Sony unveils 4K media player to bring high-def content to TVs

TOKYO, July 2 (UPI) -- Sony has announced a 4K Ultra HD media player it says will push HD media to television screens such as its Sony Ultra HD TV.

In an accompanying announcement, Sony said it would launch a 4K Ultra HD content service providing 4K downloads within the Sony Entertainment Network, Consumer Reports said Tuesday.

The $699 player, to be available July 15 will come preloaded with 10 Ultra HD feature films.

Ultra HD TVs boast screens with four times the number of pixels of 1080p sets.

The unveiling of the media player addresses one of the key shortcomings of new 4K Ultra HD TVs: a lack of native 4K content.

Sony has an advantage in that area because it owns its own movie studio, Sony Pictures, and many of its feature films -- and those of other studios as well -- are shot and sometimes shown theatrically in 4K resolution.