it's not even a 'joke'. No one has ever said that or will even expect that. It's just that MSony will push their next consoles as media hubs as well just like this gen. 4K support for video playback (images support is already there in ps3) is just an addition and to be frank should be expected.

As for graphica leap, I doubt the fans will be unhappy with what sony is doing..heck in fact rumor is the next xbox might be even stronger than the PS. Either way the leap will be noticeable. Not that hard to do really given how old the ps360 are. But let's see how it goes. but I doubt there will be any meltdowns whatsoever. 

The AMD 7xxx series, which is the GPU supposedly in the PS4 has a listed spec of 4k max resolution.

So it's not a big deal for the PS4 to have it. So will the 720. Hell basically any device with HDMI 1.4 can output 4k from my understanding.

Just don't expect games to run at 4K unless you are talking about having the PS4 run something with like really basic visuals. 4K if anything will be for the main menu and video playback ... provided you even have a 4K TV, which most people will balk at (memo to TV makers: no one wants to upgrade their TV every 2-3 years, just like no one would upgrade their fridge or dishwasher or bathtub every 2-3 years).

Why is it so unfeasable to think games can run in 4K.

There are people running Dark souls on pc with the resolution mod fix all the way up to 5120x2880 to get 2xfsaa (or super sampling) on a 1440p monitor. The witcher 2 has uber sampling too (just another name for fsaa) which renders the game internally at 3840x2160 to display scaled down on a 1080p monitor. Next gen arcade games should have no problem running in 4K.
It will probably just be the same as this gens list of 1080p games. Mostly arcade games, just a few full price games.

And what's this stuff about upgrading tv's every 2-3 years, I bought my 1080p tv 6 years ago, I'll be looking for a new one in a couple of years.

6 years ago a 1080p TV was way to expensive. Most people have just started getting into 1080p within the last year or two and some are still now changing over. These peopel will have their TVs for a good 10 years.

So you MAY be tready for a new TV but the mass market is not. So why would Sony go all out to support native 4K resolution only to increase the cost of the console for no real beenfit at this poin tin time? Scaled up I can understand, but not native. If PS4 comes out at say the end of 2015 or 2016 then yer maybe I will agree that 4K native is a worth while addition.

Now assuming the WiiU is slightly better than PS3/360 this would indicate a 5-7 year cycle tops for the console.  By then the next Nintendo can invest money into whatever the norm resolution for TVs has become.

It's the same as adding 1080p to the ps3 in 2006. The mass market wasn't ready for 1080p. Claims of upscaled dvd looking just as good as blu-ray were abundant. 720p was all you would ever need etc, actually at the start of the gen 720p was even claimed to be unnecessary.
The ps4 probably won't be out until 2014. The mass market won't start buying 4k tv's until 5 years from now, say 2017. That's only 3 years into the lifespan of the ps4. In 2020 it will be even more useful to have 4K support.

"So why would Sony go all out to support native 4K resolution only to increase the cost of the console for no real beenfit at this poin tin time?"
They are far from going all out this time. 4k is simply the max resolution the gpu can render at, supported by hmdi 1.4 Going all out again would be adding a hvd drive. The ps3 can already output 4K still images. Todays graphics cards support 4k.

Yes, however HDMI 1.4 is limited to 24p or 30p for 4K visuals. 

I think HDMI has about hit it's limit - and they will need something else.  I know they are working on wireless, but also hear of a format that uses a Cat6 cables would be a great option too (and it can the data - and easy to get and use cables.)

Not everything NEEDS great graphics. But just at limo - simple-ish graphics, but wonderfully styled and utilizing  power!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1vexQzA9Vk

HDMI 1.4b will support 2160p60. So it depends wether that gets into the ps4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y_EB9xATCU at 11:40
http://www.cinenow.co.uk/videos/3288-ise-2012-hdmi-1-dot-4b-demystified-by-david-silberstein

I hope my cable is good enough for the faster data rate, it would suck to have to add a new cable. The current one runs neatly inside the ceiling :/

I don't expect nothing less for output in next generation.

Output is just output... no render or little render after all.

Amost every AMD/nVidia works with 4k today (mid-end or high-end GPU of course) for Output but for render just 2560x?... so I expected PS4 showing movies or some low performance games with 4k but everything else I expect just 2560x? or less... some game can be upscalled to 4k too but not native 4k for render.

If supporting 4k resolution is Sony's strategy of differentiating itself from its competition, we should start to say good bye. But I think in the end it will be nothing more than an additional line in a spec sheet that nobody gives a crap about. At least for the next 5+ years.