Netflix's corporate communications manager Yann Lafargue
confirmed that certain programs will support HDR streaming now but was
cryptic about shows to come in the future. "We are indeed live with HDR.
It works with compatible TVs, both in HDR10 and Dolby Vision," Lafargue
told FlatPanelsHD. "We have season one of Marco Polo for now, but much more content should be available shortly, so stay tuned."
HDR improves picture quality by making blacks darker and
whites brighter, resulting in an image sharper and crisper than that of
regular HD. Netflix appears to be embracing HDR more than 4K at the
moment, although the company has been streaming some 4K content
since 2014. At that time, Netflix's 4K content was limited not only by
the number of shows available but also by the few TVs that could support the resolution.
Customers looking to watch shows in HDR will experience some
of this difficulty as well. Vizio and LG sell TVs that are Dolby
Vision-enabled, and other manufacturers sell TVs that are HDR10-ready
out of the box or can be easily updated to support the standard. Still,
you'll have to make sure your television is compatible to watch any
Netflix HDR show. According to some reports,
Netflix claims that every 4K television coming out in 2016 will be
either Dolby Vision or HDR10-ready, so anyone upgrading their TV in the
near future should be able to get the most out of HDR-enabled shows.
Also, in order to stream in HDR at all, it's been reported
that you'll need to have Netflix's 4K plan, which costs $12 per month.
Considering all of the factors of Netflix's first foray into HDR, it
will likely take a while for customers to jump on board with it.
However, it's an important step for Netflix—the company has said it sees
great potential in HDR streaming, and it's a feature competitor Amazon
already offers, as it started experimenting with HDR content last year.
Post a Comment