Netflix announced that 4K HD streaming of the second season of its original series House of Cards and some nature documentaries is now available.
According to a report from Multichannel, Netflix 4K “access is limited to TVs with Netflix and HEVC/H.265 decoding capabilities built in,” with a streaming bitrate of 15.6Mbps.
This implies that Netflix’s 4K streams are viewable on most of the major-brand 4K sets announced at CES. Select models from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio will be compatible.
“It’s available everywhere Netflix is available and the first TV sets are hitting reviewer’s desks and store shelves now,” a Netflix spokesperson said.
A 4K stream refers to content that has a horizontal resolution of over 4,000 pixels, which is roughly twice that of 1,080p, the current high-end HD format.
“Streaming in Ultra HD 4K will simply work after you plug in the TV and connect it to a strong broadband connection, it is part of your Netflix subscription,” the spokesperson added.
Late last year, Netflix revealed plans of 4K streaming and began testing 4K Ultra HD clips. During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings promised their initial 4K offering would be ready this spring. Other than House of Cards, Hastings said Breaking Bad and a few other Netflix originals would eventually be offered in 4K.
Netflix also revealed that it is planning to offer additional content later this year, including content from other vendors as well.
