DIRECTV has unveiled its latest slate of 4K programming and it includes 15 different sporting events, according to the satcaster’s web page for 4K programming events.
The new lineup features five NBA matchups, including one in 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range). That game, which will pit Dallas vs. San Antonio on November 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET, will mark the first time that DIRECTV will air a live event in 4K HDR, which can deliver more vivid and realistic colors.
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The five NBA games will air on DIRECTV’s live 4K channel, which is channel 106.
(Update #1: DIRECTV has changed its 4K programming page to reflect that a subscription to NBA TV (Xtra package or above) is needed to watch the NBA games in 4K, not a League Pass subscription. The page’s note that the November 27th game will be available in HDR has also been removed.
The two changes were made Monday night (October 30) after the TV Answer Man asked AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, for more information about the game being produced in 4K HDR, and that a League Pass subscription would be required to watch it. I never received a response, but DIRECTV made the two changes to the 4K page following my inquiry.
So, at this point, it’s unclear if DIRECTV will still offer the game in HDR. The TV Answer Man has again asked for a clarification and will report back here if we receive one.
Update #2: An AT&T spokesman tells the TV Answer Man on Tuesday (October 31) that “we’ll have more to share on this in the coming weeks.” He did not elaborate.
That would seem to suggest that the plan to deliver a game in 4K HDR was disclosed before AT&T was ready to make a public announcement. But we’ll see, as the man says, “in the coming weeks.”
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The five NBA games that will air in 4K on channel 106 are:
10/31 – Oklahoma vs Milwaukee, 8:00 pm ET
11/6 – Brooklyn @ Phoenix at 9:00 pm ET
11/7 – Oklahoma City @ Sacramento at 10:00 pm ET
11/20 – Indiana @ Orlando at 7:00 pm ET
11/27 – Dallas @ San Antonio at 8:30 pm ET (Available in 4K HDR)
In addition to the 4K basketball action, DIRECTV says it will air four more college football games on channel 106 in 4K. The contests, which will be produced by Fox Sports, are as follows:
11/3 – UCLA @ Utah at 9:30 pm ET
11/11 – Teams TBD at 12:00 pm PT
11/18 – Teams TBD at 12:00 pm ET
11/24 – Iowa @ Nebraska at 4:00 pm ET
The satcaster will also offer five more English Premier League Soccer matches on channel 106 in 4K:
10/28 – Manchester United vs Tottenham, 7:30 am ET
11/5 – Chelsea v. Man United at 11:30 am ET
11/18 – Arsenal v. Tottenham at 7:30 am ET
11/25 – Liverpool v. Chelsea at 12:30 pm ET
11/28 – Watford v. Man United at 2:45 pm ET
And, finally, DIRECTV will air the UFC 218: Bisping v. St. Pierre, pay-per-view match on channel 106 on November 4, starting at 10 p.m. ET. Consult your on-screen guide for ordering and pricing information.
To watch the live 4K channel on DIRECTV, you must get a compatible 4K TV, a DIRECTV HD DVR54 Genie System (or above), and installation of the Genie by a DIRECTV technician.
DIRECTV has changed the minimum package required to get its live 4K channel to Select so more subscribers could access it as well as the satcaster’s two other 4K channels, which are devoted to recurring programming and Video on Demand.
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— Phillip Swann
What happened to the NON Sports Channels getting 4-K
AT&T filters every management decisions for the bottom line, damn the consumer.