Netflix has begun streaming video in 4K Ultra HD resolution in the UK, launching the service with House of Cards Season 2.
The video streaming service announced back in December that it would bring 4K streaming to the UK this year. To watch it, you'll need to have a new 4K TV with the required HEVC codec.
2014 4K TVs from LG, Samsung and Sony will have the necessary specification, and the latest Netflix app, allowing them to stream 4K content. You'll also of course need a pretty fast and solid broadband connection.
However, any thoughts that the Ultra HD floodgates would now burst open should be tempered.
A Netflix spokesman told What Hi-Fi?: "Initially, there will only be a few titles on Netflix available in Ultra HD.
"We will have House of Cards S2 as well as a few nature documentaries. We will add more titles over time, but it will be a slowly expanding offering."
'Slowly expanding offering' doesn't sound too promising, but clearly it remains very early days for Netflix 4K with compatible TVs only now coming to market.
Some pre-production Samsung TVs are now going out to journalists, with the HDTVTest site sharing screen grabs and first impressions of the service.
We saw Netflix 4K in action at CES at the start of the year, and were impressed with what we saw. We expect to get hold of a compatible TV review sample very soon so will be sure to check the Netflix 4K streaming performance.
Netflix has promised to invest $3bn on expanding TV and film content in 2014, and it's clear that 4K Ultra HD content plays a part in this. Quite how big a part, remains to be seen.
EYES ON: Netflix 4K review
MORE: 4K Ultra HD: news, reviews and everything you need to know
by Joe Cox
