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4K Netflix in Browser? Only with Microsoft Edge

4K streaming is still in its infancy for the most part, but companies like Netflix are pushing the new resolution especially when it comes to own productions.

But Netflix 4K streaming is quite demanding: First, you need a monitor or TV that supports the 4K resolution.Then you need a fairly speedy Internet connection, and the right plan on Netflix that enables support for 4K streams on top of that.

If you want to watch 4K on your television, you furthermore need it to support that through native apps, or have a device connected to the TV that supports 4K streaming.

Microsoft announced recently that the company's own Edge browser is the only web browser out there that supports Netflix 4K streams.

netflix edge

While that may be interesting for those of you who use a 4K monitor when they work on their computer, it is the following requirement that may torpedo the availability of the viewing experience significantly.

You may only watch Netflix in 4K using Microsoft Edge if the computer is equipped with an Intel 7th generation Kaby Lake processor.

Kaby Lake was officially announced on August 30, 2016 but shipments to OEMs and manufacturers began in the second quarter already.

Even recent devices, take Microsoft's new Surface Book for instance, are not equipped with a Kaby Lake processor yet. There are not many PCs out there just yet that ship with a Kaby Lake processor.

This leaves users who bought the CPU individually, for instance to upgrade an existing PC or build a new rig instead. But Kaby Lake processors are not readily available on the majority of PC hardware shopping sites either.

The situation will get better over time, but it seems unlikely that many Windows 10 users will be able to enjoy the Netflix premiere of the new Gilmore Girls season in 4K glory.

Microsoft Edge is also the only browser out there for Windows to support 1080p streaming on Netflix. All other browsers on Windows support up to 720p playback only.

Microsoft noted on top of that that Edge is also the browser to pick on mobile devices, as it offers better battery performance than other browsers. The company bases this on tests that it ran recently comparing the battery live of Edge to that of Chrome, Opera and Firefox. Google and Opera Software tests came to other results however, so take this with a grain of salt.

If you are one of the lucky few whose system meets all the requirements, enjoy!

This article was first seen on ComTek's "TekBits" Technology News

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