rocket jr is making some noises about getting a 4k monitor and a red-ray player with a view to watching movies in Ultra HD

Our initial experiences with 4k video demos on the PCs we have at home has been disappointing with lots of stuttering and aliasing. The PCs are not graphics power houses but they’re reasonable spec desktops that handle HD video + multitasking no probs.

What kind of PC/graphics card would we need to handle 4k video? We’re not talking about playing Crysis at Ultra HD but want to be able to watch 4k movies without any issues

Cheers

If you’re not wanting to do any video editing, my advice would be to wait until it becomes more popular.

A lot of display reviews haven’t been good, even the top end ones. Think back to what the first flat panel tvs were like, with blurring issues and whatnot.

Edit – Depending on what size monitor you’re looking at, if it’s not going to be big, what’s the point? You’re not going to notice much difference over normal HD if it’s going to be a smaller screen (more normal computer monitor sizes, rather than large TV).

@rocket jr – is he/she paying the bills ? 😉

Not sure I see the point of 4K right now, we watch 720 and 1080 HD on a 54 TV and generally the differences are quite minor between those and we never feel we need more definition. You will certainly “over pay” for the screen and the computer at this point in time. Once thing Apple are doing is stressing the 4K capacity of the Mac Pro (£ few thousands) but that is aimed at industry professionals generally not home entertainment.

I’ve heard a few anecdotes about ultra HD taking the magic out of previously well loved films.

Things look more life like, but in a dull, ordinary, workaday, bit-rubbish-really kind of way. Life like, but like your life. 😉

720/1080 = Little Fluffy Clouds, The Orb
4K = Grey Clouds, Alan Parker.

rocket jr will be making a contribution out of his Saturday job 😉

Have looked at some 4k monitors and they seem pretty sorted although as you say there’s not a huge choice. Probably looking at 32″ or thereabouts for desktop use

He’s due a new PC in any case but I’d prefer not to buy a newer version of what he already has if 4k is just around the corner

i really fancied a 4k monitor but then i looked into it and realised the only thing i would have to watch on it in matching resolution would be gopro videos lol

Also to then not many of the games i play would not support that resolution either, plus the few that do would require graphic cards costing the same as a high end bike.
Go settled for a 24″ 1920×1200 monitor instead.