This article originally appeared in Playback’s Spring 2015 print issue. 

The inevitability of UHD replacing HD as the standard home-entertainment format became clear at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where the spotlight was on Samsung and Sony TVs playing UHD content from Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video. And industry-wide support was heralded by the launch of the UHD Alliance, which consists of major manufacturers as well as Netflix, Technicolor and Hollywood studios.

UHD offers a resolution of 3840 pixels x 2160 lines, or four times as many overall pixels as HD (1920 x 1080) at the same 16:9 aspect ratio. The term UHD is often used interchangeably with “4K,” although the latter has a higher resolution of 4096 x 2160 in a wider 1.9:1 frame, and is a shooting format and a standard of digital cinema projection.

Manufacturers began pushing UHD after the tepid response to 3DTV, especially in North America. In 2013 Sony provided downloadable UHD content through a player compatible with its TVs, while last year Netflix began streaming House of Cards, Breaking Bad and some movies in UHD. At CES 2015 Sony and Netflix announced UHD content with High Dynamic Range, offering superior brightness and contrast. The combination promises a giant leap in the viewing experience.

Netflix subscribers who were streaming UHD prior to last August currently pay no extra for the capability, while more recent adopters pay an extra $3/month. While the SVOD service doesn’t provide numbers, it is “very pleased with the uptake on 4K,” says Cliff Edwards, Netflix’s director of corporate communications and technology.

He adds that starting with the recent premiere of Marco Polo, all new Netflix live-action original series will be available in UHD, and will be supplemented by more acquired UHD content. He says the service isn’t demanding the format from producers, but is leading by example.

“People are going to make their own decisions about how they’re going to shoot content. We don’t try to set their artistic vision. But if they have 4K, we’re going to want it,” he says.

Target: Tokyo 2020

In 2014, manufacturers shipped 12,730 UHD LCD TVs worldwide, according to DisplaySearch data reported by CNBC. DisplaySearch estimates that will grow to more than 32,000 this year and 68,068 by 2017. Content availability will drive sales. Broadcasters in Asia and Europe are anticipated to start offering some UHD services next year, and CNBC reports that Japan hopes to make broadcast in 4K – and even 8K – standard by the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

But for now, UHD provides a market advantage to OTT services since compression technology makes the content efficiently deliverable over the internet. Traditional broadcasters, on the other hand, are currently unable to widely distribute the UHD signal due to its far greater data size. As was the case with the switchover from SD to HD, a major upgrade is required.

This is likely one of the many reasons broadcasters have launched their own streaming services, including Shomi (a joint venture between Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications) and Bell Media’s CraveTV. However, Shaw currently isn’t shooting any original series in 4K. (Bell Media declined to comment.) Rogers’ forthcoming Don Carmody Productions thriller series Between is being finished in HD for City and Shomi and UHD as well for Netflix.

South of the border, satellite provider DirecTV and cabler Comcast recently made UHD content available through an app available on Samsung TVs. Comcast’s available UHD programs include USA Network’s Toronto-shot dramas Suits and Covert Affairs, both of which are finished in L.A. by Master Key, a division of camera rental and post company SIM Digital.

To deliver a show in UHD, productions must originate on high-resolution digital cameras such as the 6K-capable Red Epic Dragon (which costs US$31,200) and the 4K Sony F55 (US$35,000). However, many cinematographers prefer the image quality of the Arri Alexa, which shoots in an uncompressed 2.8K format, and many documentary producers favor the Arri Amira (US$40,000).

“The Amira soon will have a software upgrade that will do an up-res on the chip that gives you UHD. So it’s not shooting native 4K but it will give you 4K. When television series require 4K, the Amira will be the camera of choice,” says Craig Milne, SIM Digital’s Toronto GM. He expects to have at least 20 of the cameras in his facility this year.

Click here to read part two of this feature.