Tech Blog

[#1]

This week Sony invited me to check out their new 84” 4K TV (XBR-84X900) in person. I knew it would be big, and probably quite pretty. I wasn’t prepared for just how big and pretty it would end up actually being. Sure you may have a pretty good idea what 84” looks like, but when it's such a vibrant and sharp screen, it makes it even more of a show stopper. This is both the largest and highest resolution TV sony has ever produced.

This is sony’s first 4K capable TV so it's worth talking briefly about what exactly 4K means. It's the next wave of high quality home theatre screen, well beyond the 1080p HDTV you’re use to now. In fact after enjoying some 4K quality, it almost makes 1080p looks as substandard as an old SD signal. It's four times the resolution of Full HDTV standards, with a whopping 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution. Even on this massive 84” screen you can walk right up close and still not be able to see the individual pixels with the naked eye. 4K is a term you’re going to be hearing more of in the next few years as it starts to dominate HD.

This Sony TV features a 4K X-Reality PRO picture engine that processes the picture frame by frame making sure it looks as good as possible on the super-high-quality screen, whether you’re playing a Blu-ray disc, or TV show. This TV even supports passive 3D so you can use inexpensive, lightweight 3D glasses to enjoy the latest content which will look as good or better than it would in a movie theatre. I’m not often a fan of 3D TVs but when you have a 84” screen is somehow seems so much more immersive and effective.

With 4K poised to take over the home theatre landscape, Sony is flexing its muscle giving us a look into the future. This model isn’t cheap of course, targeted mainly at early adopters who are willing to spend in order to have the latest and greatest. After spending some time with this 84” 4K TV I’m really having trouble looking at any other screen the same way as I used to. Nothing seems good enough anymore. Sony has demonstrated that, yes, 4K TV really does make that much of a difference. I’m in awe.

[#2]

im looking at an 80" sharp if i get 4k what game systems will be supported ? so i think i'll wait plus whats a 4k movie download look like lol

[#3]

Haha yeah, the downloads will be crazy. That might end up being a big problem for Canadians in a few years. 

I'm actually really curious about the game consoles. It makes a lot of sense for them to support 4K out of the gate, but then consider that doing so might add significantly to their cost. I'll bet whichever console comes out last (*cough*PS4*cough) will be your best bet for 4K support. 

I know a lot of the movie studios have been preparing their movies as 4K releases, just waiting on a popular delivery mechanism to roll out. It won't be like when DVD or HD was released and we had to wait for content to slowly trickle out. 

[#4]

yeah, but whats the hardware going to cost us lol new players and then discs? are we still with discs? heh 

ps4 will be nice

[#5]

Well this TV sure ain't cheap. Sony says it will retail in the $25k ballpark! 

Most people are saying that 4K content won't come on optical disks. Personally I suspect we'll see things on flash media or something like that. 

[#6]

i was thinking flash media too, but how much drm will be on that stuff lol

or will we be at the time when we can stream content from a media locker i dont need physical media just make my digital copy cheap lol and i'l be more incline to buy it

[#7]

so can you really see a huge difference in the 80" sharp? cause i thought that tv was AWESOME and ya 25k is rediculous 

[#8]

Well I didn't see the two side by side or anything (I think it will be a long time before anybody is able to)

[#9]

Is the Playstation4 around the corner?  Is there a new Blu-Ray standard coming?  The Nikon D800 images would look great on this monitor.

[#10]

isnt sony waiting for xbox to release there specs before they mention ps4?

[#11]

Yeah I wouldn't hold your breath for anything on the PS4 any time soon. It'll likely be a couple years before we hear anything remotely substantial.

[#12]

If you guys check out the latest edition of Click, there is a good article in there about how the PS3/XBOX may be the last generation of gaming consoles.

This would support rumours I have read about the end of the Playstation consoles with PS3.