4K sets have been shipping for some time but up until now, the best readily accessible content was merely upconverted Blu-ray. To be fair, the upconversion looks pretty fantastic with many arguing that one of the best reasons to purchase a 4K TV is for the upconversion. Still, that’s not where the real depth of 4K lies in. Now it’s beginning to look more and more like 2016 will be the year where we finally get some UHD (A term I despise. Why can’t we just call it 4K?), including directly to our sets from DirecTV.

 the company currently has the ability to transmit up to 50 new UHD channels, and live sports transmissions are already being tested as part of next year’s rollout. DirecTV already has the hardware in place, and according to Goswitz, the company wants to get ahead of cable companies and provide viewers with 4K content they can’t get from their cable companies. 

“I think the belief that there are technology challenges is a bit of a misinformed myth,” he said. “I think technology throughout the entire ecosystem is ready. But I think content is king; the plane is ready to take off and there is no king on board.” 

More after the jump.

Alongside 4K sets, both TiVo (Bolt) and Roku have released 4K centric devices. Sony Pictures has also revealed their first 4K Blu-ray titles which will arrive early next year. Sony currently has no 4K Blu-ray players so expect that to change at CES 2016.

If DirecTV can deliver, the 4K landscape will suddenly change where content will be available via retailers, ‘cable providers’ like DirecTV and streaming services which include Netflix and Amazon Prime. It’s unclear what time frame DirecTV is targeting in 2016 but perhaps we’ll hear more at CES. One thing is clear, they’re looking to get this out ahead of your local cable provider which isn’t hard to imagine.

Though still a few years off, I can tell you that the prospects of World Cup 2018 get me excited in all kinds of ways. Add in a few shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a lineup from HBO and we’ll be talking, even if it’s a premium during the initial years.

Discuss:

Would you switch providers if one offered 4K over the other?

[Via Ars Technica]