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Google Play adds HDR playback for select movies and TV shows
Next time you fire up the Google Play Movies & TV app, pay attention to every title -- it could sport a tag you've been waiting for. The service has finally introduced HDR or High Dynamic Range playback, and it's now available for select movies and TV shows. HDR makes what you're watching more life-like by displaying a wider range of colors, so that you can see more details in the darkest and brightest parts of an image despite displaying greater contrast. You'll need an HDR-compatible monitor or TV to fully enjoy the upgrade, though... and the feature is only live in the US and Canada.
NVIDIA's Shield TV upgrades to 4K for Cast and Google Play movies
Despite all the 4K material NVIDIA's Shield TV can handle, there have still been a few gaps: you couldn't play Google Play Movies & TV content in 4K, for instance, and you definitely couldn't Google Cast the 4K videos of your choice. Thankfully, NVIDIA is plugging those two holes today. An update lets all Shield TV boxes play both the content you Cast and Google Play titles in the ultra-sharp resolution, so you don't have to be quite so picky when looking for material beyond 1080p.
Google Play adds 4K movies to its catalog
When we reviewed the Chromecast Ultra, one of our biggest gripes was the dearth of 4K content to justify it -- not even Google's own movie store had material to watch. The company is fixing that glaring omission, though. As of now, Google Play Movies & TV carrying over 125 4K movies in the American and Canadian stores. You can buy or rent them, and choose from big-name movies like Captain Philips, Star Trek Beyond and The Secret Life of Pets. If you own a Chromecast Ultra, you'll even get a free movie (from a handful of approved selections) as a reward for your early adopter status.
Google Play Movies finally adds AirPlay support
Cupertino recently announced that the Apple TV has some 2,600 applications in its ecosystem and one of them just got a pretty major update. The app in question is none other than Google Play Movies and TV. The update? AirPlay support. No, you aren't misreading that. It actually happened. If you're heavily invested in Mountain View's entertainment ecosystem (but for whatever reason haven't added a Chromecast to your A/V gear), this should come as pretty welcome news.
