INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Hulu this summer finally brought back 4K content to its service, after abruptly removing it in 2018 while it focused on other priorities
Initially, its 4K content was only available on Apple TV 4K and Chromecast Ultra
Today, Hulu says it available on Xbox One devices, with support for Amazon Fire TV and LG WebOS in the works
More devices will also be supported soon, the company notes.
The streaming service had never really prioritized 4K content, having first
rolled out support in December 2016 — years after rivalsNetflixandAmazon Prime Video had done the same
Its lineup was also fairly minimal at the time, with 20 James Bond films and a handful of Hulu Originals
And then it was pulled.
Today, Hulu 4K lineup is again focused largely on its original programming, including shows like &The Handmaid
Tale,& &The First,& &Castle Rock,& &Catch-22& and others
The company FAQ says most of its originals are available in 4K Ultra HD, and stream at 16 Mbps.
Netflix, by comparison, has a much larger
library, thanks in part to its more sizable investment in original programming, which it has increasingly shot in 4K over the past few years
Amazon Prime Video also includes its own originals in 4K and around 50 other licensed films.
However, access to Netflix 4K library requires
its more expensive ($15.99/mo) Premium plan
Accessing Hulu 4K library does not require an upgrade.
There are plenty of other ways to get to 4K content, including throughiTunesand
Google Play Movies - TV — the latter which beganoffering 4K content for purchase back in 2016
Roku also dedicates a section to 4K content within its main navigation
Apple TV+ originals will also be available in 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, when it launches in November
Disney+ is also promising 4K at no extra cost
And there 4K content available on Vudu, YouTube, FandangoNow, fuboTV and others.
Hulu lack of attention to 4K hasn''t stalled its growth,
however, as most consumers don''t consider 4K availability as a reason not to subscribe
In fact, Hulu subscriber growth in the United States has been steadily climbing, reaching 28 million earlier this year, up 12% from the end
And with a Disney+ bundle deal now in the works, Hulu is set to grow even faster in the near future.
