UHD

Ultra High Definition (UHD) is a consumer display and content standard for higher resolution video and imagery. In most consumer contexts, UHD denotes a resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels (16:9), about eight million pixels per frame, used by televisions, monitors, and streaming devices. In cinema, the term 4K is used for 4096 × 2160; UHD is a marketing term for the consumer variant of 4K.

UHD frequently incorporates high dynamic range (HDR) and a wide color gamut (often Rec.2020) with 10-bit color depth, enabling brighter highlights and more nuanced colors when paired with compatible displays.

Content is delivered with various codecs; HEVC (H.265) is widely used for streaming and Ultra HD Blu-ray, VP9 and AV1 are also common on streaming platforms. HDR formats include HDR10 (open), Dolby Vision (dynamic metadata), and HLG.

Standards and interfaces: UHD is defined by ITU-R BT.2020 color space and BT.2100 for HDR, with SMPTE as a standards body. For transmission, HDMI 2.0/2.1 and HDCP 2.2 provide sufficient bandwidth and security. Frame rates commonly range from 24 to 60 Hz, with 120 Hz available on higher-end devices.

Media and availability: UHD Blu-ray discs deliver high bitrate 3840x2160 content with HDR; streaming services (such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+) offer many UHD titles; some broadcast and online video platforms also provide UHD streams.