4K on the Golf Channel

[e6892345]

It’s 2019 now, 4K TVs are fairly cheap, when, oh when are we going to have 4K broadcast on the Golf Channel !!! I don’t mean for one-off events like the masters or the olympics, I want the golf channel in 4K all the time! This is long overdue! It may be time for angry letters or a petition!

[jamo]

32 minutes ago, e6892345 said:

It’s 2019 now, 4K TVs are fairly cheap, when, oh when are we going to have 4K broadcast on the Golf Channel !!! I don’t mean for one-off events like the masters or the olympics, I want the golf channel in 4K all the time! This is long overdue! It may be time for angry letters or a petition!

...Are there any cable channels available in 4K? I don't even think most (any?) are 1080p, they're 720p or 1080i.

At least actual cable. I think(?) most networks stream in 1080p over services like YouTubeTV, etc.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, jamo said:

...Are there any cable channels available in 4K? I don't even think most (any?) are 1080p, they're 720p or 1080i.

At least actual cable. I think(?) most networks stream in 1080p over services like YouTubeTV, etc.

Yeah, this.

Golf Channel here is 1080i.

[nevets88]

My Netflix plan is the 4K one, Amazon Prime's Originals are 4K. Some are HDR too, at least the HDR indicator on my TV says so. I wonder how hard is it for whomever that offers Golf Channel in a sports package to stream it in 4K/HDR. Sling, YouTube, Hulu, etc...

For cable companies to broadcast in 4K, do the set top boxes need to be upgraded (that is, get a new one) or do they just download a firmware update?

[iacas]

21 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

For cable companies to broadcast in 4K, do the set top boxes need to be upgraded (that is, get a new one) or do they just download a firmware update?

Probably depends. The AppleTV wasn't just a firmware update - 4K is more data and more to decode in realtime.

[nevets88]

12 minutes ago, iacas said:

Probably depends. The AppleTV wasn't just a firmware update - 4K is more data and more to decode in realtime.

Oh right, duh, all those devices we had to get new ones, Roku, Fire TV. 

I wonder when 4K does come for Golf Channel, if it'll come via streaming first.

[e6892345]

My MOBILE PHONE can film in 4K! Then I can broadcast my recordings in 4K on YOUTUBE! I can broadcast in 4K before the golf channel can? WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING CABLE COMPANIES SO LONG TO UPGRADE?!

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, e6892345 said:

My MOBILE PHONE can film in 4K! Then I can broadcast my recordings in 4K on YOUTUBE! I can broadcast in 4K before the golf channel can? WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING CABLE COMPANIES SO LONG TO UPGRADE?!

Bandwidth, for one.

[nevets88]

I wonder how much the upgrade from 1K to 4K will cost. Fios One is being rolled out. Dunno how long it'll take to get to NY though. And it's just 4K. Nothing about HDR.

Introducing Fios TV One. Experience TV at its best

---

Fios TV One brings the next level of Fios TV service with voice remote, WiFi-connected set-top boxes, 4K capability and more.

 

[saevel25]

Definitely bandwidth. I don't think any cable TV supports native 4K.

There are big areas of the USA that don't even have internet access. You think that they have the network to support 4k? There probably will not be native 4K for a long time, unless there is big advancement in wireless/mobile internet and all the cable TV go away from fiber/coax.

[Rkrider99]

I had to upgrade my Comcast X1 box to a v4 box that does 4k. Comcast had the Olympics in 4k/HDR, although it was tape On Demand only. The v4 box also has apps built in to pass Amazon Prime, YouTube, and others with 4k/HDR, but, Comcast itself does not have 4k channels. I know that DirecTV has some 4k channels available.

I think the other issue is that the networks, Golf Channel, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX would have to have live 4k cameras to be able to even broadcast in 4k.

[nevets88]

Amazon has some shows in HD and 4K and I'll watch the HD version followed by the 4K version, there is a difference, but not a huge one. Maybe it would be more obvious if my tv were 100 inches.

Don't some set top boxes use compression so that in some instances, you're getting 720?

So I'm guessing the majority of people who have a 4K/HDR set are streaming via the Netflix UHD plan? Amazon has UHD, no extra cost, but not a lot of shows are 4K, mostly the Amazon Originals. Hulu, I don't much is 4K. And they also upgraded their Bluray player to 4K? That's what I did. If someone is just using their set top box with their 4K/HDR tv, they're not getting much benefit, no? Just the upscaling. When I got a 4K TV, I had to get new streaming devices, new disc player, new discs. It was a process.

[e6892345]

If the consumers largely demanded 4K, you would be surprised at how fast the cable companies could deliver it to us.

[Buckeyebowman]

Well, they can demand all they want, are they prepared to quit? Seeing as how many people have cut the cable already, I don't see that happening. 

It wasn't all that long ago, around here, when people who got TV over the air had to wire in a "converter box" to convert digital signals to analog so they would display on their old tuner TVs. I remember setting up my Mom's first flat panel TV and telling her that she didn't need the converter box anymore!

[RayG]

It isn't the Cable companies that aren't providing 4K. The content producers and networks need to record in 4k. Professional, Broadcast quality 4K equipment is $$$$$$$. along with the bandwidth required and equipment to get it to the public. I remember when we were testing HD back in the early 80's (yes, nearly 40 years ago) here at CBS, the cost of developing the equipment and testing, re-testing, then developing the ability to actually broadcast the signal ate up a rather large chunk of budget. 

I suspect you would get, at first, "upconverted" 4K style. Not exactly 4K but better than 1080i. (and on that front, most HD isn't 1080, it's 780 that's been 'massaged'. On TV's up to a certain size there is little difference unless you are sitting 12" away.