The World Cup final is here. And you can watch the whole thing in glorious Ultra HD. The game between France and Croatia, as with dozens of others through the tournament, is being broadcast by the BBC in Ultra HD, with the game also available in virtual reality if the mood takes you.
How to watch the World Cup in 4K or Ultra HD
The BBC is the only broadcaster showing games in UHD. When the World Cup final is about to kick-off, head to the iPlayer app on your connected TV and look for the UHD stream option.
There are only a limited number of spaces available – the BBC says “tens of thousands” – for each game. You’ll need a 40Mbit/s connection for the full 3,840 pixel Ultra HD stream and those on 20Mbit/s connections will be shown a 2,560 pixel stream. All footage will be in 50 frames per second. Both streams will be in HDR. Click here for a full list of compatible TVs. If you're looking for a new TV that's compatible, check out WIRED's guide to the best TVs for 4K.
ITV won’t be broadcasting any matches in UHD. And the BBC’s UHD trial is only available through the iPlayer app on compatible connected TVs. Anyone trying to tune in through a Sky, Virgin or BT TV box will only be able to watch matches in standard or high definition unless they have access to the iPlayer app through their TV box.
Things haven't gone completely smoothly with some people on social media complaining about the BBC's UHD streaming. Issues have involved colour quality, ability to access the streams through iPlayer and small delays. However, as it's one of the first major UHD broadcasts from the BBC, the corporation is gathering feedback and improving the process as it goes along.
If you're watching the World Cup in US, tuning into 4K and HDR streams of the games is a lot easier. The Fox Sports World Cup app is showing the all games in the standard, as is AT&T’s DirecTV service, Dish has all but eight of the matches live in 4K HDR and Xfinity X1 customers with Comcast can access 4K footage on-demand the day after each match.
What is 4K?: 4K refers to a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels. That’s four times the resolution of HD, which is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. At 4K resolution you get 8.3 million pixels. This is the resolution used by cinemas and films.
What is Ultra HD?: It’s almost exactly the same, which is where some TV marketing can become confusing. Ultra HD (UHD) actually refers to a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, slightly less than "cinema 4K", which is what you get on a widescreen, 16:9 ratio TV. So 4K is technically incorrect. But the distinction is pretty unimportant, which is why they're used interchangeably.
Read more: The stats that show how England could (almost) win the World Cup
How to watch the World Cup in virtual reality
During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, virtual reality wasn't really a thing. Fast-forwarded four years, and FIFA is starting to experiment with the technology.
In the UK, the BBC has launched its own VR app for the World Cup. If the mood takes you then you can watch the matches in your own private corporate box. All 33 of the matches the BBC is broadcasting are available in VR with highlights and match build-up also included.
The catchily-named BBC Sport VR - FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 app is available for Android (Lollipop or later), iOS (10 or later), Oculus and Samsung Gear VR. As well as giving you the best seats in the (virtual) stadium, you can also get a view from behind either one of the goals to get up-close to the action. Real-time stats and other match information are also displayed on-screen. Some highlights and other content will also be available in 360-degree video.
Sony is also getting in on the VR action. The company has added compatibility for BBC Sport's app on its VR hardware. Through the PlayStation VR headset it is possible to watch all the games the BBC is broadcasting in the 360 degree video format. As is standard with the BBC's app, it is only possible to use if you're in the UK.
The best World Cup podcasts
BBC World Cup Daily: The BBC’s team in Russia are producing daily podcast updates to get you behind-the-scenes of all the action. Expect interviews, analysis and debate with a natural bias towards covering all things England. Find it here.
The Football Ramble: Football analysis and debate for the more discerning sports fan with in-depth analysis of all the big talking points. The show is going almost daily throughout the whole tournament. Listen here.
The Totally Football Show with James Richardson: James Richardson and the team are doing daily shows throughout the World Cup. If you haven’t listened to the show before, there’s never been a better time. Tune in here.
The Guardian’s World Cup Football Daily: The normal weekly Guardian football podcast is (you guessed it) going daily during the World Cup. Each episode features a selection of Guardian columnists giving their view on events both on and off the pitch. It’s smart, occasionally funny and always insightful. Download and listen here.
We Came to Win: Gimlet’s excellent ten-episode podcast series explores the remarkable stories behind the greatest World Cup moments. From the complex genius of Diego Maradona to that David Beckham red card, each episode goes in-depth behind the brilliance and hubris of football’s greatest showcase. Find it here.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
