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Choosing a 4K TV for gaming can be difficult, especially if you're looking for an effective HDR presentation. Differences in peak brightness, colour gamut, and backlight dimming implementations all have a dramatic impact on picture quality, and finding the best display at different price-points is a minefield. Not only does picture quality need to be considered, but a low level of input lag is essential for a great gaming experience - something that was a problem on many TVs last year when using HDR. Input latency varied greatly across various makes and models, with the all-important game mode implemented in many ways. On some TVs, there was simply no way to get a low latency gaming experience in HDR - and even the process of setting up a screen to accept and display HDR correctly could be convoluted.The good news is that all the major manufacturers now offer up low latency modes in their 2017 line-up when using HDR. And better understanding of how the format works also allows for refinements in picture quality in various areas, from better resolved highlight detail to more accurate colour tracking. So, if you held back from investing in 4K screen last year, now is finally a good time to make the jump. While HDR standards are in flux to an extent, most of the key elements are finalised, including the use of HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) for broadcast content, and the introduction of Dolby Vision for UHD Blu-ray. That said, the upcoming arrival of HDMI 2.1 will introduce some major upgrades, including variable refresh rate (VRR), support for higher frame-rates (like 4K 120Hz), and dynamic tone-mapping for HDR10. So, at some point down the line you'll be needing to reinvest in another 4K screen if you're looking to take advantage of these features.
We've tried to keep things simple, but there's a lot of tech-speak associated with today's top-end displays. Here's a breakdown of what it all means:
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