Tis the season for consumers to pick up shiny new televisions as a part of their holiday shopping experience, including new “ultra high-definition” models with ludicrously high resolutions. Amazon plans to capitalize on the new screens by adding support for streaming content from its online video service at a resolution native to one of the new behemoths.
The company announced today that consumers with compatible displays will be able to stream content at a 4K resolution through Amazon Instant Video. The company’s entire catalog won’t be 4K compatible right off the bat, but people can watch any of the shows from Amazon Studios like “Alpha House,” “Transparent” and the forthcoming “Mozart in the Jungle” at ultra high-def resolution. Amazon’s 4K catalog also includes films from Sony Pictures Entertainment like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Moneyball.”
4K, so named because a screen that meets the standard must be at least 3,840 pixels wide, is an upgrade that TV manufacturers have made in an attempt to sell more screens to those who want a higher definition experience. So far, the high resolution displays are limited to a small number of very expensive sets. Further complicating matters is the sheer size of a 4K video file. Users need a serious Internet connection in order to keep up a consistent stream of a 4K video.
Thus far, users will only be able to watch the shows through the Amazon Instant Video app on compatible 4K smart TV sets from LG, Samsung and Sony, though it seems likely that Amazon will roll out support for 4K streaming to its Fire TV set-top box in the near future.
It’s good news for Amazon, since Netflix already offers 4K streaming on a wider variety of television sets. Both companies are still in the process of expanding their 4K catalog, however.
