With CES just past, the buzz in the world of tech is all about 4K/UHD (though, contrary to popular belief, they're not the same). Adding to the confusion, many churches entering the world of video are wondering, “What kind of video should we get into?” Is SD enough, or is HD or UHD required?
Of course, the answer is, “It depends.”
If you're live streaming in SD today, you might not need to upgrade immediately, though an upgrade should be on your radar. There are still tons of people that have SD televisions in their homes. Even more think they're watching HD just because the video is wide screen.
On a web page on a 1,280x800 laptop, an SD video embedded at full size, next to a chat window, would seem high-definition. At full resolution SD video is hard for the average viewer to tell from an HD video shown at a lower resolution.
What if you're just getting into live streaming? Should your church start live streaming in SD in 2015? Probably not.
So if a standard-definition live stream is fine if you're already doing it, why isn't it good enough to start live-streaming there today?
It's a matter of stewardship.
Imagine you were buying a car. Your neighbor has had the same make and model for nine years and plans on continuing to drive it. It's paid off and he's content. He paid full price for it in 2006 and hasn't had any trouble out of it.
You need a car, so considering your neighbor's situation, you go out and an identical car.
One year later, your neighbor decides it's finally time for an upgrade. He buys a new car that he plans on driving for another 10 years.
You just spent money on your car. You were planning on not upgrading so soon, but your “new to you” car starts to show its age. The problem is that you've only had it a year. You've just spent a chunk of change. You were hoping it would last as long as your neighbor's car did. The thing is that it has. You got a good deal on your car because someone else already got most of the life out of it.
SD is like the old car in this analogy. It's lived a good life. If you already own it and it's paid off, you need to be thinking about replacing it, but you might be able to squeeze a little more use out of it.
You wouldn't buy it expecting for it to last another 10 years, though. It's got a year or two in it, but not the 10 you want.
If you're buying a live-streaming system today and you want it to last for 10 years, you should buy an HD system. The price difference isn't much, but the lifespan of HD is still quite a long time.
What about UHD/4K?
Some churches might be willing to take the plunge to invest in the future today. Should they?
Maybe.
There's an advantage to being an early adopter. People with new UHD televisions will be hungry for content. Until traditional media channels release new content, you could have an opportunity. If your church is one of the few content-providers to deliver what they're looking for, they may decide to watch. Maybe it's only to “show off” how clear the picture is, but it's still a moment you wouldn't otherwise get.
There's also a cost, and we're not just talking dollars.
When HD first hit the market, there were tube TVs, projection TVs, and plasma screens. HDMI was not yet a standard, so many of the first televisions came only with component connections. Most people bought either 720p or 1080i TVs back then. Some people even bought 4:3 sets instead of going with the new standard, 16:9.
If you wander into your local big box store today, you'll see a few 720p TVs, in smaller sizes, but no 1080i, component video, and 4:3 TVs. Full HD, HDMI, and 16:9 won out.
The UHD/4K standards are so new that I'm not even sure what to call the technology (which is why I keep saying “UHD/4K”).
A lot of people are using the terms interchangeably, but UHD is 3840×2160 while 4K is 4096×2160.
Right now, I don't know which one will win. The “4K” name seems more popular, but the 3830x2160 resolution seems to have taken the lead.
There's also a problem with live-streaming UHD/4K content. Some people have access to the internet speeds necessary to watch 4K (at least 20-30 Mbps). Few have the ability to upload such a stream. Prices for live-streaming hosts that will deliver it are not affordable for more than just a handful of churches.
So, it comes down to what standards are generally accepted, the prevalence of equipment, and the cost of delivery.
SD is on its way out, like black and white video before it.
Churches with current SD video systems should consider upgrading soon. Churches that are just getting started with live-streaming should consider skipping SD altogether.
UHD/4K streaming is not just cutting edge, but bleeding edge. As of now, the first part of 2015, it's best to hold out until the standards are established. Wait until there's a bigger installed base of capable displays, and internet speeds catch up. Soon live-streaming such a high-quality signal won't be out of reach. Right now, it generally still is.
The time is coming soon when UHD/4K will be the de facto standard, but right now, HD is the standard, and it will be for the next few years.
