Ready for a 4K smart TV or an Apple iMac Retina 5K? So is Amazon Instant Video.
If you are a subscriber of Amazon Instant Video, and own a 4K TV or an iMac Retina 5K, you are in for a treat: Several movies and shows on the streaming service have been upgraded to 4K resolution, leapfrogging over Netflix, still restricting its 4K offerings due to costs associated with providing such high resolution.
As smart TVs get larger and 4K resolution becomes increasingly popular, streaming services like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu must plan accordingly, for a future of exponentially higher bandwidths.
Amazon Instant Video’s current 4K TV offerings include “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street”, “Alpha House” and “Transparent”, as promised since last year, with plans for more shows to be added into the new year, like “Mozart in the Jungle”, “Bosch”, “Hand of God” and “The After and Red Oaks”.
Among the movies available 4K, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Funny Girl”, “Hitch” and “Philadelphia”, are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Among the growing list of movies in 4K, several can be purchased for $20, which is a bargain, considering the Vudu’s HDX movies are available for a few dollars less, at 1080p. 4K resolution, also known as Ultra-HD pushes the bar much higher, up to 3840 by 2160, in a 16:9 ratio.
Last April, Netflix surprised everyone by featuring exclusive streaming of “House of Cards”, along with a selection of nature documentaries in Ultra HD. Amazon’s latest push into 4K did cause Amazon Instant Video subscription to increase, as well as Netflix, hiking the original $9 per month up to $12. Amazon’s price hike is not significant, due to Amazon diverse business model, which might result in a slightly bigger market share, as more Ultra-HD capable displays make their way to the consumer.
Streaming Ultra HD from Mac devices
According to this support page, Mac users will be able to control 4K external displays easily, from devices running at least OS X Mavericks v10.9.3:
- MacBook Pro (Retina, Late 2013 and later)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2013 and later)
- Mac mini (Late 2014)