Direct TV released a set-top box for 4K movies

DirecTV has launched a new Ultra HD set-top box, the 4K Genie Mini, extending UHD content to more TVs around the home. So far there’s no word on when the 4K Genie Mini will be available, or whether it will launch in all markets on day one. The entire Genie HD DVR/4K Genie Mini setup does come with some conditions, however.

DirecTV’s been hesitant to march directly into the 4K space after the failure that was 3D TV, but they’re still more aggressive on 4K and UHD than most of their cable, satellite and telcoTV competitors.

TVs compatible with the new 4K Genie Mini incorporate HDMI 2.0 connection, HDCP 2.2 content protection technology, and minimum 60fps frame rate.

While the box does support the watching of multiple streams at once, with another stream available in another room, it should be noted that it only supports the viewing of one 4K program at a time.

Speaking about the new hardware, DirecTV representative Henry Derovanessian said “Customers who want the best picture quality are creating more demand for 4K”. The company initially started offering 4K content previous year but it could only be accessed by customers who had a “DirecTV Ready” TV, those models weren’t exactly common or easy to find.

The HD DVR is now in millions of homes, the company said. The price of 4K Genie Mini is $99, but there are chances that it may vary according to the plans. Of course, the volume of 4K content is still somewhat limited to brand new film releases as well as a handful of popular back catalog titles.