By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, we have a long weekend coming up for auto racing fans. Do you know if the Indy 500 and NASCAR race will be in 4K this weekend? — Frank, Jacksonville, Florida.
Frank, Fox this Sunday (May 28) will broadcast the Coca-Cola 600 in high-def from the Charlotte Motor Speedway at 6 p.m. ET on network affiliates. And the network will also stream the race in 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) on the Fox Now and Fox Sports apps.
The pay TV services that are expected to carry the Coca-Cola 600 in 4K 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.
(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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Note: Fox normally produces its 4K coverage 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 HDR signal and convert it to a 4K format.
Now as for the Indianapolis 500, Peacock will begin all-day coverage of the event from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday. Corporate parent NBC will join in with the coverage at 11 a.m. ET and stay with the race until it’s over, probably around 4 p.m. ET. (The actual race is expected to start at 12:45 p.m. ET.)
However, it will be high-def only, no 4K from either NBC or Peacock.
We’re still waiting for Peacock to begin offering live sports in 4K, something NBC says it’s considering for the streamer. The Indy 500 would have been a great way to start. Maybe next year.
Frank, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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
