TV Answer Man, do you know what the ESPN 4K game of the week is during this week? — Teresa, Reno, Nevada.
Teresa, as you note, ESPN does one game per week in 4K during the college football season. The 4K broadcast is available on special 4K channels from select pay TV providers, including DIRECTV, Verizon and YouTube TV. (Unlike Fox, ESPN does not provide a 4K stream on its app, ESPN+.)
And this week’s ESPN 4K game is…Florida State vs. Clemson in an all Atlantic Coast Conference matchup which begins Saturday (October 30) at 3:30 p.m. ET. Clemson enters the game with a 4-3 record while Florida State is 3-4. If you’re the wagering type, Clemson is a 10-point favorite.
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ESPN will simulcast the game in HD on the main ESPN channel. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III will join Mark Jones and Quint Kessenich on the call for the sports network.
By the way, ESPN’s 4K broadcasts are ‘native 4K,’ meaning it’s produced in the format on site as well as transmitted to the home in 4K. In contrast, Fox produces its live sporting events in 1080p HD and upscales them to 4K for the home tranmission.
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Many videophiles say the upscaled 4K picture is not as sharp as the native 4K image. But the inclusion of HDR can offer heightened colors and vividness. ESPN’s 4K broadcast does not include HDR.
Teresa, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Fox upscales a 1080p image you say. But they broadcast standard broadcasts in 720p. Do they upscale and add HDR because it’s the peak of there current capability?