Amazon’s initiative with Samsung, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, Discovery and others will bring customers unprecedented picture quality with resolutions four times the number of pixels in standard HD
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2014-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Instant Video today announced it is working with the world’s leading consumer electronics companies, top Hollywood studios and TV programmers, including Samsung, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, Discovery and others to offer customers a premium 4K Ultra HD experience. Today’s announcement continues Amazon’s commitment to 4K—just last month, Amazon Studios announced that it plans to shoot all 2014 full original series, including comedies and dramas, in 4K Ultra HD.
4K is the latest and most advanced in high definition video, utilizing displays with an aspect ratio of at least 16:9 and capable of showcasing video at a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels or 8.3 million pixels—that’s four times the number of pixels as standard full HD. 4K means customers can enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows with unprecedented picture clarity—details are sharper with smoother lines so that even up-close images seem clearer and more realistic.
“Customers are excited about the future of 4K and the next evolution of high resolution video. We’re working with consumer electronics leaders and Hollywood studios to make that a reality,” said Bill Carr, Vice President of Digital Video and Music for Amazon. “There are a number of elements that need to work together to create a true 4K experience for customers—you need great content and compatible devices but you also need a service that can deliver that content to your devices so that it plays beautifully—we’re excited about making that a reality.”
“2014 will be a breakthrough year for Ultra HD and it is important to deliver on not only the top-of-the-line products but also great content to fully enjoy the benefits of Ultra HD,” said Kyungshik Lee, Senior Vice President of the Service Strategy Team of Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is launching its biggest line of Ultra HD TVs and is excited to work with content services like Amazon Instant Video to bring the clarity and lifelike quality of 4K to our customers.”
“Warner Bros. is looking forward to working with Amazon as they offer their customers a fantastic 4K home entertainment experience,” said Ron Sanders President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution. “The new 4K Ultra HD displays provide viewers with a superior picture, bringing new life to movies and TV shows, and for content that is not available in 4K, the Ultra HD displays will make every detail of your Blu-ray collection more vivid and crisp compared to standard 1080p screens.”
“We’re delighted to explore the 4K arena as part of our multifaceted relationship with Amazon,” said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution, Jim Packer. “Ultra-high definition is the tip of the iceberg in underscoring the potential for new technologies to enrich our library of great franchises and other premium content in the years to come.”
"Amazon has a strong history of consumer-empowering innovations, and their commitment to advancing the consumer digital experience is a testament to their innovative culture," said Mike Dunn, President, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Our strategy of fostering easy, affordable and accessible ways for consumers to enjoy Fox movies and TV shows across all of their devices is very much in line with that."
“Discovery has been pleased to offer Amazon customers an array of our popular content,” said JB Perrette, Chief Digital Officer, Discovery Communications. “In Discovery’s nearly 30-year history, the company has led the way in providing closer-to-reality content experiences, from digital to HD to 3D and now, with 4K. We applaud Amazon for developing a true 4K viewing experience for its customers and we look forward to working with them to create ever-better viewing opportunities for our audiences.”
For information about 4K and the latest models of 4K televisions and devices, visit www.amazon.com/4K.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the world’s best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7” or 8.9” HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Source: Amazon.com, Inc.
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