STACK #199 May 2021

4K FEATURE

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4K ALL THE WAY That’s where the 4K Ultra HD disc format comes in. You’ll need a new player, which doesn’t require much of an outlay, especially after investing in a whole new TV. And it’s the 4K UHD discs that really bring the magic. With up to 100 gigabytes of storage on a single disc, the need for compression is minimised, allowing for a level of detailed picture quality. When viewed side-by-side with streaming equivalents, the increased fidelity is instantly apparent. Fine textures jump out, and the true-to-life realism can be uncanny. Add the ability of 4K UHD to deliver massive improvements in the range of dark to bright via HDR – something only some streamed equivalents deliver – and we’re talking a world of difference. SOUNDS GOOD, OR GREAT? It’s not all about the video, of course. Sound is just as important to the viewing experience, and once again it’s physical media that truly delivers the goods. Check out the vast majority of 4K UHD disc releases and you’ll notice that they support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound. If you’ve set up your own home cinema already, you’ll know that either of these formats delivers massive surround sound, the closest to an at-home cinema experience you can get short of installing a humongous projection screen. We compared the specs of several discs in our collection with their streaming counterparts and noted that very few on streaming support either Atmos or DTS:X – and even when they do, once again compression comes into play. A physical disc delivers audio based on the lossless Dolby TrueHD format, whereas streaming is based on the lossy (where data that an algorithm deems unnecessary is removed) Dolby Digital Plus system. This means markedly better dynamic range (as in greatly improved audio), even if the disc features audio with less channels, as there’s no tech messing with what you hear. It’s the original sound as intended by its maker. COME ON, LET’S GET PHYSICAL! The sealing argument for owning titles on disc rather than just streaming them goes beyond audio and visual quality to something more traditional – collecting. Many things regularly come and go on streaming services, sometimes never to return. With physical media, not only do you have something to display and call on at will, to pore over in classic “Hmm, what’ll I watch?” video library-style, or to share with friends or family, you also own a tangible thing that nobody can ever take away from you.

You may think that all things labelled as 4K are the same, but that isn’t actually the case.We take a quick look at the reasons why, and ask, “Why would you settle for a stream when you can have the whole ocean?” Words Amy Flower ARE YOU GETTING THE FULL ?

T he basics of 4K are immutable – it offers a higher resolution picture than anything before it, which equates to four times that of 1080p, or “Full HD”. That’s a whole 3,840 by 2,160 pixels – or dots. Almost 8.3 million of them allows for a whole lot of picture. That detail within all of those dots, however, isn’t always the same. Many streaming services now offer content in 4K, but compromises are made in order to deliver it, most notably in the form of compression. This is taking the original source file and minimising its size, while aiming to keep an acceptable picture quality. The reasons for this are many, from practicalities for the viewer in that the smaller the amount of data being streamed, the more likely the content won’t be affected by drops in quality due to poor internet (something many Australians still have to deal with in 2021), to bandwidth costs and server storage space concerns for the provider. Plus, those of us with data caps will soon be in trouble streaming 4K, as regardless of compression, it still uses a whole lot of data. Moreover, drops in internet bandwidth can cause streamed 4K files to fall

down to 1080p resolution or even lower. Why purchase a stunning new 4K TV, only to experience less than Ultra High Definition resolution? A good way to understand compression is to consider jpg images you see on the internet. Ever noticed how some pictures are crisp and clear, while others look blurry, or even blocky? That’s compression at work. The more you compress, the less detail is delivered – and when it comes to the 4K experience, you want the best that you can get.

• For more on 4K UHD players, see page 16

62 MAY 2021

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