not so fast. If you’re eager to see “Empire” or “The Walking Dead” in all their 4K glory you’ll have to wait. There’s precious little 4K content available at the moment. And that might not change for a while.

Yes, a recent survey by Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, showed that 25 percent of consumers are planning to buy a 4K TV in 2015. That’s a 7-percent bump over last year. Still, 4K content demands a costly infrastructure reboot on both the creative and delivery sides, and that doesn’t happen overnight.

So is now the right time to splurge on a 4K set? Or should we wait for more movies and TV shows to make the upgrade to 4K?

Mark Donnigan of Tel Aviv-based Beamr Video, says the answer isn’t so clear. Those already in the market for a new set who are eager to “future proof” their purchase won’t go wrong with a 4K model. Others looking at their budgets who want to save money now with a less expensive set, or understand that TV prices will be falling over time, should likely wait.

“Prices are going to be decreasing over time. That’s a given,” Donnigan said.

“If you’re looking for content, it’s still time to wait.”

“Other than streaming at this point, there isn’t a lot of 4K content out there. There’s no 4K content in disk format, Blu-ray,” Donnigan said, adding some stores don’t even have working 4K demos for consumers to see. Netflix does offer 4K versions of “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black,” two of its signature shows.

“If you’re looking for content, it’s still time to wait,” said Myron Hawthorne, owner of the home-theater equipment company C & M Sales. “The floodgates haven’t opened just yet. You have time to sit on the market and get a little better deal.”

The new 4K technology can “upscale” existing HD content, meaning it will look better than it does on a standard HD set. That improvement is “small, but visible,” Hawthorne said.

He doesn’t expect 4K sets to follow the trajectory of their 3D brethren. Several years ago, manufacturers trotted out 3D television models as the next tech sensation. Consumers collectively shrugged their shoulders.

“Most manufacturers are talking about 4K content … players are planned … it’s got a much better chance of taking off,” Hawthorne said.

The switch won’t be as dramatic as the transition from modestly sized cathode ray televisions to their HD cousins.

“Most people have larger, flat screens now … 4K will take off, but it won’t be as rapid a rise [as HD],” he said.