'Does Hulu have 4K?': Hulu's 4K capabilities, explained

4K is becoming more and more common nowadays. So you'd be forgiven if you thought that Hulu offered 4K programming by default on all of its streaming apps.

However, this isn't the case — to watch in 4K on Hulu, you'll need to be using a specific streaming device, and watching one of a select set of shows and movies.

Here's what you should know.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Hulu Basic Subscription (From $5.99 per month at Hulu)

Apple TV (From $179.99 at Best Buy)

Chromecast Ultra (From $69.99 at Best Buy)

Amazon Fire TV Stick (From $49.99 at Best Buy)

LG 55" LED TV (From $399.99 at Best Buy)

Xbox One S (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

Which devices can display Hulu in 4K

Unlike some other streaming services, Hulu only supports 4K video on a narrow set of devices. These are the media players which can show Hulu in 4K:

If you don't have one of those devices — like if you're using a Roku media device, for example — the highest resolution you can watch in is HD. 

The content that Hulu broadcasts in 4K is limited

If you have a compatible device, the selection of 4K content is relatively slim. There's no official list of what content is available in 4K — Hulu says on its website that "at this time, [4K content is] limited to a select list of programming, including most Hulu Originals." 

Unfortunately, that's an optimistic spin on the current state of 4K on Hulu, which currently appears to be limited to the service's highest profile originals, like "The Handmaid's Tale." 

So while you can find 4K video if you look through Hulu's original programming, most content on the service is only available in HD.