This article was published on March 30, 2016

Would you pay $30 to stream a movie in 4K? Sony thinks so


Would you pay $30 to stream a movie in 4K? Sony thinks so

Sony is set to debut Ultra, its new streaming service, on April 4. But if you’re planning to binge-watch 4K movies on Ultra, you might want to prepare your wallet.

Sony has announced it will charge customers $30 a movie to stream in 4K on Ultra. According to Buzzfeed, its initial roster will include films like ‘The Walk,’ ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,’ and ‘Ghostbusters.’ About 40 to 50 movies will be available at launch, and once you pay the $30 fee, you can store it in Sony’s cloud storage solution UltraViolet.

$30, by the way, is about the cost of two movie tickets in large metropolitan areas like New York City – or two tickets and a popcorn in smaller parts of the country.

Ultra will be available on Android-compatible Sony 4K TVs. While the service will also offer TV shows, Sony has not yet disclosed how much an episode will cost. Considering the price for a movie, however, expect to spend a pretty penny for 4K and HDR streaming.

At launch, Ultra customers can stream four movies for free when they sign up, which seems like a bargain considering the fees – but if it doesn’t offer a lineup that’s more exclusive, the service may be doomed before it even launches.

 

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with