Believe it or not, it’s been 8 years since DIRECTV first rolled out 4K hardware and service. That’s an eternity in the world of technology. At the time, streaming couldn’t possibly match what DIRECTV was doing. But has that changed? Let’s take an honest look at the state of things here in 2023.
The hardware
The backbone of DIRECTV’s 4K is, of course, the C61K 4K Genie Client. This box hasn’t changed much on the outside since its release in 2015. However, the hardware continues to improve over time, and it’s still a real star. In 2018, the client software was completely overhauled with new menus and a new look. In the last few years, though, there’s been an even bigger change: The box no longer nags you when connected to an HD (non-4K) TV. At first, I didn’t recommend it for HD TVs because of the almost constant nag messages. Now, if you see a message at all, it will be every few months at most.
There will be some news in the world of DIRECTV, though, and I’ll call it the “worst kept secret” in DIRECTV land. DIRECTV will be rolling out a new client box which they will call the Gemini. It’s based on the exact same hardware as the DIRECTV Stream box but will operate as a DIRECTV client. The user experience will be the same as the C61K when watching DIRECTV. However, you’ll also have the option to run any app in the Google Play store designed for Google TV. That means Netflix, Hulu, etc. are all available on one box with one remote.
That box is only starting to roll out to the general public and there are some early reports of hiccups. We should have them at Solid Signal soon and I’ll do a full review.
The tech
DIRECTV’s 4K programming is currently encoded as MPEG4 H.265, which is similar to how many streaming apps do 4K. Some apps, like YouTube, use a more advanced codec which allows for better quality with less bandwidth. However, DIRECTV has plenty of 4K bandwidth on its satellites and there’s no need to change things like that out. The quality you can get with DIRECTV’s 4K equals or exceeds what you would get from a streaming app.
It’s worth pointing out that when you stream, you’re not guaranteed to get the best quality. In order to keep the programming coming smoothly, most apps will switch you to an HD stream (or even lower) if the internet is congested. DIRECTV 4K is always broadcast at the highest possible quality.
DIRECTV does support HDR and Dolby audio (including Atmos on select items), but doesn’t support Dolby Vision at this time on its programming. I admit that this is one area where they could improve, but personally I haven’t seen a lot of difference between DIRECTV HDR and Dolby Vision presented on other apps, when watching the same content.
The programming
Here’s where DIRECTV’s lead is still strong. DIRECTV has the only live 4K channels in the pay-TV world, period. There is simply nowhere else you can get live 4K content 24 hours a day. There are always a minimum of three 4K channels broadcasting on DIRECTV at any given time. If you’re looking for something to watch in 4K right now, DIRECTV has you covered.
It’s also worth pointing out that DIRECTV’s live 4K programming doesn’t take any of your internet bandwidth. If you’re struggling with several people trying to stream at once, it’s nice to know there’s an option where you can be watching 4K without any problems while everyone else is buffering.
Still need a 4K upgrade?
Here’s what you need to do. Shop at Solid Signal for everything you need, and don’t forget a high-speed HDMI cable. It really does make a difference. I didn’t believe it at first myself, but it does. That’s why I tell people to toss all the old cables they’ve been holding on to since the ’00s.
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