Planning on Building a 4K HTPC But Need Some Advice? Read This

It is easy to get lost with all the terminology when upgrading your HTPC for 4K Ultra HD.

What is 4K and how does it differ from Ultra HD? Why do I need to care about HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 if I want to get 4K 60Hz UHD? And what do these terms mean?

I have to admit that I’ve been completely lost with 4K.
But, according to the emails I have received from My Media Experience readers, I’m not the only one:

• What does 4K and Ultra HD mean?
• Is now a good time to go for a 4K HTPC?
• Where to get Ultra HD content?

In this post, I will try to answer to these questions according to the research I have done on the Internet and the tests I’ve done with my HTPC hardware.

What does 4K and Ultra HD mean

(Image adapted from Wikipedia)
4K, Ultra High Definition or UHD in short… In my opinion, you can use any of these terms to describe this new resolution.
Technically, the difference between 4K and Ultra HD is as follows:

• 4K: A resolution of 4096 × 2160 pixels is used by the film industry.
• Ultra HD (UHD): A resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels is used in 16:9 ratio consumer TVs.
• 2K: A resolution of 2048×1080 pixels is used by the film industry.
• Full HD (FHD): A resolution of 1920×1080 pixels (1080p) is used by the consumer’s TV.
• HD Ready: A resolution of 1280×720 pixels (720p) is commonly used in HDTV broadcasting.

(Source: Wikipedia 4K, 2K, 720p)
In case you are wondering, the p in 1080p and 720p stands for progressive scan, i.e., non-interlaced.
You may have also seen the term HDR in some of the advertisements promoting Ultra HD TVs and devices.
According to AVSForum, HDR is a way of displaying the wider dynamic range.
The benefit of HDR for you is that dark parts look darker and bright parts brighter, while the details are retained even when both dark and bright colors are displayed at the same time.

Is now a good time to go for a 4K HTPC?

 
The reason being, that there are currently very few motherboards and graphics cards that support HDMI 2.0 at 60 Hz, HEVC/H.265, and HDCP 2.2 that is required to output Ultra HD video.
Let’s break down this confusing jargon:

• HDMI: According to the Wikipedia, it is an audio/video interface for transferring uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data. As illustrated in the image below, the newer HDMI 2.0, 2.0a and 2.0b standards have higher bandwidth, which is required to get smoother 4K video quality.

  

• Refresh rate (Hz): According to the Wikipedia, it is the number of times in a second that your TV updates its buffer. As illustrated in the image below, 60 Hz can display more images in a 1-second duration compared to 30 Hz which means you will get a smoother video.

  

• High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC): According to the Wikipedia, the HEVC (also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2), is a video compression standard. The HEVC offers the same level of picture quality as its successor AVC (H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10), but with better compression.
• High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP): According to the Wikipedia, the HDCP 2.2 version is a form of digital copy protection developed by Intel Corporation to prevent copying of 4K Ultra HD content as it travels across connections.

So, now that we have the terminology clarified, which graphics cards are 4K 60Hz Ultra HD capable?
All the current NVIDIA cards with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 are:

• GeForce GTX 1080
• GeForce GTX 1070
• GeForce GTX 1060
• GeForce GTX 1050
• GeForce GTX 960
• GeForce GTX 950

Update: Thanks to my reader’s comment there is at least the following graphics card from AMD that supports HDMI 2.0b and HDCP 2.2:

• Radeon RX 480

If you find other graphics cards that are 4K at 60Hz capable, please let me know in the Facebook comments.

 
But, there is a problem in getting 4K content to your PC.
Currently, the primary streaming services that provide 4K content are Netflix, Amazon Prime and Ultraflix. There are only a handful of devices that are supported for Ultra HD video.
Unfortunately, PC is not listed and, for example, with Netflix you can get maximum 1080p video using Microsoft Edge browser.

NVIDIA Shield is your best choice at the moment for watching and enjoying 4K content while using Kodi.

According to many enthusiasts, NVIDIA Shield is one of the best cord-cutter devices yet and the best option for 4K HTPC.
NVIDIA Shield supports HDCP 2.2 over HDMI and does support 4K Netflix, Amazon Prime, Ultraflix, and other streaming services.
In addition to standard features, you can install Kodi and Plex applications to extend NVIDIA Shield’s media center capabilities.

Where to get Ultra HD content

Netflix

4K does not work on PC

I’ve already mentioned Netflix a couple of times in this post, and this is because it is currently the best source for 4K content on the market.
You will need to do the following to watch Ultra HD from Netflix.

• A TV compatible with Ultra HD streaming from Netflix.
• A plan (check yours here) that supports streaming in Ultra HD.
• A steady Internet connection speed of 25 megabits per second or higher.
• Streaming quality set to “High.”

Amazon Prime

4K does not work on PC

Amazon Video (affiliate link) is available for Amazon Prime members.
You can stream movies and TV series in Ultra HD at no additional cost through the Amazon Video app on supported devices.

Ultraflix

4K does not work on PC

Ultraflix is one of the few streaming providers that focuses solely on Ultra HD movies.
Ultraflix is offering over 600 hours of 4K Ultra HD content to their subscribers.

YouTube

4K works on PC

YouTube has a small batch of 4K videos that you can watch with your custom built HTPC.

Vimeo

4K works on PC

Vimeo offers some user generated content in Ultra HD.
Vimeo also has an On Demand service where users can sell their high-quality videos in HD and Ultra HD.

Vudu

4K does not work on PC

Vudu differentiates from other Ultra HD streaming providers by offering Dolby Vision HDR Picture and Dolby Atmos Audio in addition to the Ultra HD video format.

Make your own 4K content

4K works on PC
If you are using the latest iPhone or Samsung phone, you own a 4K camera. To start making your own 4K content, you will probably need to enable 4K video on your phone as it is turned off by default in many phones.
Enable 4K video on iPhone 6s:

• Launch the Settings app.
• Select Photos & Camera.
• Under the Camera section, select Record Video.
• Select 4K at 30 fps.

Key Takeaways

Now you have a better idea what is the difference between 4K and Ultra HD and what hardware is required to play 4K content.
The key takeaways from this post are:

1. 4K has slightly higher resolution than Ultra HD, but most people use 4K and Ultra HD interchangeably.
2. You can watch 4K content at 60Hz with certain NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, but the problem is that most 4K content providers do not support PC at the moment.
3. NVIDIA Shield TV (Amazon affiliate link) is your best choice for watching and enjoying 4K content while using Kodi.

So, in conclusion, if you want to watch Ultra HD content from Netflix using a device that can be called an HTPC, the NVIDIA Shield is your best choice.
Do you still want to build your own custom 4K HTPC?
I have successfully tested 4K content with my Performance HTPC build (get parts list here). Check it out if you haven’t!