4K Costs Extra on Netflix, HBO Max and Prime; Not Disney+

Netflix, HBO Max and Paramount+ keep 4K for their top plan, and Prime Video and YouTube TV sell it as a paid add-on. Disney+ and Hulu list 4K on every standalone plan, ad tiers included, and Peacock offers it from its $12.99 Premium plan up.

Everything below is what each service states on its own US pages, read on 16 October 2026. Prices are monthly, before tax, for customers billed by the service directly. We have not streamed any of them in 4K.

Which plan gets 4K, service by service

Service	Plan that includes 4K	US price	Other conditions the service states
Netflix	Premium only	$26.99/mo	4 streams; every device, cable and port in the chain must support 4K
HBO Max	Premium only	$22.99/mo or $229.99/yr	HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 throughout; 25 Mbps or higher
Paramount+	Premium	$13.99/mo	Select titles; ad-free except live TV
Prime Video	Prime Video Ultra add-on	$4.99/mo on top of Prime	Ad-free except live and some content; 5 streams
YouTube TV	4K Plus add-on	Not stated on its help page	Locked without it; listed devices only
Disney+	Every plan	$11.99 with ads, $18.99 Premium	Not in computer browsers; ad plan 1080p on Xbox
Hulu	Every standalone plan	$12.49 with ads, $21.49 Premium	Select titles, mostly Hulu Originals; 16 Mbps
Peacock	Premium and Premium Plus	$12.99 with ads, $19.99 Premium Plus	Certain titles, on some 4K devices
Apple TV	Not stated on Apple’s page	$14.99/mo, one plan	No 4K tier described

The services that charge for the top tier

Netflix is the steepest step. Its plans page lists both Standard plans, $8.99 with ads and $19.99 without, at 1080p. Premium, at $26.99, adds 4K with HDR, four streams instead of two and spatial audio. Going from Standard to Premium costs $7 a month, and 4K with HDR is the change to the picture.

Netflix is also the strictest about the chain. Its video-quality help says that with a TV, a streaming stick and an audio receiver, “all three of your devices have to support 4K or HDR”, that Premium needs Premium High Speed or Ultra High Speed HDMI cables, and that the port must support HDCP 2.2 or later. If one link falls short, Netflix plays at the best quality that link allows.

HBO Max puts 4K, Dolby Atmos and four streams (two for sports) on Premium, $22.99 a month. Basic with Ads ($10.99) and Standard ($18.49) stop at Full HD. Its 4K page asks for 25 Mbps or higher, 50 recommended, and HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 on every connected device. One catch is billing: HBO Max says Cox, Xfinity and Prime Video Channels offer only Basic with Ads or Standard, so a subscription through them cannot reach 4K.

Paramount+ has two plans. Its plan table footnotes 4K UHD, Dolby Vision and HDR10 under Premium, $13.99 a month, “only on select titles”. Essential is $8.99 with ads.

The two that sell 4K as an add-on

Prime Video changed this year. Amazon’s newsroom says Prime Video Ultra, which replaced the ad-free add-on, costs $4.99 a month on top of Prime or a Prime Video subscription and has “exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming”. Prime on its own keeps HD, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, but not 4K. Ultra also lifts the stream limit to five, and Amazon says live TV, sports and some other content can still carry ads.

YouTube TV sells 4K Plus on top of its base plans. Google’s help page says 4K videos “will be locked by default” without it, and that it adds unlimited streams at home and offline recordings on phones. That page lists compatible TVs and streaming devices but no price. The base plans it sits on are priced, with the other live TV services, in what live TV streaming costs a month.

The ones that include it on cheaper plans

Disney+ lists “up to 4K UHD & HDR” on both its $11.99 ad plan and $18.99 Premium. Hulu does the same on its $12.49 ad plan and $21.49 Premium; those are its prices for new subscribers from 23 September. On these two, paying to remove ads does not change the resolution. Both have limits of their own: Disney+ says 4K does not work in computer browsers, and Hulu says its 4K library is “a select list of programming, including most Hulu Originals”.

Peacock gives 4K to Premium ($12.99, with ads) and Premium Plus ($19.99) subscribers, on certain titles and some devices. Its 4K article does not mention Select, the $8.99 plan whose listing excludes live sports, movies and Peacock Originals.

Apple TV sells one plan, $14.99 a month, with no ads. Apple’s page describes no 4K tier and does not say whether the plan streams in 4K. Apple describes its own Apple TV 4K box as offering “4K HDR and Dolby Atmos sound”.

Before you upgrade

A 4K plan gets you the option, not the picture. Most of the services above say 4K depends on the title or the device, and several say so on the same page as the price. Three checks are worth doing first:

• The title. Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu and Peacock each show a 4K badge or label on the title’s page. If the shows you watch carry none, a 4K plan will not change how they look.
• The chain. Netflix and HBO Max both name HDCP 2.2 for the port, and Netflix names the cable grade. Which HDR format you get on top of 4K is a separate question, covered in what HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision change.
• The connection. HBO Max’s 25 Mbps and Hulu’s 16 Mbps are their own figures. If a fast connection still stalls, why a good speed test can still buffer explains why.

If the top tier is also where the ads go, the arithmetic on what removing ads costs is the other half of the decision. If someone outside your home shares the account, the sharing rules list what an extra member costs on each service.

Questions people ask

Does Netflix Standard have 4K?

No. Netflix’s US plans page lists Standard and Standard with ads at 1080p. 4K with HDR is on Premium, $26.99 a month, which also streams on four devices at once instead of two.

Does Disney+ with ads have 4K?

Yes, according to Disney+’s US plans page: the $11.99 plan with ads and the $18.99 Premium plan both list video in up to 4K UHD and HDR. Disney+ says 4K is not available in computer browsers, and its ad plan is limited to 1080p on Xbox.

Is Prime Video in 4K included with Prime?

Not since Amazon introduced Prime Video Ultra. Amazon’s newsroom says Ultra, $4.99 a month on top of Prime or a Prime Video subscription, has exclusive access to 4K/UHD. Prime alone keeps HD, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

What HBO Max plan has 4K?

Premium, $22.99 a month or $229.99 a year. Basic with Ads and Standard are Full HD 1080p. HBO Max also says Cox, Xfinity and Prime Video Channels sell only Basic with Ads or Standard, so 4K means another billing route.

Does Peacock stream in 4K?

On certain titles, for Premium ($12.99) and Premium Plus ($19.99) subscribers on some 4K devices, Peacock’s help says. Its 4K article does not mention the $8.99 Select plan.

How do I get 4K on YouTube TV?

With the 4K Plus add-on. Google’s help page says 4K videos are locked by default without it, and that it also adds unlimited streams at home. The help page we read gives no price.

What internet speed do I need for 4K streaming?

It depends on the service. HBO Max asks for 25 Mbps or higher and recommends 50 or more; Hulu lists 16 Mbps for 4K. A steady connection matters as much as the headline number.