Netflix confirms 4K App will launch in UK alongside US Service

World's favourite Internet TV Channel promises Ultra HD take-off for Springtime

by hodg100
Last month's CES saw plenty of manufacturer announcements for Netflix's upcoming 4K app.
The likes of LG, Sony, Panasonic and Samsung all confirmed their 2014 ranges of Ultra HD TVs. which are equipped with HEVC decoders, will carry the Netflix 4K app, thus making it almost the only show in town to actually view native content at a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution.

Whilst we certainly welcomed the news, especially since Netflix confirmed the new season of House of Cards was being filmed, and subsequently made available in Ultra HD resolution, we have to remember that CES 2014 was a show dedicated to the US market.

All too often we in the UK and Europe get the thin end of the content wedge which, admittedly, has much to do with the complexity of licensing deals but it's irksome, nonetheless.

We only have to look at the example of Sony's FMPX1 4K media player which is only sold in the US market and is not currently planned for launch anywhere outside that territory; nor is it even promised for anytime in the future.

"Later on we expect additional devices to have the capability"
Netflix confirms 4K App will launch in UK alongside US Service

So, with all that in mind, we reached out to Netflix to quiz them about their plans for their new 4K app and we're pleased to report that it will, indeed, be available to us in the UK as soon as the manufacturers get their compatible Smart 4K TVs to market.

In fact, a Netflix spokesman told us that the service will be available in all its covered territories simultaneously, provided the applicable hardware is present in the respective countries.
"We will be able to stream in Ultra HD 4K everywhere at the time TVs that support the format and have the correct hardware to decode Netflix Ultra HD 4K streams built in become available."
Netflix also confirmed that the 4K TV apps would initially be the only means by which the new service would be available, which is no great surprise considering there are no other devices, yet announced, that have confirmed support for HEVC decoding but they did say they expected additional devices with the capability would emerge.

We would speculate, that before too long, we'll see 4K media players from the likes of Roku and even the heavily rumoured new Apple TV box could support Ultra HD resolutions, so that's another potential candidate. Netflix seems unaware of Nanotech's 4K Media Player, which is promised to support HEVC decoding but that also has to be regarded as a possibility.

The spokesman said there were no current plans to add browser support for 4K, although the paucity of compatible PC hardware currently makes that something of a moot point.

So, roll on the Spring, the new set of TVs and House of Cards in glorious Ultra HD!
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