Sony Talks Internet Speed Requirements for Ultra 4K Streaming

With streaming services offering more and more, like PlayStation Now which allows you to stream PS3 games and Ultra, bringing 4K HDR content to your TV, the need for faster internet speeds is present now more than ever. Luckily, despite the much higher resolution and interactive content, Ultra won’t require a crazy download speed. Once again, VP of consumer services and advanced platforms for Sony Pictures, Jake Winett:

 Obviously other services like Netflix, Amazon and Vudu have all launched 4K streaming, and this is something consumers are starting to look for and expect. We‘re seeing a trend where consumers are upgrading their home bandwidth. Ten years ago, consumers had DSL and maybe 4-5 Mbps. Now it’s pretty common for consumers to have 15, 50, or even 100 Mbps in some cases. We think this fits in really well with that trend, with consumers who do have a decent connection into the home. With even a modest connection of say 20 Mbps, consumers are going to get a really great 4K streaming experience. We did our encoding in such a way where we think we’re going to hit that sweet spot, and make it accessible to a lot of consumers. 

More after the jump.

Unless you’re on DSL, chances are that hitting those speeds won’t be much of a problem. In just the last year, Time Warner here in LA has taken our speeds to 300 Mbps and they’ve done similar things in New York. Google Fiber and Verizon Fios have also been greatly expanding their availabilities which offer far higher download speeds than your typical DSL. This doesn’t mean everybody has access to good speeds unfortunately but if you live in a major metropolitan area which is where the bulk of 4K TVs will be sold, chances are that internet speeds won’t hamper your experience.

Discuss:

Is your internet speed fast enough to handle Ultra?

[Via MESA]