HDR is separate to 4K but due to them both being fairly modern technologies they are often linked together when buying Blu-Ray Players, TVs and games consoles. Certain providers such as Netflix, Sky and
HDR delivers a higher contrast—or larger color and brightness range—than Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), and is more visually impactful than 4K. That said, 4K delivers a sharper, more defined image. Both standards are increasingly common among premium digital televisions, and both deliver stellar image quality.
Every modern 4k TV supports HDR, but just because it supports the metadata doesn't mean HDR content looks good, as you need a bright TV with good contrast and a wide color gamut to deliver good HDR picture quality.
The majority of 4K TVs available today support HDR, though cheaper models might simply not have the contrast or color range to really show it. Most major streaming services support HDR for some 4K content. There are also UHD Blu-ray discs, which often feature HDR10 or occasionally Dolby Vision HDR.
Netflix puts a HDR or Dolby Vision logo at the top of the title's landing page. While there isn't a dedicated HDR section, there is a row of 4K content (somewhere) in the interface. Not everything that is 4K is in HDR, but it's one of the easiest ways of finding content in HDR.
This allows the screen to control the colors, contrast, and brightness of the visuals. They're both nice features to have and create enhanced gaming and video experiences, but when it comes down to it, 4K HDR is considered a better option.
Yes, and it's common these days. Both are significant upgrades from TVs in the past, so it makes sense to bundle them together for an overall improved experience. If you browse today's best 4K UHD TVs, for example, you will find some type of HDR on all of them.
Currently, the best way to use both HDR and 4K is through using HDR10. Using this hardware will allow you to get the most out of your TV by simultaneously optimising the contrast of brightness and colour depth with the ability to pick out the finer details of the image giving you the best of both worlds.
For HDR, check your TV manual to make sure your TV supports the HDR10 media profile. Look for support of BT2020 and HDR or check the list above. (There are two HDR formats: Dolby Vision and HDR10. Your TV may support both, but it must at least support HDR10.)
My advice is that if you enjoy doing HDR, like the processing part of it, and the final look – then do it. But do so sparingly and selectively. Use it as a tool in your photography arsenal, not on every image and every scene.
High-definition relates to the number of pixels that make up the television display, while HDR relates to the range of colors contained within those pixels. The function of HD is to increase quality, while the function of HDR is to increase colors.
The 4k image is smoother and has more detail than the 1080p image. Look closely and you'll see that the edges around objects in the 1080p picture are a bit more blurry, and text looks clearer on the 4k TV.
The successor to the 4K display resolution is 8K resolution. 8K resolution has four times the number of pixels as a 4K display while 8K TV has a resolution of 7680 x 4320, so an 8K screen will be able to show images with much more detail and clarity than a 4K TV.
To determine if your TV supports HDR, you will have to check the manual for your TV, the box the TV came in, or the settings for your TV. The manual should describe how to enable HDR and how the technology works if your TV does support HDR.
HDMI 1.4 – If you want your HDMI cables to support 4K resolution, you need to make sure that they are High-Speed HDMI cables. They are tested to transmit video resolutions from 1080p to 4K with a richer color palette. With or without HDR, you need High-Speed HDMI cables.
Check Your Device Specifications
There's a chance that your computer, TV, or stream box isn't 4K compliant. Even if your device came with a 4K sticker, there are more requirements it needs to meet so it can play Netflix in 4K.
The Netflix Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium plans all support Full HD (1080p) streaming, but the Basic plan only allows for streaming in normal HD (720p). 4K UHD and HDR (High Dynamic Range) streaming is available only on the most expensive Premium plan, so it's worth at least double-checking.
To see if a show is available in 4K on Netflix, you first have to subscribe to the Premium plan. Then you can search for “4K” or “UHD” on any device to reveal the list of shows and movies available. You will see the UHD or 4K tag beside the content title to ensure its availability in the required picture quality.
Netflix also supports two HDR formats: Dolby Vision and HDR10. If you have either a Dolby Vision or HDR10-compatible TV, supported TV shows and movies on Netflix will either have a “Dolby Vision” or “HDR” badge as well.
All of these stream in 4K, which makes Netflix's price seem steep. But if Netflix has the movies and shows that you want to watch, and you have a large family or circle of friends using one account, then the Premium account is a must. Just make sure you have a 4K-compatible device and a decent internet connection.
Is it worth paying more for Netflix 4K Premium? Netflix 4K Premium will be worth it for those in a household where many people want to use Netflix, who have multiple devices that they want to download and watch movies or TV shows on, and/or value the high-quality of 4K, perhaps on a big-screen TV.
Cons of 4K TVs
Though it doesn't necessarily mean that a 4K TV is the gold standard, it means there's a minimum to the screen size available. You're likely to pay a higher upfront cost than buying a TV that only offers FHD.
So yes, despite the rumors you may have heard floating around, the human eye is capable of seeing the difference between a 1080p screen and a 4K screen. The most important factors to remember are the quality of your eyesight, the size of your screen and the distance you sit from that screen when watching it.
Full HD is just another term for 1080p or 1920x1080, and those are all ways of referring to the same resolution. By contrast, 4K has a resolution of 3840x2160. That's a lot more pixels in the overall image — totaling over 8 million pixels. As always, the higher the resolution, the sharper the picture will be.