More encouraging news for Ultra HD and 4K from the latest research from our Digital Home Observatory. As we’ve always argued, and contrary to misinformed comments that “HD is enough” or, worse, “TV is dead”, people clearly do recognise and value image quality as a vital part of the television experience. When asked in our web survey about the benefits of bigger, better quality TVs, here is some of the feedback we received:

• “It will encourage me to watch more TV because now I will be able to enjoy the TV shows and movies even more because the quality would provide a better viewing experience.”
• “I feel that if the quality of what I'm watching is better, it will encourage me to watch more TV as the experience will be enhanced, thus drawing me to the TV more.”
• “A bigger TV immerses me in the experience and screen resolution is a big part of this as well.”
• “When the picture looks better, TV shows look better. Since getting this TV that I have now, I've re-watched shows that I have seen before just for the enhanced viewing pleasure.”

 The vast majority of viewers also recognise that the video quality of television productions has improved over the years.

• “Yes, you can always tell older programs from the newer ones as they seem fuzzy. I watch the show “Friends” a lot, and you can always tell the earlier shows from the later ones based on the video quality.”
• “The picture is definitely clearer and sharper when watching newer shows. Also, with the TV shows of today, the production is more realistic and life-like; almost as if you are there in the show.”

 We sometimes hear anecdotes that people can’t tell the difference between SD and HD; or that they watch a standard definition version of a channel without realising it is not the HD version. I know some of my friends who have claimed to do this. But according to this research, a huge majority of people (90%+) notice either “something of” or a “definite” difference between HD and SD.

People are also aware of the importance of sound, an often-overlooked aspect of the TV experience:

• “I expect the sound to be crystal clear with no static or fuzz sounds. Better sound provides the experience as if I am being immersed in the action and is a huge plus, and something that I expect from the best quality video experiences.”
• “I expect better sound. It should be precise and clear. That is why I like going to the movie theater, because you have this amazing sound to go with the movie. It almost makes you feel like you are in the movie yourself.”

Conclusion: many people love the quality of the TV experience, the way it has improved over the years, and they look forward to further improvements. They may not yet be aware of what 4K and Ultra HD can offer, but TV vendors and content developers can rest assured that many of their viewers will be ready to upgrade at the right price and if the experience matches expectations.

David Mercer