Sony Electronics formally took “4K Ultra High Definition” to the next level Thursday by introducing the first 4K playback device supporting its newly released 84-inch LCD TV.

The new 4K Ultra HD Video Player is a hard-disk server that connects easily to Sony’s matching XBR-84X900 84-inch LED LCD TV, allowing consumers to view 4K resolution movies and short-form 4K videos. The server and 84-inch 4K Ultra HD LED LCD TV sets were scheduled to be officially unveiled and demonstrated at an invitation-only event with Sony recording artist John Legend.

Sony said it is making the device available as a bonus “loaned”—as the company put it—exclusively to U.S. customers purchasing the Sony 4K LED TV. The hard-disk server, which has been used for in-store demos of the company’s flagship 4K Ultra HD TV screen, comes loaded with content, including both full-length Hollywood features and a gallery of videos, creating the first true home 4K experience, Sony said.

Currently, the device is the only method consumers can use to play natively produced 4K Ultra HD content on the new high-resolution displays. As a stand-alone unit, the Sony XBR-84X900 TV up-scales all video inputs, including the more than 7,000 Blu-ray Disc titles currently in distribution, to what Sony said is “a near-4K resolution” through the use of Sony’s proprietary 4K X-Reality PRO three-chip picture engine.

“Sony is a company of firsts, and this introduction of the first 4K technology platform continues that pioneering, innovative spirit,” stated Phil Molyneux, Sony Electronics president and COO. “We were the first to introduce 4K projectors to cinemas in 2005, the first to introduce a 4K projector designed for the home in 2011, and the first to offer a 4K up-scaling Blu-ray Disc player earlier this year. Now we’re the first to begin closing the content loop, offering native 4K content for the home and delivering the most immersive, awe-inspiring entertainment experience yet.” 

As it has done with high-definition and 3D, Sony is looking to take the point for the consumer electronics industry in leading the way into the next new video format. Sony pointed out that “it is uniquely positioned to be first to market in delivering 4K Ultra HD solutions,” in its multiple roles a content producers, and consumer and professional equipment manufacturers. Sony said its spin on the 4K Ultra HD Home Experience for the home includes its “84-inch 4K LED TV, the video player, and an Xperia Tablet S that serves as a remote control through an easy-to-use app.”