Are you ready to see Augusta National Golf Club in 8,294,400 pixels? You might not want to count every blade of grass, but you’ll probably be able to see them.
AT&T’s DirecTV will do its first-ever live 4K broadcast starting April 7 for the Masters Tournament, which means audiences will have chance to watch pro golf’s top tournament with a picture clarity that surpasses HD. How much more? Roughly four times as precise as a full HD 1080p image.
Not only that but viewers will be able to watch a portion of the tournament in a love UHD (ultra high definition) broadcast, which will make it the first time that has ever been done for United State audiences. UHD broadcasts provide a minimum resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, compared to a 1920×1080 resolution in regular HD.
Per AT&T, that broadcast will be available on DirecTV’s dedicated 4K channel and showcase “all four rounds of Tournament play at Amen Corner, a common reference to the 11th, 12th and 13th holes at Augusta National and the backdrop to some of the most exciting moments in golf history.”
It should be noted that in order to watch that channel, viewers must have DirecTV’s latest Genie HD DVR box as wel as a subscription to the Ultimate or Premier channel package, not to mention a 4K television. The channel official launches in April right before The Masters.
Because of the demands, costs and infrastucture needed to broadcast in 4K and UHD, live events remain a technical challenge for networks. A golf tournament at least provides some sedintary and predictable surroundings from which to use as an early guinea pig. We may still be a ways off from seeing the Super Bowl in UHD.
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