Dolby Vision HDR has come to TV sports, but limited distribution means experiencing it won’t be easy.
Super Bowl LVII takes place on Sunday, February 12, when football fans will get to see the mighty Kansas City Chiefs take on the equally formidable Philadelphia Eagles. It promises to be a hair-raising match, one that over 100 million-plus viewers in the US will tune into on TV screens big and small.
The good news this year for owners of the best 4K TVs is that the game will be transmitted in 4K with Dolby Vision high dynamic range. Think of how incredible that will look – every detail, from the mesh of the players’ uniforms to the light reflected off their helmets should come through with vivid, startling clarity. But there’s a catch: only subscribers to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 cable service will be able to watch the game in the Dolby Vision HDR format.
According to Dolby, Comcast cable customers will need a compatible X1 cable box and, of course, a compatible TV to experience the Dolby Vision HDR goodness when watching Super Bowl LVII.
Those who don’t subscribe to Comcast cable won’t be completely shut out of experiencing the game in 4K and HDR, however. Apps like YouTube TV and fuboTV let you stream sports events normally seen via broadcast TV and cable. Many viewers will be watching the game that way on February 12, and Fox Sports, which has broadcast rights to Super Bowl LVII, will also be making the game available in 4K on its Fox Sports app – just not with Dolby Vision.
