Sony unveils FMP-X5 4K Media Player, lets older Bravia owners stream HEVC Netflix 4K

Early adopters of Sony's 4K TV range might be upset they can't stream 4K Netflix because of the HEVC codec. Sony has announced that it will be selling a box that now streams HEVC to the older screens.

Users will have to shell out €399 for the FMP-X5 4K Media Player when it goes on sale in August. This will then allow for 4K HEVC streaming from Netflix for its House of Cards second series that can be streamed at that quality. 

The 4K HEVC Streaming Box is for 2012 and 2013 4K Bravia TVs including the 84X9005A, 65X9005A, 55X9005A. Support for those that bought the X9, essentially then.

Support for 4K projectors is under considerations, says Sony. It does feature a USB drive slot but only works for streaming as the box itself doesn't have any storage.

YouTube 4K and Google VP9 codecs are under consideration by Sony also.

So while this is a great news for early adopters we're still waiting for more content. Though Sony did say that it was working with the Blu-ray Association who has plans to release 4K Blu-ray this year.