Netflix always charges more for 4K and it’s an aberration

In 2022, Netflix finally understood that SD quality (Standard Definition or 480p) was no longer necessary. During a conference broadcast on October 13, the SVOD platform formalized its new Netflix Essential package with advertising, at €5.99. She took the opportunity to announce a change in display quality: now the bare minimum will be HD (High Definition or 720p). This development will allow subscribers to benefit from a better image.

However, this change – to be applauded – hides an aberration that persists at Netflix. If you want to switch to FHD (Full High Definition or 1080p) or 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition or 2160p), you will always have to opt for the most expensive packages, at €13.49 (Standard) and €17.99 (premium). In the SVOD market, Netflix is ​​the only player to charge for image quality – even if YouTube seems to be doing it.

For others, 4K HDR is “free”

Netflix’s positioning on image quality is really no longer defensible in 2022. Especially when you see what others are offering. Disney+? A single package at €8.99, with 4K HDR on the menu. Amazon Prime Video? A unique package at €6.99, with 4K HDR on the menu. AppleTV+? A unique package at €4.99, with 4K HDR on the menu. Even the old Canal+ and TF1 channels don’t charge for 4K.

We would like not to have to observe this reality at two speeds, with on the one hand companies which think first of the user experience (offering the best possible image) and those which seek above all to generate high incomes . In Netflix’s case, it’s nothing but an anomaly. We understand why the number of screens is a paid option. On the other hand, the display quality should not be one.

This is all the more questionable since Netflix dreams of being a major player in Hollywood and the small screen, then capable of lifting Oscars and Emmy Awards each year. Its many original contents deserve to be diffused with the best possible quality, no matter the tariff which one pays. At a time when series are becoming mega-productions (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and where SVOD platforms are a popular alternative, neglecting what viewers see is really not a good signal.

The different Netflix formulas :