Does Spectrum Have 4K Television in USA? Here is How to Get 4K with Spectrum

If you are looking to take the step-up from the existing popular FHD 1080p viewing standard that is soon to go the way of the dinosaurs then you need to get 4K-ready.

Spectrum is one of the pioneers and top service providers in the USA, offering Internet, TV and Phone services.

When it comes to utilizing this high-resolution 4K viewing technology, many people ask the question “does Spectrum have 4k television in the U.S.A.?”

You bet it does but in a certain way which we’ll explain below.

In this article we are going to talk about 4k Ultra High Definition TV, the new standard for viewing that you really have to see to believe.

Then, we’ll explain the differences between Standard, High, and Ultra-High 4K so that you know exactly what we’re talking about and we’ll let you know the steps you need to take to start enjoying it yourself if you are a Spectrum customer.

High Definition is certainly dazzling but 4k is 4 times better.

What is 4K TV?

4k TV, also known as ‘Ultra High Definition’ is the successor of the currently popular FHD (1080p). Yes, we just called FHD boring but with 4k TV we feel that we have a valid argument.

Your HD display gives you 1080p resolution which amounts to about 2 million pixels being involved in delivering you a picture that is beautifully colored and crisp. Up until now, at least.

That’s because 4K Ultra HD has a little over 4 times the pixels. This means that you will have over 8 million pixels involved to deliver you crisp and ultra high resolution details.

What it breaks down to in resolution terms is that your  FHD has 1920 x 1080 pixels and your 4k Ultra HD has 3840 × 2160.

The contrast is nothing short of amazing and once you’ve seen the differences in color, shading, and clarity you’ll never want to go back to simply ‘HD’.

Comparing SD, HD, and 4K – What are the real differences?

In order to better understand the difference between these visual mediums it is best to compare them to in terms of pixel measurements you use all the time. Here is a quick breakdown:

• SD/Standard Definition – When you watch a show in 480p or 480i this is Standard Definition.
• HD/High Definition or FHD – Moving up to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p we are in the realm of High Definition, with 1080i and 1080p being considered ‘Full High Definition’
• 4k/Ultra High Definition – This is considered 2160p. 3840 x 2160 pixels, to be exact, with the motion projection industry standard being 4096 x 2160. This gives you an idea of how far home viewing technology has come with 4k.

Can you watch 4K TV via Spectrum cable connection?

When it comes to watching 4k on Spectrum, the current cable TV infrastructure does NOT support 4K viewing, with 4K content delivery currently being done through satellite or Internet. This is a limitation of the cable technology and not of Spectrum.

The maximum which you will be able to watch is going to be 1080 through Spectrum regular cable TV medium.

That said, getting your 4k content is still something that you can do, we are just going to need to use the streaming services TV of Spectrum to get around the cable limitations.

How can you watch 4K TV with Spectrum?

There are a few things which you will need in order to take full advantage of the 4k streaming content offerings which Spectrum has to provide. You will need the following:

• Spectrum Set-Top box or a DVR
• Apple TV 4th Generation or Apple TV 4k

With the proper equipment at hand then obtaining your 4k content is a breeze. You simply need to download Spectrum’s Apple TV app and through this Spectrum’s 4k content will be available to you through the Internet (i.e streaming).

You’ll have access to a number of live channels as well as On-Demand 4k content that will blow your mind with its clarity and color.

This is definitely the medium of the future, as you will soon see for yourself.

Spectrum HD and 4K content to keep you occupied

Spectrum has a number of packages to choose from, but to give you a sampling one option is called ‘Spectrum Select’ and gives you 125 channels.

ESPN, Animal Planet, and Discovery channel are 3 popular examples from the list but you also get Cartoon Network, BBC America, and more.

As far as HD content, this is done a little differently, since you will be streaming via your Apple TV and your Spectrum box or DVR.

Rather than a ‘channel’ limitation, you can stream HD content with your proper setup on an on-demand basis, meaning the only channel is the one you put together that is 100% yours.

Channels are fine when you don’t know what you want to watch but with Spectrum 4k, once you have decided you can then check if that content is streamable in 4k and you can enjoy it to the fullest.

Which providers offer 4K TV content?

Utilizing your Spectrum box and Apple TV setup means that you can take advantage of a number of 4k content options. Some providers of 4k content whom you may be familiar with are as follows:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Ultraflix
• Netflix
• VUDU
• Fandango
• YouTube

All you need to do is download the required apps to your Spectrum set and enter in your login credentials. After that, Spectrum is your centralized 4k entertainment hub.

You’ve probably already got subscriptions to most, if not all of these providers already, but you’ve been limited to 1080p. With Spectrum you can finally get what you really paid for.

You won’t believe the difference it makes.

Spectrum TV pricing

When it comes to selecting your Spectrum package to get started you’ve got a number of options to choose form.

One popular example is the Spectrum TV Select which comes with over 125 channels with HD content available, access to the Spectrum TV app, as well as access to thousands of on-demand titles you can simply select and enjoy.

This selection starts at 44.99 and lets you watch TV on a Samsung Smart TV, Apple TV, and lots of other gadgets which you have lying around the house. Best of all, no contract is required, because nobody gets tired of a good thing. You’ll be wanting your Spectrum TV for a long, long time.

There are a number of tiers in between, depending on your needs, but if you want to leap straight to the highest then for around $144.97 per month you can go with Spectrum’s Triple Play Gold Package.

This comes with over 200 HD channels as well as some heavy-hitters like HBO, MAX GO, Showtime, NFL Network, and more.

This also supports extras such as internet download speeds of 940 mbps, unlimited internet, and more, but you’ll want to check with your local authorized Spectrum provider in order to make sure that this package is going to be available with exactly the same features in your area.

We’re just giving you an example of what is currently out there so that you can know what you’re missing!

How much Internet speed do you need for 4K streaming?

Internet speed requirements are going to be very important when it comes to 4k streaming. Just downloading HD content eats up a lot of bandwidth, as you know, and 4k is 4 times as good as HD. So what does this mean for you in regards to streaming the content?

Well, first off, providers of 4k content out there have their own recommendations on the subject. Netflix, for instance, says that you will want to have 25 Mbps in order to ensure that you don’t suffer from skips, stops, or annoying lags. Amazon, on the other hand, only says that you need 15 Mbps. How do you decide what you will need?

It is possible that you might need to consider changing ISPs. If your current internet provider doesn’t have 25mbps, for instance, then this is important to know because you are going to be a bit limited in the HD regard.

Also, do they have a data cap? HD and 4k programming do take a lot of bandwidth and a data cap could stop your entertainment short.

Don’t let that happen. There is a very simple way to cut through all of the dross to ensure that you can enjoy your 4k content without and ‘fine print’ service interruptions from your provider.

Just call Spectrum and ask.

Spectrum support is there for you and can help to ensure that you’ve got the proper connectivity in order to maximize your enjoyment of your selected Spectrum packages.

So instead of wasting time in a crash-course on network tech, why not do the easy thing? Let Spectrum help and you’ll be enjoying your new, selected content in no time. Count on it!

To be on the safe site though, you will need at least 25 Mbps every time you start streaming a 4K movie, so if you want to have extra bandwidth for other Internet activities I would say that a 40-50 Mbps connection is required.

Some closing words

Now that you know exactly what 4k is and why it’s the new medium that everyone is just dying to see it’s up to you to take advantage.

Be sure to contact your local Spectrum representative or reseller and see what channel packages they have to offer. Once you’ve got your Spectrum box or DVR along with that Apple TV then you’ll have 4k content at your fingertips.

Fingertips with unique whirls and prints which, incidentally, you’d probably be able to see quite clearly if they were shown on your 4k TV!

We wish you the best and hope that you enjoy 4k, the new standard in what entertainment should look like.