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Amazon Won't Charge Prime Members Extra for 4K Ultra HD Streaming

By Rachel Cericola

Still wondering what you can do with a 4K Ultra HD TV?

Netflix has already started streaming 4K content. Now, Amazon is getting ready to follow suit. However, unlike its streaming competitor, Amazon says it will not charge a premium for Prime members to view Ultra HD content on Prime Instant Video.

"We want to be the best entertainment destination for customers. We're confident that offering Ultra HD content, whether it's a TV series or a film, will help create the ultimate viewing experience and can't wait to start making it available this year," said Michael Paull, VP of Amazon Digital Video. "We've already announced that the Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE! concert will be available in the premium resolution as well as Amazon Original Series including Transparent, Alpha House and the upcoming Mozart in the Jungle series, and we're excited to unveil even more titles that Prime members and customers can watch in Ultra HD later this year and into next year. Amazon Prime members will have access to a great selection of Ultra HD content on Prime Instant Video at no additional cost."

AlphaHouse.jpg
Amazon's "Alpha House" will be one of the shows offered in 4K Ultra HD. Photo: Amazon Studios.

Netflix started streaming in 4K Ultra HD earlier this year. In addition to a 4K TV and a web connection speed of 25Mbps or higher, subscribers will need a special plan, which is $11.99 per month. That plan is $4 more than the typical Netflix streaming plan, but also allows for HD and Ultra HD on up to four screens at once.

Earlier this year, Amazon made an announcement that they would be bringing 4K content to streaming customers this year, with the help of Samsung, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, Discovery and others. A month before that, Amazon Studios made similar news, saying it planned to shoot all of its 2014 original series in 4K Ultra HD.

In case you haven't been paying attention, 4K can produce images like never before, with resolutions of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. That translates into 8.3 million pixels -- or four times the pixels of standard full HD.

Although the 4K Ultra HD premium will be free for Prime subscribers, Prime itself isn't free; it currently costs $99 per year. In addition to the 4K, Prime delivers thousands of movies and TV shows, unlimited streaming of music, a Kindle library, and free two-day shipping on millions of items.

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