TV Answer Man, do you know what will be ESPN’s 4K college basketball game this week? — Gene, Daytona, Florida.

Gene, ESPN is now doing one 4K college basketball game each week. The 4K broadcast is available on special 4K channels from select pay TV providers, including DIRECTV, Comcast, Verizon and YouTube TV. (Unlike Fox, ESPN does not provide a 4K stream on its apps, ESPN or ESPN+.)

And this week’s ESPN 4K game of the week is…Duke vs. North Carolina. The all-ACC matchup will tip off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. ESPN will simulcast the game in HD on the main ESPN channel.

The 9th ranked Duke Blue Devils, which are now 18-3 under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, are led by 6’10” forward Paolo Banchero who’s averaging 17.8 points game. The unranked North Carolina Tar Heels, which are now 16-6, are led by 6’10” forward Armando Bacot who’s averaging 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds a game.

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Unlike Fox, ESPN does native 4K broadcasts, which means it’s broadcast on site in 4K as well as transmitted to the home in the format. (Fox upscales the on-site 1080p HDR, High Dynamic Range, broadcast to 4K HDR for the home transmission.) The native 4K broadcast requires more preparation and expense than the upscaled edition, which could be a reason why ESPN does one 4K game each week rather than Fox’s multiple 4K games per week.

And in case you’re wondering, 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.

Gene, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@TVAnswerMan