High Dynamic Range (HDR) movies and TV shows are coming to Netflix and will become available to select subscribers by the end of August.
Original Netflix programs and movies will be included in this upgrade to the new HDR technology. In order for Netflix Ultra HD customers to view HDR content, they need a 2016 4K HDR-enabled or Dolby Vision TV.
Netflix executives have set their eyes on HDR technology for a while now. Netflix's chief product officer, Neil Hunt, wrote in a blog post why the company is excited about HDR. He explains that HDR offers better pixels that have greater depth, better contrast that makes colors pop, brighter highlights and shadows that bring more detail in dark scenes, and a wider color range that creates very realistic images.
Netflix has released the select list of HDR programs that will roll out this summer. Original shows and movies selected for the HDR technology include A Series of Unfortunate Events, Bloodline, Chef's Table, Hibana, Knights of Sidonia, Marvel's Daredevil, Marvel's Iron Fist, Marvel's Jessica Jones, Marvel's Luke Cage, Marvel's The Defenders, The Do-Over, and the Ridiculous Six.
In total, Netflix is scheduled to release over 150 hours of HDR programs. The biggest push to the platform will occur before the end of August, with over 100 hours being published.
Marco Polo was one of the first few shows Netflix upgraded to HDR and made available to Ultra HD subscribers. HDR technology is a perfect fit to further boost the stark contrast and true-to-life colors of Marco Polo, which bagged the 2015 American Society of Cinematographers award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series. Marco Polo beat out other critically acclaimed series including Game of Thrones and Gotham for this award.
Netflix is not the only digital media distribution platform that is adopting HDR technology. In June of last year, Amazon Prime began offering HDR technology on select shows and movies, and Google is offering 4K and HDR streaming through its popular YouTube platform.
"The new HDR technology looks great, and it will keep getting better," Neil Hunt beams. "We're looking forward to providing a visually stunning experience across a diverse slate of content to Netflix members all over the world."
