4K HDR Content Rolling Out on iTunes Ahead of Apple TV 4K Launch

Ahead of next week's launch of the new Apple TV 4K with HDR support, Apple has begun releasing 4K HDR content on iTunes in the United States and other countries.

4K movies are denoted by a new "4K" and "Dolby Vision" tags visible in the iTunes Store and in the TV app on iOS devices, Macs, and the Apple TV. 4K content is not universally displaying across all devices just yet, but it should be rolling out fully soon.

4kappletv
A limited number of 4K movies are available at the current time, but availability should expand before the new Apple TV launches next week.

Apple's 4K movies are available at the same price as HD movies, and for iTunes customers who have already purchased HD quality content, Apple is upgrading the HD content to 4K at no additional cost.

4kmovies
The Apple TV 4K will be available for pre-order starting tonight at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time or 3:01 a.m. Eastern Time. Orders placed tonight will be delivered next week, on Friday, September 22, the official launch date of the device. Pricing on the 4K Apple TV starts at $179 for 32GB of storage.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: iTunes
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

joshwenke Avatar
86 months ago
It was very nice of Apple to upscale all of my existing purchases. :)
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Muramasa Avatar
86 months ago
The difference is so negligible it doesn’t matter. The now defunct h.264 format was nearly indistinguishable from Blu-ray. The new h.265 codec should be identical to the UHD codec. A lot of the streaming issues in the display of 1080P format on iTunes was the AppleTV not the file itself.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/03/the-ars-itunes-1080p-vs-blu-ray-shootout/
There so much incorrect information here that it's useless to even bother trying to unpack it all...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pat500000 Avatar
86 months ago
Disney and his pal, Mickey, are known to be thugs and want more money for 4k contents. Bunch of 240p looking fools....that means you, mickey!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alan Gordon Avatar
86 months ago
Not true, 1080P streaming was the same as the Blu-ray counterpart. 4K shows on Netflix were the same as the UHD counterpart as well. I’d assume Apple’s h.265 codec will be able to handle it as well. The flags are there but I don’t believe the files are available.
1080p streaming cannot compare to 1080p Blu-ray, and 4K streaming cannot compare to UltraHD Blu-ray.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melican Avatar
86 months ago
I do not use discs. I watch content digitally. 4K digitally will still be better than 1080p digitally.
Discs are digital. 4K discs will be better than 4K streaming.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julesme Avatar
86 months ago
It will be interesting to see if Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon match Apple with free upgrades to 4K.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, GameCube, Wii,...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
apple vision pro orange

Apple Vision Pro Customer Interest Dying Down at Some Retail Stores

Monday April 22, 2024 2:12 am PDT by
Apple Vision Pro, Apple's $3,500 spatial computing device, appears to be following a pattern familiar to the AR/VR headset industry – initial enthusiasm giving way to a significant dip in sustained interest and usage. Since its debut in the U.S. in February 2024, excitement for the Apple Vision Pro has noticeably cooled, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On...
top stories 20apr2024

Top Stories: Nintendo Emulators on App Store, Two New iOS 17 Features, and More

Saturday April 20, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
It was a big week for retro gaming fans, as iPhone users are starting to reap the rewards of Apple's recent change to allow retro game emulators on the App Store. This week also saw a new iOS 17.5 beta that will support web-based app distribution in the EU, the debut of the first hotels to allow for direct AirPlay streaming to room TVs, a fresh rumor about the impending iPad Air update, and...