Let's try to rephrase this title so that it is clear what the article is about. How to watch 4K video of any format on TV, or how to convert 4K video for viewing on TV from a flash drive or SD card. You have a 4K TV. Those 4K files that it can record from the air or via streaming, it reproduces with a bang. But those who have purchased a 4K TV are usually not limited to just recording files from the TV.
For this occasion, most often, a video camera with the same resolution is purchased. What if 4K files recorded on a camcorder cannot be played on a TV from a flash drive? This is just a single example. Many 4K video files are taken from the Internet or your friends can give you similar files to watch.
What is 4K video, why is it coming to us now?
Hello, friends! What is 4K video? In simple words, this is the resolution of increased clarity of the image, screen, player. It is usually 4000 pixels horizontally on a TV or monitor screen. Resolution is measured in pixels and more accurately for 4K it is shown as 3840 pixels horizontally and 2160 pixels vertically, and full-frame format – 4096 by 3072 pixels.
This resolution is different for different devices and monitors and depends on the screen size and aspect ratio. If the screen diagonal is smaller than the base one and vice versa, then the clarity of the quality on the screen changes.
Why is 4K resolution right for us now? The fact is that technological progress does not stand still. Previously, it was the norm to use 450P video quality, now this is low definition quality and you won’t see anything in the player when watching a movie. At the moment, people are still using Full HD 720 and 1080 pixel video quality. But some users have gradually begun to switch to 4K video because it helps increase the quality of content, video resolution, game performance, high-quality pictures, and more. To switch to such a resolution, you need equipment and special Internet tools.
Next, we will show how to watch movies in 4K quality and whether this is possible in principle. At the same time, we will consider the possibilities of recording video with cameras and smartphones in order to create a high-quality file.
ForkPlayer for Smart TV
ForkPlayer is an application for your TV that allows you to watch content from open sources for free and without intrusive advertising. How to install ForkPlayer on your TV model - read on the official website or in the profile thread on the 4pda forum. For example, to install ForkPlayer on a Hisense TV you need:
- Go to the application store at: https://hisense.alexxnb.ru/
In the ForkPlayer application itself, through the search bar, you can search for any movies and watch them online. Often you will come across films of poor quality, that is, in low resolution.
Fortunately, there are groups of enthusiasts who have collected films and TV series in FullHD and 4K quality and combined them into so-called playlists. The best playlists with a large coverage of cinema halls, where terabytes of films and TV series are collected in FullHD and 4K quality: KinoBOOM and EmpireBOOM .
Below I will talk about the pros and cons of each of them and give instructions for installing them.
How to watch movies in 4K
So, to watch movies in 4K you need a monitor in this resolution. You can buy such monitors here – “citilink.ru/catalog/computers_and_notebooks/monitors/-4km/”. The main characteristics of the monitors are available on the website.
If you watch such films on a computer, it must have a powerful video card (supporting 4K), for example, Radeon 295X2, an image refresh rate of 60 Hz, and accessible connectors for connecting a monitor. Next, follow the instructions to watch movies in 4K:
- Find a site to watch movies, videos on the Internet.
- Choose the available quality in the player.
- Turn on the player and your video will be shown in 4K resolution.
These instructions can be used on TV, computer and phone.
How to watch 4K movies on TV
If you want to watch movies on your TV, you need to:
- Buy a TV with a screen in 4K resolution.
- Connect your TV to the Internet.
Then find sites on the Internet that have players for watching 4K video. Or use DVDs. People recommend these resources:
- Netflix;
- Vimeo;
- YouTube;
- Ivi;
- and other sites.
You need to open the video to watch and select the resolution in the player (screen 1).
Then play the video in 4K quality.
How to watch 4K on a computer
You can also watch videos with excellent quality on your computer. What needs to be done for this? Firstly, you must have an acceptable Internet speed to watch such videos. Otherwise, 4K videos simply will not play. Internet speed for 4K viewing is Ultra-HD (2160 p) – 30-60 Mbit/sec.
Secondly, the screen resolution of your computer monitor should be about 4000 pixels. In addition, you need a player that plays video in 4K. If they are not installed on your computer, you need to install well-known programs:
- Cinema and TV;
- VLC Media Player;
- Media Player Classic;
- Daum PotPlayer;
- 5K Player
- and other players.
If you watch a video with 4K resolution in the browser, type in the search query “4K movies” and press Enter (screen 2).
Next, go to the first sites and select a movie. In the window that opens, you will have two players available: 4K and 1080HD player. We leave the first option and click on the gear in the player. Next, select the desired resolution and play the video (screen 3).
If your computer meets the requirements for this resolution, then 4K video will not lag during playback on the computer. These requirements were discussed above.
How to watch 4K on your phone
The phone screen must have a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. This will help you watch videos of this quality.
In addition, you need players that will play videos at this resolution. Modern phones already have such players installed.
At the same time, on the Internet you can use applications that can activate the viewing of high-quality films on your phone. Some of them can be downloaded from the Play Market:
- BuildPropEditor;
- TorrSE for Android;
- 4k video player android.
The listed applications are free. In this BuildProp Editor application, you will have to verify your root rights in order to use the program. Next in this program you need to set the required resolution to watch videos in high resolution. Next, go to a website on the Internet to watch videos or films.
Spent a year with a 4K TV. Sharing my impressions
Sales of 4K TVs are growing: new companies and cheap models are appearing on the market. Is there any sense in budget TV? Yes. But you can’t do it without helpers.
And the lower price threshold for video systems (!), which will not need to be changed tomorrow, does not start with the numbers that advertising tells us about.
What is 4K video for recording, we shoot with cameras and smartphones
Earlier in the article, we looked at the question of what 4K video is and how to watch such videos on different devices. Now, we'll talk about how to use 4K cameras and smartphones to record.
Everything is simple here. You need to turn on the camera or activate it on your smartphone with 4K resolution. Next, select the quality shown above in the camera settings. Then point the camera at the object and record. For the shot to be successful, the camera must have a system indicator of 100 MB/sec bitrate. This will allow you to create a high-quality and detailed picture when shooting video films.
When you shoot video with a camera or smartphone in 4K resolution, you can edit the footage. There will be opportunities to crop the image, increase brightness, and save in a different resolution, for example, Full HD. Moreover, this resolution will allow you to take several frames of 60 transitions, or even more. By replacing several cameras with one.
Programs for processing 4K video
If necessary, you can process 4K video with special programs:
- The Movavi program can edit videos of any quality.
- Videosoftdev.com/ru/how-to-edit-4k-video. This is a free video editor.
- Wondershare Video Editor 4K. The most powerful editor that edits videos.
- Wondershare Filmora. This program has a simplified interface for working with video.
- CyberLink PowerDirector 14 Ultra. A professional utility with which you can edit a video.
You will find more than a hundred similar programs on the Internet.
Playlist EmpireBOOM
Installation instructions
- Open ForkPlayer on TV.
- Enter in the address bar: “https://imboom.ru”
- Select the first section EmpireBOOM -> Information -> Remember the device ID .
- Register or log in via vk.com to your personal account on the website https://imboom.ru/
Step #1. Open ForkPlayer on TV and enter in the address bar: https://imboom.ru
Step #1.
Step #2. Select the first section “EmpireBOOM”.
Step #2
Step #3. Select the information section and remember the device ID .
Step #3
Step #4. Register or log in via vk.com to your personal account on the website https://imboom.ru/
Step #4
Step #5. In your personal account, enter the device ID from step No. 3, click “Add” .
Step #5
All is ready! We return to TV, open our playlist imboom.ru , and enjoy access to cinema halls. Don't forget to add a playlist to the start screen for quick access.
Activated playlist EmpireBOOM
Unlike the previous playlist in EmpireBOOM, access to the “4K 3D 60 FPS Movies” section is provided only to VIP users. VIP status costs 60 rubles / month. More detailed information is in their group.
Is it possible to upload a 4K video to YouTube?
YouTube recently introduced the ability to add videos in 4K. Videos downloaded with this resolution have a corresponding icon (screen 4).
When uploading a video to YouTube, the user does not have the opportunity to change the video resolution. Once a video is uploaded, it is automatically compressed by the platform so that users can select additional viewing qualities and use high resolution.
Mechanics of sound
Finally, when you come to the store and ask: “I want to look at the LG 55LA970V” (the simplified version is the 970th model), the seller will absolutely clarify: “Is this where the acoustics extend?” Yes, yes, this TV’s acoustics move down from the body when turned on. It would seem like a completely optional thing, but I assure you that once you unpack the TV at home, you’ll turn it on/off ten times just to look at this “magic.” And then, every time you turn it on, you will be hypnotized to watch the speaker slowly move out.
At the moment when the acoustics slowly move down, the thought appears: “Fantastic!” Then you think that, in fact, science fiction is 4K resolution, smart functionality and other, much more complex things. But the slow movement of the acoustics continues to hypnotize you, like a rabbit boa constrictor.
It is appropriate to say that the speaker is very good in terms of its quality characteristics. After all, the speakers look directly at the viewer (let me remind you that recently, due to the desire to make the body and the frame around it as small as possible, the speakers in most TVs are directed downward and backward), plus there is a separate low-frequency driver. In fact, the acoustics work at the level of an inexpensive soundbar. Of course, it cannot be compared with a full-fledged recreation center, but for watching series and television programs it is quite a decent option.
The importance of a quality connection
To make sure you get the most out of your new console, we've included an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable with your Xbox Series X. It may look similar to a regular Xbox One cable, but underneath they are completely different. We highly recommend using the included Ultra High Speed HDMI cable to ensure you can enjoy the full HDMI 2.1 experience for years to come.
Whenever possible, try to connect your Xbox directly to your TV using the included cable, and then transfer the audio using ARC/eARC technology to your receiver or home theater. If you want to enjoy the sound of your sound bar or receiver, check whether it (and your TV) supports ARC/eARC technology.
Fine tuning
Once you understand the overall 4K and HDR setup, you'll be left with more options on how to customize your TV's picture to suit your personal tastes. Xbox Series X consoles have advanced tools that allow you to fine-tune the image by selecting brightness, clarity, contrast and much more. All of them are available in the menu Settings -> General -> TV & Display Options -> Setup -> Calibrate TV.
We've also created a new calibration tool to help you tune HDR for games. You can find it here: Settings -> General -> TV & Display Options -> Setup -> Calibrate HDR for Games.
Ultra HD television and set-top boxes
UHD television
Today, 4K television in Russia is offered by Tricolor, although there are not many channels, but still such a rapid implementation is encouraging, remembering how long we waited for HD broadcasting.
TV set-top boxes
Since players and Blue-ray discs with ultra-high definition films have not yet appeared, electronics manufacturers are filling the market with Ultra HD TV set-top boxes.
For example, XiaoMi Mi tv box 3 runs on Android TV 6.0, supports all common formats and easily copes with UltraHD movies and videos. This is a good solution for those who do not have the appropriate hardware to unleash the capabilities of an ultra-high-definition display, and the TV set-top box costs only $75.
What is Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video captivates with its technical implementation
The world-famous video streaming service captivates with the quality of its content. Yes, in Russia and other countries in the post-Soviet space, only a limited amount is available by subscription for 5.99 euros per month. Of course, there is no Russian voice acting. But for those who are fluent in spoken English and love to hear the voices of the actors in the original, this is a real find.
From a technical point of view, the service works just perfectly. When you start a video, it automatically switches from SDR to HDR, Auto Frame Rate is fully implemented, and produces 5.1 surround sound. But to unlock the potential on the Apple TV set-top box, you need to implement a VPN at the router level in order to gain access to content available to US residents. A proprietary application is available for all gadgets.
