Sony's 4K video download service launched, with dozens of movies available to rent or buy, starting at $7.99
Image/Photo Credit: Sony
Sony has officially launched its 4K video download service, promising a steady stream of 4K content starting at $7.99 for a 24 hour rental.
The service, named Video Unlimited 4K, will offer 4K movies to rent or to buy, with available titles including Men in Black I and II, On the Waterfront, The Da Vinci Code, Moneyball and Looper and episodes of the hit TV show Breaking Bad. Early adopters of 4K can access the service via Sony's 4K Ultra HD Media Player, which retails for $699 and comes with a 2 TB hard-drive pre-loaded with 10 4K movies.
Sony says their 4K library will grow to more than 100 titles by the end of the year, including recent releases like This Is the End, After Earth and Elysium.
Some of the above listed titles can be rented with a 24 hour viewing window for $7.99, while others can be purchased for an one-time fee of $29.99. Purchased movies are enabled with UltraViolet support, allowing other devices to access non 4K versions of the films.
For the launch, Sony talked up their experience in working with 4K as well as the benefits of up to 4 times as many pixels as 1080p video.
"Sony Pictures has been working in 4K for several years. 4K mastering and restoration allows us to capture and convey more of the information from a film’s original 35 mm negative, while new 4K cameras like the F65 offer higher resolution and expanded color palettes to help us create ever-more immersive experiences for audiences in theaters and at home," said Chris Cookson, president of Sony Pictures Technologies.