The news that we (pretty much) told you last year is now done and dusted. HBO Max is coming to the UK, and it’ll be wrapped up into a nice shiny bow for Sky customers as part of its Ultimate TV subscription when it goes live in March.
This is a boon for Sky customers (new and existing), as it keeps hold of the Warner Bros. content that’s not just legendary but become synonymous with Sky for decades now.
Its partnership with Warners brought the likes of Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Entourage (remember that?) and Girls to the UK, and this new deal makes it easier for Sky customers to access that content in one place.
But, and there always is a but with me, I do have an issue.
Why can’t we have it all in 4K as standard?
Ultimate TV subscription in name only
I expect, at the very least, that when you call a subscription ‘Ultimate’, you’re getting all the bells and whistles that come with it. The (new) Ultimate TV sub, will have Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Sky’s own content all included as standard, but read the small print, and the versions of these services and apps that you get come with ads, and, they’re only available in HD.
I can’t help feel a little disappointed that watching on my 4K TV, it’s actually having to upscale this legion of content because 4K and HDR (and Atmos) are an optional extra.
This is not strictly Sky’s fault, though it does play into the issue by offering an optional UHD/Atmos pack that you have to buy to unlock access to 4K HDR content. Streaming services themselves have secreted away all their 4K goodness to their premium tiers, in the hopes that you’ll pay more money for higher quality.
Except it doesn’t feel like people are doing that.
After an initial explosion of 4K live broadcasts, it’s mostly been watered down to HD HDR. The last Euros were shown in just HDR, and I honestly can’t remember the last time the BBC showed the FA Cup Final in anything but HD – it feels like it was aeons ago now.
This is partly down to the expense of broadcasting in 4K HDR (especially live), but also that viewers didn’t seem to be watching in 4K either, preferring to catch the action on their mobile devices instead.
To get HBO Max, Netflix, and Disney+ in 4K HDR; you’ll have to pay more, which makes the Ultimate TV subscription, which initially looks like a steal, a little less appetising if you want the best quality in your home.
I’ve always advocated for streamers and broadcasters to bring 4K to more people by making it the standard. Instead, we’re still locked into HD, which has been around for 20 years now. I think it’s time to give up the ghost, stop trying to entice people to pay extra for 4K and give them the best experience from the outset.
I doubt that Sky would love my thoughts on it, but the word Ultimate implies an experience that you’re getting the best. You are in a way, but it comes with a caveat. I do wish that barrier to 4K was taken down, not just with Sky but with every streaming service. Though many are embracing the streaming future, it still feels like we’re locked in the past.
