Sky to bring 4K to international motor racing

New 4K TVs offer 4 times as much detail as your old HD television. But to get the best from them you need 4K content. Sky will show all 20 races of the 2017 international motor racing season in 4K Ultra HD (UHD) – starting in Australia on March 26 and running ‘til November in Brazil.

With months of 4K action stretching to the autumn, there’s never been a better time for sports fans to upgrade their TV to a new 4K model.

4K TVs and 4K content explained

Remember when HD TVs became popular and Sky Sports HD channels were launched? It works the same way with 4K UHD. 4K TVs can upscale HD broadcasts, but for the best experience you want to watch proper 4K content that’s either broadcast, shot or mastered in 4K.

With it you can expect a richly detailed picture with a greater sense of depth. Sky pundit Pat Symonds said with the races being in 4K UHD ‘it will be even more visually dramatic at every turn.’ Netflix, BT Sport Ultra HD, Amazon Instant Video and Sky all provide 4K UHD content.

What races will Sky be showing?

All 20 of them. Races will be shown on Sky’s dedicated motorsports channel with punditry from the likes of Martin Brundle and Damon Hill.

The race calendar

26 March: Australia - Exclusively live

9 April: China - Exclusively live

16 April: Bahrain – Live

30 April: Russia - Live

14 May: Spain - Exclusively live

28 May: Monaco - Live

11 June: Canada - Exclusively live

25 June: Azerbaijan - Live

9 July: Austria - Exclusively live

16 July: Great Britain - Live

30 July: Hungary - Exclusively live

27 August: Belgium - Live

3 September: Italy - Exclusively live

17 September: Singapore - Live

1 October: Malaysia - Live

8 October: Japan - Exclusively live

22 October: USA - Live

29 October: Mexico - Exclusively live

12 November: Brazil - Exclusively live

26 November: Abu Dhabi - Live

How to watch Sky in 4K

You’ll need a 4K TV and a particular Sky package. Sky Q launched last year, and you’ll need the Sky Q 2TB option to enjoy shows and sports in 4K Ultra HD.

Credit: Sky

What to look for in a 4K TV?

To get the best from your 4K motor racing experience you’ll want to buy the best TV you can afford. And with prices for 4K TVs falling, now’s a great time to get more for your money. 

Look out for…

• Large screen for a more immersive viewing experience – we recommend 55 to 60 inches

• HDR for more vibrant colours and better contrast between bright and dark scenes

• Local dimming for deeper black levels – what is local dimming? <link to: https://techtalk.currys.co.uk/tv-gaming/tv/what-is-local-dimming/>

• High refresh rate for keeping fast-moving sports blur-free