Can Netflix really make UltraHD a reality in 2014? The technology is there. The infrastructure may not be. Don’t even get started thinking of what the ISPs will think when people are trying to stream these monstrous files.
Ask anyone what the largest issue facing 4K video is, and you’ll likely be told that it’s distribution; bringing the massive files — with four times the resolution of a 1080p video — to viewers’ homes is an incredible challenge. Nevertheless, Netflix believes it will be able stream Ultra HD 4K videos to customers by next year, and it’s already testing the feature, according to Gigaom. In fact, you can watch Netflix’s test footage now, as a number of 4K “movies” have hit the service for internal checks on 4K performance. It’s worth noting that the movies are all made up of test footage, and 4K quality isn’t an option yet for subscribers.
