Natural history fans in the U.S. will get an eyeful this weekend, as long as they’re hooked up to Dish Network — the provider is delivering Planet Earth II in UHD to customers using its superpowered Hopper 3 set-top box with a UHD TV. And to sweeten the deal, BBC America will be offered free to all Dish subscribers from February 14 through March 30, giving all of the service’s 4K-capable customers a chance to sample the footage.
Planet Earth II is being simulcast on BBC America, AMC and SundanceTV starting this Saturday, February 18, but Dish is establishing a dedicated 4K channel (540) to carry the series, which runs through March 25.
“We’ve heard our customers ask for more 4K content, so we’re making every effort to deliver this programming to households as its availability grows,” said Dish EVP and CTO Vivek Khemka in a prepared statement.
Clip from Planet Earth II
Planet Earth II debuted on BBC One last November, and was the first UHD series produced by the BBC. It became a bit of an Internet sensation when the clip above — a thrilling chase scene featuring hungry snakes going after a fleet-footed iguana — went viral.
Last year, Dish offered UHD coverage of the Olympic games on a one-day delay.
