4k Resolution Consumer Equipment is fully available this year
 

A selection of news items detailing the availability of the new standard, UltraHD in 4k resolution, which is 3840x2160 pixels. A bit pricey for now, but as technology marches on, it will be comparable to today's prices.


First Handheld 4K Camcorder by JVC
"...1/2-inch CMOS imager with 8.3 million active pixels, it delivers real-time 3840x2160 footage at 24p, 50p, or 60p. ... Unlike many high end 4K cameras, the GY-HMQ10 is able to output 4K images to a monitor or projection system in real time with virtually no latency. ... Using MPEG-4 technology and a variable bit rate H.264 codec operating at up to 144 Mbps, the GY-HMQ10 records up to two hours of 4K video to economical SDHC or SDXC memory cards. $4,995, the GY-HMQ10 launches today, with market deliveries beginning in March, 2012."
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/New...x?NewsId=32137

Sony BDP-S790 Flagship Blu-ray Player Available For Pre-order with 4k Upscaling
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/New...x?NewsId=33029

Nec Announces Its First 4K DLP Digital Cinema Projector
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/New...x?NewsId=28574

LG To Showcase 84-inch 'ultra definition' 4K TV at CES 2012
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/New...x?NewsId=31999

The GY-HMQ10 requires four memory cards which you must combine to get the 4K. But at least its cheaper than I imagined.

Resolution is almost a joke these days.

For cameras: It all started with the megapixel wars. It's essentially pecker measuring for novice camera and tech nerds. You can easily create files with XXXX x YYYY pixels, but it doesn't mean that detail has actually been resolved at that level. I use professional DSLRs, and optics quality (glass) is a major limiting factor in detail. In consumer gear, it's both the glass and the sensors. I see people shooting "HD" videos that are no better than DV25 from a quality camera.

For playback: Even Blu-ray releases are often only slightly better than DVDs. It's more about the lack of care taken by studios or releasing companies, than it is the format itself. I reviewed a lot of Blu-ray discs and DVDs back in 2010, and often times the Blu-ray work was butchered, while the DVD version was not. How sad is that?

Given the lack of 4K sources (either homemade or commercial), I almost fail to see the point.

The pixels are there, but the resolution isn't. ;)