Wednesday, November 23rd 2016

Netflix has Some Pretty Steep System Requirements for 4K on PC

by
btarunr
 Discuss (41 Comments)
So everyone wants to crash at your place to watch the latest shows on your 4K Ultra HD TV, you can even "chill" with that special someone, if you can take your eyes off 4K content; and it turns out you even spent $500 on buying a new 4K monitor for your PC, because you demand no less than 3840 x 2160 pixels in front of your face; and among the first things you do (besides heading over to Interfacelift for some great wallpapers), is Netflix. Only Netflix has other ideas.

Apparently, you need a 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processor (or possibly AMD's upcoming "ZEN" processor), Windows 10 operating system, and Microsoft Edge web-browser to get 4K to work right on your PC, according to a Tom's Hardware report. Two factors could be pushing these steep-requirements - HEVC CODEC hardware acceleration, and hardware-level DRM features being introduced with "Kaby Lake." HEVC could prove crucial for Netflix as streaming 4K in existing H.264 format could quadruple bandwidth consumption over Full HD. HEVC encoding lets Netflix minimize the bitrate greatly. For Netflix's DRM component to access the CPU's hardware DRM features, it needs Windows 10, older versions of Windows won't work. If these requirements aren't met, Netflix will simply play your content in Full HD. No soup for you.
Source: Tom's Hardware

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41 Comments on Netflix has Some Pretty Steep System Requirements for 4K on PC

#26
TheGuruStud
Steevo:slap: No shit buddy, I am saying why and how are TV's capable of doing it but you have to have a high end PC to do it? Its nothing more than a play on BS as someone is on the take or is getting a kickback, and its going to piss more people off than not. :toast:
Studios somehow think that new DRM will stop piracy. Even IF that were true, then how would it work if you can still just rip it over hdmi? Lol. These old execs are dumb.
Posted on Reply
#27
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
Tell me? Do you still encode your video using MPEG2 like DVDs are? Don't worry, the question is rhetorical because, you know that you don't. Just as H.264 became the thing to use for HD (720p/1080p,) I suspect that the increased savings in size relative to the resolution will push this forward. The number of people with 4k is growing pretty fast now that they're becoming reasonably priced but, getting content for it is a completely different story. Just as VHS, or video CDs, or DVDs didn't last forever, neither will blu-ray and H.264. This is life and the way it has always been. It's not worth crying over it happening again. If anything, people should rejoice because this means that Netflix wants to push 4k content and wants to try and get around those barriers that prohibit them from doing so.
TheGuruStudStudios somehow think that new DRM will stop piracy. Even IF that were true, then how would it work if you can still just rip it over hdmi? Lol. These old execs are dumb.
What will stop piracy is being able to stream anything seamlessly. You don't pirate what you have access to... but we all know that's not realistic in this day and age. :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#28
hat
Enthusiast
Well, 4k HEVC is tough to decode. But Geforce 10xx series can do it, and so can the 950 and 960. But being forced to use W10, MS Edge, and the newest INtel processor to get 4k streams sounds like a lot of hoopla to me. Probably better to get a Roku box or something for this instead.
Posted on Reply
#29
eidairaman1
The Exiled Airman
hatWell, 4k HEVC is tough to decode. But Geforce 10xx series can do it, and so can the 950 and 960. But being forced to use W10, MS Edge, and the newest INtel processor to get 4k streams sounds like a lot of hoopla to me. Probably better to get a Roku box or something for this instead.
It's the same crap that they pulled with by throttling bandwidth on those who don't use Comcast services.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/24/netflixs-stunning-admission-it-throttles-video-speeds-for-some-customers/

im noticing their material is getting slimmer too, Time to move to amazon/fire stick, roku, hulu, sling tv
Posted on Reply
#30
newtekie1
Semi-Retired Folder
Steevo:slap: No shit buddy, I am saying why and how are TV's capable of doing it but you have to have a high end PC to do it? Its nothing more than a play on BS as someone is on the take or is getting a kickback, and its going to piss more people off than not. :toast:
You said it yourself, are you that ignorant? The sets have build in HEVC decoders, you pointed this out! PCs aren't guaranteed to have that. In fact, even the Skylake iGPU doesn't fully support HEVC hardware decoding. So the only computers that will have a full HEVC decoder is either KabyLake or a computer with a dedicated GPU from the last two GPU generations.

So take your attitude and shove it.
hatWell, 4k HEVC is tough to decode. But Geforce 10xx series can do it, and so can the 950 and 960. But being forced to use W10, MS Edge, and the newest INtel processor to get 4k streams sounds like a lot of hoopla to me. Probably better to get a Roku box or something for this instead.
Or just use the Netflix app built right into your 4K smart TV. Because lets face it, a very large majority of the people that will be watching Netflix in 4K won't be doing it on PC, they'll be doing it on their 4K TVs.
Posted on Reply
#32
remixedcat
I just use amazon prime for movies.. works better as well eve on the roku..
Posted on Reply
#33
cyneater
And here we are again are the re-tard about...

I can remember when everyone was like you need a dual core and a decent GPU HD4850 or GTX260 for your media center to run 1080P...

Now RBP2 and everything else runs 1080p with out and issue...

The whole windows 10 kaby lake thing screems .. cough cough bull dust...

Surly netflix could hire someone with half a brain and make there own arm powered box using some distro...

Something isnt right here need windows 10 :S .. yeah .. someones getting paid .. and need the latest processor .. that just re-tarded...

DRM has always given people more a reason to pirate ...
Posted on Reply
#34
Blueberries
Meanwhile I can stream 40k@60FPS on YouTube with Edge and an i3-6320, haven't tested Netflix.

Does Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S still work?
Posted on Reply
#35
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
been using HEVC for years now, the software codecs have come a long way. My 1.3GHz i3 ultrabook (dual core + HT) can run 1080p hevc content without sweating in software only.

galaxy S4 and newer, and my shitey android box i got for $50 on ebay all support it in hardware as well.


HEVC surely is the future, but it doesnt explain these overkill spec requirements.
Posted on Reply
#36
wiak
DRM is pointless, that what nuff said
Posted on Reply
#37
Prima.Vera
wiakDRM is pointless, that what nuff said
Not only that, but also annoying as f.
Posted on Reply
#38
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
eidairaman1It's the same crap that they pulled with by throttling bandwidth on those who don't use Comcast services.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/24/netflixs-stunning-admission-it-throttles-video-speeds-for-some-customers/

im noticing their material is getting slimmer too, Time to move to amazon/fire stick, roku, hulu, sling tv
It actually just applied to ATT and Verizon, and also note that they hade done it for five years, so it can't have done that much horrbile things to your family. The correct party to be angry about are the ISPs. And while maybe questionable, it is not the same thing as this, at all.
Posted on Reply
#39
TheMailMan78
Big Member
Wait.......did I just read I can watch Gilmore Girls in 4k?! First Trump, now 4k Gilmore Girls! THERE IS A GOD.
Posted on Reply
#40
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
TheMailMan78Wait.......did I just read I can watch Gilmore Girls in 4k?! First Trump, now 4k Gilmore Girls! THERE IS A GOD.
Thank goodness. Praise the lord, hallelujah!

For those of you who don't know me, I'm very much so atheist.
Posted on Reply
#41
Steevo
Musselsbeen using HEVC for years now, the software codecs have come a long way. My 1.3GHz i3 ultrabook (dual core + HT) can run 1080p hevc content without sweating in software only.

galaxy S4 and newer, and my shitey android box i got for $50 on ebay all support it in hardware as well.


HEVC surely is the future, but it doesnt explain these overkill spec requirements.
Especially when 30% of my CPU, which is mediocre and crappy by todays standards, and 20% of my GPU can render 4K 30FPS easily with VP9.
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