ESPN's 4K HDR Rollout Reaches Google TV, but Early Users Report Playback Problems
ESPN's 4K HDR streams appear on Google TV, but users report choppy playback and HDR not triggering, Android Authority says.
The apparent Google TV expansion follows ESPN's initial 4K HDR rollout on iOS and Apple TV last month. ESPN had said more connected TV platforms would follow in the fall. The badges inside the ESPN app suggest the rollout has now reached another major living-room platform, though getting a badge and getting the picture quality ESPN promised may be two different things, according to Android Authority.
Early Google TV users described playback problems. In a recent Reddit thread cited by Android Authority, a TCL Google TV owner said an ESPN app update added 4K HDR labels to supported programming, but the TV never switched into HDR and the picture looked choppy rather than sharper. Another Android TV user reported similar poor playback, with frequent pauses during 4K events.
The complaints were not limited to Google TV. Users in the same discussion said ESPN's supported games still do not consistently trigger 4K HDR on Apple TV, where the rollout began in September. Roku appeared to fare better: one commenter said ESPN's streams automatically trigger HDR across multiple Roku devices.
ESPN's 4K HDR lineup covers Monday Night Football, NBA and NHL games, select college football and US Open tennis events, plus Super Bowl LXI. The company previously said more platforms would come online through the fall, making Google TV's apparent addition a welcome step, according to Android Authority.
The rollout also follows ESPN Unlimited's full integration into YouTube TV, giving eligible subscribers another way to watch ESPN content. For Google TV owners, the next task for ESPN is making the new 4K HDR badge consistently live up to its name, Android Authority reported.