Ultra high definition television

I’ve never been greatly convinced that curved TV screens are anything but a passing novelty. Watching TV is a social experience, so optimizing the viewing angle for just one person seems odd. But a curved monitor makes much more sense to me, enabling more comfortable viewing from a fixed position at your desk – especially as monitors get larger.

LG has just announced that it will formally launch the 34UC97,  “the world’s first curved monitor with an extra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio,” at the IFA in Berlin next month. The 34-inch ultra-wide monitor offers a 3440×1440 resolution, and – appealingly for Mac users – supports Thunderbolt 2 … 
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Ahead of the next-generation Mac Pro launch later this month, Apple has begun selling Sharp’s 32-inch 4K HD LED Monitor via its online store. The pricy display, which we lusted after during a hands-on earlier this year, has a 32-inch diagonal panel at a resolution of 3840 x 2160. (you can currently pick this up at retailers like B&H in the US  or Amazon where it retails for $3200-3300 – price drops in cart).

With its 32-inch class (31.5-inch diagonal) screen size, 3840 x 2160 high definition resolution and energy efficient edge-lit LED backlight, the Sharp PN-K321 monitor is ideal for professional applications where it’s essential to view detailed information displayed with precision. This super-high resolution display allows you to view the content of four full HD screens on a single seamless display. It also features IGZO* technology, which supports increased pixel transparency and reduced current leakage, thereby making the monitor more energy efficient.

The recent MacBook Pro with Retina display models can drive a single 4K display, while the upcoming Mac Pro can support up to three 4K monitors. Sources say that Apple Stores in the United States will have these monitors available for order in the coming months.

It’s likely that Apple is selling this Sharp unit just to give new Mac Pro users something to use until its own 4K display, which is floating around the Cupertino labs, is ready to ship…

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All concept visuals: martinhajek.com

Having recently speculated on what Apple might have planned in the way of 4K displays, I thought I’d build on that to think about what it might have in store on the television front.

If you didn’t read my 4K piece, the tl;dr version is I think Apple will launch a 4K Thunderbolt Display in about a year’s time, once it has a new generation of MacBook Pro models able to drive one (or preferably two) at a decent frame-rate.

The question then is: what form might the long-rumored Apple Television take? After all, plug an upgraded Apple TV box into an Apple 4K display and you’d have an Apple Television right there. Why would we need anything more … ? 
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