“Why Doesn’t Mine Look Like That?” Your Guide to a Better Looking Home Theater

UltraHD, 4K, and How to Build the Ultimate Home Theater System 

Have you ever noticed there’s a different quality to the images you see when you go out to the movies and the ones you enjoy at home?

It’s not surprising: for years commercial theaters remained superior to home theater systems. From VHS, to DVD, and even Blu-ray, homeowners couldn’t achieve the same image quality they enjoyed outside their property.

Now, thanks to 4K Ultra HD, you can enjoy the sharpest images ever available in consumer-grade products in the comfort of home in Buffalo and throughout Western New York. But getting there is a little more complicated than plugging in a new device.

Here, we’ll show you how you can get the most out of your system. Keep reading to learn more.

See Also: A BEGINNER'S Q&A ON HOME THEATERS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ultra HD and 4K: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve ever used the phrases “UltraHD” and “4K” interchangeably, you’re not alone. The industry has trained users to do it, though the two are not precisely the same thing.

The reason is simple: they’re two very closely related image standards, and they achieve mostly the same goal.

That goal? Nearly four times the pixel density of 1080p HD. However, quadrupling the pixel density of 1080p results in an image that’s just too wide – true 4K. In other words, you’d have to purchase a display much wider than the one you’re used to.

UltraHD shaves off a few pixels on each side to maintain the relative dimensions and give you images that look just as good as full 4K while still fitting available displays.

How Can You Enjoy UltraHD?

If you think all it takes to enjoy full UltraHD resolution is a new display, you’re in for a disappointment.

UltraHD requires a holistic overhaul of your audio video system. That means source, display, and everything in between. Below, we’ve listed a few elements of your chain that might need upgrading.

Source: Ensure you’re watching true 4K content directly from the source. Whether you’re streaming Netflix, watching a 4K Blu-ray, or enjoying select games on cable sports networks, seeing full UltraHD starts with the source.

Ultra HD Server: If you want to store downloaded UltraHD content (and distribute it to any room of your home) you’ll need a high-capacity server that can handle all of the information.

Cabling: An often-overlooked aspect of upgrading to UltraHD, your cabling needs to have enough space to handle the content. Just like HDMI replaced analog cabling when we upgraded to HD, UltraHD content requires HDMI 2.0, fiber optics, or HDBaseT to effectively transmit a signal.

Display: At the end of it’s journey, the signal still needs an UltraHD-compatible display. That could be a 4K television, or a more traditional projector in your home theater. Either way, every part of your chain needs to support 4K UltraHD – otherwise you could suffer dips in quality or total signal loss.

 

Want to learn more about how to upgrade your home theater to 4K UltraHD? Let’s talk!

Just click the chat button at the bottom of your screen to get started or give us a call at (716) 632-2790.