A Few Words About A few words about...™ Game of Thrones - The First Season -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

If anything is going to cut into sales of HBO's immensely popular Game of Thrones series in 4k, it's that the Dolby Atmos re-issues in HD Blu-ray, are so spectacularly produced. Fine detail, especially in very long shots, is magnificent.

With a production finished in HD, there isn't a great deal to add, short of HDR, or Dolby Vision, which is this case, at least in projection, tends to go overly dark, and hide shadow detail.

Viewing via OLED on a flat panel, yields a more generally pleasing, and controllable image, as a few more nits come into play.

Also, with the final season coming to the fore, fans of the show, who must have 4k, may be apt to wait for a complete set of all seasons, which would be a natural purchase.

So where does GoT S1 4k fit into the home video firmament?

As a 4k set standalone, meaning no Blu-ray counterpart included, it would seemingly be aimed at those who have high end 4k flat panels, love the series, and don't have the re-issued Atmos Blu-rays. For that part of the audience, it's a natural purchase.


Image - 5 (HDR / Dolby Vision)

Audio - 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Upgrade from pre re-issue Blu-ray - Absolutely! (for Atmos)
Upgrade from Atmos Blu-ray - No

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[HDMS Carl Mulder]

I just checked your review out for Game of Thrones and believe you have missed some serious errors in the collection. Ep7 has huge scaling, stair stepping / anti aliasing issues. Tested on 2 different UHD players and 3 different TV's and it still shows the errors.

The words on the intro of ep7 are so bad, and look for Ned's broach while talking to Cersei Lannister is so so bad.
EP9 has artifacting in dark areas which is unacceptable.
E10 has the same issues that EP7 has but Im not sure if its all the way through the episode. Ive seen some reviews, and reviewers have really missed these errors. I'd like for you to look at the episodes again if you have time, especially episode 7. This collection needs to be recalled.

 

[Robert Harris]

I just checked your review out for Game of Thrones and believe you have missed some serious errors in the collection. Ep7 has huge scaling, stair stepping / anti aliasing issues. Tested on 2 different UHD players and 3 different TV's and it still shows the errors.

The words on the intro of ep7 are so bad, and look for Ned's broach while talking to Cersei Lannister is so so bad.
EP9 has artifacting in dark areas which is unacceptable.
E10 has the same issues that EP7 has but Im not sure if its all the way through the episode. Ive seen some reviews, and reviewers have really missed these errors. I'd like for you to look at the episodes again if you have time, especially episode 7. This collection needs to be recalled.

Can you please post a time code?

I've asked someone to check this, and they are unable to duplicate the problem.

 

[HDMS Carl Mulder]

Can you please post a time code?

I've asked someone to check this, and they are unable to duplicate the problem.

EXAMPLES OF EPISODE 7 SCALING ERRORS

0:13 Sean Beans name, low res source.
This continues for the entire intro sequence, where names are low res, and have color bleed issues.
0:16 Mark Addy name, a great example of low res stair stepping errors. Looks terrible, Poor scaling and red and greens don't match?? 8 bit source??

1:58 Ropes on the tents, dirty shot, antialiasing.
2:00 more scaling and anti aliasing errors. Also digital artifacts on the very top tent in the shot.

6:52 Obvious color issues on Neds hand. Scaling and resolution on his broach.
6:59 Neds broach.
7:26 Terrible bleeding color on the plants / grass. Cersei should and cheek line.
7:36 Neds Broach
7:54 Neds Broach
8:03 Neds Broach
8:40 Neds Broach
The rest of the scene is equally as bad, and the entire episode is full of scaling issues, poor resolution, stair stepping and anti aliasing errors.

The fact that this pasted quality control is a little disturbing.

Tested on an Oppo 203 on 4 different TV's, all display the same errors.

This collection needs to be recalled.

 

[MarkantonyII]

Leaving aside the tone in the later paragraph, has your Oppo got the latest firmware update and been factory reset after?

As you've noted, if others aren't seeing it, maybe it's a more local issue?

M

 

[Tino]

Yeah what’s up with that dismissive tone?

No need for that.

 

[HDMS Carl Mulder]

has your Oppo got the latest firmware update and been factory reset after?

As you've noted, if others aren't seeing it, maybe it's a more local issue?

M

Latest firmware update, and factory defaulted every firmware update. Im going to try and get to a high end home theater store to check what Im seeing on my end is the same as a really high end setup.

 

[Tino]

Glad to see you edited your unnecessary tone out of your post.

People are more willing to listen and help with a polite tone imo.

I’m curious if any other members see this alleged issue.

 

[Robert Harris]

Glad to see you edited your unnecessary tone out of your post.

People are more willing to listen and help with a polite tone imo.

I’m curious if any other members see this alleged issue.

Whilst pixel-peeping, there is a bit of “shimmer” around small letters in the MT sequence, which would be normal.

 

[HDMS Carl Mulder]

Yeah, sorry about the original tone guys, was just really frustrated that what Im seeing others are not seeing. Im going to see if I can take the disc to a high end home theater store and play all the scenes. To see if its some issue on my end for some reason.

I have my TV ISF professionally calibrated.
I have Dolby Vision on the Oppo I have tried forced HDR10 only and HDR10 has the poor source resolution errors. I tried source direct, 444, 12bit, I tried 1080p, UHD auto, UHD 24. I tried every video setting and that original source, from what Im seeing is way too poor.
However, with that said Im completely willing to see this on a high end projector which I plan on doing, because I'd like to know if some of these errors are being covered up somehow by better TV's and projectors.

 

[Robert Harris]

Yeah, sorry about the original tone guys, was just really frustrated that what Im seeing others are not seeing. Im going to see if I can take the disc to a high end home theater store and play all the scenes. To see if its some issue on my end for some reason.

I have my TV ISF professionally calibrated.
I have Dolby Vision on the Oppo I have tried forced HDR10 only and HDR10 has the poor source resolution errors. I tried source direct, 444, 12bit, I tried 1080p, UHD auto, UHD 24. I tried every video setting and that original source, from what Im seeing is way too poor.
However, with that said Im completely willing to see this on a high end projector which I plan on doing, because I'd like to know if some of these errors are being covered up somehow by better TV's and projectors.

Are you viewing on panels or projection? Specifics, please.

The original source is highly resolved HD. I’m seeing the uprez adding very little, if anything other than HDR, of which I’m not a fan in this case.

If I were purchasing the series, short of later seasons being captured with larger, more highly resolved chips, I’d be sticking with the Atmos Blu-rays.

I’m not seeing the 4k, at least of S1, adding anything except sizzle, and a skew.

Is it possible that anomalies are being added, that show up on certain equipment?

Certainly, as the image is being massaged.

 

[HDMS Carl Mulder]

Are you viewing on panels or projection? Specifics, please.

The original source is highly resolved HD. I’m seeing the uprez adding very little, if anything other than HDR, of which I’m not a fan in this case.

If I were purchasing the series, short of later seasons being captured with larger, more highly resolved chips, I’d be sticking with the Atmos Blu-rays.

I’m not seeing the 4k, at least of S1, adding anything except sizzle, and a skew.

Is it possible that anomalies are being added, that show up on certain equipment?

Certainly, as the image is being massaged.

Vizio P75C1 TV Panel ISF calibrated for HD, HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

 

[Gandalfnet]

I saw all the errors in ep7 tons of stair steeping, very annoying preveious eps where better
Oppo 203
Sony 675es 4k projector
Hdr10
144 inch screen