Steaming/receiving 4k content...?
Discussion
Hi all, some 4k/UHD/streaming help please.
Treated ourselves to a Panasonic TX55CX680B from Richer Sounds in the post Christmas sales and have been struggling to get my head around getting 4k content to stream to the TV. Set up is this the following:
- PS4, used predominantly for all the media sources; Netflix (I've upgraded to the Ultra HD package), Amazon Prime, YouTube, Blu Ray films and gaming
- HDMI from the PS4 into a Yamaha soundbar amp/sib combo. It's about 3 years old and I would expect *not* HDMI 2.0/a HCDP 2.2 compliant
- HDMI from the sounder amp into the TV and so therefore the TV to only have a single HDMI into it for all the media sources and so really it's serving as a panel. Not even sound really
- All HDMIs are nothing special and it wouldn't surprise me if they also were not HDMI 2.0 compliant. (though my understanding/research is that this only affects frame rate and therefore not an immediate issue?
- Currently in the middle on upgrading to fibre optic with an estimated 30mbps - 40mbps (yet to be proved) from the current meagre 4mbps - 7mbps
So the problem is this. When I boot up Netflix or Amazon Prime *using the PS4*, I see no banners showing 'Ultra HD/4K' on the content as I should. Playing these therefore show as 1080P on the display. When I connected the TV to the wireless network last night (don't currently have a LAN cable that's long enough), the same content on Netflix/Amazon via the in built apps do show UHD/4K. Which makes me think that the inbuilt apps are different somehow to the one ones installed on the PS4? I've checked and the PS4 is telling me that the versions of Netflix and Amazon Prime are the latest versions?! But I remember when researching that Sony said that the PS4 supports UHD/4K streaming but not games?
The questions that are bouncing around in my head are:
1 - Is it the bandwidth - or specifically lack of - somehow stopping UHD/4K content from being accessible from the PS4? Don't sound like it as it streamed ok wirelessly direct to the TV
2 - You can only stream UHD/4K content using specific devices and/or inbuilt apps. If so, when when/why is this happening to the PS4?
3 - Will replacing all the HDMIs with 2.0 compliant ones help? I don't think this would help at this stage?
4 - Could it be anything else that you can think of that I can't?
Ultimately the fix is to run a LAN to the TV and stream on demand programmes from that and keep the PS4 for games until UHD BR hit the market, but it's just frustrating that I've encountered this problem as the intention was to always run everything from one media device to keep things simple.
Any help/experience appreciated.
Tuan
PS: Realised this is the longest ever 'will a PS4 stream in 4K?' post...
Treated ourselves to a Panasonic TX55CX680B from Richer Sounds in the post Christmas sales and have been struggling to get my head around getting 4k content to stream to the TV. Set up is this the following:
- PS4, used predominantly for all the media sources; Netflix (I've upgraded to the Ultra HD package), Amazon Prime, YouTube, Blu Ray films and gaming
- HDMI from the PS4 into a Yamaha soundbar amp/sib combo. It's about 3 years old and I would expect *not* HDMI 2.0/a HCDP 2.2 compliant
- HDMI from the sounder amp into the TV and so therefore the TV to only have a single HDMI into it for all the media sources and so really it's serving as a panel. Not even sound really
- All HDMIs are nothing special and it wouldn't surprise me if they also were not HDMI 2.0 compliant. (though my understanding/research is that this only affects frame rate and therefore not an immediate issue?
- Currently in the middle on upgrading to fibre optic with an estimated 30mbps - 40mbps (yet to be proved) from the current meagre 4mbps - 7mbps
So the problem is this. When I boot up Netflix or Amazon Prime *using the PS4*, I see no banners showing 'Ultra HD/4K' on the content as I should. Playing these therefore show as 1080P on the display. When I connected the TV to the wireless network last night (don't currently have a LAN cable that's long enough), the same content on Netflix/Amazon via the in built apps do show UHD/4K. Which makes me think that the inbuilt apps are different somehow to the one ones installed on the PS4? I've checked and the PS4 is telling me that the versions of Netflix and Amazon Prime are the latest versions?! But I remember when researching that Sony said that the PS4 supports UHD/4K streaming but not games?
The questions that are bouncing around in my head are:
1 - Is it the bandwidth - or specifically lack of - somehow stopping UHD/4K content from being accessible from the PS4? Don't sound like it as it streamed ok wirelessly direct to the TV
2 - You can only stream UHD/4K content using specific devices and/or inbuilt apps. If so, when when/why is this happening to the PS4?
3 - Will replacing all the HDMIs with 2.0 compliant ones help? I don't think this would help at this stage?
4 - Could it be anything else that you can think of that I can't?
Ultimately the fix is to run a LAN to the TV and stream on demand programmes from that and keep the PS4 for games until UHD BR hit the market, but it's just frustrating that I've encountered this problem as the intention was to always run everything from one media device to keep things simple.
Any help/experience appreciated.
Tuan
PS: Realised this is the longest ever 'will a PS4 stream in 4K?' post...
The first and most important bit about 4K playback is you need a 4K player, the PS4 is not 4K. If you want to use a separate media player the easiest way to do this is with Amazons new Fire TV, this is 4K and will give you access to Netfix's service.
Answered your questions below as well...
1 - Is it the bandwidth - or specifically lack of - somehow stopping UHD/4K content from being accessible from the PS4? Don't sound like it as it streamed ok wirelessly direct to the TV.
No, bandwidth issues will cause buffering and poor playback but won't prevent you from seeing 4K content available on a compatible device.
2 - You can only stream UHD/4K content using specific devices and/or inbuilt apps. If so, when when/why is this happening to the PS4?
Yes, as above you need a 4K player. PS4 is not a 4K player and would require (I believe) hardware upgrades.
3 - Will replacing all the HDMIs with 2.0 compliant ones help? I don't think this would help at this stage?
Firstly there is no such thing as an HDMI2 cable, only standard and fast. It's worth checking if you want to be sure of 4K, remember that every device in the chain must be 4K compatible. See this link for accurate cable info;
http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/finding_right_cable.a...
4 - Could it be anything else that you can think of that I can't?
No, your problem is you don't have a 4K player. Amazon will sort that out for you.
Answered your questions below as well...
1 - Is it the bandwidth - or specifically lack of - somehow stopping UHD/4K content from being accessible from the PS4? Don't sound like it as it streamed ok wirelessly direct to the TV.
No, bandwidth issues will cause buffering and poor playback but won't prevent you from seeing 4K content available on a compatible device.
2 - You can only stream UHD/4K content using specific devices and/or inbuilt apps. If so, when when/why is this happening to the PS4?
Yes, as above you need a 4K player. PS4 is not a 4K player and would require (I believe) hardware upgrades.
3 - Will replacing all the HDMIs with 2.0 compliant ones help? I don't think this would help at this stage?
Firstly there is no such thing as an HDMI2 cable, only standard and fast. It's worth checking if you want to be sure of 4K, remember that every device in the chain must be 4K compatible. See this link for accurate cable info;
http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/finding_right_cable.a...
4 - Could it be anything else that you can think of that I can't?
No, your problem is you don't have a 4K player. Amazon will sort that out for you.
ASK1974 said:
The first and most important bit about 4K playback is you need a 4K player, the PS4 is not 4K. If you want to use a separate media player the easiest way to do this is with Amazons new Fire TV, this is 4K and will give you access to Netfix's service.
And stuff...
Thanks for this, seems you've all confirmed what I thought. We'll stick to streaming from the TV then. The TV's got all the apps installed (Netflix/Amazon etc) just wanted to avoid another remote knocking around if we could help it. When either Sony upgrade the PS4/5 to UHD capability or UHD players it the market, this'll all work just fine.And stuff...
Thanks again!
Tuan
ASK1974 said:
1 - Is it the bandwidth - or specifically lack of - somehow stopping UHD/4K content from being accessible from the PS4? Don't sound like it as it streamed ok wirelessly direct to the TV.
No, bandwidth issues will cause buffering and poor playback but won't prevent you from seeing 4K content available on a compatible device.
Is that true? I thought you needed at least 25mb link for Netflix to even attempt to display 4K? No, bandwidth issues will cause buffering and poor playback but won't prevent you from seeing 4K content available on a compatible device.
I've got a 4K set but a crappy 5-7mb link and no possibility to improve it anytime soon...so I've not bothered with the 4K service from Netflix Presuming it just wouldn't work rather than I would get buffering
I can stream Netflix 4K with a 7/8mb connection.
Being honest though, it's not much different to 1080p on my set (js9000 Samsung) due to the amount of compression needed to send it - a full 4K UHD film is c.35gig. But tHe real step up does comes with full UHD. I've bought a Samsung UHD pack from the US (1TB hard drive with 10 films and a load of documentaries), and the picture on this content is absoluty stunning.
UHD Blue-rays will make this content more accessible next year, but it will be a good while before we get streamed UHD through Sky/Netflix etc.
Being honest though, it's not much different to 1080p on my set (js9000 Samsung) due to the amount of compression needed to send it - a full 4K UHD film is c.35gig. But tHe real step up does comes with full UHD. I've bought a Samsung UHD pack from the US (1TB hard drive with 10 films and a load of documentaries), and the picture on this content is absoluty stunning.
UHD Blue-rays will make this content more accessible next year, but it will be a good while before we get streamed UHD through Sky/Netflix etc.
Chris Stott said:
I can stream Netflix 4K with a 7/8mb connection.
Being honest though, it's not much different to 1080p on my set (js9000 Samsung) due to the amount of compression needed to send it - a full 4K UHD film is c.35gig. But tHe real step up does comes with full UHD. I've bought a Samsung UHD pack from the US (1TB hard drive with 10 films and a load of documentaries), and the picture on this content is absoluty stunning.
UHD Blue-rays will make this content more accessible next year, but it will be a good while before we get streamed UHD through Sky/Netflix etc.
Are you actually getting 4K though? Being honest though, it's not much different to 1080p on my set (js9000 Samsung) due to the amount of compression needed to send it - a full 4K UHD film is c.35gig. But tHe real step up does comes with full UHD. I've bought a Samsung UHD pack from the US (1TB hard drive with 10 films and a load of documentaries), and the picture on this content is absoluty stunning.
UHD Blue-rays will make this content more accessible next year, but it will be a good while before we get streamed UHD through Sky/Netflix etc.
On my Samsung I can press info on the remote when watching something and it says the quality of the picture. I've just tried with a friends account that does have 4K on better call Saul.... Starts off at 720, increases in quality after about 20 seconds to 1080 but then doesn't go any higher. So I can watch 4K programmes but it's not displaying at anything higher than HD
Oakey said:
How much did you pay for the video pack? The US Samsung site currently has it listed at $50!
I don't think Samsung will ship it to the UK. I got mine from here;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272063201440
Took around a week to be delivered from the US.
mathmos said:
Are you actually getting 4K though?
On my Samsung I can press info on the remote when watching something and it says the quality of the picture. I've just tried with a friends account that does have 4K on better call Saul.... Starts off at 720, increases in quality after about 20 seconds to 1080 but then doesn't go any higher. So I can watch 4K programmes but it's not displaying at anything higher than HD
Yes, I'm getting 2160. As you say, starts at 720 then moves to 1080 (almost immediately for me). Then after 20s or so it shows 2160.On my Samsung I can press info on the remote when watching something and it says the quality of the picture. I've just tried with a friends account that does have 4K on better call Saul.... Starts off at 720, increases in quality after about 20 seconds to 1080 but then doesn't go any higher. So I can watch 4K programmes but it's not displaying at anything higher than HD
On a good day I can get 13mb, but my line is more typically c.8mb.
As I said, the streamed Netflix stuff doesn't look that much different to 1080p (though the picture on 1080p is already outstanding)... which could be the compression needed to stream it, or could be the quality of the upscaler on my set.
Proper UHD stuff is jaw dropping.
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