It’s clear that 4K video is coming. The question is, will the tipping point be a business as usual delivery mechanism as it makes its way through the usual suspects, first DirecTV, then the cable providers?

Or will Netflix tip the industry in their direction, making 4K video more of an online experience?

Another piece of this equation to consider is Apple’s approach. The new 5K iMac is a perfect vehicle for experiencing the successor to HD, this highest of definitions, and it is not lined up with DirecTV/cable in the same way that a large screen TV is. Seems to me the Apple TV is perfectly placed to straddle both sides of this divide.

UPDATE: Check the comments for an expanded take on these thoughts.