Larger and sharper TVs at home, but EK in highest image quality often still unattainable

However, many owners of a 4K device will ‘just’ watch the tournament in the lower full HD quality. Although the European Championship is broadcast in 4K resolution at the NPO, the public broadcaster expects the sharper signal to only reach about 500,000 to 1 million households.

There are quite a few barriers that TV viewers have to cross in order to see the football tournament in the highest quality. For example, the TV provider must pass on the 4K signal. That is certainly the case with KPN, Vodafone-Ziggo and Canal Digitaal and with smaller local players: TriNed, SK Veendam, SK Pijnacker, Kabeltex, Breedband Helmond, Open Fiber and Jonaz.

T-Mobile Thuis and Youfone are not participating and NLZiet and NPO Plus also do not transmit a 4K image. NLZiet did not get it technically in time, T-Mobile says that its decoders are not suitable for the technology.

More expensive subscription

A subscription with a provider that does pass on the signal is not yet a guarantee to watch the European Championship in 4K. For example, customers of KPN and Vodafone-Ziggo must have a decoder that can process the 4K channel and that is only offered with the more expensive subscriptions. Customers with a complete subscription or start subscription must increase their subscription to be able to see images in 4K.

Viewers must also have good cabling at home, as mentioned a 4K TV and then, if they are tuned to the NPO 1 UHD channel, they can watch football in an image quality that is four times sharper than HD TV.

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