TV Answer Man, I have the Flex streaming box from Xfinity and it’s 4K. So will the Olympics from Tokyo be in 4K on Flex? I know Comcast is doing the Olympics in 4K. — Jamal, Port Republic, Maryland.
Jamal, you’re right. Comcast has announced that it will show the 2021 Summer Olympics from Tokyo in 4K, starting with next week’s opening ceremonies on July 23.
You will be able to watch the 4K coverage if you have an Xfinity 4K-enabled set-top (XG1v4 or Xi6 model). To watch the games in 4K, you can say ‘4K’ into the Xfinity voice remote to display the listing before the event.
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But what about Flex, the Xfinity streaming device that enables Internet-only customers to stream their favorite apps such as Netflix and Hulu? After all, Peacock, the Comcast-owned streaming service, comes free with Flex and it will stream many major Olympics events such as gymnastics, basketball and track and field. Plus, Flex is 4K-enabled, meaning you can stream programming in the format.
Well, I asked Comcast this morning and I’m sorry to report that Flex will not offer any of the Olympics coverage in 4K. While Flex does include Peacock, the app will only stream the games in high-def.
By the way, to date, Comcast, YouTube TV and Optimum have said they will show the Olympics in 4K. We’re still waiting on confirmation from other providers including some heavyweights such as DIRECTV and Dish.
Jamal, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
