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Comcast to Ship HDR-Capable (But Not 4K) Set Top Box in July

Comcast this week stated that the company plans to begin shipping a new set top box in July that supports HDR, or high dynamic range. HDR helps display a greater range of brightness and luminosity, creating video content with richer colors, brighter whites, and darker blacks. According to Comcast this new "Xi5" set top box will begin shipping on July 4, and the company is considering selling the device at third-party retailers. Curiously the Xi5 supports HDR, but doesn't support 4K.

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For that, Comcast says it's working on the Xi6, which will launch sometime down the road.

While Netflix and DirecTV have embraced 4K, most cable operators have lagged in that area due to the high-bandwidth demands of ultra-high definition content. Netflix in particular has repeatedly stated that 4K and HDR content is one way it hopes to beat cable at its own game over the next several years.

According to Comcast, the Xi5 is being tested in Comcast employee homes now, and is set for wider deployment just as Comcast and NBC Universal begin broadcasting some of the Rio Summer Olympics in 4K and HDR in a few months.

Given that the set top won't support 4K, much of Comcast/NBC's coverage won't be in 4K or HDR, and many customers' home audio and televisions won't support either 4K or HDR -- this may wind up being a bit of a stunted, somewhat confusing initial foray into ultra high definition technologies for the cable giant.

And full 4K and HDR support at Comcast still seems some time away. Comcast EVP and chief technology officer Tony Werner says the Xi6 — again, capable of both 4K and HDR — should roll out within one year of the Xi5's launch. That said, companies like Comcast have some time to burn, since 4K/UHD set tops are only expected to see around a 23% overall market share this year.

Those early adopters are increasingly however being forced to find 4K/HDR content to watch on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon's Prime Video, using set top hardware like the Roku 4 -- or smart TV internals -- to watch it.

Most recommended from 24 comments


ILikeTech
join:2015-03-09

10 recommendations

ILikeTech

Member

Makes sense..

1080P with HDR vs. 4K with HDR will be such a minor difference in most circumstances yet the difference in bandwidth needs is quite dramatic.

If they decided to put out 1080P with HDR (and minimal compression) we would have a pretty amazing picture.

camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

6 recommendations

camper

Premium Member

Video HDR is not the same as Photo HDR

 
While I suspect that many or most of the gentle members of this community already know this, I'd like to say it out loud just to be sure...

The HDR monstrosity used in photography (i.e., taking multiple pictures at different exposures and overlaying them onto the final image) is quite different than the HDR used in video.

The HDR used in video truly yields a better picture as the contrast and color ranges are significantly extended.

Indeed, in the comparisons I've seen, I think the HDR is a very good incremental first step towards better video in the home. For most [of my] viewing, the difference between HDR and HD vs 4K and HD was more pronounced with HDR on more program material. There were areas where 4K steamrolled HDR, though.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

5 recommendations

telcodad

MVM

I'll take HDR over 4K any day

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For most people to notice the additional resolution of 4K/UHD over 1080p HD, the TV screen must be 55 inches or more in size and/or they must be sitting fairly close to it.

What actually makes the most difference with the latest 4K/UHD TV sets is their HDR capability.

It's the use of HDR that most likely makes these new 4K sets/programs look better, not just their increased resolution.

See:

CES 2016: 1080p With HDR Trumps UHD/4K
»www.allaboutcircuits.com ··· -uhd-4k/

Does 4K Resolution Matter?
»carltonbale.com/does-4k- ··· -matter/

Also see:

HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) TV TECHNOLOGY
Brighter, Bolder, More Realistic TV Images

»www.bestbuy.com/site/clp ··· 01738096

James3493254
@comcast.net

3 recommendations

James3493254

Anon

tech

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