Amazon partners with studios, programmers in 4K push

Amazon has revealed that it is working with major Hollywood studios and TV programmers, including Warner Bros, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox and Discovery as it looks to step up its 4K, Ultra HD online video efforts.

Amazon’s vice-president of digital video and music, Bill Carr, said that customers are “excited about the future of 4K and the next evolution of high resolution video” and said that Amazon Instant Video – the firm’s US online video service – was also working with consumer electronics companies like Samsung on the technology.

“There are a number of elements that need to work together to create a true 4K experience for customers – you need great content and compatible devices but you also need a service that can deliver that content to your devices so that it plays beautifully – we’re excited about making that a reality,” said Carr.

Lionsgate president of worldwide television and digital distribution, Jim Packer, said that it would explore 4K as part of its “multifaceted relationship with Amazon,” while Warner Bros’ worldwide home entertainment distribution president Ron Sanders said it would work with Amazon to offer their customers “a fantastic 4K home entertainment experience.”

Discovery Communications’ chief digital officer, JB Perrette, added: “We applaud Amazon for developing a true 4K viewing experience for its customers and we look forward to working with them to create ever-better viewing opportunities for our audiences.”

The news comes a month after Amazon Studios, the firm’s content production arm, announced that it plans to shoot all its full original series, including comedies and dramas, in 4K during 2014.

Samsung Electronics’ senior VP of the service strategy team of visual display business, Kyungshik Lee, predicted 2014 will be “a breakthrough year for Ultra HD” and said the firm planned to launch “its biggest line of Ultra HD TVs” and was excited to work with content services like Amazon Instant Video.