Articles about 4K

While Windows 10 has its fair share of vocal detractors, the operating system is actually very good. In fact, some people say it is the best version of Microsoft's desktop operating system ever -- particularly for gaming. Consumers that want a Windows 10 computer are very lucky nowadays, as there are many quality machines from which to choose.

One such quality laptop is the Razer Blade. The 14-inch Windows 10 laptop is quite popular with gamers, as it is both svelte and powerful. Today, Razer announces that it is refreshing the notebook with new Intel Kaby Lake processors and an optional 4K display.

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When you buy a laptop nowadays, it will absolutely have a built-in webcam. Some desktop users may have a webcam built into their monitor too. For the most part, those integrated cameras should be passable in a pinch, but the overall performance often disappoints. It is for that reason that many consumers will still buy an external USB webcam.

Logitech has long offered well-reviewed USB webcams, and today, it is announcing what could be the best such camera ever. The BRIO 4K Pro Webcam is capable of recording or streaming 4K content. While UHD support alone makes it intriguing, it also has other notable features like HDR, USB-C connectivity and Windows Hello support. It even comes with a privacy shade in the box. If you want to mount it on a professional tripod, there is threading for that too.

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There are a growing number of ways to enjoy Ultra HD content on your 4K TV or monitor. Just a couple of days ago, Google added 4K movies to Google Play.

Now the BBC announces it is trialing 4K high dynamic range (HDR) video on its iPlayer streaming platform, and I can confirm, having watched it, it's absolutely stunning stuff. However, you shouldn’t get too excited about it, yet -- there are a couple of big catches that will mean you probably won't be able to watch it.

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If you have a 4K TV or monitor, you can enjoy Ultra HD content from the likes of YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon. You can get 4K Blu-rays, but you’ll need a compatible player, and they aren’t that cheap.

Starting today, Google is offering a new way to get your hands on the latest 4K resolution movies.

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While 1080p may look "good enough" to you, once you move to a higher resolution display, it is hard to go back. Prices for both 4K monitors and televisions continue to drop, meaning more and more consumers are buying them. During this past Black Friday, there were many such TVs being offered with big discounts.

Now that there are a healthy amount of these displays in the wild, content creators will be more motivated to release content in that resolution -- movies, TV, and video games. While Google added 4K playback to YouTube years ago, it did not offer live video streaming in that resolution. Today this changes, as the video site finally gets 4K live streaming -- including 360-degree streams. Best of all? Watching the streams won't require Microsoft Edge!

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Despite being the default browser in Windows 10, Edge really hasn’t taken off in the way that Microsoft would have hoped. According to the latest usage figures from NetMarketShare, the new browser currently has just 5.26 percent share.

In a bid to improve matters, the software giant has started using pop-up notifications to push Edge in Windows 10, and bash its "rival" Chrome on both security and battery life. But if those arguments aren't enough to persuade you to switch, maybe the lure of 4K content from Netflix being exclusive to Edge will do the trick.

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Apple makes a damn good laptop, and its new MacBook Pro computers are no exception. Unfortunately for some, Apple's latest offerings are too expensive and fall short -- most models lack the ability to upgrade the SSD, and the RAM maxes out at 16GB. Interestingly, many upset Apple fans even turned to System76 and its Ubuntu-powered machines following the big MacBook Pro unveil.

At the time, I compared the MacBook Pro to the Oryx Pro to highlight that you could get more performance from System76 for less money. Obviously, it was not an entirely fair comparison, as they are different in many ways. For example, the Oryx Pro only featured a 1080p screen. Today, this changes, however, as System76 adds a 4K display option to its MacBook Pro competitor. Will this make macOS users more likely to switch to Linux?

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When buying a computer monitor nowadays, there are many things to consider. While you might think the bigger the better, you would sort of be wrong. For a monstrous display, you also want a high resolution to go with it. A 43-inch monitor with 1080p, for example, would have blurry text and provide a poor overall experience.

Today, Philips releases its all-new Brilliance 43-inch Ultra HD LCD display to the USA market. This 4K monitor should prove wonderful for many things, such as gaming, photography, CAD, and general-use too. Best of all, the price tag is rather reasonable.

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When DVDs were first released, I was dubious that they could best the amazing quality of VHS. A trip to my local Nobody Beats the Wiz for a demo changed my opinion, however. Subsequently, the mainstream release of HDTV, Blu-ray and ultimately 4K have kept me excited and anticipating more. Heck, some companies have even released 5K displays, but I digress.

As many consumers are just beginning to embrace 4K in their homes, it is already old news. Today, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announces the publishing of DisplayPort Standard Version 1.4. Why is this exciting? Because it essentially ushers in the 8K era at 60Hz!

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Following exhaustive tests, a BBC research team has confirmed that the H.265/HEVC video compression standard offers huge bitrate savings compared to H.264/AVC. The BBC R&D video coding research team focused primarily on UHD content and found bitrate savings of up to 50 percent.

With more and more content being streamed, and increasing demand for high definition and UHD content, finding ways to most efficiently deliver video will become increasingly important. The study found that greater savings were possible with larger pictures -- something the corporation says is key to the future of UHD delivery.

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Even though CES 2016 is not for another month, LG today announced some of the products that it will showcase at the upcoming consumer electronics trade show. Among them is Gram 15, which is claimed to be the "lightest 15-inch laptop in the world".

But just how light is it? LG says that Gram 15 only weighs 980 grams, or 2.16 lbs. To put things into perspective, it is considerably lighter than Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, and more than twice as light as the 15-inch version of aforementioned laptop.

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Since HDMI cables are digital, it is arguably pointless to invest in "premium" variants from so-called high-end brands like Monster. With that said, there is value in buying something that is well-made. Not all cables are capable of handling UHD 4K content, however, so some HDMI cables are better than others (always buy high speed rather than standard speed as the price difference is negligible).

Apparently, both counterfeit and misleading cables are an issue, as the Premium HDMI Cable Certification Program has been created. This will ensure that cables being marketed as HDMI 2.0 and 4K Ultra HD are truly capable of their promised performance.

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Fujitsu has revealed details of a new wireless receiver capable of data transfer rates of "several tens of Gigabits per second". Operating on the terahertz band, the receiver is over 100 times faster than current devices that use the 0.8-2.0 GHz range.

Described as "the world's first 300 GHz band compact receiver", the receiver is ten times smaller than previous models, opening up the possibility of use in mobile devices. Shrinking the unit has reduced its size to under one cubic centimeter and Fujitsu says that it "enables mobile devices to instantly transfer 4K or 8K HD video".

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When it comes to building a gaming PC, there are many choices the builder can make. Of course, you want to look at performance and cost, but for many people -- myself included -- there is also appreciation for the design and engineering of the hardware.

Today, AMD officially announces a graphics card that is a feat of both engineering and design prowess -- the amazing R9 Nano. Quite frankly, the card was hardly a secret, as the company previewed it back in June. Now, however, we have official specs, price and a release date for this marvel of engineering!

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Have you bought, or are you planning to buy, one of AMD's new graphics cards, like Fury X or R9 380? If so, well done my fellow PC builder; these cards are extremely powerful, while being competitively priced. Great choice.

While not the first cards to feature FreeSync, the higher end of these new cards will allow for comfortable 4K gaming too. Obviously you need a 4K FreeSync monitor. Well, need is a strong word -- you can get by without it (it is not food or water), but you do need it if you want to be the coolest PC gamer in your neighborhood (and you do). Today, Samsung announces two such monitors that will have you drooling.

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