4K History

4k History

The first commercially available 4K camera for cinematographic purposes was the Dalsa Origin, released in 2003.[6] YouTube began supporting 4K for video uploads in 2010.[7] Users could view 4K video by selecting "Original" from the quality settings until December 2013, when the 2160p option appeared in the quality menu. In November 2013, YouTube started to use the VP9 video compression standard, saying that it was more suitable for 4K than High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC); VP9 is being developed by Google, which owns YouTube.[7]

The projection of films at 4K resolution at cinemas began in 2011.[8] Sony was offering 4K projectors as early as 2004.[9] The first 4K home theater projector was released by Sony in 2012.[10]

Sony is one of the leading studios promoting and offering UHDTV content, as of 2013 offering a little over 70 movie and television titles available via digital download to a specialized player that stores and decodes the video. The large files (~40GB), distributed through consumer broadband connections, raise concerns about data caps.[11]

In 2014, Netflix began streaming House of Cards and "some nature documentaries" at 4K to compatible televisions with an HEVC decoder. Most 4K televisions sold in 2013 did not natively support HEVC, with most major manufacturers announcing support in 2014.[12] Amazon Studios began shooting their full-length original series and new pilots with 4K resolution in 2014.[13]

#4khistory