TV Answer Man, I bought a 4K TV two years ago and it seems like there’s less and less 4K programming than ever. How can that be? Didn’t everyone promise that 4K programming would boom by now? Everyone I know has a 4K TV. What are they waiting for? — Ted, Marina Del Rey, California.
Ted, I agree that the amount of live and On-Demand 4K programming seems to be decreasing although the number of 4K TV homes is rising inexorably. The Covid-19 pandemic is one reason with the networks hamstrung by both local health restrictions and tightening budgets. It’s not as easy to produce a live 4K sporting event as it was before Covid. That’s why you didn’t see the 2020 Super Bowl in 4K (Fox did the 2019 game in 4K) or several other recent major events such as horse racing’s Triple Crown or the NBA and NHL playoffs.
But there’s more going on here to indicate that the TV industry has turned its back on the 4K audience. Despite repeated promises from network officials and TV providers that they would dramatically expand their 4K lineups, it hasn’t happened. In fact, most networks and TV providers (both streaming and cable) seem disinterested in catering to the expanding 4K universe.
For example:
* Peacock, the streaming service owned by Comcast/NBC Universal, launched in July 2020 and company officials said 4K programming was “on its roadmap.” Eleven months later, we can only assume the road is a long and winding one because Peacock has yet to offer a single title in 4K.
* HBO Max launched in May 2020 with officials saying that 4K was on its “roadmap,” too. However, to date, HBO Max’s 4K offerings have been few and far between, mostly the same-day theatrical releases from Warner Media. As of today, there are just a handful of movies in 4K on HBO Max: Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
In February, Warner Media chief Jason Kilar told me that The Little Things, the same-day theatrical release starring Denzel Washington, would be in 4K, and “soon after that new release, expect a lot more 4K. We are in process on them….and will not stop,”
It certainly hasn’t been a lot more.
* YouTube TV said in February that it would soon add 4K programming. Four months later, we’re still waiting. FuboTV remains the only live streaming service that offers anything in 4K, and what FuboTV has in 4K isn’t much.
* Comcast last year suddenly became one of 4K’s biggest proponents, adding numerous college football and basketball games, NBA and NHL games, and MLB contests in the format, among other programming. But the cable operator seems to have hit the brakes on 4K, and didn’t even air this month’s French Open tournament in 4K, although it did last year. Comcast also had been offering regional MLB, NHL and NBA action in 4K, but stopped in May and did not respond to our inquiry asking why.
Update: Comcast has confirmed it will air next month’s Summer Olympics games from Tokyo in 4K.
* Charter, the nation’s second largest cable operator, does not offer anything in 4K. Zip. Zero. Zilch.
* ESPN, which was a leader (albeit an unsuccessful one) in pushing 3D TV several years ago, has slowed its 4K productions as well. Although the network provided numerous college football and basketball games in 4K last year (and early this year), it has yet to do a 2021 MLB game in 4K. Fox hasn’t either. Covid is a contributing cause here, but if both Fox and ESPN could do live events in 4K in 2020, there’s no reason why they can’t do so in 2021 when many local health restrictions have been eased.
DIRECTV is a rare TV service that has actually expanded its 4K offering with coverage of both national and regional sporting events. (It’s the only U.S. service that’s doing the French Open in 4K.) And you can still find some 4K programming on streaming VOD services such as Netflix and Amazon, among others.
But overall, it’s a disappointing time to be a 4K TV owner, particularly one who paid well over a thousand dollars for a 4K set with so little on it in 4K. The easy answer is that this will improve once the pandemic becomes a bad memory. But the fact that so many TV companies are refraining from adding 4K where Covid shouldn’t be an issue is concerning. It makes me wonder if they have decided that the added expense of producing an event in 4K, or processing a HD title for 4K, simply isn’t worth it.
Ted, hope that makes sense. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
4K is exactly the same over-hype as 3D, it’ll never arrive.
Meant to sell you a new TV when the one you have is just fine.
The next number up is 5, so I’m guessing 5G tv will be the next big thing, 3D, 4K, 5G…..
Instead of continuing this baloney, how about they develop a screen that is bright from a 180 degree viewing angle instead of the “fade” we see on almost every TV unless you are square in front of it !!! even the most expensive.
I would respectfully disagree. I dont believe that 4K is at all overhyped. It is everything it promised to be and more affordable than ever. I understand the complaints that many have in regards to the lack of 4K programming offered by the various content providers and for those who use their television sets primarily to “watch” tv this lack of providing what was promised would be disappointing. However within the world of video gaming 4K sets have absolutely lived up to the hype and there is no shortage of opportunities for gamers to take advantage of the technology and the step up in quality is absolutely noticeable.
Unlike 3D, Pic in Pic, Curved Screens and other such gimmicks that do not significantly improve image quality, 4K isnt going anywhere simply because it is now the baked in standard for all new tv models.
Amazon Prime…Netflix….Apple tv…Disney+ have ALOT of 4k Dolby hdr movies and shows
We have more 4K TV then the rest of the world and when it’s coming to 4K TV we are the third world of TV even know we pay more for TV programming than anybody else in the world and all they gave us is garbage and don’t expect things to get better after the Congress give them the OK to charge for local programming ABC CBS Fox NBC they went nationwide and buy all the local TV stations and they ask us to pay for it we have UEFA cup coming up this week and the The world is going to watch in 4K except us ESPN has the rights and it will show the games but nowhere in 4K after all we are second-class citizens and we don’t deserve any Better
Even 1080p is looking kind of ragged lately. I’d always read (here, mostly) how picture quality from over the air broadcast was much better than cable because they don’t compress the picture, but it looks awful most of the time, definitely compressed.