Netflix and Microsoft recently announced that 4K content streaming from Netflix will now be available on compatible PCs and 2-in-1 devices running Windows 10.
But the news comes with an asterisk: in order to stream 4K content to your Windows 10 device, said device will need a 4K-capable screen and a 7th gen Intel Core processor.
As The Verge points out, this isn’t just a trick to get Windows users to upgrade their hardware. Rather, the hardware decryption needed isn’t found in older Intel processors.
The announcement comes just as the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life reunion series is set to debut on Netflix and Microsoft is promising that viewers will be able to burn through more episodes without plugging in their devices if they use the Edge browser instead of Google Chrome.
RELATED: Netflix beating cable to the punch on 4K and HDR
As Netflix continues to build device compatibility for its 4K content streams, the SVOD giant is nearing the finish line for a 4K content goal it set back in January. The SVOD service said it will deliver 600 hours of 4K video on its platform by the end of 2016 while also putting the new seasons of Marco Polo and Daredevil in the High Dynamic Range (HDR) format.
Earlier this year, Netflix made it clear that HDR is much more compelling to it than 4K. Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt said HDR is now a greater industry priority than 4K.
"I think HDR is more visibly different than 4K," Hunt told Digital Trends. "Over the past 15 years, we have had plenty of increments of pixels on the screen, and from what we saw with digital cameras, pixel count eventually stopped being interesting."