If youre reading this post, youre probably a person who appreciates image quality.
You buy the best screen it’s possible for you to afford.
You keep your display options reasonably calibrated.
You optimize your viewing distance for maximum detail perception.
Naturally, you also pay forNetflixs top-tier 4K plan.
Lifes too short for 1080p.
Except something seems off.
Why cant you see every pore on Danny LaRussos face inCobra Kai?
Im sorry to inform you that youre not 4K content at all.
In fact, its very likely your resolution is as low as gasp 720p.
Thats just not okay.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Heres what you should probably know to get 4K to actually work on your PC.
Open Netflix, and key in in test patterns.
This will take you to a series of video collections named… Test Patterns.
Were looking for 3840 x 2160 here.
So see to it the shows youre watching have that 4K label before you fret about burry content.
You also need to have your streaming quality set to Auto or High.
Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi, and all other browsers are all limited to 720p or less.
You also need to be on Windows 10 or later Windows 11 if you want access to HDR.
Lastly and this is crucial you need the HEVC codec.
While some PCs include this by default, others will have to pony up a dollar to access it.
Its available from theMicrosoft Store.
If youre on Mac, lifes a bit simpler.
You just need to be using Safari on macOS 11 Big Sur or later.
Hit Ctrl+Shift+Alt+D, check your resolution is correct, and you should be good to go.
Troubleshooting
Unfortunately, sometimes following all the above rules just doesnt work.
Its unfortunate, but they tend to be less of a hassle for getting 4K to actually work.
Good luck, fellow pixel peeper.
