While the introduction by Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) Monday of its much ballyhooed streaming service, Sling TV, commanded the bulk of attention, another significant product introduction got a little lost in the noise.
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Dish's 4K Joey, which integrates with its Hopper whole home system. (Source: Dish / Business Wire) |
Dish will also introduce to its customers later this month a 4K version of its Joey set-top that is compatible with any Ultra HD TV set.
The debut of a dedicated 4K DVR is a first for the pay-TV industry. Previously announced 4K services by DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) use legacy set-tops but require users to have newer model Samsung 4K TV sets.
The 4K Joey is compatible with all HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2-compliant televisions. And in addition to playing back 4K content, it provides enhancements to legacy HD viewing, such as side-by-side HD display of two programs. This picture-in-picture feature is not possible on legacy HD set-tops.
"It's a great feature for sports fans who want to watch two games at once," said Vivek Khemka, senior VP of product management for Dish, introducing the 4K Joey at a Monday morning press conference at CES in Las Vegas.
For more:
- read this Dish press release
Related links:
Dish unveils $20 per month OTT service called Sling TV
DirecTV, Netflix, Samsung, Warner Bros. among companies founding Ultra HD Alliance
Roku announces 4K plans, new CE partners
Comcast launches 4K service with NBC and USA shows