FYI: Tomorrow's Game to be streamed in 4k on certain platforms

Submitted by ImRightYouKnow on October 22nd, 2021 at 5:27 PM

The game will in be broadcast in 4k tomorrow on the Fox Sports TV app (some Roku, Apple, Amazon Fire TV devices), on Fubo TV app, DirectTV, and probably some other places. 

Yes, I know it's upscaled 4K, but it still looks good, though some platforms force HDR, which doesn't look good on many TVs. 


https://www.xfinity.com/hub/tv-video/4k-events-sports-and-more-on-xfinity

https://tvanswerman.com/2021/10/20/fox-to-stream-2-more-college-football-games-in-4k/

https://support.fubo.tv/hc/en-us/articles/360011483011-What-events-in-4K-HDR-are-coming-up-on-fuboTV-

 

MGoFoam

October 22nd, 2021 at 5:33 PM ^

The Xfinity 4k is not good. The resolution is improved over HD, but the color is all washed out. My understanding (albeit from the interwebs) is that the broadcast isn't actually shot in 4k, but rather the HD broadcast is upscaled.

Edit: Which is basically what the OP said.

ImRightYouKnow

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^

Yeah, it's supposed to allow for visuals to run the gamut of colors a bit better, so the whole "deeper blacks, brighter whites" tagline. But it does so by sending a much more muted visual which the TV is then supposed to color grade. If you've ever seen raw filmed footage before someone color graded it, that's kind of the same thing. 

The issue is many TVs incorporated the feature when there was almost no HDR content, without actually calibrating the TV for it. Think back to like 7 years ago when every new TV had a half baked "3D" feature. 

For me, I don't get why apps just don't have a simple HDR on/off option for TVs that don't calibrate HDR properly. 

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 22nd, 2021 at 8:21 PM ^

Interesting.  Thanks for the quick summary.  Going to look into this a bit more.  The whole HDR thing was new to me back when I got a new TV 5 years ago, a Samsung that claimed it would be HDR forward. I enjoy the set but do wonder, not having read too in-depth on all of this in a long time, how much of the technology I've been utilizing all along.

Perkis-Size Me

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:05 PM ^

Fox always broadcasts its games on 4K. At least on xfinity anyway. Can’t speak for other providers. 

It was cool getting to watch Dax pulverize Graham Mertz into a fine paste in the highest possible definition. Hoping to watch Hutchinson do that to Peyton Thorne and CJ Stroud over the next month. 

JamieH

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:07 PM ^

But it is fake 4K.

Note: Fox’s 4K broadcasts are upscaled from 1080p HDR. Upscaling is the process when one video format is converted to another. Fox takes the 1080p HDR signal and converts it to a 4K format. 

There is almost zero point to what they are doing, other than then they can advertise that their broadcast is "4k" which is absolutely is not.  

JamieH

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:05 PM ^

Uhhhh, if you are watching on a 4k TV, it is ALREADY upscaling the 1080p content to 4K.  So-----if all Fox is doing is taking their 1080p content, upscaling it to 4K, and then sending it across the wire, essentially all they are doing is wasting your bandwitdh.

Yes, they have pro equipment and their upscaling might be better than your TV's built in upscaling, but probably not enough for most people to notice.

Paying for something that isn't native 4K is silly.  

othernel

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:12 PM ^

Not really.

A couple of years ago, this was more the truth.

But recently, Fox and ESPN have invested in 4k and 2.7k cameras, so the actual source is much higher quality than 1080p. Now, they may condense the signal for streaming, and then upscale it, but it will still look a lot better than something upscaled from original 1080p.

switch26

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:39 PM ^

You should actually learn about 4k, just because you are watching on a tv capable of 4K doesn't mean it is upscaling..

 

Certain tv's can enable that feature, but new tv's do not automatically "upscale" to 4k lmao...

 

I have an OLED and cable is 1080i through charter and i can assure you it is not upscaled either.  Only certain tv's upscale or you have an option to enable it

unWavering

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^

Cool, I wish my fox sports app actually worked though. Every time I get to the screen to sign in to my tv provider it gives me an error after about 3 seconds

lilpenny1316

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:20 PM ^

I've had a 4K TV since 2014 and never thought to ask this question. If you have the rabbit ears on a 4K TV, will the resolution be 4K? Or do you need a streaming platform/cable box for a 4K feed?

Vote_Crisler_1937

October 22nd, 2021 at 6:58 PM ^

Because of this thread I checked and realized that I actually did not have 4K on my YouTube Tv for my Fire Cube. I’ve now upgraded to the service. I’m especially excited because I just wired in my Uverse Fiber so this might actually work with no buffering. Fingers crossed. 
 

Go Blue! 

StephenRKass

October 22nd, 2021 at 7:23 PM ^

I don't know what this is like in other markets, but I live in the Chicago area, about 30 miles west of the loop. I never cut the cord, because I never had cable TV. It happens in our market that I get great reception for NBC, ABC, WGN, WTTW (PBS,) Fox, and a host of others. The only bad channel is for CBS. With a solid HD 4K Samsung TV, on air digital reception is absolutely great. I don't pay for cable, and don't have to worry about what resolution cable carries sports in. I have definitely noticed that our picture is better, crisper, etc. than a nearby Michigan alum with cable.

I do pay for Netflix and for Paramount . . . this gives us a decent number of other movies, along with CBS, critical for the NCAA tourney. My biggest hole is the Big10 Network, and beyond that, ESPN. I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood with completely reliable fiber optic internet via ATT, with 120 mbps download and upload speeds.

I do have a question for those more technologically savvy than I. Can any of you recommend a particular broadcast DVR device, and what you'd suggest to supplement the DVR itself? I'd like to be able to start watching some of the games maybe 30 - 60 minutes after kickoff, in order to speed through interminable commercial breaks. 4 hours is a long time, and a ridiculously expanded amount of time watching what amounts to less than half that time actually playing on the field.

StephenRKass

October 23rd, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^

For basketball, I either listen on the radio or go to a local bar. For football, 

  • ESPN game was conveniently live on youtube.
  • 3 games on ABC
  • 3 games on FOX

So I missed the one game vs Northern Illinois. I can live with that. The rest of the way, I'm sure MSU and OSU are on FOX. PSU will probably be ABC. Indiana and Maryland, probably one of them will be on ABC/FOX. I can go to the bar for the last one if I want. Being able to watch 10 out of 12 games on network TV at home is acceptable to me. 

StephenRKass

October 23rd, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^

For basketball, I either listen on the radio or go to a local bar. For football, 

  • ESPN game was conveniently live on youtube.
  • 3 games on ABC
  • 3 games on FOX

So I missed the one game vs Northern Illinois. I can live with that. The rest of the way, I'm sure MSU and OSU are on FOX. PSU will probably be ABC. Indiana and Maryland, probably one of them will be on ABC/FOX. I can go to the bar for the last one if I want. Being able to watch 10 out of 12 games on network TV at home is acceptable to me.