Star India's Hotstar[1] has started to roll out support for video streaming in full-HD (1080p), the company confirmed, as it looks to better compete with Amazon Prime Video[2] and Netflix[3], both of which already offer video streaming in full-HD and also have larger catalogues.
Through a software update, Hotstar this week added support for full-HD (1080p) video streams on its iOS app[4] (for iPhone and iPad). Android[5] users and Web users will have to wait for now as neither of the platforms has 1080p at the time of publishing.
We scanned through the catalogue on Hotstar's iOS client and found that all premium titles such as Game of Thrones[6], How I Met Your Mother, and so on - are now available in full-HD (1080p). However, many movies and shows, as well as the sports content, still max out at HD (720p). Gadgets 360 had reported about Hotstar's imminent plans to add full-HD support[7] two weeks ago.
The unavailability of 1080p streaming option has frustrated several Hotstar customers for many months. In comparison, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offer UHD (4K) streaming options for select titles on their respective platforms. This feature has been added soon after Hotstar launched internationally[8] - and the updated app doesn't just add 1080p streams, but also support for Hotstar's two new regions, the USA and Canada.
This is the first time it is expanding the service outside India. In the United States, people will be required to pay $9.99 (roughly Rs. 640) per month, and in Canada, the monthly subscription cost is CAD 12.99 (roughly Rs. 670). The catalogue in those countries is different...