Netflix offers a variety of TV shows and movies in 4K. You can watch these on your PC, but you’ll need the right hardware, internet connection, software, and Netflix subscription. It’s not as easy as streaming Netflix in 1080p HD.
The Hardware You’ll Need for 4K
To stream Netflix in “Ultra HD” on your TV, the only hardware you need is a 4K TV and a 4K-capable streaming box. That’s pretty simple. On a PC, it’s a bit more involved.
You’ll need a PC with a 4K display—that’s 3840×2160 pixels. You can check your display’s resolution by heading to Settings > System > Display and looking at the “Resolution” box.
The display must be capable of running at a 60 Hz refresh rate. It must also support HDCP 2.2. Check the manual that came with your monitor or look at the manufacturer’s specifications online to see if the monitor has this feature. Netflix will only offer 4K streaming on your PC if high-bandwidth digital copy protection 2.2 is available.
Netflix also says your PC needs an Intel 7th generation (Kaby Lake) processor or newer to stream. However, some older processors reportedly work, and many AMD processors will also work. You won’t know until you try. You’ll just need a fast enough processor to handle decoding that 4K content.
You can discover whether your PC has a new enough CPU by heading to Settings > System > About. Look for the “Processor” information under “Device Settings.” To determine the generation, look at the number after the dash. For example, in the screenshot below, “i7-4790″ means we have a 4th generation Core i7 processor.
