Consumers warned against fake UHD TVs
Samsung Electronics officials demonstrate how to identify real UHD TV with a smartphone at Digital Plaza in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of PR Consultant
By Park Jong-ho
The TV industry has entered a new era with the advent of ultra-high definition (UHD).
But consumers were warned against fake ones.
UHD is 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels, with an overall definition of 8 megapixels. Because the number of horizontal pixels is almost 4,000, UHD is also called 4K TV.
Authorities, including Digital Europe, explain that pixels must contain red, green and blue colors, and define UHD as having four times the definition of full high definition (FHD).
But some manufacturers are trying to pass off inferior products as UHD. There have been cases where 3K TVs ― with just 3,000 horizontal pixels ― have been sold as UHD TV to unsuspecting consumers, who mostly don’t know the technical features of the appliances.
The China Household Electrical Appliances Association(CHEAA) recently warned consumers about fake 4K TVs with apparent low price tags ― 80 percent of the original price.
It said, “Among the low-price 4K TV, there are fake 4Ks.”
The Verband Deutscher Elektrotrchniker (VDE), a German electronic technician association, also tested low-price UHD TVs in March last year and found they did not meet the definition of UHD.
A pixel on a TV panel is made up of three sub-pixels ― red, green and blue (RGB). They are mixed together to produce the right color for what is being shown.
On the other hand, 3K TVs use white, red, green blue (WRGB).
With WRGB, some parts of the three compulsory colors, RGB, are changed to white. WRGB not only has 25 percent less definition ― 6 megapixels (2,880 pixels by 2,160 pixels) ― but the color expression is noticeably lower due to the white sub-pixels, which can only show black or white.
The white sub-pixels also mean 3K TV cannot produce the realism that UHD TV does.
Experts recommend customers themselves visit the store. WRGB may seem blurred due to the large quantity of white pixels. A magnifying glass can be used to check.
If consumers want to check more carefully, they can use a smartphone camera. They will see the white pixels between the RGB color pixels in the pictures.
Digital Europe has a “DE UHD” certification logo for UHD TV with RGB that has 8.0 megapixels. So consumers can safely purchase UHD TV if they check such logos that are approved by globally authorized audit groups.