While Dish Network has offered 4K-ready set-top boxes like the Hopper 3 for nearly three years, the amount of live 4K programming available to users has been minimal at best. That is slowly beginning to change, though, and Dish Network’s latest announcement will be an exciting development for sports fans with 4K UHD TVs.
Starting this weekend, Dish Network will begin airing coverage of select NCAA football games on the Fox Sports channel FS1 in 4K UHD. The first game to be delivered in the resolution will be the University of Oklahoma versus Baylor University, which airs at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 23.
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Dish Network’s 4K NCAA football coverage is only the beginning of the satellite TV provider’s plans for 4K UHD sports. As a part of this deal, Dish Network has also secured future MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA basketball games in 4K. Previously, satellite provider has also aired the Bellator Mixed Martial Arts pay-per-view event Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva, and NBC’s Rio Olympics coverage in 4K UHD.
Dish Network isn’t alone in its live 4K UHD sports programming for satellite TV customers. DirecTV has also aired numerous 4K sporting events, including CBS Sports’ 4KHigh Dynamic Range (HDR) stream of the PGA Championship and select NCAA basketball games on Fox Sports Networks. DirecTV has also signed a similar deal with Fox Sports as Dish Network’s, working with the network to bring NASCAR, MLB, and FIFA events to viewers in 4K.
Dish Network subscribers with a 4K TV to complement their Hopper 3’s ability 4K UHD support will be able to watch Saturday’s coverage (provided they have FS1) and all other upcoming 4K sporting events in their programming packages at no extra charge and with no updates required.
Should you be in need of a last-minute 4K TV acquisition before this weekend’s games, check out our list of the best TVs you can buy, which includes several excellent 4K picks. Further, if you’re want to learn more about 4K UHD and how it impacts picture quality, check out our 4K explainer piece which details the technology and gives you tips on how to shop for 4K TVs.
You can now buy Walmart’s crazy-cheap 4K Android TV streamer
In May, eagle-eyed observers noticed that Walmart had added a $30, onn.-branded 4K Android TV-based streaming media device to its website, but at the time, there was no way to add it to your cart. Today, Walmart appears to be ready to sell these ultra-affordable streamers.
A few days after the 4K streaming device was spotted, another onn. streamer was discovered on Walmart: An Android TV streaming stick for $25. Spotted by 9to5google.com, the device is called the "onn. FHD Streaming Stick." However, as of June 10, the streaming stick is still listed as out of stock.
Now that 5G network coverage is spreading across the U.S. at a rapid rate, it's time to start talking about potential 5G use cases that will make it worthwhile for the average consumer. So we're digging into 5G technology and asking one of the most important questions: Can you stream Netflix in 4K with 5G?
In theory, the answer to that question is yes. In practice, we probably aren't quite there yet. 5G is faster than 4G in some areas of the U.S., offering higher download speeds and a more consistent connection. However, it's unlikely that you'd be able to stream Netflix in 4K with 5G right now. But that doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future.
Limits on streaming quality
The fact that 5G isn't powerful enough to handle 4K streaming just yet isn't the only hurdle here. Some major 5G carriers compress and limit streaming video quality on some plans, making it currently impossible to get anything beyond 1080p on your mobile device. So if 4K streaming is something you really want, just make sure you understand the limits of your phone plan before you hop on the 5G bandwagon.
Apple HomePod can replace a Dolby Atmos soundbar when paired with Apple TV 4K
Shortly after Apple announced the new pint-sized $99 HomePod mini, the company revealed an upcoming feature for the original HomePod: A "Home Cinema" mode that lets the HomePod be the default speaker for an Apple TV 4K. Home Cinema also enables Dolby Atmos on the HomePod, something Amazon has done with its Echo Studio and Fire TV devices. Along with Dolby Atmos, the HomePod will also work with Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound formats.
This capability isn't quite ready for general release yet. To enable these features, you'll need tvOS 14.2 and HomePodOS 14.2. according to FlatPanelsHD, both of which are still in a closed-beta period.
