By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, the USFL game schedule is out but there’s no information on 4K games. Do you know if the games will be in 4K this year? They were last year, right? — Bob, Provo, Utah.
Bob, you’re right. The new USFL, which has no connection with the old USFL which played from 1983 through 1985, returns with a new season on April 15. You can see the season schedule here.
You’re also right that Fox did several USFL games in 4K last year for the league’s inaugural season. But what about this year, you ask? 4K or no 4K? That is the question.
The answer: Yes. There will be 4K USFL games.
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Fox’s 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) coverage will start on April 15 with a doubleheader: Philadelphia at Memphis at 4:30 p.m. ET and New Jersey at Birmingham at 7:30 p.m. ET. Then, on April 16, there will be a Fox 4K broadcast of the Pittsburgh-New Orleans game at 6:30 p.m. ET. (The April 15 games will be simulcast in high-def on Fox network affiliates while the April 16 game will be on FS1.)
The network plans to offer 24 USFL games in 4K during the 2023 regular season.
The games can be watched in 4K HDR on the Fox Sports app by using your TV Everywhere user name and password from your pay TV provider.
(You can learn more about which providers participate in the Fox 4K program here. To find out what you need to watch 4K on the Fox Sports app, including which devices are compatible, click here.)
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The pay TV services that are expected to carry the 4K broadcasts on special 4K channels are DIRECTV, Dish, Comcast, Verizon, Optimum, YouTube TV, and FuboTV. (In markets where the Fox affiliate is provided with your programming package.) Check your on-screen guide for more details.
Note: Fox produces most of its sporting events, including USFL, NFL games and college games, in 1080p and ‘upscales’ it to a 4K broadcast as opposed to shooting the event in 4K and transmitting in the same format. Upscaling is the process when one video format is converted to another. In this case, Fox takes the 1080p signal and converts it to a 4K format.
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Upscaling 4K is different than what’s called, native 4K, which means the original event was produced in 4K, and broadcast or streamed in 4K as well. This is how ESPN produces its 4K sportscasts.
The USFL, which is owned by Fox Sports, may not have the same fleet of talent, but it will exhibit a number of innovative rules such as a three-point conversation from the 10-yard line after a touchdown and legalization of two forward passes behind the line of scrimmage.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
