David Farnor | On 29, Jan 2014

4K Netflix streaming will be available on Samsung TVs in Europe from March 2014, the company has announced.

The manufacturer has announced that a 4K starter pack will be available in Europe with its Ultra HD TVs in just over a month’s time.

2014 appears to be the year of 4K, as the ultra high-definition (UHD) technology was touted by LG and Sony at CES this month. Prices have fallen significantly since 4K sets were first produced by manufacturers, although a lack of content remains a concern for consumers. Enter Neflix.

The Internet TV company has already caught the attention of many by announcing that Breaking Bad and House of Cards Season 1 and 2 will be shot and released in 4K this year where available – although CEO Reed Hastings has said that a minimum broadband speed of 15Mbps would be required. LG and Sony both teamed up with Netflix at CES to reveal their VOD-compatible plans.

Now, though, Samsung has stepped forward to say that 4K streaming in Europe will be available as soon as March.

With the Kevin Spacey political thriller out in a couple of weeks, Samsung will no doubt be hoping that its 4K starter pack will win over fans to their shiny new kit, which offers four times the resolution of 1080p (Full HD). Samsung is offering a 1TB hard drive for €299, which comes with access to 50 4K-ready movies, including Life of Pi. More titles will be available to download and store on the hard drive as the year continues.

“Samsung is making sure that customers have access to 4K content,” said Michael Zoller, Senior Director of European Sales and Marketing, at the Samsung European Forum.

“We will offer a 360 degree UHD solution. This will include Netflix from March and our UHD video pack – which will include Life of Pi and Star Trek.”

Samsung predicted that UHD TV sales will top 1 million by the end of the year, with figures expected to climb to 3.3 million by 2017.

Will you be tempted to go UHD?

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