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Netflix 4K streaming comes to Panasonic’s AX802 Ultra HD TV

Pansonic AX802 owners with a fat internet connection can now stream Netflix content in 4K Ultra HD. 

Hit shows including Breaking Bad, House of Cards plus upcoming exclusive Marco Polo will be available to watch in the next generation of high definition – that’s 3840 x 2160 pixels compared to Full HD’s 1920 x 1080

To get Netflix’s 4K shows you’ll need to fork out £8.99/month instead of the standard £5.99/month plan. You’ll also need to have a broadband service that’s fast enough if you want to reliably stream shows in 4K. 

Netflix 4K streaming comes to Panasonic’s AX802 Ultra HD TV
There’s got to be something better to watch on Netflix other than sunsets

Get a closer look at Panasonic’s AX802 4K TV here in our eyes-on videoNetflix’s CEO Reed Hastings has said that while 15Mbps is the bare minimum you’ll ideally need 20Mbps. That’s 20Mbps of spare bandwidth at all times by the way – if your broadband service delivers ‘up to’ speeds of 17Mbps, then this probably isn’t for you. 

If you’ve got a 50Mbps or 100Mbps package from the likes of Virgin Media, Hyperoptic, CityFibre or Gigaclear, or you’re lucky enough to be able to get FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) broadband from BT, then you’re probably going to be alright. 

Everyone else on superslow ADSL broadband will need to make do with current-gen Full HD, if they can even get that. 

AX802 owners will receive a firmware update that will enable 4K streaming on Netflix when they connect to the Internet. Buyers of the newer AX902 range will be able to tap into 4K Netflix out of the box. 

Models from both ranges feature Panasonic’s 4K Studio Master Drive which promises smoother colour gradation at all levels of brightness and come with an HEVC decoder, meaning they can stream 4K video files from other sources too. 

The newer AX902 sets also feature improved local dimming, promising higher levels of contrast and a faster refresh rate – 3,000Hz compared to AX802’s 2,000Hz – should make for smoother action scenes. 

Pansonic’s AX802 sets currently cost around £1,110 while the AX902 models cost roughly £3,500 for the 55-inch version and £5,000 for the 65-incher. 

We’re sure Kevin Spacey’s Francis Underwood will be impressively menacing whichever Panasonic set you opt for. 

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