Internet Companies like Direct TV (NASDAQ:DTV) Planning To Launch Their UHD 4K Services

On November 14, 2014, Direct TV (NASDAQ:DTV) became the first MVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) to start the delivery of High Definition video. The 4K UHD will be provided to Samsung owners who own a UHD TV or Direct TV’s DVR. The service, when launched, included 20 famous movies, including “Amistad,” “Forrest Gump” and “Star Trek”.

It is important to mention here that a high definition video requires 1920 × 1080 pixels; however, it can also accommodate lower pixels. The term 4K is used for screen resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels when used in a ratio of 16 to 9. However, the industry uses a standard of 4096 × 2160 at a 19 to 10 ratio. There will be a huge burden on the bandwidth in order to play the frames at a speed of 24 frames/ second. Not to mention that each frame will have 4096 × 2160 pixels. For a 4K video, usually a speed of 25 Mbps is preferable.

In other words, 4K UHD will not be inexpensive. The cheapest TVs come at $1,000. Those users who want to subscribe to UHD will have to pay much higher prices, for the internet and 4K services need to have some extra equipment attached to the TVs.

It is worth noting that Direct TV (NASDAQ:DTV) is not the only one who has introduced 4K services. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) introduced its 4K Ultra High Definition services in April 2014 at the time of the launch of its season 2 of ‘House of Cards.” Netflix plans on charging around $4 to its new subscribers and $3 to the existing ones until the month of August 2016.

Coming to the 4K services of Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE), the company streams high definition video by charging $8 to its subscribers for a period of 24 hours. In order to enjoy 4K video, the customers need to have a Sony TV of 2013 model with a high definition media player manufactured by Sony; both the equipment cost around $700. What is interesting is that the company also offers HD quality episodes of different seasons; meaning that the customers can get episodes of Breaking Bad for a price of $4 -11. They can also purchase movies at a rate of $30 to $35 per movie. The company has around 200 TV shows and movies available right now, which the customers can enjoy.

YouTube, an online streaming company owned by Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG), also provides 4K services to the customers, provided that the customers have a computer that supports the high definition video. However, the videos available in 4K are not unlimited; rather a few clips are there on the site.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) also plans to start UHD video on its Prime Instant Service for a total of $99 per year, with free shipping for 2 days. The company has not announced a date yet. Moreover, rumors have it that the content provide by Amazon will be limited. Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is also expected to launch its 4K services soon.