YouTube to demo 4K streaming at CES with Google's fancy new VP9 codec

YouTube to demo 4K streaming at CES along with Google's fancy new VP9 codec
YouTube going Ultra HD

Video sharing service YouTube will demonstrate 4K streaming technology at the CES 2014 show in Las Vegas next week in a bid to kickstart Google's new open-source VP9 video format.

The company's Ultra HD videos will be on display on televisions at the Sony, LG and Panasonic booths during the annual tech fest in the Nevada desert, using the VP9 codec Google has developed in-house.

Google hopes VP9 can offer an alternative to the H.265 standard and already has the support of hardware manufacturers like ARM, Intel, Samsung, Sharp and the aforementioned trio.

YouTube, which may support H.265 in the future, said VP9 will allow for higher resolution video at a bit-rate that isn't beyond your connection, but will also halve the amount of data needed to stream in HD.

Death to buffering?

"By 2015, you'll be surprised every time you see that spinning wheel," Francisco Varela, global director of platform partnerships at YouTube, told Gigaom in an interview.

YouTube's announcement comes after Netflix revealed that selected viewers will be able to watch House of Cards season 2 at full 4K resolution when the new episodes debut later this year.

This week, Stream TV also said it would be demonstrating glasses-free 4K 3D video at the show, which kickstarts in earnest on Monday.

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.