Home Q&A: If I buy a 4K or 8K television, what quality of picture do I get?

The first requirement before signing up for the 4K available in Ireland form some content providers is steady, reliable broadband capable of delivering consistent 4K, writes Kya deLongchamps. File picture

Question

If I buy a 4K or 8K television, will that be the quality of picture I will get?

Answer

Not necessarily, and this is a common misconception created by the eye-watering images you might see on the showroom floor. A 4K television could be streaming 4K images (likely from a USB). It’s the streaming device. 

When you buy the TV, you are certainly going to enjoy high-definition, typical to most channels of 1080p, but without a subscription covering 4K, you won’t normally be receiving 4K picture resolution, even with fibre cables without the correct tier of subscription channel-by-channel. 

Some televisions can “upscale” the pictures using their own AI software to enhance a picture very close to 4K (but it’s still not 4K). 

The first requirement before signing up for the 4K available in Ireland from some content providers is steady, reliable broadband capable of delivering consistent 4K. 

It’s also important to ensure that the settings on your TV set are ready to stream 4K (refer to your device, as it’s often integrated into on-screen instructions to make that easier). This will remind you to ensure you have high-speed HDMI cables in place, for example, placed into the correct port for a 4K UHD picture. 

There is no 8K content available in Ireland at the moment, but 8K Samsung televisions are available if you want to get ahead of the game.

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