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Did Amazon Just Quietly Paywall 4K Content Behind a $5-a-Month Prime Video Ultra Subscription?

Amazon quietly removed the ability to watch 4K from Prime Video’s base membership tier, which had been a standard feature for years.

By Matt Jancer | Reviewed by Ysolt Usigan

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“What in blue hell is this?” I wondered last night when I sat down to watch the fifth season of Clarkson’s Farm, which premiered the other week. I was looking at something strange on the screen that I hadn’t noticed before. I’d always held Prime Video, Amazon’s TV streaming service included with an Amazon Prime membership, a little higher in regard because it included 4K streaming without making you shell out $20 or more per month for an elevated tier of service like Netflix and HBO.

Now there was a tiny button saying that I could watch ad-free and in 4K if I signed up for Amazon Prime Video Ultra. A little digging was in order. And yeah, it turns out that Amazon very quietly rolled out the Ultra tier on April 10. Now you’ve gotta pay $5 per month for it, added to your Amazon Prime subscription, if you want to stream movies, documentaries, and television shows in 4K. And all this right before Prime Day 2026, too.

Prime Video Ultra (opens in a new........

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