Took the 4K plunge

[Rico_1]

Well, after thinking about it for a long time I finally took the 4K plunge. Just got the 65" Sony XBR900E TV and also picked up the Sony X800 4K player. Just got it all hooked up yesterday with new HDMI 2 cables and it looks great. It's nice to have apps right in the TV and in the 4K player. Both are wire connected in with my ethernet and seem quick and responsive. I was also happy both could access my PC and NAS too.

Couple basic questions. If I play a regular Blu-Ray on the 4K player, does it do the upscaling or does the TV? Also, does the TV upscale any 1080p content fed to it automatically (via my TIVO box for example) or say other 1080p sources?

And lastly, (I know this is going to be really subjective) but how big a picture boost is playing a true 4K disc vs an upscaled regular 1080p Blu-Ray? I know there are a ton of variables in there and I need to try some side-by-side tests on my own, but what's the general opinion?

Thanks for the help and thoughts...

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Rico_1

Well, after thinking about it for a long time I finally took the 4K plunge. Just got the 65" Sony XBR900E TV and also picked up the Sony X800 4K player. Just got it all hooked up yesterday with new HDMI 2 cables and it looks great. It's nice to have apps right in the TV and in the 4K player. Both are wire connected in with my ethernet and seem quick and responsive. I was also happy both could access my PC and NAS too.

Couple basic questions. If I play a regular Blu-Ray on the 4K player, does it do the upscaling or does the TV? Also, does the TV upscale any 1080p content fed to it automatically (via my TIVO box for example) or say other 1080p sources?

And lastly, (I know this is going to be really subjective) but how big a picture boost is playing a true 4K disc vs an upscaled regular 1080p Blu-Ray? I know there are a ton of variables in there and I need to try some side-by-side tests on my own, but what's the general opinion?

Thanks for the help and thoughts...

The player will upscale the BD to 2160P. Upscaling a BD will not yield WCG/HDR like with a 4K UHD disc. So while there is BD that look wonderful, sharp your still comparing 8 bit color to 10 bit color on a 4K display. Also it usual for a 4K disc to alway have more resolution (discern fine details) comparably.

[Rico_1]

Thanks for the help and info.

What about broadcast 1080p via my cable TV and TIVO that's in 1080p? Will the new TV just automatically upscale all that too?

[GeneD5]

Originally Posted by Rico_1

Thanks for the help and info.

What about broadcast 1080p via my cable TV and TIVO that's in 1080p? Will the new TV just automatically upscale all that too?

Yessir; tv will auto upscale.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Rico_1

Thanks for the help and info.

What about broadcast 1080p via my cable TV and TIVO that's in 1080p? Will the new TV just automatically upscale all that too?

I think a better and broader answer to your questions is to say you can't avoid upscaling. If the player/cable box isn't upscaling then the TV is. If the image wasn't upscaled at all it would be a small box in the center of the TV with black all around it.

I find the X800 looks a bit crisper upscaling than letting my TV do it but that might be in my head, and also you have Sony on both ends so it really doesn't matter probably.

[DrrnHarr]

I have poor eyesight which requires me to wear reading glasses, so the difference between UHD and HDX is not noticeable enough for me to warrant the investment. Also, if I purchased a screen larger than my current 60" 3-D TV my wife would have a fit.

[Shalashaska]

Originally Posted by DrrnHarr

I have poor eyesight which requires me to wear reading glasses, so the difference between UHD and HDX is not noticeable enough for me to warrant the investment. Also, if I purchased a screen larger than my current 60" 3-D TV my wife would have a fit.

The difference between 1080p and 2160p won't be noticeable for the vast majority of people. There's charts and calculators out there illustrating this.

HDR is what really matters with UHD.