Sony FMP-X5 4K Media Player Adds 4K Streaming To Bravia UHD TVs

Sony has been working on getting more 4K resolution TVs onto the market under its Bravia brand for a long time. While some of its more recent 4K TVs came out of the box with support for 4K video streaming in HEVC H.265 standard, some of the older 4k sets from Sony didn't. To remedy that issue, Sony has announced a new 4K media streaming box.

The streaming device is called the FMP-X5 and it is specifically designed to support HEVC. Sony's new set top box is available for purchase now via the Sony online store for €399. It is designed to connect to Sony 4K TVs via an HDMI port that were built in 2012 and 2013.

Once the new 4k decoded is connected to the TVs they can play content encoded in the popular HEVC format. That format has better coding efficiency than H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. That format is well suited to streaming 4k content requiring less bandwidth to deliver 4K images.

Netflix is using this format to steam 4k content and wile there isn't much out there to watch right now, this is the format that future 4K content will use. The FMP-X5 set top box is needed to support HEVC on the KDL-84X9005, KD-65X9005A, and the KD-55X9005A. Sony says that HEVC is supported as standard on all 2014 Bravia 4K TVs and those sets don't need the decoder.

SOURCE: Sony