If you were glued to Breaking Bad when its popularity swept the nation you probably watched it on broadcast television at 480i (720×480). Perhaps you bought the DVD box set or binge watched it on Netflix at the same resolution. You can get the complete series on Blu-ray in 1080p (1920 x 1080) but there are better options now. See more details than ever before by watching it in 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) on either Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Breaking Bad is just one example of a TV show or film from the past getting a modern update to 4K. It might sound like magic that films from such a long time ago could yield such clear images in the modern day. The reality is films shot on 35mm or 70mm film can be converted to 4K. Video capture technology has historically eclipsed consumer video playback technology and that’s why we we’ve been viewing blurry low-resolution videos for such a long time. Now that consumer 4K televisions are becoming mainstream the demand for 4K content is exploding.
Any movie or shot originally shot on film could possibly make a debut in 4K. Many classic or older films have already made their way to 4K. Some notable examples now available to watch (or coming soon) include classics such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Shining, Spartacus, Wizard of Oz, Jaws, the original 1950’s Godzilla, and hits from the past like The Matrix.
Netflix currently offers approximately 732 titles in 4K while Amazon has approximately 377 titles available on Prime Video, including those that can be purchased or rented. The library of videos available to watch in 4K is rapidly expanding. If you don’t have a 4K television yet, now is the time to get one.