A SIMPLE gadget blunder might be completely killing the quality of your TV picture.
If you’ve got a posh new 4K television and you’re ready to enjoy Ultra HD content, make sure you’re actually getting what you’ve paid for.
To understand what’s going, it’s worth knowing what 4K actually means.
The terms 4K, Ultra HD, and UHD all mean basically the same thing.
It refers to the resolution of a screen or a piece of content, and is counted in pixels.
A Full HD screen has 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, which totals about two million pixels overall.
And 4K has four times that: roughly eight million pixels.
The idea is that with more pixels, you can show a much greater level of detail.
That’s because you have more squares in a grid to fill with colour.
Not all TV models have 4K screens.
So if a TV screen doesn’t have as many pixels as the 4K content you’re trying to watch, it won’t show the full level of 4K detail.
Thankfully 4K TVs aren’t too expensive these days – but even if you buy one, you’re not guaranteed to get a 4K picture.
The problem with 4K is that there are lots of things that can ruin it for you.
First up, make 100% sure that you’ve actually got a 4K TV.
Next, you’ll need to ensure that you’re watching 4K or Ultra HD content.
Even if your TV is 4K, you won’t see such high levels of detail unless the movie you’re watching is being streamed or display to you in 4K.
Usually apps like Netflix or Amazon Video will flag it up as 4K Ultra HD so you can be sure you’re watching 4K.
The next problem you might have is if you’re using a streaming stick.
If you’re watching via an Amazon Fire TV Stick, a Roku box, or some other kind of plug-in device, that also needs to be 4K too.
Cheaper versions of these devices often don’t support 4K at all.
So even if you have an expensive 4K TV and some Netflix Ultra HD content, it’ll be downgraded if you’re using a cheaper Amazon Fire Stick.
That means you need to make sure you’ve bought a 4K Amazon Fire Stick too – which often costs double the price of a regular model.
If you’ve bought the wrong one already, you’ll have to fork out for a new version to get 4K.
You’ll also need to check the specifications of your particular streaming stick to make sure you’re using the right cables and ports.
Here's an easy guide to what 4K means...
Some streaming devices demand certain types of HDMI cables, and that you’re plugging into specific HDMI ports on your TV.
For instance, Roku devices need you to plug into a HDMI port that supports HDCP 2.2 to enjoy 4K.
It’s a copyright protection to prevent you from recording 4K content for piracy.
And if your HDMI port isn’t marked as offering HDCP 2.2 then you won’t see your 4K content in 4K at all.
The final check to make is if you’re passing your content through a sound bar or some other kind of intermediary device.
Make sure that you’re using the right cables and ports on that too, so that it doesn’t hamper your 4K visuals.
Then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your 4K movies in peace.
REGIS LE BRIS revealed it only took an hour for Aaron Connolly to convince him that he deserved a shot at resurrecting his career.
The Irish forward, 24, joined promotion-chasing Sunderland on a free this week after three months unemployed.
Connolly burst on the scene with Brighton in 2019 with a brace against Tottenham.
Four years later, after failed loan spells at Luton, Middlesbrough and Italian side Venezia, he left the Amex having featured more on the gossip pages rather than sport ones.
He scored eight times for Hull City last term in the Championship but questions were raised over his physical condition.
Despite their bright start, Sunderland have only had 19-year-old Eliezer Mayenda as a recognised striker after deadline day signing Ahmed Abdullahi was sidelined for three months.
The club’s recruitment team had produced a number of suggestions to help bolster Le Bris’ attack.
But the Frenchman says he already knew the talents of Connolly and all it took was a chat at the club’s training ground for him to offer him a lifeline.
The Black Cats boss said: “I had many, many profiles during the transfer window and so I watched many games from him before. Then, during this period when he was available, I watched other games.
“Technically, I knew him before but from his profile, and the others were exactly the same, what exactly is his pathway and connection with this project and his willingness to become a high level player again.
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“So it was the connection with our team, club and energy and I just had a one hour conversation with him and at the end it was clear that he was ready.
“He was very clear. They were not bad subjects, everything was on the table.
“It was clear to me that he has learned from these experiences. If you want to avoid a subject . . . but he talked about every subject. It was interesting.”
When asked if this was the last chance saloon for Connolly, Le Bris said: “I don’t know, we’ll see. The experience needs to be lived.”
Explaining how Connolly can help his talented teens such as Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, Le Bris continued: “I’ll explain it for Aaron… He maybe got carried away before and now, after, he understood that he could have many problems if that is the case.
“So these experiences are very helpful to those players that don’t know these potential problems.
“Chris Mepham, for example, is great for that as when we have spoken in here for example he has shown great maturity.
“I have shown two or three clips this week where Chris was involved with a mistake and he just said ‘it was my fault’ instead of trying to find an excuse.
“So this experience and this behaviour is very important for everybody because we can all make mistakes but we need to learn very quickly.
“The young players, we can expect them to not make any mistakes, but it is not possible. If you take risks then you will make mistakes, that is for sure, but if you learn quickly it’s OK.”
And when pressed on whether his new recruit has now matured, Le Bris added: “I think so, but we need to experience it. We’ll see.
“At the minute I think that’s the case but the truth lies in his activity and our experience. We’ll see in the next weeks and months.”
Le Bris stated that he realistically expects Connolly to be ready for match action after the international break.
However, both Ian Poveda and Alan Browne are due to return to the Sunderland squad for the trip to Watford after their respective thigh and knee niggles.
