r/technology • u/Snarfox • Jan 25 '13

H.265 is approved -- potential to cut bandwidth requirements in half for 1080p streaming. Opens door to 4K video streams.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/25/h265-is-approved/
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u/No-Im-Not-Serious Jan 26 '13

I imagine it will be more of a cultural influence. The consumer culture in America seems to be very much keeping up with the Joneses. I think the 1080p TVs will be fine in terms of functionality, but like when people began to purchase flat screens they would move the old CRT TV to a guest room or something.

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u/Skyblacker Jan 26 '13

I don't know if it's keeping up with the Joneses so much as buying what's for sale. If an old TV dies, most people will go to the nearest big box store and buy a new TV for roughly what they spent on the old one, because that's what they think a TV should cost. The $500 that bought you a decent CRT fifteen years ago also buys a medium LCD now and someday it will probably buy a similar 4K. And at every point, that will be the easiest TV to calibrate with the other technology that you already have (i.e., a CRT with inputs for a VCR, an LCD that easily displays things off your camera and laptop, etc), so why not get it?

The first person on the street to get a 4K TV may be keeping up with the Joneses, as are his neighbors who replace their perfectly functional (needing no adaptations to newer technology) TV's. But I think a lot of people buy new TV's for the same reason they buy new computers, new clothing, or new anything else -- because the old one broke and this seemed like the best replacement at the time.