It's a tradition unlike any other, but evidently, traditions can look way better in 2016 than in years prior. In a move that can only be described as a miracle in the world of compression and encoding, AT&T has announced that it'll push the first-ever 4K broadcast in the U.S. over DirecTV with next month's Masters Tournament.
The year's most heralded golf event has been a popular spot for visual experimentation. DirecTV offered up six simultaneous views with its Masters Mix in 2011, and Comcast used the occasion to test out live 3D coverage in 2010.
High-res milestone
The move is significant on a couple of levels. For one, it's proof that backend engineering has progressed to a point where it's actually possible to broadcast a live event -- unequivocally the most difficult in television to wrangle -- at a resolution that would've been seen as impossible just a few years ago. Secondly, you could argue that live events are exactly the boost Ultra HD needs to prove itself as a must-have technology.
The greenest greens the world has ever seen will be shown on the newly formed DirecTV 4K Channel, which will be available on the carrier's Ultimate and Premiere packages. You'll need a 4K TV that'll handle a minimum of 60fps and DirecTV's latest Genie HD DVR (HR54). Oh, and a pocket of vacation time between April 7th and 10th certainly wouldn't hurt.
