DirecTV becomes first television provider to roll out 4k UltraHD for movies

DirecTV subscribers can now pay to watch some of their favorite movies in a new higher definition format, 4k UltraHD.

“The picture quality and depth of detail that 4K provides is nothing short of remarkable and we will continue to expand our 4K lineup as consumer demand grows and evolves,” DirecTV Executive Vice President Romulo Pontual said according to Variety.

The service launches with 19 movies in 4k UltraHD including Transformers: Age of Extinction and Forrest Gump although it's currently only available to customers who own a specific Samsung HDTV.

But what exactly is 4k UltraHD and what makes it better than the standard high resolution of 1080p? According to PC Magazine, "Ultra HD (4K), or Ultra High Definition, is the next big step in HDTV resolution. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) defines an Ultra HD television as one that displays at least 8 million active pixels. Depending on the variety, 4K generally offers four times the resolution of standard 1080p HDTVs."

DirecTV is the first cable company to offer the high definition service but the company still falls behind Netflix which launched 4k UltraHD streaming back in February for the second season of House of Cards.