Finn said:
Moving on.
I was doing some further reading on why 4K gaming is impossible with the forthcoming generation of consoles. While I am far more interested in the video playback capabilities from the inevitable quality upgrade, several gamers were disappointed that they wouldn't be able to shoot each other in the face in Ultra HD 4K resolution. Here's what I found out:
The current max output in the current HDMI spec is 3,840x2,160/30. It doesn't matter if you could crank up the pixels to 10,000x10,000, your teevee couldn't accept the signal; its receiving HDMI chip can obviously only accept the current maximum specifications. Since... oh, 99% of next generation console owners won't be able afford a 4K teevee any time soon, it makes perfect business sense to leave out a feature nobody would be able benefit from for at least, in my estimation, five more years.
What's particularly funny is that during Microsoft's X-Box One
unboxing video, the 50-year old hypeman made a special point to note that Microsoft is including a 4K ready HDMI cable in the box.
Short reply: So, any off the shelf HDMI cable? Since, according to the
current 1.4 HDMI specifications, a cable must be able to pass 3,840x2,160 pixels at up to 30 frames per second (and 4,096x2,160 at 24 frames per second) to be considered high-speed. HDMI 2.0 ups these standards, but current Category 2 cables are more than capable of handling the increased speeds.
Sony shot down the idea of gaming in native 4k resolution early in the PS4 announcement period, but Microsoft has left the thought dangling with Corporate Vice President Marketing, Strategy and Interactive Entertainment Business* Yusuf Mehdi’s comment "There's no hardware restriction there at all." Which seems rather odd given how decidedly underpowered the One is. Unless, of course, this is another instance where the Power of the Cloud!! is going to save Microsoft's bacon.
* -Bullsh!t job.
The fine folk over at AnandTech went into some depth regarding the power requirements to pump out 4k resolution at a steady 60 frames per second. Check out their analysis over
here.
To paraphrase, the GTX TITAN GPU is the current bleeding edge of cool when it comes to graphics cards. It's such a beast that it'll set you back a cool ~$1000. It took
four of these monsters to achieve a steady 60fps on
Metro 2033 running on maximum settings at 3840x2160!
Dirt 3 ran at a very impressive 200-plus frames per second, but
Sleeping Dogs (with full SSAA) topped out at 57.78fps!
Think about that a moment. That's a ~$4,000 investment. I don't know about you, but I can think of a lot of things I would rather spend four grand on. Still, having recently had the opportunity to play with Sony's 4k teevee demo, it's going to be spectacular when it arrives. Watching a 4k feature in native 4k resolution is really, really impressive. I would say the difference is like jumping from VHS to DVD. It's that good.
One caveat, though. Screen resolution isn't the most important part of image quality; no, that's probably the contrast ratio. Depth perception, punch, and 'that sense of being there' all come from moving from the lightest to the darkest part of the image. Blu-ray is an excellent format for this. Just check out the 50th Anniversary release of
Lawrence of Arabia. It's been scaled down from 4k resolution, but the detail on display are astounding.
Blu-ray.com said:
Sony's meticulous 4K restoration is not just a treat, it's a revelation and perhaps the definitive Blu-ray catalogue release, if not the format's finest presentation. It's a beautiful picture, to say the least, every frame lovingly cared for and displayed on Blu-ray with the sort of attention to detail and, indeed, flawlessness that a film of this magnitude commands. Sony's picture dazzles from the opening shots of Lawrence speeding down very well-defined pavement and past sharp and accurate foliage. Detail remains exacting throughout the film; whether fine grains of sand, sweeping desert vistas, intricate clothing lines, or complex facial textures, there's never a frame in which the picture doesn't dazzle with its perfect film-like elements. Light grain remains over the image, and there's a natural sharpness, unsurpassed clarity, and startling accuracy that will impress even the most demanding viewer. The image is absolutely clean, showing no signs of wear and succumbing to no unwanted artifacts or digital tinkering. Colors are equally resplendent. There are many instances of the sandy earthen terrains contrasting with the bright blue sky overhead; both are picturesque in hue and the balance is beyond words. The image handles everything from white flowing robes to black costumes with equal precision. Gold trim, bright reds, lush natural greens, and all variety of colors simply dazzle in every scene. Black levels are perfect, as is shadow detail. Flesh tones never betray natural appearances. In short, this is everything the transfer needed to be. It's the sort of timeless image that transfixes and immerses, one that is so precise that viewers will become absolutely lost in the beauty of the film. Many will want to watch twice in succession, once for the transfer and once for the movie.
With Sony & Panasonic
announcing the arrival of 300gb (current max: 50gb) Blu-ray discs by 2015, I have no doubt that we'll be seeing true 4k resolution in home video very soon. Hopefully they'll be compatible with current players. Of tertiary concern, are the video sizes. With Sony explicitly stating that their 4k streaming service will be coming to the PS4, it'll be interesting to see how many people take advantage of it. Why? With downloads possibly in excess of 100gbs per film, I don't see your friendly neighborhood service provider considering that fair usage. I can see prices for 'net access quickly becoming tiered. Especially in Europe where they seem to be routinely throttled.
Time will tell, though. 4k certainly isn't as intriguing as Blu-ray adoption, but the possibility is exciting.
And finally, the last game I'll probably ever buy for the PS3 finally has a release date. I don't know what it is, but I really, really like platformers.