4K.com recently posted a big write-up of Microsoft’s Ultra HD content service for Windows 10 and Xbox One, highlighting its pros and cons. The article complements the service’s selection, commenting that the number of UHD titles has grown from 30 at the end of 2017 to over 200 that are available now, and that it holds some UHD and HDR content that isn’t even available on the most popular platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
However, the article goes on to point out how hamstrung the service is by “regional restrictions, upgrade problems and support defects”. The regional restrictions in question affect users outside the US, where UHD content is more-or-less totally unavailable, even in major markets including the UK. This is a common problem, even among the big players.
There is also currently no facility for upgrading HD movies to their UHD counterparts, either free of charge or by paying the difference. Worse still, owners of HD movies are locked out of the ability to purchase Ultra HD versions outright.
Analyst Comment
I’ve been gaming my whole life and while this isn’t anything to do with gaming, it is an industry where the US has received much more in the way of digital content support than other Western territories — and, until recently, at far cheaper prices. I imagine that situation could be somehow linked to the struggles currently faced by Microsoft’s Ultra HD movie service.
However, though Sony is my brand of choice, I have been impressed with how Microsoft has previously handled some contentious issues with its Xbox ecosystem. The fact that owners of HD movies are totally unable to purchase their UHD versions is clearly an oversight and one that I can almost guarantee will be fixed as soon as someone at Microsoft figures out that they’re potentially turning down money.
Having said that, considering some of the surprisingly customer-focused moves that the Xbox business has made over the years, I wouldn’t be surprised if a reasonably-priced upgrade offer was in the pipeline. Unfortunately, I think the regional issue may be a little more deep-rooted and won’t be as simple to fix. (AF) – It’s usually a rights issue – (BR)
