DISH and 4K

inazsully

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Feb 15, 2010
899
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Sun City West, AZ
I read today where Directv is putting up 2 new satellites this year and will be offering 4K VOD by the end of this year and start broadcasting available 4K programming by the end of 2015 or 2016. There is now some 4K programming available (House of Cards). So what plans does Dish have for 4K? Unlike 3d, 4K is here to stay and by the end of 2015-2016 you won't be able to buy anything but 4K in TV's over 70", possibly not even 65".
 
4K does look impressive in the store displays, but by the time it gets compressed down for sat broadcast, like standard HD is compressed now, I wonder if it will really look that much better than standard HD.
 
Call me when the new BD UHD standard is out, non-up rezzed UHD programming is available on it, and the players don't cost a fortune.


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Only ABC (ESPN maybe Disneys) and Fox . Everyone else, 1080i.
Well......Hoppers 720 setting looks better to me then 1080 on all my large panels, under 40" can't really tell.... I truly don't get it but that's want I see, and at least one other who offered elsewhere.
 
I just bought an Onkyo AV receiver and its 4k ready to upgrade the input signal to output 4K to a 4k TV. They say the 2.0 HDMI cables are 4K ready. I have a 63" 1080p tv and do not intend to buy a 4k tv anytime soon. Most people that I know(not Sat guys), do not even know if they are watching HDTV or SD tv now. Even my local sports bar has HDTVs, but broadcast Directv's SD signal on all its screens.
 
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I don't see 4k being adopted anymore than 3-d was. People will not spend what they are asking for a tv ,especially since there is NOTHING broadcast in 4k anyway. Besides if you look at what passes as HD today ,it looks a little better than a 480p dvd upconverted to 720p. Especially over satellite and mpeg4.
Internet programming is the wildcard

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I was (am) one who from the start said 3D was a gimmick not feature. 4K is here to stay because it is a very different situation. Cost isn't a factor just as with HD TV's it was not a factor. Give it some time and the price comes down as it always does. You don't need anything extra like 3D glasses etc.. so even if what you are watching is not 4K no harm, no foul. It will take almost forever for broadcasts to be in 4K however, getting 1080P isn't even feasible now. So like 3D you will need a 4K player or if you have the bandwidth online programming. And for online programming good luck as internet rates are on the rise as are caps and slow downs and it's going to get worse. (Unless congress deems it a utility - then who knows)

Bottom line - Give it a little time and all sets will be 4K. But because of limitations I don't see everyday programming to be 4K anytime soon, certainly not undiluted.
 
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So what plans does Dish have for 4K?

I would like to know that too!

With 4k display prices already under $1000, transition to 4K may happen much quicker than many would expect. I am glad that at least DirecTV is taking that seriously. I hope Dish is not too far behind.
 
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I don't agree. Like 3D I don't want DISH doing anything yet. They haven't even decided on standards yet, and DirectTV did have 3D, and as so many of us predicted it was a waste of time and resources. 4K in the end may not be a waste of time and resources, but not yet not just to be able to say we have three looping shows on one channel in 4k. When talking about the money and time involved, it may be better to be a little slower. If you tell me there are definite plans to have the networks broadcast in 4K (remember they don't even broadcast in 1080P) and that it is technically feasible for DISH to transmit all those networks in 4K, then sure lets get it.
 
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Where did you see a price below $1000? Heck, I haven't seen one below $10,000. :)

Go to Tigerdirect or Best Buy websites and do a search for 4K. Probably not a name brand you'd want to actually buy for under $1000, but they do exist. Best Buy actually has quite a few Samsung and other big names around the $2,000 range. I've been surprised how quickly the prices on 4K are coming down to earth.
 
I was (am) one who from the start said 3D was a gimmick not feature. 4K is here to stay because it is a very different situation. Cost isn't a factor just as with HD TV's it was not a factor. Give it some time and the price comes down as it always does. You don't need anything extra like 3D glasses etc.. so even if what you are watching is not 4K no harm, no foul. It will take almost forever for broadcasts to be in 4K however, getting 1080P isn't even feasible now. So like 3D you will need a 4K player or if you have the bandwidth online programming. And for online programming good luck as internet rates are on the rise as are caps and slow downs and it's going to get worse. (Unless congress deems it a utility - then who knows)

Bottom line - Give it a little time and all sets will be 4K. But because of limitations I don't see everyday programming to be 4K anytime soon, certainly not undiluted.
The only problem I have with your scenario is that the last great move to hd tv was the digital transition in 2010. The government put money and coupons out to help everyone become aware of the move to hd and digital broadcasts and put out $40.00 coupons out to pay for you to get a converter box if you needed it. I don't see this dysfunctional congress ever paying for another transition to 4k. There is simply no pressing reason for anyone buy a 4k tv. The prices are too great and there will be the same "the chicken and egg" thing we had before with broadcasters. They won't spend to put out programming that is in 4k without demand for it and the people won't buy 4k without there being any programming. This new push is another way for companies to make sales and I can assure you that if it ever takes hold and we do move to 4k , there will quickly be a move to 8k there after. Anything to make more sales. Besides there is little difference in pq to anyone between hd and 4k, unless you sit really close to the tv or you have a big enough screen to see the difference from normal sitting distance.
 
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Go to Tigerdirect or Best Buy websites and do a search for 4K. Probably not a name brand you'd want to actually buy for under $1000, but they do exist. Best Buy actually has quite a few Samsung and other big names around the $2,000 range. I've been surprised how quickly the prices on 4K are coming down to earth.

That is because no one is buying them at the outrageous high prices they debuted at. The only way I bought a 3-d/smart tv was when the Conn's department store was selling them at low give away prices in order to move their stock and they had no regular hd tvs in January a year and a half ago. The same thing will happen to 4k . They will have to move their backstock and so the prices will drop
 
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