Here’s how and where you can watch the best 4K content
If you recently bought a 4K Ultra HD television — or you’re thinking about scooping one up — you’ll find yourself on the hunt for the best 4K content to enjoy (and show off) in all of its sweet, eye-popping glory.
We have a classic mix of good and bad news for you. The good news is the 4K Ultra HD content pipeline has transitioned from a trickle to a steady flow, and in the next few years, it’s going to be more like a rushing river. The bad news is that, for now, some of these sources will be exclusive to certain TV brands or streaming devices, and content is still limited. There is also the factor of HDR (high-dynamic range), which offers greater color depth and epic contrast, but isn’t supported via every source. Still, most sources have opened up considerably since launch, making this a great time to consider going all-in on 4K Ultra HD.
To save you some hassle, we compiled all current and forthcoming major 4K Ultra HD content sources in one place, with details on pricing, popular titles, and when to expect more.
Streaming
Netflix
Cost: $14 per month for Premium plan, includes Ultra HD content.
Requirements: Recommended internet speed of 25 Mbps or higher; select 4K Ultra HD TVs from manufacturers including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, Vizio, Philips, and Hisense; or a compatible 4K Ultra HD TV connected to any of the recent 4K-capable Roku models, Amazon Fire TV, or Chromecast Ultra, among others.
Netflix, a constant innovator, was one of the first services to stream 4K Ultra HD content, which took flight with the second season of its original series House of Cards. Since then, content has been constantly growing — all of the service’s major original series are now being shot in 4K, and some in HDR, including its many Marvel series. Netflix is also continuously adding new 4K films and breathtaking nature docs to its library. You can check out our picks for the best movies and TV shows on Netflix (though not all will be in 4K or HDR).
Amazon Instant Video
Cost: Included with a $120 per year or $13 per month Prime Membership; select titles for rental start at $8, and titles for purchase range from $20 to $30.
Requirements: Select Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, and Panasonic 4K Ultra HD TVs, as well as compatible 4K Ultra HD TVs connected to 4K-capable Roku models, Nvidia Shield TV streamer, Apple TV 4K, and (of course) Amazon Fire TV streaming devices.
Amazon’s “free” service — which comes with a Prime subscription — launched with 4K Ultra HD versions of some of its original series like Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent and has since expanded to include most of its original series, as well as a high number of other television series and films. Amazon also streams many of its original series in HDR.
The service also has a rotating selection of 4K Ultra HD movies as part of its Prime collection, meaning the exact number of specific titles available will vary from month to month. As for the not-so-free selections, Amazon sells a number of 4K Ultra HD titles starting at around $20.
iTunes
Cost: Starting at $3 for rentals, $20 for purchases.
Requirements: Apple TV 4K ($180) connected to a 4K UHD TV.
Following the release of the Apple TV 4K, iTunes has begun adding a selection of 4K and HDR content to its store. These titles are available to purchase or rent. Finding content in the iTunes store is easy — icons will flag the content as 4K, HDR, and/or Dolby Vision (Dolby’s proprietary HDR format). One perk of iTunes is that the 4K versions of titles cost the same as the HD versions, which is drastically cheaper than most other services.
Vudu
Cost: $10 for rental, $20 to $30 for purchase.
Requirements: Recommended internet speed of 10 to 11 Mbps; Vizio, Roku, or LG 4K TVs, 4K-enabled Roku devices or Nvidia Shield TV device paired with compatible 4K Ultra HD TV.
Movie rental/downloading service Vudu has been quietly working its way into the 4K Ultra HD conversation. The service has slowly expanded its number of supported devices and is constantly adding more. Vudu’s library is continually updated with many of the latest UHD movie releases, and it’s now one of the better services for finding UHD films to show off your 4K TV’s capabilities.
YouTube
Cost: Free; $12/month for YouTube Premium subscription; $2 to $15 for film rentals/purchases.
Requirements: Recommended internet speed of 25 Mbps or higher; Ultra HD TVs with Android TV OS and select Samsung and LG TVs; or 4K-capable Roku models, Amazon Fire TV, Nvidia Shield TV, or Chromecast Ultra hooked up to a 4K TV. Keep in mind that the number of TVs that support YouTube’s brand of 4K is still in flux — just because there’s a YouTube app doesn’t mean it’ll be in 4K — so check with retailers before making a purchase.
YouTube’s 4K content uses the VP9 compression codec — as opposed to the more commonly used HEVC (H.265) codec — which helps the platform serve up high-quality 4K Ultra HD video at up to 60 frames per second. Thanks in large part to its massive army of video contributors and a barrage of 4K cameras now on the market, YouTube has quickly become one of the best sources for 4K Ultra HD content. You won’t find a big catalog of films or series, but those looking for some brilliant scenes to show off their TV’s mad 4K Ultra HD skills will find them here — everything from nature videos to high-flying stunts. And perhaps best of all, most of it is free — such as the popular HDR Channel. If you’re interested in an ad-free experience, a $12 monthly subscription to YouTube Premium (which is replacing the $10 per month YouTube Red) will remove ads and grant you access to several exclusive series.
UltraFlix
Cost: $1 to $10 per rental.
Requirements: Recommended minimum download speed of 10 Mbps or higher; app available on select Samsung, Hisense, Vizio, and Sony Bravia Ultra HD TVs, 4K-capable Roku models, Amazon Fire TV, or Nvidia Shield TV streaming box.
As the self-proclaimed host of the largest 4K Ultra HD library of streaming content available, Ultraflix hosts several hundreds of hours of 4K nature documentaries (including multiple titles originally created for IMAX), dozens of concerts, videos from musical acts, and hundreds of hours of sci-fi, action, comedy, and drama all for rental in 48-hour blocks.
Sony’s PlayStation Video (aka Video Unlimited)
Cost: Starting at $2 for TV episode rentals, $8 per movie for a 24-hour rental, and $15 to $35 for purchases.
Requirements: Sony Ultra HD TV, or 4K Ultra HD TV with HDCP 2.2 copyright protection and a PlayStation 4 Pro for 4K Ultra HD playback (though other Sony devices are supported, they do not have 4K playback), or a Sony FMP-X10 4K Ultra HD media player ($500 to 700).
Sony blazed the trail with 4K content and since the megacorporation is able to handle the programming from acorn to oak, it offers more sheer volume than any other marquee service. Sony’s video on demand (VOD) service allows the purchase and rental of around 200 movies and TV shows. Movies typically take up around 40GB of space, and though renting will save a lot of room, many titles are only available for purchase. Frankly, streaming 4K from other services is a much more convenient option. On the other hand, downloading will result in slightly higher video quality.
While Sony’s FMP-X10 media player is no longer proprietary, reviews for the device have been less than kind and it’s getting a little long in the tooth. Luckily, the 4K-enabled PlayStation 4 Pro console supports 4K media playback, and has access to the PlayStation Video store, allowing you to game and watch movies and TV shows in 4K.
Sony’s Ultra streaming service
Cost: $30 per movie purchase, rentals are $8 for 48 hours when available.
Requirements: Select Sony Bravia 4K Ultra HD TVs powered by Google’s Android TV OS.
At first glance, Sony’s exclusive streaming service, Ultra, looks a lot like the company’s other 4K Ultra HD service described above. However, there are some major differences. First of all, Ultra is a streaming service as opposed to a downloading service, meaning your purchased movies will live in the cloud, not on your device. That has its advantages considering how large 4K titles are (around 40GBs or more). However, to use Ultra, you need to stick with a newer Sony TV. Sony announced it would also make Ultra available for PC streaming on machines running Intel’s seventh-generation chip sometime in 2017, but we have yet to confirm the support has launched.
Another important distinction between Ultra and Playstation Video is that, until recently, Ultra titles were only available for purchase, though the service has since opened for rentals. Many titles support HDR, but selections are effectively limited to Sony Pictures movies and TV shows. Sony films on your UltraViolet catalog can also be streamed on Ultra, and Sony will even let users upgrade Sony UltraViolet titles to 4K “for a special discounted price.” But frankly, you will be hard-pressed to find virtually anyone using Ultra, as its many restrictions make it one of the least enticing services on the list, and one of the least battle-tested.
FandangoNow
Cost: Rental start at $5 (varies by title) and $20 to $25 for purchase.
Requirements: Recommended minimum 10 Mbps download speeds; select Ultra HD TVs, PC, or 4K-capable Roku models hooked up to 4K Ultra HD TV.
This service was originally known has M-Go, before Fandango purchased and rebranded it. The service offers 4K UHD movies for either purchase or rental, as well as a hearty selection of films that are also offered with HDR. Unlike some other services, FandangoNow has a list on its website that makes it easy to see which movies are available with HDR, and what is only available in standard 4K.
Google Play Movies and TV
Cost: $5 rentals, $20 to $30 for purchase.
Requirements: 20 Mbps internet connection; Chromecast Ultra, Nvidia Shield, or 4K-capable Roku model connected to a 4K TV, among other Google devices.
Google has its own 4K streaming device, the Chromecast Ultra. While the device will support some of the previously mentioned services out of the box, the Google Play Store has a selection of 4K movies available for rental or purchase. This service isn’t just relegated to the Chromecast Ultra, however. Any 4K capable device that supports Google Play — such as the Roku Ultra or Nvidia Shield — can access these movies via the Google Play app.
FuboTV
Cost: $45 to $50 per month.
Requirements: Chromecast or FireTV (Roku and Apple TV support coming soon). 30 Mbps internet speed recommended.
In July 2018, FuboTV became the first live TV streaming service to offer programming in 4K with HDR. For the time being, the content offered is extremely limited, as the only programming to make use of the increased visual fidelity at launch were 2018 World Cup matches. Still, this means that the service is equipped to show both Fox and FS1 in 4K with HDR10, so if nothing else, expect to see more live sports making use of these technologies moving forward.
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