Netflix confirmed on Sunday that the second season of the Emmy-winning series House of Cards, along with select documentaries, are now available for streaming in 4K/Ultra HD.
The UK website, HDTV Test, reviewed the new development and concluded with mixed results. In certain scenes, they illustrated that there was only a slight difference between both HD options, however, upon screen change their sentiments changed. They described that the distinction between 1080 HD and 2160 HD relied greatly on the vividness of the scene itself. “To our eyes, the [2160 HD] layer did not look visibly more detailed than the [1080 HD] one in this fairly dark scene,” stated HDTV Test. “Where the 4K version did shine was with bright, colorful scenes.”
The review site continued by explaining how overall the picture quality in the 4K format is in fact much sharper in scenes that were more vibrant and colorful. “Every time the video stream switched from [1080p HD] to [2160 HD], it’s as if a veil had been lifted from the front of the screen, bringing objects – even faraway ones in long shots – into breathtaking clarity.”
For now, the Ultra HD streaming will only be available for 2014 4K televisions that support the H.265/HEVC decoder. “It’s available everywhere Netflix is available and the first TV sets are hitting reviewer’s desks and store shelves now,” said Netflix spokesman Joris Evers to Multichannel.
Plans for more 4K streaming apps are underway, with companies like Amazon, Comcast/Xfinity, and DirecTV all planning to join the advancement of 2160 HD streaming.
