It’s here. You can hear the k’whunk of a shoe making contact with the football, launching it on its back-spinning mission toward the end zone. Never mind that the NFL powers-that-be keep moving the launch point ever closer to the end zone, seemingly in an effort to scrub the game of any vestiges of excitement once enjoyed by fans waiting for the next whirling dervish kickoff return. Oh, well….
This year, there are some changes to the game you love, but they don’t stop with those on the field. Unless you’re one of those people who enjoys most of their football close enough to take a bath in $12 beer, you’ll soon be in for a better experience than ever, if you’re ready.
Ultra HD Football
Your 4k football-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel is here. Fox Sports has been using 4K cameras in their NFL coverage since 2012. Even the Super Bowl’s blimp camera was 4k this year!
That’s very promising. Sports are one of the key entertainment technology drivers, and the NFL is the country’s most popular sporting organization in history (and the wealthiest). It’s not just the NFL pushing 4K, either.
Futbol is also getting a 4K leg up with the top Spanish soccer league La Liga broadcasting in 4K starting in the 2014-15 season. The league is home to Real Madrid and Barcelona, so the world’s highest paid athletes will be showcased in Ultra HD for the upcoming season.
Over 800 Ultra HD Channels – The research firm NSR predicts there will be more than 800 channels of Ultra HD on satellite within 10 years; a much faster roll out than HDTV enjoyed.
DIRECTV – Earlier this month DirecTV’s CEO, Mike White, indicated that the company will supply 4K/Ultra HD content this year as ‘on demand’ offerings, and says full 4K transmissions are on track for 2015/2016.
COMCAST – Not to be outdone by DirectTV, Comcast announced streaming 4K movies and TV shows directly to some manufacturers’ TVs viaComcast On Demand service this year.
AMAZON revealed recently they’d be shooting all new, original content for Amazon Instant Video in Ultra HD as well. The eCommerce juggernaut also unveiled deals with Warner Brothers, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, and Discovery for 4K programming.
NETFLIX is ahead of the curve on 4K streaming content with House of Cards and Breaking Bad and just passed HBO in their subscriber count.
KALEIDESCAPE – With over 4,600 titles in their online video store already, indicated recently they would support 4k downloads from their online store by 2015.
WATCH OUT:
Not all 4K TV sets will play all 4K streams, especially those from Netflix and Comcast. We will help steer you right on this, so contact us now for guidance and you won’t miss a single pixel.
Barriers Come Tumbling Down
In July 2014 the DVB Steering Board approved the DVB-UHDTV Phase 1 specification, allowing for over-the-air transmission. That was a key step paving the way for off-air 4K broadcasting, but wasn’t necessary for the way most if us get our content: streaming, cable, or satellite.
A Couple Big Reasons for 4K TV You Never Thought Of (Besides the Fact They Make EVERYTHING Look Better)
1) Do you take pictures? Sure you do. If you use a real camera, chances are your family, friends and cherished moments are all captured in at least 10-megapixel glory. Unfortunately, your HDTV delivers only 2. Yes, just 2 megapixels. Where do the others go? Good question!
If you show your photos on a large screen for all to see (or even just for you), know this: Stepping up from the 2 megapixels you get with a traditional 1080p HDTV to the 8MP you get with 4K reveals details and lifelike realism you’d scarcely believe. WOW! Why hide it?
2) Very soon, home camcorders, DSLR cameras, and smart phones will all record 4k video too. When they do, you’ll be able to see what you shot, instead of crushing it down to 1080 resolution.
As always, feel free to call with questions, new ideas, or comments.
Phil Giordano, The Big Picture Media Systems
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