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1080p, 4K UHD, Calibration, Display Tech, LCD, OLED, Plasma, Projection
1080p, 4K UHD, Calibration, Display Tech, LCD, OLED, Plasma, Projection Entries in Display Tech (11)
Professional Video Calibration
Monday, November 23, 2015 at 2:58PM What is video calibration?
Video calibration is the process of precisely measuring a display's color characteristics and adjusting its picture controls in order to produce the most accurate output possible. Video production for movies and TV conforms to an industry specification that defines a very specific color pallet and detail levels.
tl;dr Robert brings tens of thousands of dollars worth of test equipment, software, and know-how to a location and perfects picture quality.
Any video display device (LCD, OLED, plasma, projector) that hasn't been properly calibrated isn't showing you the intended vision of the content's creator, and no consumer display produces accurate imagery right out of the box!
Why calibrate?
There are several benefits of having your TV or projector professionally calibrated:
- Accurate color - a display's depiction of color should accurately represent the information contained within a video signal. Finding and properly adjusting the appropriate picture settings to exacting broadcast and film production standards will result in faithful video reproduction.
- Revealing picture detail - an improperly configured television or projector often sacrifices bright and dark details that should otherwise be visible to the audience.
- Consistent color mixing - Almost all televisions and projectors generate color by mixing red, green, and blue (aka the primary colors in additive color mixing). With these display systems,
the color white is generated by mixing the three primaries together. Shades of gray, like those depicted in the picture above, are created by collectively reducing the brightness of the primaries until there is no light (aka black). The signals in our video sources are often encoded as high resolution grayscale pictures with relatively low resolution color information that is combined to form the imagery that we see. A critical aspect of professional video calibration is to fine tune a display's depiction of grayscale information to be neutral-colored so as not to negatively influence the color information in the video signal. - Minimizing artificial enhancements - most televisions and projectors are factory configured to produce as bright of a picture as possible regardless of color or detail accuracy. Many LCDs also enable a motion resolution enhancement that unnaturally smooths the appearance of movies to the point that it appears as if they were recorded on a camcorder. Professional video calibration minimizes these unwanted artifacts resulting in a more eye-pleasing picture!
- Efficiency - while we strive for optimal picture performance, a side-effect of professional video calibration is often a display device that also consumes less electricity.
Which picture setup is correct? Image credit: Samsung
Is your display sacrificing detail?
Today's televisions and projectors are capable of producing some of the finest imagery yet seen, however, variances in manufacturing along with the myriad of picture adjustment options mean that even the best models from top manufacturers leave room for improvement.
Robert uses CalMAN calibration software from Portrait Displays
Contact
Robert is a THX/ISF trained calibrator based in Northern California/Bay Area, and he welcomes project requests from anywhere in the world!
For more information, questions, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Robert directly.
Review: LG PF1500 LED Projector
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 5:06PM Note: this projector has since been surpassed by the remarkably similar (and even more affordable, and recommendable) LG PF1500W.
Projectors are the ultimate flat screen display that can transform a blank wall into supersized video viewing nirvana. Sure, the setup and maintenance of a video projector is more involved compared to a regular television, but the visual reward is almost always worth the effort. The LG Portable LED Projector with Smart TV (PF1500W) is a compact wonder of a display device that features useful multimedia capabilities and technologies that help ensure long-term, hassle-free enjoyment.
Size, style, and setup
The compact design of the LG PF1500 measures about 5.25" x 3.5" x 9.25" (WxHxD) and weighs in a 3.3 lbs. The projector’s stylishly well-ventilated exterior is textured to resist fingerprints and mask dust while improving grip when handling. The PF1500’s exterior controls are simple and effective with a chromed 4-way joystick, a matching lens focus ring, and a slide for adjusting the relatively limited zoom control (1.1x zoom ratio).
The PF1500 projects its image slightly above the plane of its lens so it can be placed on flat surface and pointed at a nearby wall or screen. The projector’s wide front foot is height-adjustable with the press of a button, and automatic vertical keystone correction ensures a square picture no matter the angle of the projector. A 4-corner keystone adjustment is also available for when the projector is placed in a less than optimal location.
The bottom of the PF1500 features three points for connecting a standard ceiling mount, and a fourth centralized point is compatible with tripod adapters. Use of a tripod made it easy to quickly square the PF1500's image without resorting to digital keystone correction that sacrifices picture resolution. Use of a tripod also made it easier to live with the PF1500's limited zoom (and related throw range) when filling a fixed-size screen. In the case of using an 80-inch portable screen that I'm particularly fond of, the PF1500's zoom control left less than a foot of throw distance to work within. For fixed installations with the PF1500, carefully consult a projection calculator before finalizing a potential mount location.
Power for the PF1500 is supplied by a brick-style switching adapter with a rated output of 19V at 5.79A. Input voltage compatibility is listed as 100V-240V at 50/60Hz (1.5A maximum). During operation, the power brick became very warm to the touch and measured up to 130F (54C) according to my infrared thermometer.
Projection tech
A lamp module is a key component of any projector, and its eventual failure is all but guaranteed to occur immediately prior to an important viewing event. The LG PF1500's lamp module ditches the old school bulb in favor of an array of RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs that are rated for 30,000 hours of operation - about 5-7 times the longevity of a typical lamp module. The projector's LED array also enables very fast start up and shutdown times - less than 7 seconds before a usable picture appeared! The only downside to the projector's LED system is that it isn't user replaceable. LG rates the light output of the PF1500 at 1400 Lumens making it ideal for screen sizes up to 120-inches with adequate ambient light control.
The PF1500’s imaging system centers around a single Texas Instruments DLP chip. Traditional single-chip DLP projectors utilize a segmented spinning wheel to generate color from a white light source, and increasing the rotational speed of the wheel as well as the number of segments help reduce the perception of a distracting artifact known as color breakup (aka rainbows). The use of fast-switching RGB LEDs in the PF1500 eliminates the need for a color wheel, and another potential source of unwanted noise, while minimizing rainbow artifacts as well as I've seen with any single-chip DLP projector.
Audio
The speakers built into most portable projectors are there for convenience rather than epic audio quality, and the dual 3W speakers of the PF1500 are certainly convenient. I appreciated having sound without the added bulk of external speakers, and the projector's stereo output had enough volume to overcome modest amounts of background noise in indoor and outdoor environments.
For augmented listening, the PF1500 provides several audio output options including an HDMI-ARC port (Audio Return Channel), optical, Bluetooth, and a headphone jack. Bluetooth streaming to a quality portable speaker like the RIVA Turbo X (read my review) greatly improved the listening experience, however, Bluetooth output had the unfortunate side effect of disabling the projector's game mode feature that reduces video lag.
Inputs and networking
The selection of inputs on the PF1500 gave me everything I could ask for in a projector of any size. Ports included dual HDMI (MHL/ARC) and dongle adapters for component/composite video with analog stereo input. Dual USB ports support a lengthy list of popular multimedia file formats as well as office documents including PDF files, spreadsheets, and text files.
The projector's Ethernet and WiFi networking gave a solid performance for accessing local files and streaming content via its built-in apps, and an RF input feeds the projector's ATSC/QAM tuner.
Remote
The projector's Freespace-enabled Magic Remote provides Nintendo Wii-like cursor control for fast and precise menu navigation. The remote's contoured shape and simplified button layout with a clickable scroll-wheel made it easy to orientate and operate, and its RF link eliminated the need for line-of-sight to the projector. The on-screen cursor appreciably enhanced the use of virtual keyboards and interactive apps, and its built-in microphone proved adept at responding to a variety of spoken commands including search queries, channel selection, and changing inputs.
Free TV
Every television sold today includes a built-in digital tuner that enables the free reception of local stations using an antenna. The PF1500 marks the first projector I've used that also incorporates an over-the-air (OTA) digital tuner. Using a quality indoor antenna, the projector's impressively sensitive tuner captured my local stations with ease and stability. The PF1500 lacks a channel guide, but station and program information is displayed at the top of the screen along with the time and date. Also, the remote's scroll-wheel made it easy to quickly zip through and select available stations.
Gaming
With its selection of analog and digital video ports and input signal support up to 1080p at 60Hz, the PF1500 would seem to be a near-perfect companion for any game console made in the last 20 years. However, video lag measuring 170.2ms with my calibrated picture setup was certainly less than ideal for any game that requires precise timing, and the 70.2ms of lag using the projector's Game picture mode translated into more than 4-frames of delay with 60Hz video input - some of the best gaming TVs feature sub-20ms lag measurements.
Apps
Another feature of the PF1500 not typically associated with video projectors is its selection of popular apps. The PF1500's menu of apps was limited at best, but some of the must-haves like Netflix and YouTube were there. Other apps included MLB.TV, VUDU, Spotify, and Google Maps. Obviously absent from the lineup is Amazon Instant Video and Hulu. App performance was very good, and consistent integration with the Magic Remote's cursor control made the projector's app experience all the easier.
Fan noise
Projectors require active cooling to prevent a meltdown, and the PF1500 brightest picture configuration produced audible fan noise that thankfully wasn't overly annoying. Moderate amounts of volume from the projector's speakers easily masked fan noise, and reducing light output using the mid or low power settings all but eliminated cooling-related sounds.
Review: Epson Home Cinema 3500
Video processing
With all keystone correction features disabled and the projector focused on an 80-inch screen, the PF1500 breezed through my suite of 1080i video tests. The classic HQV benchmark revealed terrific deinterlacing and 24p source detection, and results from the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray test disc further confirmed solid video processing with only a slight roll-off noted in the benchmark's chroma tests.
Calibration
Grayscale optimization using the PF1500's 2-point white balance setup proved effective at taming the default response that was too blue and lacking green in the brighter shades. However, I found that the white balance controls for the darker shades of gray were ineffective, and a 20-point white balance setup was available but I didn't use it.
Color measurements showed that red at 100% saturation was very oversaturated compared to the HD video spec. Also, yellow and cyan exhibited the most obvious chromaticity errors. The PF1500's color management system (CMS) proved effective at optimizing primary and secondary colors, but it was unable to reign in the overly saturated 100% reds and blues. Also, unlike the white balance calibration that could be copied to other inputs using a menu option, CMS adjustments required tedious manual entry on a per-input basis.
Viewing exams
My time with the LG PF1500 included many hours of enjoyable video viewing. Having live TV and some of my favorite video streaming apps built-in was further enhanced by the speed at which the projector could achieve full brightness and produce a viewable picture. Using the PF1500 on a tripod mount, it was easy to relocate the projector to different rooms and have it quickly up and operational.
Local HD stations broadcasting in 720p and 1080i looked crisp and detailed. Sports on the big screen looked great with no signs of issues related to fast on-screen action. Likewise, prime time HD programming revealed excellent post-calibrated color and detail. Netflix and YouTube content at up to 1080p resolution loaded quickly and looked as good as expected. The red-heavy logos of these particular streaming services did appear a touch too colorful, but this characteristic of this LED projector didn't obviously taint the content I enjoyed.
For Blu-ray movie exams, I configured a player for 1080p/24Hz output and switched off the projector's video motion smoothing feature (aka TruMotion) for faithful cinema reproduction. Loading up The Dark Knight revealed excellent picture detail with this classic Blu-ray title. Skin tones among the movie's wide variety of characters appeared natural and properly represented in the many bright and dark-lit scenes. However, the Joker's painted smile did appear a bit too colorful with the projector's RGB LED light source.
The audio and visual treat that is the Blu-ray edition of Samsara takes the viewer on a worldwide journey exploring people and places in exquisite film-captured detail. The PF1500 adeptly recreated the cinematic viewing experience with careful preservation of fine detail and naturally colorful imagery that avoided the projector's tendency to over-saturate some red and blue hues.
Bottom line
The LG Portable LED Projector with Smart TV (PF1500) impressed me with its useful integrated features including compatibility with a wide variety of multimedia and office file formats. Its LED lamp technology gives this portable 1080p projector impressive light output for its size as well as hassle-free longevity and fast start up times. A good 720p projector can be had for half the price of the 1080p PF1500, but none incorporate a DTV tuner and smattering of popular streaming applications. The projector's Magic Remote brings everything together with precise navigation and functional microphone control. A dedicated home theater room may be better served by a projector with greater zoom range and installation-friendly lens shift capabilities. However, the PF1500's light weight, good video performance, and feature-rich functionality make it a great option for less than $1000.
Review: Samsung JS9500 SUHD TV
Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 9:11PM 
The promise of 4K ultra high definition (UHD) video is about more than an increased number of video pixels. The UHD format also offers a color palette that extends far beyond the ubiquitous HD standard with richer, deeper hues - fully saturated reds being a particularly obvious color difference between the HD and UHD standards. UHD video can also deliver a greater range of luminance information that compatible TVs can use to render eye-catching high dynamic range (HDR) imagery.
The flagship Samsung JS9500 Series 4K SUHD TV beautifully presents today's best HD video sources and its forward looking technical features make it one of a handful of premium 2015 models that approaches the full potential of the 4K UHD format.
Design
The style and design of Samsung's most advanced TV for 2015 is imbued with well-engineered character. Walking around the TV, its chamfered brushed metal bezel adds a silvery thin bit of contrast to the inky dark curved screen surface. The brushed theme extends to the TV's curved plastic-clad backside and its Y-shaped metal base stand. I was less enamored with the moderate flexing of my 65-inch review unit when perched upon its stand, but parents are always advised to secure any large TV to prevent potential tip over. Included spacers allow for the use of standard wall mount hardware.
Display tech
The JS9500's UHD screen has 3840x2160 pixel resolution and is a 10-bit VA type panel that provides good black level performance with the trade off being a narrower viewing sweet spot compared to IPS panel technology with its brighter black levels and correspondingly reduced picture contrast. Compared to the other SUHD Series TVs (JS7000, JS8500, JS8600, JS9000, and JS9100), the JS9500 is the only one to feature a full array LED backlight with "many" zones of local dimming that enables inky dark black levels and superb brightness throughout the picture. The other SUHD models feature edge-lit backlight systems with local dimming, and all produce expanded color palettes using "Nano crystal color" technology otherwise known as quantum dots - learn more about how LCDs and quantum dot materials work in this article.
The HDR advantage
An advantage of the JS9500's full array backlight is that it generates a lot of light. When displaying a relatively small white window test pattern, the JS9500 produced about 930 nits in its brightest picture mode - two or three times the light output of most LCD televisions. However, a possible heat-related issue causes the JS9500's peak light output to decreases slightly over time, and I'm consulting with Samsung for further clarification and will update this article with any new findings. All of that eye-melting brightness from a dark colored screen is optimal for producing a well-contrasted picture even in rooms with lots of ambient light. However, high dynamic range (HDR) video is what the JS9500's impressive light output was meant to showcase. All Samsung SUHD TVs decode the metadata embedded within HDR-authored video content enabling the accurate depiction of an increased range of luminance information. In addition, the quantum dot enhancement of the SUHD series allows it to produce an expanded color palette that measured impressively close to the DCI color specification used extensively in commercial cinema.
Samsung provided a few curated clips to show off the JS9500's HDR and expanded color capabilities, and Amazon recently updated its video streaming app for the SUHD platform to add HDR support. Amazon's HDR-enhanced content selection includes a remastered season of Mozart in the Jungle, the pilot episode of Red Oaks, and more "coming soon". Examining episodes of Mozart before and after the HDR update, light sources in many scenes became more impactful without sacrificing dark details and superb black levels. Sunlit outdoor scenes appeared more natural with touches of brilliant intensity. The polished metal parts of instruments gleamed in a more realistic fashion. A lighter igniting in a dimly lit smoke filled room popped with colorful contrast, and lamp lighting in otherwise dimly lit rooms was almost too bright to gaze upon directly. The dynamic range within these scenes exceeded anything I've seen in an LCD television to date, and I look forward to seeing the selection of HDR content grow.
HDR video support is the primary feature of the upcoming Ultra HD Blu-ray players due later this year. These players will require an HDMI port that's been upgraded to the new 2.0a standard, and Samsung indicated that this update for its SUHD TVs would be forthcoming but provided no further details. The recently finalized Ultra HD Blu-ray specification also incorporates expanded color palette support that greatly exceeds the HD palette in use today. With streaming and physical UHD video options quickly maturing, it won't be much longer before we'll be able to gaze upon popular content with expanded color and HDR on a capable TV like the JS9500.
Vizio 5.1 Sound Bar System Review
2015 Vizio M-Series 4K UHD TV Preview
Remote
The curved and contoured shape of the new baton-style Bluetooth/IR remote feels terrific in the hand, but I did miss the larger combination directional pad/cursor control button of the 2014 Smart Remote (view my video demo). Also, the directional pad on the 2014 remote provided more tactile feedback with raised sections that were easier to locate without glancing down, but the new remote adds backlighting to most of its buttons. The Wiimote-like cursor control offered by the new remote maintained the smooth precision I've come to appreciate in Samsung's premium designs although a few software-related hiccups were observed when transitioning between apps and menus.
Ports
The JS9500 has two ports on the rear of its curved chassis: one for connecting the power cord and the other for attaching a custom 2-meter cable that connects the One Connect input box. The 78-inch and 88-inch models include a 3-meter One Connect cable, but this may still restrict wall mounting options where routing the cable in-wall is desired. All four HDMI ports on the One Connect box were HDCP 2.2 enabled for use with protected source devices like the Sony 4K Media Player (read my review), and a check with the DVDO AVLab TPG (read my review) showed all HDMI ports accepted 4K60 input with 4:2:0 color sub-sampling as well as 4K24/30 with 4:4:4 sub-sampling. An included dongle provides legacy analog AV input options.
Apps
Samsung's 2015 flagship TV features the company's new Linux-based operating system dubbed Tizen. The new interface makes better use of a 4K UHD display with larger and more detailed app icons and increased resolution of the app interface compared to Samsung's 2014 Smart TVs. I was also please to see the TV's on-screen cursor now functions with Netflix but this control feature is unavailable with most other apps. A new OS takes time to mature, and the SUHDs are awaiting the arrival of popular app options like HBO Go and MLB.tv. A recent update added Sony's PlayStation Now game streaming service and it most welcome as the other game app options proved unremarkable and unwieldy. PlayStation Now on the JS9500 requries a DualShock 4 controller as I was unable to pair a DualShock 3 controller I used when originally testing the service on the Sony XBR-X900B UHD TV (read my review). UHD streaming options continue to grow, and the JS9500 goes beyond the ever-present Amazon and Netflix with YouTube, UltraFlix, M-Go, and more in the works.
The JS9500's built-in 1080p camera retracts flush into the frame when not needed and laser-cut ports for stereo microphones blend seamlessly into the upper bezel. The good AV quality of the camera setup had me appreciating the JS9500 as a couch-friendly Skype machine.
My Favorite Dual-Tuner OTA DVR
OTA
Free HD television is always a good thing (ask a cord cutter), and the over-the-air (OTA) tuner built into the JS9500 made short work out of scanning for local channels. The quick guide that appears on the right side of the screen made it easy to scroll to the desired channel, but the grid style channel guide remains as sluggish as last year's version and is best avoided.
Uniformity and viewing angles
The JS9500's curved screen exhibited very good uniformity when displaying a full screen dark gray test pattern that makes anomalies easy to spot. Interestingly, disabling the TV's local dimming feature (aka Smart LED) significantly degraded uniformity with glowing cloudy spots noted across the screen. However, it's unlikely that a JS9500 owner would disable a key visual feature of the TV so this observation is largely a non-issue.
Viewing angle performance with the JS9500 was typically narrow for VA panel technology. In a dimly lit viewing environment with a calibrated picture setup, color saturation and contrast decreased dramatically when viewed anywhere besides front and center. Slight off-axis viewing also revealed increased halos around bright objects on dark backgrounds.
Calibration
My experience calibrating the JS9500 for optimal HD performance was similar to what I've found with last year's premium Samsung models: the factory calibration (Movie picture preset) was very good and it was easy to improve upon the results with careful white balance setup using the 2-point and 10-point controls. Looking into the 4K future, the JS9500 delivered impressive accuracy when targeting the expanded DCI color space (Auto color space enabled), but it will be a few more years before we see a TV come close to covering UHD's gigantic Rec. 2020 color space.
Video processing
Samsung TVs offer some of the best video processing capabilities of any brand, and the JS9500 exhibited very good performance with the variety tests I fed it. High frequency signal results were some of the best I've seen with only a slight chroma roll off that appeared similar to the performance of the 2014 Sony X900B (read my review) and X950B. The JS9500 breezed through the classic 1080i HQV benchmark including a superb diagonal edge filtering result that Sony TVs never seem to get right. Video lag testing using the Leo Bodnar meter saw a reduction to 24.7ms with the TV's Game Mode enabled - less than 2 video frames with 60Hz input making the JS9500 a very good option for gamers.
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
Eyes on
Loading up the 1080p masterpiece Samsara, I found the Sony X950B was slightly better at revealing the darkest details while the JS9500 excelled at maintaining darker letterboxed bars. The movie's many sky and desert panning shots revealed no signs of dirty screen effect (DSE), and the wide variety of skin tones were fantastically represented. I set the TV's custom dejudder setting to off for the most part, but a setting of 1 or 2 (out of 10) did a good job of minimizing this artifact without making it look like a soap opera. Samsara's military parade scene showed that increasing the dejudder setting to 6 or 7 dramatically improved motion resolution at the expense of an unnaturally smoothed presentation.
The Batman classic The Dark Knight is another reference title in my Blu-ray library, and the JS9500's precise white balance setup produced impressively consistent colors and detail throughout the luminance range. Fair skin tones like that of Bruce Wayne highlighted the JS9500's viewing angle limitations as there was noticeable washout with a single step left or right off-center. The Sony X950B exhibited similar artifacts but at slightly wider off-axis angles.
Bottom line
I'm convinced that the Samsung JS9500 Series will rank as one of the very best LCDs of 2015 with its main competition being Sony's new flagship X940C that also features a full array LED backlight system with local dimming. LG's quantum dot-enhanced UF9500 is an edge-lit LCD that likely won't come close to the light output of Samsung or Sony's best LCDs but it costs significantly less. When seated in its viewing sweet spot, the JS9500 delivered a superb HD viewing experience with epic contrast and sublimely accurate color across all luminance levels. During the few weeks I've spent examining the JS9500 it has received several software updates that have improved its performance and fixed minor glitches. I'm pleased to see the UHD format moving beyond simply more pixels, and I'm even more delighted to see capable TVs like the Samsung JS9500 standing ready to deliver a superb presentation of today's and tomorrow's best video content.
How to Watch 4K
Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 5:45PM 
Originally posted October 8, 2014
Updated December 1, 2015: added 4K video sources
TVs and projectors with four times the resolution of a high-definition Blu-ray movie are quickly becoming the new standard for larger home theater displays. The sources and selection of video material for this new ultra high-definition viewing experience are expanding as well, but let's start with the basics.
A brand new name
Most of us are familiar with the term "1080p" and its variants such as "Full HD", FHD, 1920x1080 pixels, or the more vague descriptor "high def". To assist consumers looking to experience ultra high-definition (UHD) in the home, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) recently announced that UHD display devices shall use the branding 4K Ultra HD and 4K Ultra HD Connected.
What qualifies as an ultra HD display?
The CEA characterizes ultra high-definition TVs, monitors, and projectors as display devices that meet the following minimum attributes:
- Display Resolution – Has at least eight million active pixels, with at least 3840 horizontally and at least 2160 vertically.
- Aspect Ratio – Has a width to height ratio of the display’s native resolution of 16:9 or wider.
- Upconversion – Is capable of upscaling HD video and displaying it at ultra high-definition resolution.
- Digital Input – Has one or more HDMI inputs supporting at least 3840x2160 native content resolution at 24p, 30p and 60p frames per second. At least one of the 3840x2160 HDMI inputs shall support HDCP revision 2.2 or equivalent content protection.
- Colorimetry – Processes 2160p video inputs encoded according to ITU-R BT.709 color space and may support wider colorimetry standards.
- Bit Depth – Has a minimum color bit depth of eight bits.
Learn about: Quantum Dot Color
The CEA defines connected ultra high-definition displays as meeting all of the above requirements as well as:
- Video Codec – Decodes IP-delivered video of 3840x2160 resolution that has been compressed using HEVC* and may decode video from other standard encoders.
- Audio Codec – Receives and reproduces, and/or outputs multichannel audio.
- IP and Networking – Receives IP-delivered ultra HD video through a Wi-Fi, Ethernet or other appropriate connection.
- Application Services – Supports IP-delivered ultra HD video through services or applications on the platform of the manufacturer’s choosing.
*High Efficiency Video Compression Main Profile, Level 5, Main tier, as defined in ISO/IEC 23008-2 MPEG-H Part 2 or ITU-T H.265, and may support higher profiles, levels or tiers.
4K in cinema
The CEA's definition of ultra high-definition displays specifies at least a certain number of pixels, a picture shape (aspect ratio) of 16:9/1.78:1 or wider, and the possibility of richer colors. The use of the term "4K" in cinema production means something slightly different than it does in the UHD video world.
For the cinema industry, the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) consortium has defined several 4K formats for various applications that include pixel resolutions of 4096x2160 (1.90:1), 4096x1716 (2.39:1), and 3996x2160 (1.85:1).
DCI also specifies an expanded color palette and advanced compression scheme for these "true 4K" formats that the home user is unlikely to encounter in typical consumer products - at least in the near future. It's understandable that some cinema purists cringe when the terms 4K and UHD are used interchangeably.
Sources of UHD video
Ultra HD video enjoyment is available now albeit with a fairly limited (but growing) selection of content to choose from. How you will experience ultra HD depends on the hardware you own and the services you subscribe to. Here's what you can expect from these current, and soon to be, UHD video providers.
Netflix
Netflix demonstrated its UHD video streaming service at the 2014 CES and has since found its way into new consumer devices including UHD TVs and set top boxes. Looking to the future, Netflix has indicated that they are working toward improving its ultra high-definition streaming service with increased color precision and higher framerates.
Amazon
Amazon's 4K Ultra HD Instant Video streaming service has launched (press release) and is currently available on select LG, Samsung, and Sony TVs. More details are available in the Amazon 4K Ultra HD Guide. Amazon has begun streaming UHD video with high dynamic range (HDR) and select TVs from Samsung, LG, and Sony have been software upgraded to support HDR decoding and playback.
Sony
The Sony FMP-X10 is an Internet streaming appliance that integrates a 1TB hard drive for local storage. Powered by the company's Video Unlimited 4K service, the FMP-X10 currently lists more than 65 feature films that are available for rent or purchase. Sony recently updated the FMP-X10 to be compatible with any display that features an HDMI v2.0 port that supports HDCP v2.2. Read my review of the Sony FMP-X10.
Samsung
Owners of newer Samsung UHD TVs can purchase a compatible UHD Video Pack that is decoded through the M-GO streaming video app - this content includes HDR and wide color gamut (WCG) enhanced videos that are currently unavailable by any other means. Samsung SUHD TVs have also been upgraded to support UHD/HDR streaming from Amazon and UHD streaming from YouTube, Netflix, and other popular UHD video applications.
DirecTV
Satellite television provider DirecTV is currently testing limited UHD video delivery with wide deployment scheduled for 2015-16. Cable and fiber TV providers are also in the early testing phase for deploying UHD video services. It seems likely that all of these TV providers will utilize streaming video technology to delivery UHD content to its subscribers.
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc Association indicated at IFA Berlin 2014 that UHD Blu-ray technology will reach consumers by the end of 2015 (likely 2016).
YouTube
YouTube also has a growing selection of UHD videos available for streaming, however, not every UHD TV supports UHD YouTube playback at this time and are limited to 1080p streaming quality.
M-GO
The video streaming service M-GO now offers a growing selection of 4K UHD movies and TV shows. The M-GO app is also used for playback of content purchased on secure storage (with compatible UHD TVs).
Ultraflix
Ultraflix is another source of streaming UHD programming that's available on select 2015 Sony, Samsung, Vizio, and Android TV-powered UHD TVs.
Downloads
Here are a few sources of 4K UHD video material that you are free to explore and download for playback.
Tears of Steel (2012) - a group of warriors and scientists attempt to rescue the world from destructive robots
Sintel (2010) - a woman's search for a dragon that she had once nursed back to health
Big Buck Bunny (2008) - a day in the life of a big bunny named Buck
Demo UHD 3D - a source of various 4K UHD and 3D videos
Ultra Video Group - test sequences
houkouonchi.jp - a directory of 4K UHD material
Robert's Favorite Home Theater Gear
Not all UHD is created equal
Resolution is only one component of video picture quality. A still picture that is JPEG encoded can be compressed by an arbitrary amount while maintaining the original pixel resolution. Increasing picture compression produces a smaller file size but fine details become increasingly softened and blurred. Likewise, a lightly or uncompressed image will exhibit more detail and clarity along with a larger corresponding file size. The same concept applies to video.
The datastream of Blu-ray video can peak at 40Mbps enabling it to reproduce even the most detailed, quick-moving video imagery with very few compression artifacts. Likewise, 1080p video from Internet streaming services reaches a maximum average bitrate of 5-7Mbps. The current library of Netflix UHD videos average 16Mbps - less than half of Blu-ray's maximum bitrate yet with four times the pixel resolution. Improvements in video compression technology help make HD and UHD video delivery possible, but there is no substitute for pure bitrate to maintain video quality.
Bitrate is king
For the quality conscious home theater enthusiast, video compression is only part of the story. Blu-ray supports multichannel lossless audio at up to 27.7Mbps (48Mbps total for audio and video data) providing a "like you are there" listening experience that is unmatched by any Internet streaming service or DVD video. If you believe that quality audio is at least half of the home theater experience, streaming services have a ways to go to catch up to good ol' Blu-ray.
UHD is a work in progress
Plenty of pitfalls remain for early adopters of UHD gear. A major issue relates to the need for HDCP v2.2 support between an external UHD video source device and UHD display. HDCP v2.2 is a complete break from previous versions, and this means that the entire video pathway must support HDCP v2.2 in order for UHD playback to occur - older gear will most likely not be upgradable to the new HDCP spec. The good folks at Audioholics wrote up an excellent article detailing the current mess that is HDMI v2.0 and HDCP v2.2 and how it relates to current and upcoming home theater gear, and I encourage anyone interested in this subject to give it a careful read.
LCD Update: Quantum Dot Color
Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 7:01PM 
Updated on January 6, 2015: new product details and tech video link
4K ultra-high definition (UHD) video is about more than just an increased number of pixels compared to the HD formats we experience today. UHD video can also deliver an expanded color palette with richer, deeper reds, greens, and all of the colors in between.
However, before we can witness this UHD color revolution, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions need a color boost to accurately represent a greatly increased color space over Rec. 709 (HDTV) - like those defined in DCI P3, Pointer's gamut, and Rec. 2020.
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Quantum dots to the rescue
LCD TV manufacturers are experimenting with a semiconductor technology known as a quantum dot (QD) in order to expand the color capabilities and improve the efficiency of their products. QDs are crystalline structures that are engineered to emit a very pure and precisely colored light. The size of a QD crystal determines its color. Larger QD crystals produce a more reddish hue and smaller particles skew towards blue.
LEDs + QDs
QD crystals fluoresce when exposed to any light source up to the dot's emitted wavelength, and QD efficiencies improve slightly as the source (or "pump") wavelength shrinks. The relatively short wavelengths emitted by blue LEDs, in addition to being among the most energy efficient of the colors produced today, make them a good primary light to combine with the output of green and red QD materials to generate a white light with ideal spectral characteristics.
The above picture shows a disassembled backlight unit (BLU) with the light output of blue LEDs interacting with the glowing white diffuser sheet (containing green/red QD materials) that is partially covering the device. The jar contains green QD materials as noted by the color emitted closest to the light source.
Light mixing 101
The colorfulness of an LCD TV's picture is directly related to the interaction of its white light source (backlight unit) and color filter. An LCD color filter splits each screen pixel into tiny red, green, and blue (RGB) windows (subpixels) that are individually modulated by a liquid crystal module (LCM) into the wide range of colors we see as well as black (all subpixels off) and white (all subpixels on).
The better optimized a BLU's light output is to the characteristics of a particular color filter determines an LCD's ability to produce richly saturated hues. The 'white' LEDs used in modern BLUs are mostly blue LEDs coated with a phosphor that fluoresces yellow resulting in a cool (bluish) white light with limited spectral output in the green and especially red wavelengths.
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LCD manufacturers are also expanding color output through the use of blue LEDs coated with red and green phosphor materials that approach the color palette coverage of current QD-enhanced displays.
For a wonderfully detailed look at the inner workings of an LCD, I encourage everyone to spend five minutes nerding-out with this excellent video hosted by Professor Bill Hammack.
QD LCDs now available
QD enhanced LCDs are not new. Sony introduced a trio of LCD televisions in 2013 that featured a QD enhanced BLU, and Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX 7" was the first tablet display to incorporate QD materials. More recently, the 4K UHD Asus Zenbook NX500 is another example of a color enhanced display using quantum dots.
LG recently announced a new LCD television with a BLU that uses white LEDs with an enhanced phosphor formula and specially tuned color filters to expand color output. At the same time, LG is also introducing a QD enhanced model with an even wider range of color output using current color filter designs.
Samsung has also introduced a new line of LCD televisions featuring quantum dot technology for enhanced color reproduction and efficiency.
Real world example
I recently visited the quantum dot technology experts at Nanosys in Milpitas, California to preview a pair of name brand 65 inch 4K UHD LCD TVs: one stock and the other with a modified BLU using blue LEDs plus a QD enhanced diffuser. Both LCDs used the original color filter.
In the slideshow above, the top display has the QD enhancement while the bottom display was left as-is out of the box (factory calibrated picture preset). The imagery used was sourced from the RAW output of a digital camera and distributed to the displays though an HDMI amplifier. I found the differences in red and cyan easiest to discern, and it highlighted how content that is authored and optimized for a wide color gamut display can appear pleasingly natural and not over-saturated or cartoon-y.
Nanosys claimed that current QD materials and Rec. 709 optimized color filters can cover about 90% of the greatly expanded Rec. 2020 color space. Newly optimized color filters should bring Rec. 2020 display coverage into the 95%-96% range.
Non-toxic but tiny
Until recently, QD materials were based around the toxic element cadmium. The latest generation of QD materials are cadmium-free, but this change has resulted in a significant reduction in crystal size to only a couple of dozen atoms wide. QD color precision becomes more difficult as an additional atom or two is now a much larger percentage of the crystal's overall size affecting its emitted color. Separating crystals by size at an atomic scale presents a significant challenge. Proposed solutions to the QD "crystal binning" issue include centrifuge-based separation as well as advances in the manufacturing process.
The future
Currently, QD materials are stimulated by photons to compliment the light output of LEDs. Within the next few years, emissive displays using electron-stimulated QD materials may dominate the premium display market. The inorganic crystalline structure of QD materials has superb longevity although its surrounding chemistry has some oxygen sensitivity - hence the sandwiching between sheets of barrier film.
Quantum dots are already exceeding the brightness levels of OLED (at least in the lab), and given increasingly strict energy efficiency standards, an emissive QD display may end up becoming the consumer's best option for a bright and colorful high resolution display.
Read more about the best 2015 TVs and display technologies.
