Sony's 'Ultra' movie streaming service launches next week

Sony's 'Ultra' movie streaming service launches next week

30 Mar 2016 | Rasmus Larsen |

Sony’s new “Ultra” movie streaming service was first announced at CES 2016. On Monday April 4th, Sony will launch the movie service on its Android TVs in the US. It will offer movies for purchase in 4K/HDR quality.

A 4K/HDR movie streaming service

Sony has yet to launch a UHD Blu-ray player. Instead, the company has opted to launch a movie streaming service in the US.

When Sony announced Ultra at CES 2016 in January, the company said that it would offer movies only in 4K quality – not HDR. The company has since changed its tune. Many titles will be offered in 4K, HDR and wide color gamut, confirms Sony.

- "ULTRA takes advantage of the latest industry innovations – 4K resolution, high dynamic range, a wider color spectrum, digital movie extras, and UltraViolet interoperability – so viewers get the most out of their televisions and their movie collections," said Jake Winett, VP, Consumer Services at Sony PHE.

Ultra will apparently only be available on Sony’s 2015 and 2016 Android TVs, not competitors’ Android TVs. It appears that the app will not be available on devices such as the Android TV-powered Nvidia Shield either.

New titles to cost $30

40-50 movies from Sony Pictures and Columbia will be available through Ultra at launch, including titles such as Concussion, The Night Before and The Walk, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Ghostbusters.

Movies can only be purchased and will be priced at $30 in 4K with HDR. There is no rental option.

- "Sony Pictures' new ULTRA 4K streaming service is a groundbreaking visual experience with a wealth of high-quality content to showcase the exceptional quality of Sony's latest televisions." added Mike Fasulo, Sone Electronics’ president.

If you buy one of Sony’s 2016 4K TVs in the US you will receive four complimentary movies when you sign up for Ultra. The service is also compatible with UltraViolet, meaning that you can enjoy your owned movies (from Sony Pictures & Columbia) through Ultra. It will be possible to upgrade HD versions of select titles to 4k for a “discounted price”.