Sony's ULTRA 4K Movie Streaming Service Coming to PCs

30 Aug, 2016 By: Erik Gruenwedel

---

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Intel Corp. Aug. 30 announced that ULTRA, Sony’s 4K movie streaming service, will bow on computers using Intel’s seventh-generation Core processors in the first quarter of 2017.

At launch, ULTRA will offer 48-hour rentals and free 10-minute previews. Movies available for purchase, rental and streaming include new releases as well as classic films. New releases are priced at $29.99 to own in 4K with HDR, and $7.99 for rental. Library titles are priced at $25.99 to own.

“By enhancing our ULTRA streaming service with the addition of rental and free preview options, and teaming with Intel to provide users greater access to their collections, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is making ULTRA an even more flexible, user-friendly destination for consumers,” Richard Berger, SVP of worldwide digital strategy and advanced platforms for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, said in a statement.

By leveraging new hardware security technologies in its processor, PCs with the seventh-generation Intel Core will be the first to provide secure access to premium 4K movies and TV content. The chipmaker said more than 100 new devices featuring the new processor will be available this holiday season, with some available in September.

“More and more people are turning to their PC as their main movie-viewing device. At the same time, studios like Sony Pictures Home Entertainment are leading the way in producing beautiful 4K content,” said Navin Shenoy, GM of Intel’s client computing group.

Launched in April on Sony 4K televisions, ULTRA is compatible with UltraViolet, and users can link their ULTRA profiles to existing UltraViolet libraries and stream content they already bought or redeemed through UV-compatible retailers, such as Vudu or the Sony Pictures Store. Sony Pictures Store customers who already own HD versions of select titles can upgrade them to 4K on ULTRA for a discounted price.

“Audiences have shown a strong and growing appetite for premium 4K content, and ULTRA takes advantage of the latest industry innovations – high dynamic range, digital movie extras, and now the 7th Gen Intel Core — so viewers get the most out of their movie collections,” said Pete Wood, SVP of digital distribution at SPHE.

 

Bookmark it: