Sony Ultra 4K And HDR Streaming Service Debuts April 4th
Sony first announced its Ultra 4K streaming service earlier this year, and we’re now learning that it will launch early next month — April 4th to be specific. However, this won’t be an all-you-can-eat buffet as you might expect with streaming 4K content from Amazon or Netflix. Instead, you’ll be purchasing titles at a hefty $30 each and will be given access to features like High Dynamic Range (HDR) and digital extras that are normally found only on physical discs.
Some of the initial titles available on Ultra include Ghostbusters, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Looper, Waterfront, Concussion and The Night Before.
“Ultra takes advantage of the latest industry innovations – 4K resolution, high dynamic range, a wider color spectrum, digital movie extras, and UltraViolet interoperability – so viewers get the most out of their televisions and their movie collections," said Sony Pictures Home Entertainment VP Jake Winett.
"Consumers are rapidly upgrading their living rooms to 4K, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's new ULTRA streaming service will provide a premium viewing experience to satisfy growing demand for 4K movies and television shows.”
You’ll need to keep in mind that — at least initially — Ultra will be exclusive to Sony’s own 4K TVs. And to sweeten the deal for loyal customers, those that purchase a Sony 4K Ultra HD TV during the summer will receive four free titles when signing up for Ultra. Sony has also confirmed that customers that have already purchased HD movies from the Sony Pictures Store will be able to upgrade to 4K quality via Ultra for a discounted price. Ultra will also tie into the Sony-backed UltraViolet service, so any movies that you’ve purchased there will migrate over to your brand new Ultra account.
It remains to be seen if Ultra will eventually make its way over to the PlayStation 4 so that customers will be able to stream movies to any 4K-capable TV. And even if the PlayStation 4 doesn’t receive support in the future, it’s almost a sure bet that the rumored 4K-ready “PlayStation 4.5” will support Ultra to showcase its graphics prowess.
