Are 4k TVs and Blu-ray players worth another investment?

There's been increasing exposure of the new 4k technology for home theater use recently. One of the first big problems I have with introducing these now is even if someone is willing to shell out the average price tag of $5,000 for one of these new 4k flat screen TVs, the technology as far as how programs are aired through cable channels has NOT caught up. TV shows are not broadcasting or being shot with 4k resolution which pretty much renders your new toy useless for the time being. Additionally, I've yet to see a wide array of Blu-ray players that can handle 4k resolution as well.

Ya see, it's not enough that you buy a TV with this new resolution standard, you're going to have to upgrade your disc based media player, and also wait for digital cable and satellite companies to follow suit with the types of cable boxes they provide, along with the actual networks and studios who shoot episodes of programs to follow suit as well. So for now, really, don't waste your money! Even if you just have money to burn for hells sake, it's still not going to get you picture quality you haven't already seen just yet.

Which leads me to my next argument against 4k tech for the home: Is it really going to be worth it once every media format, i.e. cable TV, Blu-ray players, etc, catch up? No way. Not a chance. Look, when they upgraded the digital projectors in cinemas about 4-5 years ago with 4k technology I admittedly DID see a major improvement in clarity for seeing first-run movies. I even went to see a re-release of Ghostbusters on the big screen a year ago, that was remastered with with similar resolution, and sure, even for an old movie blown up on the big screen that technology serves a thoughtful purpose. For screens that ginormous, 4k is a positive, no doubt about it. However, when you're using the same extremely clear resolution quality at home for say a 42" TV, or even below that size, are you really going to notice that much of a difference? I say absolutely not. It's just a money grab and greed is written all over this as usual.

1080p/HD resolution has only been mainstream now in homes for probably about the past 4-5 years, and the jump in clarity that made from the days of analog TV was as exponential as you're gonna get. It was a worthy leap in how one is able to watch a sporting event, TV show, or movie at home. And it took how many years to go from analog resolution for cable networks, and home-video viewing to get to 1080p clarity? Decades! Oh but now that 4k is around the corner, barely a half a decade into this renaissance of our initial phase of HD TV and we're getting 4k shoved down our throats. That's just too damn soon in my opinion, and who has the money to keep upgrading like that?

One example I can give as to how our current phase of tech with Blu-ray movies and current HD TVs is more than amazing is the latest James Bond, 50th Anniversary Blu-ray set of all the old movies. I'm telling you there are some scenes in a particular Roger Moore James Bond film where you can flat out see the man's pores and wax marks above his upper lip. So I'm supposed to believe that a 4k TV and overall set-up is going to improve my viewing experience compared to that? No thank you. That's as close and as uber-detailed as I'll ever need to see any actor's face, especially with an old movie. If you can't be content with that then what will you be content with?

I've talked to some folks who will never upgrade their DVD collection, and although I can't blame them, standard Blu-ray movies was a step I was willing to take in upgrading a lot of my all-time favorites. Even still, I see their point in some regard, I really do. But now, to get suckered into upgrading from 1080p resolition (which is really a different term for 2k) to 4k resolution is just illogical. There was even a recent double-dip Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters in which it's advertised as a 4k Blu-ray resolution, but yet if you don't have a 4k Blu-ray player or TV, that resolution just gets down-converted to the resolution you've been used to. Hence, another lousy way to make an extra buck off of people. Granted, that's arguably my favorite movie of all-time, but nope, sorry, I'll stick with the initial Blu-ray release of that to which I only spent $8.99 on. It looks just fine as is.

Time will tell if consumers really do make the complete leap from their current high-def TVs and Blu-ray media to 4k technology. And maybe it will happen, but if I'm a betting man I don't think I'll see that transpire for another 10-15 years. Sometimes people have just had enough of the constant, and incessant marketing that brainwashes us into thinking we NEED the latest gadget, and I think that time has come now. Enjoy what you have, we've got it pretty good at the moment in home-theater technology!

--Actually, before I go, I have to mention this. Even with just some double and triple dipped Blu-ray releases it blows my mind how much extra cash studios try to get people to spend. Case in point, the movie Halloween and its 35th anniversary is approaching. So with that, there's going to be a 35th anniversary Blu-ray with all sorts of "definitive" extras attached, making it the mother of all of it's past Halloween incarnations on home-video. If you even knew (I'm sure some of you do) how many freaking editions of Halloween that have been released on DVD and now Blu-ray, you'd be as disappointed as I am it's getting yet another release. It's a never ending cycle and will only get worse as 4k editions of movies are released for home use.

Nuff said.