PicoP vs 4K TV -- the value question

PicoP Will Outperform 4K

I've been watching the emergence of 4k with some interest. If my memory serves me, I saw a 4k TV the first time last fall. What is happening is very interesting, and gives me more confidence than ever about the future of PicoP. People will prefer portability over high-resolution.

Whenever I see 4K televisions displayed, I try to take a look. When I imagine one in my living room, I don't get all that excited about it. I haven't seen much of the content that I watch on a 4K TV yet.  I don't think it will particularly enhance the experience. (they play some trailers from "House of Cards") 

When I look at a 4K display of video content that is common now, I get frustrated. I'm sure it's because they flash to the next scene while I'm still absorbing detail from the picture. The 4K display shows more in a picture than I can absorb. The scenes progress from one to another faster than I can take them in.

When I see 4K pictures, I want to study the pictures - I'm not looking at it for the reasons I tune into regular video.

I watch video to see the story, to be involved in it, to be entertained, to laugh or learn. 4K doesn't enhance that.

The VALUE QUESTION -- why do I want a display?

4K Display Value

I want a display to see the CONTENT that is being presented to me. It doesn't have to dazzle me -- when I watch video I'm watching it to experience the story, it makes me laugh, it appeals to my emotions -- I'm not there to study the resolution of the display. I will gain little if anything from 4K resolution when I'm watching the kind of content I currently enjoy. 

If we change the kind of content, and show more still pictures, detailed information, and slow the scenes, I think 4K may gain some legs. When current filming techniques are used, I get frustrated - because I'm looking at additional details of a scene and it flashes to a new one.

PicoP Display Value

PicoP's value is in its portability. It's at the near sweet-spot for resolution -- we can see the content well, and enjoy the content for the reasons we enjoy it with an immersive "big screen" display -- with a portable pocket-sized package.

SHARED experience. The display from PicoP is big enough to have a shared media experience with others. We WANT that. 

Portability: We carry little computer/communication/media devices around with us. We like them a lot. More than a Billion of them are sold annually. PicoP is the portable accessory (currently) and future embedded solution that makes them significantly more valuable.

Bigger Screen, smaller device: There are two value criteria that mobile companies know Everyone wants a BIGGER screen with their portable device, and they also want the device that has it to be SMALLER. These are very inconsistent desires that are perfectly consistent when PicoP is available.

In my own home, I will use the PicoPro over my higher-resolution television if I'm more comfortable in a different place. Higher resolution isn't worth the 13 steps it takes to get from the comfort of my bed to the alternate comfort of my living room.

Ecosystem Readiness

4K ecosystem isn't ready.

The current state of 4K TV must be frustrating to 4K screen brands -- there is so little content for them that it makes little sense to purchase one unless the television you are using now breaks or is destroyed. It took a decade for traditional HDTV to come down in price this far. Yesterday at a Walmart, I saw a 20% price rollback on a 4K TV (amazing display, I must admit!). You don't discount things that are seeing huge demand, not by that much. There isn't even a player I could find that plays content in 4K or any media to play on one if you had it. I think I saw a DVD player (very expensive) that would up-scale traditional DVD media. I suspect trying to divide each pixel into four pieces and show it will cause some funky looking video.

PicoP ecosystem is ready to go.

Virtually every mobile phone sold now has screen-mirroring capabilities, either wireless or through mini-HDMI connections (and soon with USB-C).

Content is widely available -- people are "cutting the cord" and going with internet and mobile deliverable content.

Wireless Carriers are Ready: they are primed with advertising, and mobile content. ATT bought DirecTV for it's content and content delivery, Verizon purchased AOL for it's video advertising capabilities. (Verizon and ATT see Huge Opportunity for Mobile Video)

I think we're onto the sleeper investment of a lifetime.

technological leaps