4K TV was going to change everything, but the truth is that it has not had the impact that many expected. It is already strange not to have a UHD Smart TV at home, however, DTT is behind and not even all the channels are in HD, at least for now. And not only this, but the arrival of more channels in this resolution seems to have stalled.
To watch a 4K channel in Spain you have to pay, at least for now. You have to wait until February 15, 2024 to definitively see RTVE’s UHD channels. Among them, TVE UHD 1 and TVE UHD 2. But, until now, you can only find pay channels that broadcast content in 4K.
Only pay television operators can currently offer different channels in Ultra High Definition. In this case, more than 10 channels can be found. The problem is that the presence of this image quality for the rest of the channels, such as DTT, is still very far from becoming a reality.
4K paid channels
Today, it is much easier to watch a movie in 4K on streaming platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+… than to watch a 4K channel in Spain. And all because, to access these dials you have to pay for a TV rate from Orange, Movistar or Vodafone. And it is not always profitable, especially when the content of those particular channels does not convince you.
In any case, it must be taken into account that several years have passed since these operators began to bet on this image quality for TV channels. Hence, they also began to release their first UHD decoders. Not only for streaming platforms, but also for television channels.
The drawback of all this is that you can barely enjoy 12 pay channels in 4K spread across the TV platforms of these three operators. To give you an idea, here is the list of UHD channels that are broadcast through pay TV in Spain:
Movistar
- Movistar LaLigaTV UHD.
- Movistar Champions League UHD.
- Movistar Champions League 2 UHD.
- DAZN Formula 1 4K.
Vodafone
- Dehome 4K.
- 4K Kitchen Channel.
- 4K Odyssey.
- Slow Channel 4K.
Orange
- Movistar LaLiga UHD.
- Movistar Champions League UHD.
- 4K Kitchen Channel.
- Odyssey 4K (dial 53).
- All Flamenco 4K (dial 159).
- Eurosport 4K (for specific moments, such as important sporting events).
- Speed Factor 4K.
- Stingray Festival 4K.
In total there are 12 4K channels, which are repeated between various platforms. As is the case of Movistar LaLigaTV UHD, Canal Cocina or Odisea. Therefore, the options are quite limited for watching TV in 4K.
However, it must be taken into account that next year there will be two more channels on this list and free of charge for everyone who has a television that supports 4K: TVE UHD 1 and 2. However, they will not be available until February 2024. Until then, it is clear that UHD television has not met what many users expected at the time.
