DIRECTV STREAM (formerly known as AT&T TV and AT&T TV Now) is a live TV streaming service that uses an internet connection to deliver television programming. As streaming continues to gain traction, people ask if DirecTV Stream is providing 4K ultra HD streaming to match other services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. In this guide, we will discuss details of the current resolution and formats that DirecTV Stream supports.
What is 4K?
Now that we know what DirecTV Stream provides, let’s briefly discuss what 4K, also called Ultra HD or UHD, is. On the screen, 4K stands for the horizontal resolution.
Standard HD is 1920 x 1080 pixels, while 4K is twice as many in both the horizontal and the vertical axis, or 3840 x 2160 pixels. This results in a much better definition or resolution in addition to other details of the image. 4K content usually offers a larger gamut which means that colors will be more vivid and true to life on the device that supports it.
In addition to more pixels, 4K content can have other specifications like:
- HDR for the high range of light and contrast.
- Wider color gamut with more choices of colors
- Greater frame rates up to 120fps for better motion in video
- 3D audio for an even better sound experience.
4K support is recommended to fully enjoy the content, and this requires a UHD 4K display or television and devices that can decode and output 4K video streams. However, in applications where the screen resolution is 1080p, these extra pixels can help to enhance the picture quality.
Is DirecTV Stream Available in 4K?
The Answer
To answer the question in short – no, at the present moment, DirecTV Stream does not have any 4K ultra HD content or any live streams.
As of now, DirecTV Stream tops out at 1080p for both the on-demand content and their live TV streams. This means that you will not be able to have a higher resolution than full HD.
It also lacks specific information related to its video support such as HDR, wide color gamut, or other enhancements that come with 4K.
Luckily, 1080p is still very good, especially for a streaming service, and here it means that the picture will look good on most of the screens. Most of the networks that are available on DirecTV do not stream beyond 720p or 1080i through cable/satellite links.
However, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Hulu + Live TV have started streaming 4K channels and content. So it is somewhat surprising that DirecTV has not adopted it yet – but it might still be included in future revisions.
Future 4K Support
DirecTV's 4K Situation
Perhaps you remember that DirecTV, the satellite TV service that is a subsidiary of AT&T, has had 4K channels and video-on-demand available for some time.
Well then, why did none of the 4K make it to their streaming platform?
Some of it can probably be attributed to technical difficulties. This is because streaming 4K video demands much higher speed internet and better compression. So adding 4K would increase the bandwidth and the hardware requirements for their streaming service exponentially.
Still, since AT&T also owns most of the underlying internet infrastructure, they are in a far better position than most to make 4K streaming work.
With more people cutting the cord from traditional pay-TV platforms and shifting to streaming services, 4K and other advanced formats will be important for DirecTV Stream in terms of offering comparable features. This was especially the case as expanding and improving their platform with 4K would attract more subscribers.
Thus, although there are no 4K capabilities in DirecTV Stream at the moment, I believe the company will soon align with competitors and integrate 4K streaming. Hopefully in 2023 if not earlier then definitely in 2024 at the earliest!
Conclusion
DirecTV Stream has good channel selection and on-demand content but it is not at 4K which puts it at a disadvantage to some streaming competitors. However, you are only allowed 1080 HD without any enhancements such as HDR for now.
However, with owners AT&T having the facilities, funding, and 4K capable content alongside satellite DirecTV – moving to 4K appears to be inevitable. With video streaming quality improving across all platforms, DirecTV Stream will require 4K as a differentiator so that customers can continue to flock to their services in the future.
So, make sure to stay tuned for any 4K-related news regarding DirecTV Stream! That being said, it should come as no surprise that 4K streaming is not far off, as some of the fundamentals are probably already in place.
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