But what exactly is 4K streaming? It delivers content at 3840 x 2160 pixels, a resolution much higher than standard high-definition, providing more detail and a more realistic visual experience. Many streaming services include 4K content in their premium plans.
However, not all 4K content is created equal. We've reviewed the 4K offerings from the top streaming services and identified the best options. These 10 services excel in content delivery, offering exclusive features and content available only in 4K. By subscribing to one of these services, you can revolutionize your viewing experience.
1. Hulu
Discover critically acclaimed originals in stunning 4K with Hulu!
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Subscription Cost:
Hulu ad-supported is $7.99/month or $79.99/year
Hulu no ads is $17.99/month
4K Content Availability: Most Hulu originals and a few other TV shows and movies are available in 4K.
Special Features: Ad-free viewing options, bundling with Hulu and ESPN+, live TV add-ons.
Hulu offers critically acclaimed originals and a library of TV shows and movies. Its originals have gained steam over the past few years. “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Bear” and “Shogun” are some of the most successful recent streaming launches.
The streamer has made an effort to improve video quality of its own programs to ensure most new shows are available in 4K. Ultra HD does not cost any more than regular Hulu features, which is different from some other streamers. 4K is available in all Hulu packages. However, not all Hulu content is available in 4K.
To discover which shows and movies are 4K, you must pull up the Hulu listing for the program and look for a small badge that says “4K” or “UHD.”
Why It’s a Top Choice: Hulu has some of the best original streaming options. The streamer has responded to user interest in 4K and added clearer labels on content to make navigation easier.
Best For: Drama lovers.
2. Disney+
Unlock the magic of family entertainment in breathtaking 4K with Disney+
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Subscription Cost:
- Basic: $7.99/month
- Premium: $13.99/month
4K Content Availability: About 100 movies and shows, including some Disney+ originals, are available in 4K.
Special Features: Exclusive content, stream from multiple devices at once, bundles available with Hulu and ESPN+.
Disney+ provides the best family fare, from classic Disney movies to Pixar favorites to blockbuster Marvel and “Star Wars” films. The service has grown quickly to become one of the most-subscribed streamers due to the popularity of those offerings.
You can stream roughly 100 Disney+ programs and movies in 4K. This is a relatively small percentage of the service’s content, but it includes many of its biggest franchises. You can watch all the Pixar movies in 4K as well as all the “Star Wars” and Marvel films. A handful of Disney cartoon classics, including “The Lion King,” are also available.
To find 4K content, search under the “4K Ultra HD HDR” tab on the Disney+ homepage or use the “Ultra HD and HDR” filter to find options.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Disney is at the top of every family’s favorites list. Its shows and movies appeal to children and adults of all ages. We love the ability to filter 4K options instead of having to go to each show’s page to see if it is available.
Best For: Families.
3. Netflix
Experience a vast library of diverse content in crystal-clear 4K with Netflix Premium
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Subscription Cost:
- Standard with ads: $6.99/month
- Standard: $15.49/month
- Premium: $22.99/month
4K Content Availability: Netflix has one of the biggest 4K libraries, including hundreds of movies and TV shows, available only with the Premium plan.
Special Features: Ad-free viewing options, exclusive content, personalized recommendations.
Netflix has the most subscribers of any streaming service. This is a credit to the wide number of choices on the service. It has westerns, romcoms, anime, reality shows, blockbuster movies, and of course its popular original shows and movies. Its programs are often pop culture phenomena.
Netflix has pushed to upgrade its 4K capabilities. Original series available in 4K include "Arrested Development" (season five), "Atypical" (season two), “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," "Cobra Kai" (seasons four and five), "Emily in Paris," "Heartstopper," and much more. Its 4K movies include "The Deer Hunter" and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
To discover if a show or movie is available in 4K, check the program’s Netflix page. It displays a small video quality badge that says “4K.”
Why It’s a Top Choice: Netflix offers outstanding value as one of the less-expensive streaming services. It has more 4K content than nearly every other streamer. We like the prominent tags to distinguish 4K content.
Best For: Movie lovers and drama fans.
4. Max
Immerse yourself in a world of premium shows and movies in 4K with Max
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Subscription Cost:
- With Ads: $9.99/month
- Ad-Free: $16.99/month
- Ultimate Ad-Free: $20.99/month
4K Content Availability: Max has over 1,000 movies and shows available in 4K through the Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
Special Features: Ad-free viewing options, parental control options, exclusive content.
Max has some of the most varied streaming content. It draws on HBO, TNT, TBS, HGTV, Discovery, Food Network and more for its popular TV shows. Movie content comes largely from Warner Bros., which has produced several of the biggest blockbusters of the past few decades. In 2023, Max moved all 4K content to the Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
Two of HBO's biggest hits of the past decade, "Game of Thrones" and "The Last of Us," are available in 4K. The service also offers lots of 4K movies, including global smash "Barbie" as well as the entire "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings" and "The Dark Knight" series.
To determine if something is available in 4K, navigate to the show or movie’s page on Max and see if it has a “4K UHD” or “HDR10” label.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Max has increased its 4K offerings by eightfold since 2022. We like the budget options available. Paying for an annual vs. a monthly subscription can save 16%. Max also has a seven-day free trial.
Best For: Devotees of HBO or box office smashes.
5. YouTube TV
Elevate your live TV experience with 4K clarity on YouTube TV
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Subscription Cost:
- Basic: $72.99/month
- 4K add-on: $9.99/month
4K Content Availability: YouTube TV offers 4K options for a handful of channels on its live TV and on-demand service through the add-on.
Special Features: Live TV, unlimited concurrent streams, watch DVR recordings offline on your phone.
YouTube TV provides live streaming of a large lineup of cable networks. Its programming appeals to multiple generations. News and sports fans appreciate the many channels devoted to their passions. YouTube TV made 4K an add-on to complement its basic package.
You can access 4K on some live and on-demand content from Discovery, NBA TV, Fox Sports, FX, ESPN, Nat Geo, NBC Sports and Tastemade. Available titles include “Snowfall,” “How It’s Made,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and more. The most interesting options may be for sports. You can watch “Thursday Night Football,” college football and English Premier League in 4K.
To determine if something is available in 4K, you must have the 4K add-on. Look up “4K” under “Settings” to find 4K networks. To discover 4K recordings, go to “Settings” and “Downloads.”
Why It’s a Top Choice: YouTube TV has responded to demand and seems to understand the importance of 4K sports. It has indicated interest in making NFL Sunday Ticket available in 4K in the future, and we hope that happens.
Best For: Sports fans.
6. Apple TV+
Enjoy high-quality original programming in 4K with Apple TV+
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Subscription Cost: $9.99/month
4K Content Availability: Most exclusive Apple TV+ content, including many TV shows, is available in 4K.
Special Features: Up to five user profiles, three free months of AppleTV+ when you buy an Apple TV 4K, exclusive content.
Apple TV+ delivers high-quality original programming and movies to complement a large library of film titles. It caters to viewers who want to be entertained while also pondering bigger questions. The service has stepped up its live sports game, too, with weekly event packages. Apple has leaned into the synergy between its popular Apple TV TK device and provides a lot of 4K content.
Most of its original series are 4K compatible, including “Ted Lasso” and “Presumed Innocent.” It also has many 4K movies, such as Oscar-nominated “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The increasingly popular MLS Season Pass also streams in 4K.
To identify 4K availability, go to the Apple TV+ page for the movie or show you want to watch and look for a small “4K” button.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Apple TV+’s easy-to-read show pages offer clear guidelines on what is and is not 4K content. We appreciate that you don’t have to pay extra for a 4K subscription.
Best For: Sports and movie lovers.
7. Amazon Prime Video
Stream a wide variety of 4K content, from movies to sports, on Amazon Prime Video
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Subscription Cost:
- Prime Video membership: $8.99/month
- Amazon Prime membership (which includes Prime Video): $14.99/month
- Amazon Prime membership (which includes Prime Video): $139/year
4K Content Availability: Prime Video boasts one of the biggest libraries of 4K streaming content, including shows and movies.
Special Features: Offline downloads, bundling options, exclusive content.
Amazon Prime Video is one of the oldest streaming services. It offers critically lauded original shows and movies. A big draw is the diversity of its content. Parents appreciate the family-friendly choices. Kids love the animated films and shows. Teens adore programs like “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Prime Video has something for everyone, including a growing lineup of live sports.
It is slowly implementing more 4K. Recent series such as “A League of Their Own,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “Daisy Jones & The Six” and more are available in 4K. It also has library content in 4K, such as “Brittany Runs a Marathon” and “Hotel Transylvania 4.”
You must scroll through each offering and look for a “4K” label to find the content. We have noticed HD content is occasionally mislabeled as 4K. It’s rare, but it’s something to watch for when searching.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Much like Apple, Amazon produces both content and hardware. It sells Fire TV 4K sticks, so it has an incentive to ramp up 4K content to give people a reason to buy that product. This synergy makes it a motivated 4K leader.
Best For: Movie lovers.
Read full Amazon Prime Video review
8. Paramount+
Discover blockbuster movies and original series in brilliant 4K with Paramount+
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Subscription Cost:
- Paramount+ Essential: $5.99/month
- Paramount+ with Showtime: $11.99/month
4K Content Availability: Paramount+ has many originals available in 4K, and you must have a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription to stream them.
Special Features: Exclusive content, offline downloads, some live local channels.
Paramount+ experienced an early boom in subscribers and has remained one of the fastest-growing streamers. The service’s slew of blockbuster movies, including “Top Gun: Maverick,” and originals such as “Tulsa King” and “Mayor of Kingstown” draws viewers. The service has been a bit less consistent than others in pursuing 4K programming, but what it has is fantastic. That includes “Kingstown,” seasons four to six of “The Good Fight” and the first two “A Quiet Place” films. It also has some classic older films in 4K, such as “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”
It has been slower to program sports in 4K. For instance, the 2024 Super Bowl on Paramount+ was not streamed in 4K. But it is working on securing better sports options.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Even Paramount+’s premium tier is still quite inexpensive. The service’s 4K content reflects high quality, and its labeling system makes it easy to identify what is available in 4K and what is not.
Best For: Those looking for cheaper 4K streaming.
9. Peacock
Enjoy the best of NBCUniversal content in 4K on Peacock
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Subscription Cost:
- Premium: $5.99/month
- Premium Plus: $11.99/month
4K Content Availability: Premium and Premium Plus streaming service subscribers can get a limited number of TV shows and a growing number of movies in 4K.
Special Features: Exclusive content, access to NBC Universal channels, up to six user profiles.
Peacock is another service that launched late but has expanded its subscriber base quickly. It has broad appeal. One of its strengths is the NBCUniversal library of content, which includes popular shows from Bravo, NBC, USA and others as well as Universal Studios. It also airs live sports such as the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Peacock didn’t add 4K until 2022, but it has worked hard to make up for lost time. It adds new 4K movie titles monthly. Popular additions include the first three “Despicable Me” movies, “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” and more.
Like many other sites, Peacock identifies 4K content with a badge on the show’s homepage that reads “4K UHD,” which indicates the ultra-high picture quality. We’d love to see some improvements in the interface, such as a filter to find 4K content more easily.
Why It’s a Top Choice: Peacock has quickly acquired some of the best 4K content available. We see it as a future pacesetter in 4K implementation thanks to synergy with corporate owner NBCUniversal.
Best For: Reality show fans.
10. FuboTV
Watch live sports and more in unparalleled 4K quality with FuboTV
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Subscription Cost:
- Pro (184 channels): $79.99/month
- Elite (250 channels): $89.99/month
- Premier (259 channels): $99.99/month
- Latino (63 channels): $32.99/month
4K Content Availability: Subscribers to Pro, Elite and Premier plans can access a limited number of 4K live feeds.
Special Features: Seven-day free trial, up to 10 separate profiles, simultaneous feeds.
FuboTV is often hailed as the best streaming option for sports lovers. It carries live channels, including a mix of cable networks and local broadcast stations. Subscribers appreciate the access to ESPN, Fox Sports and other top destinations for sports content. FuboTV has also incorporated some 4K options where available.
The streamer has a frequently updated list of live upcoming events available in 4K. Additionally, you can look at the live guide and search for programs that have a “4K” next to them to find other content. You can’t pause 4K TV or record it on your DVR.
Some 4K events on fuboTV have included the UFL championship, select MLB and MLS games, and a few NFL games. It also offers 4K on-demand content, including the shows “Seven Worlds, One Planet,” “Epic Yellowstone” and “Aerial America.”
Why It’s a Top Choice: FuboTV is one of the best 4K streaming services because it offers sports programming. Sports in 4K is generally limited, and the service’s live TV options represent a welcome upgrade for sports fans.
Best For: Sports fans.
Is 4k Streaming Worth It?
Yes, 4K streaming is worth it for many viewers. The number of 4K streaming services has expanded rapidly, and the quality of these services has also seen significant improvement. As technology continues to evolve and interest in high-definition shows and movies grows, the variety of available content is expected to increase. Whether you're a sports lover, movie fan, drama devotee, or parent searching for suitable content for kids, there is a perfect streaming option for you. Take advantage of the many free trials offered by these services, and then sign up for the one that best fits your needs. Enjoy the crisp, immersive picture quality that brings your favorite content to life!
