Some viewers are chomping at the bit for more 4K. On Geekzone, one member bemoaned that the Fifa World Cup would screen pay-per-view on TVNZ+, where the video quality is lower.
“It would be fantastic to watch it on 4K,” they said.
(A TVNZ spokeswoman told the Herald this week: “We have no immediate plans to add 4K to TVNZ+, but our new TVNZ+ platform, launching in the coming months, means it’s a possibility for the future.”).
But AV enthusiast John Tester says the viewer experience is falling short of what it could be, because “high dynamic range” (HDR), a key companion technology, is not part of the package.
“Without HDR, it looks washed out and dull,” Tester says.
What is HDR?
HDR is a feature designed to show a greater range between the brightest and darkest parts of the image, the New York Times’ Wirecutter says.
With standard dynamic range, “you might have clouds in a bright sky that look like amorphous white blobs. With HDR, those white blobs have a fluffy, cloud-like texture, and they can look brighter, creating a more punchy and lifelike image”.
Like 4K, HDR is now a feature on almost every TV, even budget models. It has been since around 2018 (the Dolby Atmos situation is fuzzier, with some makes and models supporting rival spatial audio standards, and many won’t have a TV and audio system that can handle it, regardless).
Dolby Atmos AWOL
Tester, a now-retired tech enthusiast and Formula 1 fan who worked on mainframe computers and in video before joining the IRD, also bemoans the lack of support for Dolby Atmos, which provides “3D” spatial audio.
All of the multinational streaming services couple 4K with HDR and Dolby Atmos, if only on their most expensive plans.
And Tester noted that Sky TV in the UK (which no longer has any crossover ownership with Sky NZ) offers Formula One races in 4K UHD with HDR and Dolby Atmos.
He said Sky NZ did not offer the same full-blooded coverage to skimp on bandwidth costs.
“I’m not complaining, because I get what I pay for,” Tester says – a reference to Sky NZ offering 4K UHD at no extra cost. Sky UK charges an extra £6 ($14) per month for an “Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos” add-on.
“I just think the marketing’s a bit overhyped.”
Sky responds
“We do not include HDR on our 4K UHD broadcasts at this time,” a Sky spokeswoman said.
“This option adds additional complexity to our technical set-up so it was not included at the launch of our 4K UHD offering. We welcome customer feedback on this, as it may be an option for the future.”
She added, “Sport codes that offer their coverage in 4K UHD tend to offer both HD and UHD feeds, and the broadcaster then selects their feed of choice. We currently take the HD feed from Sky UK and broadcast it at the quality we receive it.
“We do intend to broadcast Formula 1 in 4K UHD next season, so look forward to sharing more on this in due course.”
While Sky didn’t support Dolby’s 3D spatial sound, it did support surround sound, the spokeswoman said.
“The audio on our sports coverage is typically broadcast in either Dolby 2.0 or Dolby 5.1, depending on what is available from the host broadcaster, as a package with the visuals.
“Both these audio options provide a great audience experience, with the multi-channel option, Dolby 5.1, typically used for premium sporting broadcasts such as the All Blacks.”
Postscript: My two cents – give us 4K for entertainment
It’s notable that in a multipage Geekzone thread discussing 4K, there are no complaints about the stability of Sky’s stream with live sports events – which was once such a bug-bear (and which remains a challenge as Netflix viewers discovered not so long ago with the streamer’s live coverage of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul bout).
Most of the chat was around how to locate Sky’s 4K content (which can be confusing when the same event is on more than one channel), how to tell when content is “upscaled” (that is tech smarts are used to insert extra pixels to make standard HD look more like 4K UHD) and which devices are supported (you’ll need the new Sky Box – the small white one or a Sky Pod, see Sky’s primer here).
Personally, when I’m watching live sport, I’m perfectly happy with standard high definition. My key desire is that the picture doesn’t judder or cut out – and HD rather than UHD increases the odds of a smooth, uninterrupted viewing experience.
Movies and mini-series are a different story. I’d love Neon and Sky’s HBO channel to offer 4K and HDR, which have been available on Netflix since 2013 and are now old hat on all of the multinational streamers as they mull a jump to 8K.
But it looks like I’m in for quite a wait.
“We don’t have a timeline for entertainment at this stage,” the Sky spokeswoman said.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.