Netflix 4k videos

Netflix has quietly added a few 4K videos to its ever growing repository of on demand streaming videos as it prepares itself for a wider rollout of the Ultra HD service in the upcoming months.

The videos that have been added in 4K only seem to be test content. There have been a total of seven videos added to the catalog, one of which being entitled El Fuente: 24 MP, which provides an example of content shot in 4K at 24 frames per second.

Netflix has already added a Super HD option for 3rd Gen Apple TV in partnership with ISP’s, providing a direct connection to Netflix content servers to enabling users to stream super crisp images. It works by applying less compression than 1080p content receives, ultimately increasing the size of the stream.

Apple TV skin - retro

However, with the partnership with ISPs, it appears Netflix are in a position to facilitate 4K streaming and believe consumers have the bandwidth for it. Netflix wants to be one of the big suppliers of 4K next year, whether that be with it’s own produced content, or content from its licensing partners.

The main obstacle for distributing 4K was always the bandwidth available to consumers (the other being an expensive hardware), but with the success of Super HD and the partnership with ISPs, it seems Netflix are ready to make 4K content streaming a reality.