Are 4K BR movies worth it?
- Thread starter NorthStar
- Start date
It's from almost a year ago, but still very very valid today.
We are far from reaching all the 4K potential. Just our displays for example; they simply are not up to the full potential task of 4K UHD HDR10 (10+) & Dolby Vision, ..IMHO.
[And forget about Dolby Vision with 4K front projectors]
I like the obvious higher resolution of 4K cameras; Sony, Panasonic, Red Epic Dragon.
_____
Extra:
https://youtu.be/v6xdCGbfIyA
We are far from reaching all the 4K potential. Just our displays for example; they simply are not up to the full potential task of 4K UHD HDR10 (10+) & Dolby Vision, ..IMHO.
[And forget about Dolby Vision with 4K front projectors]
I like the obvious higher resolution of 4K cameras; Sony, Panasonic, Red Epic Dragon.
_____
Extra:
They are worth it for me as I like the Atmos soundtracks and HDR which is more a wow factor. I don't buy very many movies.
maybe they are worth it.
I've acquired 25-30 4K UHD HDR BR movies in the last few weeks......to provide media support for my home theater re-boot. most of these also have the Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 sound track (I've installed 4 ceiling Atmos speakers to augment my 7.2 surround). last year I purchased a 65" diag Sony A1E 4k tv and was dazzled by it's performance with the right 4k material. after doing some research, it seems the time is right for large screen front projection to fulfill it's destiny.
right now i'm 2 weeks in and in the discovery phase, and contemplating adding a Lumagen Pro video processor + vertical compression anamorphic lens which will allow for optimal light + many more pixels in wide screen mode to optimize the HDR performance for front projection.
watching my new front projector is revelatory with 4k, but evidently there is much more performance I can be enjoying. as of yet I've not compared 1080p BRD to the 4K so all I can do is go from memory. i'd say it's clearly better. how good? ask me in a month or so. i'm working through the set-up process, enjoying baby steps as I learn and enjoy.
I've acquired 25-30 4K UHD HDR BR movies in the last few weeks......to provide media support for my home theater re-boot. most of these also have the Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 sound track (I've installed 4 ceiling Atmos speakers to augment my 7.2 surround). last year I purchased a 65" diag Sony A1E 4k tv and was dazzled by it's performance with the right 4k material. after doing some research, it seems the time is right for large screen front projection to fulfill it's destiny.
right now i'm 2 weeks in and in the discovery phase, and contemplating adding a Lumagen Pro video processor + vertical compression anamorphic lens which will allow for optimal light + many more pixels in wide screen mode to optimize the HDR performance for front projection.
watching my new front projector is revelatory with 4k, but evidently there is much more performance I can be enjoying. as of yet I've not compared 1080p BRD to the 4K so all I can do is go from memory. i'd say it's clearly better. how good? ask me in a month or so. i'm working through the set-up process, enjoying baby steps as I learn and enjoy.
That was an incentive for us to buy 4K, Dolby Atmos exclusivity to 4K.
Forget 3D with Dolby Atmos, there's no money there. ...Same with regular 2D Blu-ray.
Hollywood they have market strategists, financial planifiers, they know how Dolby business works...Disney, FOX, WB, ...
Give us higher elevated sound and we will buy it. We'll even install four new speakers on the ceiling.
...Buy a new 7.2.4 prepro, more amplifiers, more speaker cables, more interconnects, more objects, more more more money ... good for the economy, good for China, good for me, for you, for everyone.
It's people like us who contribute to our economy, who make this world go round and round, who create employment, ...
Some 4K Blus I buy are made in Mexico to help my brothers and sisters, some 3D Blus I buy are made overseas...France, Germany, Japan, China, ...to help my brothers and sisters. The electricity, gas, oil, food, cars, electronics I buy are manufactured and produced in ... to help my brothers and sisters.
Last edited:
I just can't wait for 8K and do it all over again. I'll give my 4K Blu-rays to the Salvation Army stores.
Ten years from now someone on income assistance, an immigrant from another country will watch Saving Private Ryan in 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound.
Ten years from now someone on income assistance, an immigrant from another country will watch Saving Private Ryan in 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound.
Carl still watched DVDs and he's happy, you can tell by his great best sense of humor.
My best friend streams movies in 480p and 720p, and he's very happy.
I blew him away, with his wife, with 3D.
Personally I could live with 2K, but I just won't, because 4K is now everywhere and I just have to live with the flow; it's more fun, more social, more civilised...it's the new wave.
My best friend streams movies in 480p and 720p, and he's very happy.
I blew him away, with his wife, with 3D.
Personally I could live with 2K, but I just won't, because 4K is now everywhere and I just have to live with the flow; it's more fun, more social, more civilised...it's the new wave.
Last edited:
Heh, Heh, I would have to agree that for mainstream viewing, I regard the major advantage of 4K to be the upscaling. And yes, I have had some incredibly enjoyable experiences with well mastered library DVD's from filmed material that look great when upscaled on the projector to 4k. They come across very much like a traditional 35mm film at the theater.
Call me Mr. 4K lowbrow.
Call me Mr. 4K lowbrow.
The Movie Talk reviewer didn't seem to me very high on 4K bluray.
Are 4K Bluray discs downward compatible with regular bluray? So far I have bought some films in VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Bluray. And there are a few where I bought the regular Bluray and then the director's cut bluray and then the special edition bluray.
Larry
Are 4K Bluray discs downward compatible with regular bluray? So far I have bought some films in VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and Bluray. And there are a few where I bought the regular Bluray and then the director's cut bluray and then the special edition bluray.
Larry
Bud just said it; with every 4K UHD package (black plastic case), the regular 1080p Blu-ray disc is included.
To play the 4K disc you absolutely need another player, a 4K BR disc player. It just won't play in your regular Blu-ray player. The cheapest 4K BR players...hundred bucks.
And of course for best picture a 4K TV to go with it. But, it would play on a regular 1080p TV...down converted, or a 1080p front projector.
When you buy a regular 1080p Blu-ray movie @ release date the price is roughly between $20 and $25, less after couple months, or when they go on sale...Amazon or wherever they sell them.
To get the additional 4K version, it's between $25 and $30, @ the first release date. When they go on sale the 4K packages can be between $10 and $20.
I started this thread because for many people 4K discs are really no big deal.
For hardcore movie watchers who want the best 4K is another notch up, in high dynamic range, more accurate color palette, some extra detail in general.
There are more variables but in general that's the overall picture.
As for the sound the Blu-ray movie studios, to encourage people of buying 4K discs, they decided to make Dolby Atmos, which add elevated sound when you buy two or four more speakers and you install them in/on your ceiling, exclusive to 4K only (in vast general). But then you need a decoder too, by means of buying a new AV receiver or surround sound processor, to take advantage of Dolby Atmos, but you don't have to. Plus of course extra speaker cables to go above, and a new ultra high speed 4K HDMI cable. But the cables are very cheap, read very affordable...only few dollars.
Mike here is one of the top perfectionists on everything ultra high end audio, best quality music recordings, and top visuals with Sony OLED and his soon 4K front projection setup.
Mike is not alone on the ultra audio hi-fi side; Steve, Tang, Ian, Francisco, David, Bud, Davey, Bonzo, and @ least another couple hundred hi end gentlemen regular members. But I bet there are millions more who are out there reading and not posting. Videophiles, movie lovers we have that too, owners of the best TVs, opppo 4K players, Sony, JVC 4K front projectors, 7.2.4 setups, ...perhaps less than musicphiles.
We all love movies; me I love the movie soundtracks...like from 'Interstellar' that I revisited again very recently. It just blew me all over again, and it helps that I really like that film. Let just say that the overall experience is one of the most intense ones in the history of cinema. It's like listening to one of your favorite operas with the full cast and orchestral manoeuvres in the dark. Just name it, your favorite classical music composer.
4k is like what LPs are to the audio world. If I am allowed to a daring analogy.
Or it could be just the opposite; hi-def movie streaming. You are free to pick anyone you prefer.
The best in anything in life, to me, is to be free and happy with the one(s) we love.
Last edited:
Pretty sad that maybe half at most of the 4k releases are actually 4k...
I'm still prepping for being ready for more 4k. If I buy something I'll go for the 4k version, like I just got an AppleTV 4k.
I'm still prepping for being ready for more 4k. If I buy something I'll go for the 4k version, like I just got an AppleTV 4k.
At the moment, and in my opinion (not shared by many), without an ultra-bright projector or one of the newer flat panels, HDR (not 4K) buys little, and in many cases, is not as good as SDR/WCG. In addition, I must add that my "good enough" level for video is definitely lower than it is for audio
I, like many, started my REAL home theater journey in ~1991 with a CRT projector (a Sony 1251), some Snell THX speakers and a couple of Velodyne Subs. Brightness was not one of the Sony's strong points. Until the most recent digital projectors (~last 5 years) by Sony and JVC (and others), brightness as always been an issue for me. With the current crop of 4K/HDR "reasonably priced" projectors (e.g. the JVC RS620 or Sony equivalent), they (IMO) are still not bright enough on a low gain, large screen to properly take advantage of HDR. The $60,000 Sony and the $35,000 JVC work fine on even a low gain screen. If I was able to use a high gain screen (>2.0) I might feel differently. For now, I am perfectly OK with SDR/WCG. And quite frankly, if I did not have to purchase the 4K version to get Atmos/DTS:X, I would be more than satisfied with well done 1080P (that my JVC up-converts to 4K).
As for 8K??. On many systems that up-convert to 4K, the difference between 1080P and 4K is marginal. I have zero interest in 8K. I have no doubt that 8K will eventually get here but I would upgrade my speaker count (currently at 9.X.6) to achieve a more immersive sound field way before I would even think about moving to 8K (unless, of course, they only offer 3D audio on the 8K version of the disc).
What a crazy (but fun) [strike]addiction[/strike] hobby this is !!!
I, like many, started my REAL home theater journey in ~1991 with a CRT projector (a Sony 1251), some Snell THX speakers and a couple of Velodyne Subs. Brightness was not one of the Sony's strong points. Until the most recent digital projectors (~last 5 years) by Sony and JVC (and others), brightness as always been an issue for me. With the current crop of 4K/HDR "reasonably priced" projectors (e.g. the JVC RS620 or Sony equivalent), they (IMO) are still not bright enough on a low gain, large screen to properly take advantage of HDR. The $60,000 Sony and the $35,000 JVC work fine on even a low gain screen. If I was able to use a high gain screen (>2.0) I might feel differently. For now, I am perfectly OK with SDR/WCG. And quite frankly, if I did not have to purchase the 4K version to get Atmos/DTS:X, I would be more than satisfied with well done 1080P (that my JVC up-converts to 4K).
As for 8K??. On many systems that up-convert to 4K, the difference between 1080P and 4K is marginal. I have zero interest in 8K. I have no doubt that 8K will eventually get here but I would upgrade my speaker count (currently at 9.X.6) to achieve a more immersive sound field way before I would even think about moving to 8K (unless, of course, they only offer 3D audio on the 8K version of the disc).
What a crazy (but fun) [strike]addiction[/strike] hobby this is !!!
My mention of 8K was simply because it exists now, and to reiterate what we always do in life...expand and start all over with the latest and best audio/video formats.
___
4K or 2K Blu-ray disc, I give you an example of three films that for me I'm very satisfy with one or the other:
1. Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)
2. The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)
3. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
Motion pictures and motion music scores and emotion film value wise.
I just picked three quick out of my head.
* Bonus (underrated in my honest cinema opinion):
A Cure for Wellness (Gore Verbinski)
___
It don't matter 2K or 4K; the impact on film's story, acting, visuals, music score, ... won't be that much different from one or the other format. Yes 4K has a slightly better color palette and overall contrast, but I won't kill and live and die and argue with deep passion for. For that we'll have to wait for Avatar 2 in 3D, and see for ourselves what James Cameron can come up with; it could be magnetically electrifying ... electro magnifying ...
... way of language.
___
4K or 2K Blu-ray disc, I give you an example of three films that for me I'm very satisfy with one or the other:
1. Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)
2. The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)
3. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
Motion pictures and motion music scores and emotion film value wise.
I just picked three quick out of my head.
* Bonus (underrated in my honest cinema opinion):
A Cure for Wellness (Gore Verbinski)
___
It don't matter 2K or 4K; the impact on film's story, acting, visuals, music score, ... won't be that much different from one or the other format. Yes 4K has a slightly better color palette and overall contrast, but I won't kill and live and die and argue with deep passion for. For that we'll have to wait for Avatar 2 in 3D, and see for ourselves what James Cameron can come up with; it could be magnetically electrifying ... electro magnifying ...
... way of language.
This philosophy always works, mostly for most people in search of the best audio and picture wise:
If you can afford the best you don't have to be content with the rest for less, and vice versa.
https://youtu.be/rKOh9aCgyAc
If you can afford the best you don't have to be content with the rest for less, and vice versa.
I went 4k a few months ago and have enjoyed it. Have about a dozen 4k disks and watch other 4k material on Amazon Prime Video.
Certainly not the same as the jump from standard definition to HD and Blu-Ray but there is a noticeable difference in most 4k (or almost 4k) material.
Certainly not the same as the jump from standard definition to HD and Blu-Ray but there is a noticeable difference in most 4k (or almost 4k) material.
For that we'll have to wait for Avatar 2 in 3D, and see for ourselves what James Cameron can come up with; it could be magnetically electrifying ... electro magnifying ...
I just want James Cameron to re-do "The Abyss" in BR or HDR and add Atmos (it is only in DVD format .....or Laser Disc). The Director's cut of that movie made sense. The theatrical cut made no sense. I love that movie.
Similar threads
