With the move to 4K televisions slowly coming about, it’s clear that the only way super high resolution panels are going to move is to get the content out there first. Netflix already offers 4K streaming to those that have TVs and panels capable of taking advantage of it and now Amazon is also jumping onto the bandwagon.
Coming as a free extra feature to users who already subscribe to Amazon Prime and get the Amazon Instant Video streaming service as a result, the 4K content on offer includes a handful of TV shows and movies out of the gate with others set to follow suit now that the service is up and running. Fans of TV shows Alpha house, Transparent and Orphan Black will be pleased to hear that their favorites already sport the extra pixels. Movie-wise, The Amazing Spider-Man series as well as the somewhat less exciting Hitch are already streaming in 4K.
There’s a downside to all this lovely 4K goodness though, and that’s the fact that in order to take advantage of it you’ll need to have the right TV in your living room. With only compatible Ultra HD smart TVs set to work with the new, improved Amazon service the potential customer base is already substantially smaller than it probably could be. We would hope that the restriction will be lifted in time though, with anyone who has access to the service being able to get all those lovely pixels should they so wish.
Whether any of this is going to make anyone rush out to buy a new TV, we’re not really sure. The move to 4K is already proving less compelling than the switch from standard definition to HD, no matter how it gets to our screens. The likes of Amazon and Netflix making it relatively easy to get content in the first place can only help though, and we just hope that people have a good enough broadband connection to do 4K justice.
And unfortunately, there’s just not guarantee that’s the case.
(Source: Amazon)
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