The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.ATV, more than most other tech gadgets, is supposed to be a long-term investment. Think about how longyour last TV lasted; I'd be willing to bet it was at least sevenor eightyears. My first HDTV, made by the Circuit City brand Olevia, continues to be used on a daily basis.Since the early- to mid-2000s, HDTV buying was relatively simple: Do you want your TVto have a resolution of 720p or 1080p' TVs with 1080i resolution and plasma TVs were also options, but were eventually phased out in favor of making TV hardware thinner, while retaining the two most popular resolutions.Now there's a new category of TV: 4K TV. And while there isn't a lot of content out there that takes advantage of their high-resolution screens, you should at least consider getting one if you're in the market for a new TV.One of the biggest misnomers about 4K is actually its name: 4K sounds like it's 4x the resolution of a 1080p TV, but that's not true. For the past 15 years, we categorized TVs by their vertical resolution, whereas 4K derives its name from a TV's horizontal resolution. So if you currently have a 1080p TV, you can think of it as a 2K TV, since it has a horizontal resolution of 1920. I say this because people going out to buy 4K TVs under the impression that they'll be four times as good are mistaken.With all that out of the way, when I was looking for a TV this past spring, I had to decide if I was going to shell out a little extra for a new set. I ended up going for it, and haven't looked back. The two most significant factors in my decision were future proofing, and a significant price reduction in 4K TVs recently.Like I said earlier, 4K content looks great, but there's not a lot of it out there. Netflix streams in 4K if you have the bandwidth for it, while 4K Blu-rays are coming out at a snails pace and require a new Blu-ray player. And yet, before we know it, 4K will become the de facto standard, the same way HD TV did after half a century of SD content. It'll happen gradually, but if you're buying a TV that you intend to keep for the next decade, you'll end up benefiting from that switch immediately.4K TV prices have also decreased significantly, especially in the past year, with the 4K TV I'm recommending coming in at $550 for a 55-inch screen. When compared to current 1080p TV prices, that isn't a seismic leap, and that price will continue to drop until 4K TVsbecome the standard.The final reason you should consider buying a 4K TV is that, unlike the SD to HD transition, you won't have to buynew accessories because your old ones don't work. HDMI and optical audio continue to be the standard for both audio and video products, and that doesn't show any signs of changing. Heck, some 4K TVs even keep a single set of composite audio and video ports on hand if you've got a VHS collection you're not willing to let go of.It might seem like 4K is a standard from the far flung future, but it's rapidly becoming a technology of the present. Buying a 4K TV now will futureproof you for a significant amount of time, and as more content becomes available in that resolution you'll immediately reap the benefits. Vizio 55-inch E-Series 4K TV, $549.99, available from VizioREAD THIS:50 must-have tech accessories under $50SEE ALSO:5 great tech brands you've probably never heard ofDON'T MISS:If your wall outlets are clogged with chargers, here's what you need to get for your homeJoin the conversation about this story
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