Does Amazon Prime Video have 4K content? How to find Ultra High Definition movies and TV shows on your streaming device

• Amazon Prime Video has hundreds of 4K movies and TV shows in its library.
• Amazon doesn't have a premium subscription service for 4K content. There are 4K shows available for free with the usual Prime Video subscription.
• You need to have a fully 4K-ready device to watch Amazon's 4K content.

Just a couple years ago, 4K was relatively uncommon, but these days, you're far more likely to find it built into a new TV than not. Many computer displays, laptops, gaming consoles, and streaming media players are also able to stream in 4K, which is Ultra High Definition resolution.

To take advantage of a 4K display, though, you need 4K content. Amazon offers hundreds of TV shows and movies in 4K, and that library will continue to grow over time. Amazon offers its 4K content to Prime Video subscribers without charging an extra fee. That's in contrast to Netflix, which requires you to subscribe to its Premium service to get access to 4K content.

If you're buying or renting Prime Video content as a non-subscriber, though, the 4K version is usually priced a little higher than the HD ("high definition") and SD ("standard definition") versions.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Amazon Prime Video ($8.99 a month at Amazon)

Sony Playstation 4 Pro (from $359.99 at Game Stop)

Xbox One S (from $389.95 at Amazon)

Xbox One X (from $477.88 at Amazon)

Apple 4K TV (from $179.00 at Apple)

Fire TV Stick 4K (from $49.99 at Amazon)

Roku (from $28.99 at Amazon)

How to find 4K content on Prime Video

There are a few ways to find 4K videos on Prime Video. No matter what device you're using, you can simply use the search tool to look for "4K." This will display a lot of results for movies in 4K.

That technique works, but it can be annoying to browse through a long list of 4K films looking for something you want to watch. You can instead just search normally, and browse the results to see if any of them are in 4K.

Amazon identifies 4K content in search results, but isn't consistent about the labeling – some videos say "[Ultra HD]" while others say "(4K)" or "(4K UHD)." Don't let that confuse you – they are all in 4K resolution, which is 3840x2160 pixels. Some videos are in 4K but the title may not indicate that at all – it's only identified on the video's details page.

Whatever device you're using, if a video is encoded in 4K, there will be a UHD symbol on the show's details page.

How to filter results for 4K content on Prime Video in a web browser

If you're using a web browser, you have an extra tool to find 4K shows more quickly. You can filter your searches to show only 4K content.

1. Open Prime Video in a browser on your desktop.

2. Search for the video you want to watch using the search box near the top of the web page.

3. In the filter pane on the left of the screen, click "4K Ultra High Definition [4K UHD]" You should now only see results that are available in 4K.

Make sure you are ready for 4K

In order to watch a 4K show at its best resolution, you will need to have the right gear. If you are watching Prime Video on a TV, that TV needs to be a 4K set. The good news is that unlike Hulu, which supports 4K on a very limited number of TV sets, Prime Video is broadly compatible with many 4K TVs made since 2015.

But it's a little more complicated than that. If you are accessing Prime Video on your TV through another device, that media player needs to be a 4K device as well. Such 4K devices include the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, as well as media players with "4K" in their names, like the Apple TV 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K. Roku also has a number of 4K devices, including the Roku Streaming Stick Plus and Roku Ultra.

Your internet also needs to be fast enough. You should ensure that your ISP delivers no less than 15 Mbps download speed (you can test your internet speed with a free online tool). Faster is better, and you should ideally have at least 25 Mbps.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• 'Is Disney Plus 4K?': Yes, but you'll need the right equipment — here's what you need to know
  

• YouTube TV doesn't offer 4K streaming, but you can find some 4K content on YouTube — here's what you need to know

• 'Is HBO Go 4K?': What you need to know about streaming quality on HBO's provider-supported service

• How to search on Amazon Prime Video for movies and TV shows on any device

• How to share an Amazon Prime Video account with others by adding adults, teens, or children to your Amazon Household