DirecTV To Tee Off Its Live 4K TV Channel During Masters Tournament

If you’re one of the early adopters who purchased a 4K or Ultra-HD TV, you’ve probably been watching a lot of streaming and on-demand videos while waiting for live TV broadcasts to finally begin taking advantage of all those extra pixels. Next month, DirecTV customers with 4K TVs will be able to watch some of the Masters pro tournament in all its green glory.

AT&T announced this morning that DirecTV will kick off its new DirecTV 4K channel next month with live coverage from Augusta National Golf Club’s “Amen Corner,” where players make the turn through holes 11, 12, and 13.

The new channel, which obviously requires a 4K TV and 4K-capable equipment from DirecTV, will be part of the DirecTV Ultimate and Premier tiers. It will cover all four rounds of the tournament, from April 7 through April 10, starting at around 10:30 a.m. ET each morning.

“Golf’s premier event deserves the best viewing experience that 4K UHD on DirecTV provides,” said Dan York, chief content officer, AT&T Entertainment Group. “Once you see it in 4K on DIRECTV, it’s going to be tough to see it any other way – unless you’re there in person.”

This won’t be the first time that DirecTV has attempted to usher in the “next-big-thing” in TV viewing. The satellite service previously offered live 3D content when every TV manufacturer began dumping TVs with 3D glasses onto the market. But channels like DirecTV’s 3net, and ESPN 3D, were subsequently shuttered because of lack of consumer interest and content.

However, 4K TV appears to be a question of “when,” not “if,” as it doesn’t require TV viewers to do anything other than watch TV with a sharper picture.

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