Following a premature rollout last month, 4K movies are now available in the Google Play Store. First launching in the US and Canada, 125 movies ranging in price from $7.99 to $29.99 can be rented, purchased, and streamed on select Android TV devices and the Chromecast Ultra.
Streaming is handled by Google’s VP9 codec, with the high-resolution content currently playable on the Chromecast Ultra, Sony Bravia Android TVs, or the Xiaomi Mi Box 3. Notably absent is streaming on the web (like YouTube) and other recent 4K Android TVs.
At launch, 125 movies are available, including Star Trek Beyond, The Secret Life of Pets, Ghostbusters, and Captain Phillips. These movies will be denoted by a 4K badge in the ‘More Information’ section of the Play listing or when pressing buy/rent. Noticeably absent at this time are any 4K television shows.
For older movies, prices are generally twice as expensive as HD content, with 4K movies starting at $24.99 and HD at $12.99. Recent HD releases are usually $14.99 – $19.99, with 4K content appearing to max out at $29.99. Rentals are $7.99 versus $3.99.
Following last month’s launch of a Daydream app to watch video in a virtual theatre, Play Movies & TV is now also available for 2016 models of Samsung Smart TVs. The app surfaces purchased and rented media, as well as an interface to browse the store.
With a steady international expansion over the past five years, movies are now available for purchase in 117 countries. Google claims that the Play Store is the “most broadly available digital seller of movies & TV shows.”
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