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Does Hulu support 4K resolution?

You can stream a selection of Hulu movies and TV shows in 4K if you have the right internet speeds and hardware.
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Published onApril 15, 2022

Hulu app open on a OnePlus 6

Most modern televisions now support 4K, with 1080p now reserved primarily for budget sets. As more consumers switch to 4K, the demand for compatible content continues to skyrocket. Many streaming services already support 4K resolutions, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. What about Hulu in 4K?

Read more: What’s new on Hulu

As you will see, the answer to that question is a little more complicated than you might think. If you want to sign up for Hulu, make sure to also consider the Disney Plus-Hulu-ESPN Plus bundle, which gives you three great streaming services for one lower price. You can sign up for the bundle at the link below.

Disney Plus comedy movies section stock photo
Disney Plus bundle

Does Hulu support Ultra HD 4K streaming video?

In December 2016, Hulu announced it had started supporting 4K video streaming for many of its exclusive TV shows, along with a select number of movies. However, in 2018, Hulu quietly removed the 4K streaming options from its service, without warning or an explanation.

After months of waiting, Hulu announced in July 2019 that Hulu 4K streaming support was now available once again on the service. However, it is only available for a very limited amount of Hulu’s video content library.

What devices and platforms currently support 4K video streaming on Hulu?

At the moment, several platforms offer support for Hulu 4K resolution video. It includes the Apple TV 4K set-top box (5th generation and above) and Microsoft’s Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S game consoles. It is also supported on Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices that support 4K resolutions, and the Google Chromecast Ultra.

Recently, Hulu 4K support was added to Vizio’s SmartCast TVs, and LG 2017, 2018, and 2020 UHD TVs. We will update this article if and when Hulu decides to increase its support for 4K streaming.

What TV shows and movies on Hulu currently support 4K video streaming?

Hulu Runaways

As with the limited number of devices that support the higher resolution video, the amount of content on the service that’s available in 4K video is also very small. Hulu has confirmed that all of its exclusive and original TV series support 4K streaming. That means you can stream shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Castle Rock, Runaways, and others at the higher 4K resolutions.

To find out if a movie or TV show supports Hulu 4K streaming, go to the details page of the show or film you want to see. You should see a 4K badge if it indeed supports the higher resolution.

Hulu Live TV does not currently support 4K streaming, nor does it support that resolution for Cloud DVR recordings.

Do Hulu’s 4K shows also support HDR?

HDR is an acronym for High-Dynamic Range. Basically, if you have a TV with both 4K and HDR support, not only will the supported videos be shown in the higher resolution, but they will also have a wider color range, which will make the video better looking.

Until recently, Hulu’s TV shows did not support any of the main HDR standards. However, in August 2021, the service began adding content that supports HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision standards. It will begin by adding that support to some of the service’s main original shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, but it will continue to add HDR support to more movies and shows in the coming months. That content can be identified by seeing the HDR badge on a show or movie’s Details page.

If you have the following devices, you can watch the supported Hulu HDR content:

  • Roku (HDR compatible models)
  • Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube devices (HDR compatible models with Fire OS 7 or later)
  • Apple TV 4K (Gen 5 or later)
  • Vizio (HDR compatible models)
  • Chromecast Ultra (HDR-compatible models)

What internet download speeds do I need to stream at the higher resolution?

Provided you have the right TV and streaming equipment, you will need a minimum internet download speed of 16Mbps to stream Hulu with the higher resolution content.

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