DirectTV Subscribers: Martinsville Spring Race Will Be Shot In 4K

ChexOrWrex

ChexOrWrex

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DIRECTV to Air First NASCAR Race In 4K

DIRECTV next month will air the first NASCAR race ever in 4K, the satcaster has disclosed at its web site.

The race, the Monster Energy Cup from Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, will take place April 2, starting at 2 p.m. ET. DIRECTV will air the 4K broadcast on its live 4K channel, channel 106.

https://tvanswerman.com/2017/03/08/directv-to-air-first-nascar-race-in-4k/
 
Time to go pick me up a new television set.
 
I don't know what '4K' is, but the site (tvanswerman_referenced in the original post appears to be a mouthpiece for Amazon. Every single article I checked there had at least four links to Amazon, and no links to anyone else.

This individual report may be accurate, but I wouldn't trust this site any farther than that.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
DIRECTV to Air First NASCAR Race In 4K

DIRECTV next month will air the first NASCAR race ever in 4K, the satcaster has disclosed at its web site.

The race, the Monster Energy Cup from Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, will take place April 2, starting at 2 p.m. ET. DIRECTV will air the 4K broadcast on its live 4K channel, channel 106.

https://tvanswerman.com/2017/03/08/directv-to-air-first-nascar-race-in-4k/
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I'm jealous of you DirecTV subscribers. Those of you that have the equipment will love the broadcast. I got to watch a lot of the Olympics in 4K this past summer on Dish Network and it was awesome. Basically HD on steroids.
 
We don't have either ( 4ktv or the 4k DTV equipment):(
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I don't know what '4K' is, but the site (tvanswerman_referenced in the original post appears to be a mouthpiece for Amazon. Every single article I checked there had at least four links to Amazon, and no links to anyone else.

This individual report may be accurate, but I wouldn't trust this site any farther than that.
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http://bfy.tw/1obr
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I don't know what '4K' is, but the site (tvanswerman_referenced in the original post appears to be a mouthpiece for Amazon. Every single article I checked there had at least four links to Amazon, and no links to anyone else.

This individual report may be accurate, but I wouldn't trust this site any farther than that.
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It's a small-time blogger trying to make a few bucks on Amazon affiliate sales. He links to a TV on Amazon, and if someone buys it from the link, he gets a few dollars in commission. It's not really inherently distrustful, as podcasts and radio shows are also rife with "sign up at blahblah.com using our special code", but it makes what he's doing more promotional.

4K is a higher picture resolution than current HD TV broadcasts. I have DirecTV but haven't bothered with a 4K television yet. They still can't make an LED TV that matches the actual picture quality of the last Panasonic plasmas from five years ago.
 
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OLED Tvs are what's up.

I'm waiting for them to become affordable to get one. I know nothing to do with the thread. LOL

But it's supposed to be better than LCD and LED 4Ks.
 
Reck said:
OLED Tvs are what's up.

I'm waiting for them to become affordable to get one. I know nothing to do with the thread. LOL

But it's supposed to be better than LCD and LED 4Ks.
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Yep. There is not an LED or LCD TV that can match the image quality and contrast of the better plasmas that were last decade's technology. But OLED is a different ball game, and will finally top those. The issue is price, which is finally creeping down toward the practical. I can still buy a gorgeous five year old Panasonic plasma that was in some rich dude's home theater for $600 when it was $4000 then and blows anything sold today away except for the OLEDs.
 
gnomesayin said:
Yep. There is not an LED or LCD TV that can match the image quality and contrast of the better plasmas that were last decade's technology. But OLED is a different ball game, and will finally top those. The issue is price, which is finally creeping down toward the practical. I can still buy a gorgeous five year old Panasonic plasma that was in some rich dude's home theater for $600 when it was $4000 then and blows anything sold today away except for the OLEDs.
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The plasmas ran too hot & had image sticking issues
 
I must not be the level of the television aficionado's that frequent this board but I've got to tell you, I love my 4K Samsung units that I have hanging on the walls in my home. The difference between 4K content and HD are as different as the switch from analog to digital a while back. While the content is currently lacking, what I do get a chance to see is great. I can't wait until this becomes the norm on a Sunday afternoon for the rest of of television subscribers out there. NASCAR in 4K is OK by me. :cool:
 
That would be awesome to see. But I have yet to pony up for the 4k programming as there aren't many choices to justify having it.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
The plasmas ran too hot & had image sticking issues
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Rick said:
That and the sudden death issues.
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I loved my Panasonic plasma. But it produced a lot of heat. I believe it used more electricity than the LEDs use also. But it died after only 5 years of use. As much as I loved the picture and thought nothing could compare, no way was I buying another 5 year TV.

I would loved to have bought an OLED replacement but the price was too high. I now have a Samsung LED and have completely forgotten what my plasma looked like. The colors on my set amaze me even after owning it over a year now. I customized the picture format to match what I was using on the plasma. Only exception was sharpness. The sharpness setting I was using on the plasma created shadows on the LED. That had to be tuned down. But the colors are absolutely beautiful to me.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
The plasmas ran too hot & had image sticking issues
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I have a Sharp plasma that's become the guest bedroom set. Now that the top, bottom, and left edges are displaying different content regularly instead of constantly showing tickers and updates, it's slowly losing the 'burn-in'. The majority of it still display a great image.
 
Pat said:
I loved my Panasonic plasma. But it produced a lot of heat. I believe it used more electricity than the LEDs use also. But it died after only 5 years of use. As much as I loved the picture and thought nothing could compare, no way was I buying another 5 year TV.

I would loved to have bought an OLED replacement but the price was too high. I now have a Samsung LED and have completely forgotten what my plasma looked like. The colors on my set amaze me even after owning it over a year now. I customized the picture format to match what I was using on the plasma. Only exception was sharpness. The sharpness setting I was using on the plasma created shadows on the LED. That had to be tuned down. But the colors are absolutely beautiful to me.
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I've had great success with Samsungs for the most part. Consumer Reports likes them too, regardless of the individual technology.
 
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I love DirecTV but it's getting too expensive. Don't know how much longer I will keep the service. My 2 year contract just ended last month. Don't have a 4k TV and don't plan on getting one until one of my current TVs stop working.
 
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Marcingak said:
I love DirecTV but it's getting too expensive. Don't know how much longer I will keep the service. My 2 year contract just ended last month. Don't have a 4k TV and don't plan on getting one until one of my current TVs stop working.
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Being Direct TV has been bought out by AT&T....... You just KNOW you are fixin' to get a royal screwin'......
 
Pat said:
I loved my Panasonic plasma. But it produced a lot of heat. I believe it used more electricity than the LEDs use also. But it died after only 5 years of use. As much as I loved the picture and thought nothing could compare, no way was I buying another 5 year TV.

I would loved to have bought an OLED replacement but the price was too high. I now have a Samsung LED and have completely forgotten what my plasma looked like. The colors on my set amaze me even after owning it over a year now. I customized the picture format to match what I was using on the plasma. Only exception was sharpness. The sharpness setting I was using on the plasma created shadows on the LED. That had to be tuned down. But the colors are absolutely beautiful to me.
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An informed post. That's unfortunate that your Panny died after five years. I have an ST30 from 2011 that's still kicking with no degradation, and an ST60 from 2013 that is without a doubt the best TV I've ever owned (I'm looking to score a used ZT60 at some point). I had to replace an earlier one that 'died', but that was because my (at the time) three year old son threw his football at the screen and cracked it. I also have a cheapy LG plasma from 2010 in a bedroom that I'm amazed is still working well.

I buy a lot of televisions. I run vacation rental properties, so I have about 25 TVs in service at any time. Most of them are LCDs and LEDs, and I've had those die too. It's a bit of a crapshoot.

Don't really understand the complaints about heat, unless a) it's causing problems for nearby components or b) you sit much closer to the screen than I would and can feel the heat. However, plasmas do use a lot more electricity, no doubt. There are a few real reasons plasma died and LCD / LED took over. One is the energy efficiency. Two is that the plasma sets were much heavier and more fragile to ship and store. Three is that most TVs are bought in brightly and poorly lit big box stores where the brightness of LCD looks better at first glance. For watching movies in a darkened environment or even sports with regular lighting, LCD has never and will never be able to match the black levels, contrast, and refresh rate of plasma.

For most situations, LED is more practical. I have Samsung and Sony LEDs that I'm quite impressed with generally. On pure image quality alone, it is not better technology. It is worse. OLED is superior though.

Anyway, enough TV geek talk from me...
 
Plasma TVs are great for watching at a distance (more than 10 feet away), gaming, and watching movies with a dark ambience...but LCD/LED are great for up-close viewing while watching normal TV shows and movies. I personally recommend plasma (Samsung) if you play video games and can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on an OLED TV.

However, nothing can top OLED and I highly recommend it if you can afford it
 
I don't recall every buying a new TV because of a new / improved picture technology. Usually the only reason I buy one is because the old one has deteriorated. This was more common for me back in the tube days. less so with flat-panel technologies. Thinking about it, I still have each of the four flat TVs I've owned, although the 13" from the garage went to the attic when the 19" from the guest bedroom became available.

Since I just purchased the Samsung last summer, it will probably be several years before I get another set.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Since I just purchased the Samsung last summer, it will probably be several years before I get another set.
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I've been slowly switching over to Samsung as the need or desire dictates. I've been happy with the purchases that I've made to date. I'm sure that all models do it these days but I like the ease on streaming from any device capable to my tv's. It's amazing how far technology has come. Who knows what's on down the road with these things?
 
Do any of you know a good T.V. Repairman????????? LOL.....


We are in a throwaway society now...... no one repairs anything..... be it T.V.s.... washer and dryers..... refrigerators or freezers...... just dump 'em and buy new......


T.V.s change so fast everyone just throws a good working one out to make room for the newest best model..... I can remember when I was kid...... we had a T.V. repairman...... Mr. Cothern..... about 2 times a year our old black and white T.V. quit..... me and my dad would haul it over to him...... about 15 miles...... I was always amazed..... his shop was packed with T.V.s..... we would pack it in...... he'd change a tube or a vibrator.... (yes.... you young guys might laugh.... but there were vibrators in them.... the same thing with the old 50's radios.... When I was young.. my dad was a farmer and.... I couldn't afford a new radio for the tractor so I scoured the area and acqired every radio out of every mid 50's Buick and Oldsmobile I could find..... I had a collection of tubes and vibrators and could change one in a heartbeat...... )......


Those days are gone...... repairing stuff I mean..... we now just get tired of it and throw it away while it's still working the best......

My dad and mom were born in 1906 and 1910 respectively....... lived thru the depression...... maybe that is why they never threw any thing away that still worked......
 
kymartin6 said:
Do any of you know a good T.V. Repairman????????? LOL.....


We are in a throwaway society now...... no one repairs anything..... be it T.V.s.... washer and dryers..... refrigerators or freezers...... just dump 'em and buy new......


T.V.s change so fast everyone just throws a good working one out to make room for the newest best model..... I can remember when I was kid...... we had a T.V. repairman...... Mr. Cothern..... about 2 times a year our old black and white T.V. quit..... me and my dad would haul it over to him...... about 15 miles...... I was always amazed..... his shop was packed with T.V.s..... we would pack it in...... he'd change a tube or a vibrator.... (yes.... you young guys might laugh.... but there were vibrators in them.... the same thing with the old 50's radios.... When I was young.. my dad was a farmer and.... I couldn't afford a new radio for the tractor so I scoured the area and acqired every radio out of every mid 50's Buick and Oldsmobile I could find..... I had a collection of tubes and vibrators and could change one in a heartbeat...... )......


Those days are gone...... repairing stuff I mean..... we now just get tired of it and throw it away while it's still working the best......

My dad and mom were born in 1906 and 1910 respectively....... lived thru the depression...... maybe that is why they never threw any thing away that still worked......
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Kind of comparing an apple to a potato, during those times, there was very good reasons to repair instead of replace, first , it was usually a lot cheaper to repair then buy new to replace, and the other was for such a long time, TV's ( will stick TV's for my post) there was nothing game changing outside of going from B&W to color for such a long time. The only thing worth buying new set most of the time was to get one with a bigger screen size.

Fast forward to the mid 2000's and the switch from SD to HD, then smart TVs, and so on and so fourth, technology is moving very these days, and if you want to be able to enjoy those new advancement's, you have to buy new TV's.

And at the same time, its no longer cost effective to repair , when the cost of new TV's are low enough that you could replace a broken TV with a brand new one for probably close to the same cost .
 
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There's also almost nothing to repair in there anymore. Older TVs had plenty of separate parts, especially all those tubes. Most of those repairs were figuring out which component was broken and replacing it. Now all those parts are reduced to a couple of circuit boards, and they're integrated into the screen itself. That's why it isn't cost effective to repair - when there's basically only one part in there, a repair part is effectively a new set anyway. You'd just be changing the bezel around the outside.

That's why so many things that used to be repaired are now replaced. For consumer products, it's not worth doing 'board level' repairs of the individual circuit boards.
 
kymartin6 said:
Do any of you know a good T.V. Repairman????????? LOL.....
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Not really. When my plasma went down I called Best Buy. I bought a small 32" LED to use while they tried to fix it. They attempted to fix it for 5 weeks. They didn't know what was wrong with it really. It was order a board, try it, didn't work, send that board back and order a different one. Finally got to the last board which cost as much as a new TV. I didn't have much faith that would be worth what I got out of it. So I stopped the 'repair' process. I hated the process but at least I didn't pay anything. I was charged $100 for the first visit which I got back with a $100 discount on a new set. I wasn't charged for any of the visits or boards ordered. Repair was definitely not worth the trouble though.

I had a microwave for 30 years before replacing it. It was repaired twice, once every 10 years the power supply would go. It was huge, weighed a ton and looked old. So I replaced it. I do not like the replacement as much as the old one but nothing I can do about that now.
 
Oh...... I agree with all of you folks.... it is much more cost efficient to just go buy a new one if something goes bad... I just think it's kinda' sad that the repairman we all used to have a lot of faith in has been pretty much made extinct. Kinda' like the mom and pop appliance stores, hardware stores and the businesses that used to line main street of most towns.... but....... like jws said....''That's change''....... I still try to do as much business as possible with the locally owned retailers even though it's more expensive .
 
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Charlie Spencer said:
There's also almost nothing to repair in there anymore. Older TVs had plenty of separate parts, especially all those tubes. Most of those repairs were figuring out which component was broken and replacing it. Now all those parts are reduced to a couple of circuit boards, and they're integrated into the screen itself. That's why it isn't cost effective to repair - when there's basically only one part in there, a repair part is effectively a new set anyway. You'd just be changing the bezel around the outside.

That's why so many things that used to be repaired are now replaced. For consumer products, it's not worth doing 'board level' repairs of the individual circuit boards.
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Yep, pretty much. It's that integration of all the components that makes the products cheaper to manufacture and cheaper to buy, but more expensive to repair.

I was bummed when I found out that it was going to cost more to replace cracked glass or a bad circuit board in a nice TV than simply buying a new one. Or replacing a probable bad fuse in a high quality A/V receiver.

Strangely this isn't necessarily true with phones and computers. I can pay $80-$120 for a screen replacement in a $500 phone. And I can switch out most of the components in a laptop easily myself. That feels more like it should be, but consumer electronics is a different story.
 
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I've always stuck with top brand tvs, but never really understood the difference between LED, LCD and plasma aside from the use of electricity. My one and only tv I own is a 42 inch Samsung plasma. I really enjoy the quality of it, but wouldnt mind a bigger screen. It was an upgrade from my 32 inch but now I'm wishing I had went bigger. Once it meets its end, I'll look into a 4k assuming they still arent crazy expensive.
 
Marcingak said:
I love DirecTV but it's getting too expensive. Don't know how much longer I will keep the service. My 2 year contract just ended last month. Don't have a 4k TV and don't plan on getting one until one of my current TVs stop working.
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When the contract expires, Tell them you are cancelling service and tell them to disconnect, Monday morning is probably best, and go cold turkey a few days.
Once they think you are goner they will offer a sweeter worthwhile deal. I dont think they will offer much until then..
I got a good two year fixed price this time, and I have flipped between Direct TV and Dish as well.
They are all about signing on new customers and cater to them first. There is very little leverage for current existing customers, at least, imo
 
Greg said:
When the contract expires, Tell them you are cancelling service and tell them to disconnect, Monday morning is probably best, and go cold turkey a few days.
Once they think you are goner they will offer a sweeter worthwhile deal. I dont think they will offer much until then..
I got a good two year fixed price this time, and I have flipped between Direct TV and Dish as well.
They are all about signing on new customers and cater to them first. There is very little leverage for current existing customers, at least, imo
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You are right on the money.......... as long as they have you hooked.... they wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire....... as soon as you leave.... it's a love fest all over again.......
 
Greg said:
When the contract expires, Tell them you are cancelling service and tell them to disconnect, Monday morning is probably best, and go cold turkey a few days.
Once they think you are goner they will offer a sweeter worthwhile deal. I dont think they will offer much until then..
I got a good two year fixed price this time, and I have flipped between Direct TV and Dish as well.
They are all about signing on new customers and cater to them first. There is very little leverage for current existing customers, at least, imo
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Thanks. Might give that a try once I'm ready. I have plenty of other providers to choose from if they don't bite. Dish, Optimum, FIOS, Sling, Vue.
 
Marcingak said:
Thanks. Might give that a try once I'm ready. I have plenty of other providers to choose from if they don't bite. Dish, Optimum, FIOS, Sling, Vue.
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This time I got FX1, FX2, NBC Sports, MavTV, +2017 NFL Ticket free for $60 a month, with a 2 year price lock.
 
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