Dish, DirecTV and Comcast will deliver Winter Olympics in 4K HDR
Customers with the required gear will be ready to view the Winter Games in ultra-high definition, with a 24 hour delay.
- Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
If you have the right equipment, and don't mind a delay, there's some good news for Dish, DirecTV and Comcast customers planning to watch the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics: You'll be able to view certain events in 4K HDR (high-dynamic range).
NBCUniversal is broadcasting the Olympic Winter Games in 4K HDR for the first time and both satellite providers, and Comcast through its Xfinity pay TV service have revealed they'll be delivering whatever 4K HDR is available.
The catch? the 4K HDR footage airs at least 24 hours after the live broadcast.
Dish says that "4K HDR Olympics coverage will be on one-day delay and include footage from the Opening Ceremony, figure skating, hockey, short track speed skating, ski jumping and snowboard big air, as well as PyeongChang scenics."
Dish's 4K HDR coverage will be available on Channel 540, but the caveat is you'll need a Hopper 3 and 4K HDR TV to view it.
Dish will also be offering several other Olympic-focused features, including a Sports Bar mode and "Olympic Winter Games" app. You can read about them on Dish's site.
As for DirecTV, which is owned by AT&T, its UHD coverage will air on Channel 106 and you'll need a Genie HD DVR to receive the programming in 4K HDR. The same one-day delay applies.
Phillip Swann has DirecTV's complete 4K HDR schedule for the 2018 Winter Olympics Games on his The TV Answer Man blog.
Here's a quick look at Dish's added features for the Winter Games:
- Exclusive sports hub on Channel 147: Labeled in the guide as "2018 Winter Olympics Channels," it will offer easy navigation of NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage across five networks.
- "Olympic Winter Games" app: Available on internet-connected Hopper, Hopper Duo, Joey and Wally set-top boxes, the app features updated medal counts, and showcases the complete Olympics roster by schedule and network.
- Olympics on demand: More than 150 hours of NBCUniversal's on-demand Olympics programming.
- Sports Bar Mode: Available on Hopper 3, Sports Bar Mode allows viewers to watch up to four Olympic programs simultaneously. This mode divides an HD or 4K TV into quadrants, each with the ability to play a different channel.
- NBCOlympics.com and NBC Sports app: NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will feature 1,800 hours of live steaming of Olympic events. Customers can easily verify their Dish subscriptions to access this content.