A Few Words About

A few words about…™ The Matrix — in 4k UHD Blu-ray

Posted on by Robert Harris
Upgrade from Blu-ray - Absolutely! 4 Stars

The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis, became an immediate social phenomenon when it was released in 1999.

It holds up beautifully, almost two decades later, and WB’s new 4k rendering, with Dolby Atmos and HDR/Dolby Vision, is a wonderful way to view it.

A gorgeous representation of the film.

As I don’t care to reinvent the wheel, and when someone says what I probably would, best to save time and send you to another site, to read Michael Reuben’s review of the new disc, which includes comments from colorist Jan Yarbrough.

Image – 5

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Upgrade from Blu-ray – Absolutely!

Pass / Fail – Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

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Robert Harris

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70 Comments

  1. Can't wait to get this. Glad to hear that the matrix scenes are still green. For some reason a few people inaccurately claimed that there was no green in those scenes originally, people parroted that and it kind of got accepted as fact. It's great that the color timing on the UHD is exactly as intended and true to the original look.

  4. IIRC many people believed that the first DVD was representative of the color and that the subsequent DVD and Blu releases were a "revisionist" attempt to make the first film fit with the green cast seen on the sequel's home video releases.

    It actually seems to be the case that the first DVD was heavily white balanced by whoever did the transfer, and the second transfer pumped up the green cast to a very pervasive level… this extended to the sequels* as well since the pre home video footage that is available (in trailers) shows a tone more in keeping with this new transfer supervised by Pope, with the green being present but not at the expense of color variety within the frame.

    In any case, lovely to see this film get the TLC treatment from WB. I hope they do the same for the sequels and that Pope oversees those as well.

    *note that the sequels didn't go through a DI before being printed (with the exception of the highway chase).

  5. Synnove

    IIRC many people believed that the first DVD was representative of the color and that the subsequent DVD and Blu releases were a "revisionist" attempt to make the first film fit with the green cast seen on the sequel's home video releases.

    It actually seems to be the case that the first DVD was heavily white balanced by whoever did the transfer, and the second transfer pumped up the green cast to a very pervasive level… this extended to the sequels* as well since the pre home video footage that is available (in trailers) shows a tone more in keeping with this new transfer supervised by Pope, with the green being present but not at the expense of color variety within the frame.

    In any case, lovely to see this film get the TLC treatment from WB. I hope they do the same for the sequels and that Pope oversees those as well.

    *note that the sequels didn't go through a DI before being printed (with the exception of the highway chase).

    People griped about the green tint in 1999! It may've been heavier in subsequent DVDs but it was always there…

  7. I mean, they paid for not only a new 4K scan, but also paid for a new Dolby Vision HDR master, paid for Bill Pope to consult, and paid for a Dolby Atmos remix of the soundtrack. These things aren't cheap!

  8. Synnove

    I mean, they paid for not only a new 4K scan, but also paid for a new Dolby Vision HDR master, paid for Bill Pope to consult, and paid for a Dolby Atmos remix of the soundtrack. These things aren't cheap!

    And yet other studios manage to release their catalog titles with these same features for a much lower price. Warner Brothers has been pricing their UHD catalog releases higher than just about everyone else since they got into the format.

    I will consider picking this up when it gets below $20.

  9. Scott Merryfield

    And yet other studios manage to release their catalog titles with these same features for a much lower price. Warner Brothers has been pricing their UHD catalog releases higher than just about everyone else since they got into the format.

    I will consider picking this up when it gets below $20.

    Suggest you work those numbers backwards, and see how much stays with the IP owner, after Amazon, BB take their cut.

    Basic replication costs are higher than Blu-rays.

    At a certain point, physical media becomes a poor investment.

    And that’s without the cost of new extras, and that slipcover, that some need.

  10. Robert Harris

    Suggest you work those numbers backwards, and see how much stays with the IP owner, after Amazon, BB take their cut.

    Basic replication costs are higher than Blu-rays.

    At a certain point, physical media becomes a poor investment.

    And that’s without the cost of new extras, and that slipcover, that some need.

    Are Warner Brothers costs higher than studios such as Fox or Universal? If every studio was charging that much I would be more likely to agree with you, Robert. But when WB is consistently higher priced than their competition, then I tend to believe they are just overpriced.

    It's a free market, so each studio is free to charge whatever they want. But, as a consumer, I am also free to decide what I consider a fair price I am willing to pay for the product.

  11. Scott Merryfield

    Are Warner Brothers costs higher than studios such as Fox or Universal? If every studio was charging that much I would be more likely to agree with you, Robert. But when WB is consistently higher priced than their competition, then I tend to believe they are just overpriced.

    It's a free market, so each studio is free to charge whatever they want. But, as a consumer, I am also free to decide what I consider a fair price I am willing to pay for the product.

    You certainly have that right and each of us have different disposable income budgets.

  12. I got what I paid for for this 4K UHD.

    Solid transfer that is as close to the theatrical color timing as you could hope for

    The Dolby Atmos track makes Disneys Last Jedi Atmos track sound like expanded stereo.

    This wasnt a quick cash grab 4K catalog title work was put into this. Image and Audio.

    Warner Bros slayed!

    Now lets see them do the same for Reloaded and Revolutions.

    And WB please release SPEED RACER to UHD 4K with a great Atmos track!

  13. I myself am not up to 4K yet, but they say that the included SDR blu is sourced from this new master and is a vast improvement on the old 2007 master. Has anyone checked out that disc yet?
    I may pick this up tonight if so. Future-proofing for the eventual upgrade to 4K and a great new SDR transfer to watch in the meantime. Can't pass it up.

  18. The price is certainly within my budget, it just means I only buy one disc this week instead of the usual 2-3. And I appreciate Mr. Harris' points and also want to support such care and quality.

    But psychologically, when Die Hard could be had a week earlier for under $20, it becomes a perceived value issue. I would think the Matrix is a big enough title that it could move a lot of units. And $32.99 doesn't seem the best price point to accomplish this, especially compared to other studios output.

    But we'll find out shortly.

  21. I got my copy yesterday, but haven't watch it yet. I've been falling behind on my disc watching while working on some home projects. I hope to be back to my regular viewing schedule this Memorial Day weekend.

    I got lucky on the pricing as one day the price dropped at Amazon to $24.99 and after using some Amazon Reward points I got it under $20.00

  23. George_W_K

    This is sold out everywhere, even at this price. Did they release this in limited quantities? Or is this title that much in demand?

    Well that is an encouraging sign for the format. Also noticed that the Christopher Nolan 4K Collection is currently available from third party sellers on Amazon at $100 more than the original selling price. If they are indeed selling, maybe this will encourage the studios to continue to support 4K physical discs.

    https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-…&sr=8-1&keywords=christopher+nolan+4k+blu+ray

  24. I want to believe the format is selling well. But I’ve also seen major stores carrying less and less disc product, especially 4K. So often I’ll be there at store opening with just a few 4K discs out and the Best Buy manager says they didn’t get that many in stock, and Target’s even worse about having 4K in stock.

  26. Lord Dalek

    It does appear that there are far more 4K displays out there for sale right now than UltraHD players and discs. Whic is ironically the exact opposite of what happened with 3D.

    Well isn't 4K kind of the default on new TV's now, regardless of pysical media and player support? A 1080 tv is like trying to buy a laptop with Windows 7 on it, they just don't make them anymore.

    But yeah the retail presence for 4K media sucks. I would have bought Black Panther in 4K when I was out shopping, but nobody had it on release day, so I ended up with the Blu. (4K would have just been future proofing for me, so it's not like I was hand wringing about only getting the blu, but still I would have bought it if it was available.)

  27. Carlo Medina

    I want to believe the format is selling well. But I’ve also seen major stores carrying less and less disc product, especially 4K. So often I’ll be there at store opening with just a few 4K discs out and the Best Buy manager says they didn’t get that many in stock, and Target’s even worse about having 4K in stock.

    Targets around me have cut way back on their physical media. Best Buy typically has a decent 4K selection, but there's still a relatively small number of films released on the format. Walmart usually has the latest blockbusters on UHD, but not much else. I mean, the reality is that the market for physical media is shrinking. DVD was pretty much as big as it will ever get. I'm loading up on Blu-rays and 4K discs for now, but I'm sadly aware that the good old days are gone for those of us who prefer to own films on physical media.

    I feel like if we end up in a Mad Max situation, I'll be the guy hiding out in a cave in a loincloth with a necklace strung with DVD's and a TV and player hooked up to a steam-powered generator, saying, "For a jug of water, you can watch the flickies from the before-fore time. Shiny stories have I."

  29. Jeff Cooper

    Well isn't 4K kind of the default on new TV's now, regardless of pysical media and player support? A 1080 tv is like trying to buy a laptop with Windows 7 on it, they just don't make them anymore.

    Sure they do. I just bought a new Samsung 49-inch 1080p smart display for our South Carolina condo back in April. We rent the place out when we are not using it, and there is only basic HD cable and an inexpensive BD player for sources. I wasn't about to spend more money for a 4K display for a rental unit, but I wanted something larger than the 32-inch display that we had since we are spending more time down there now that I'm retired. The display was $300, and there were quite a few other options available to select from at Best Buy and Walmart.

  31. sleroi

    I couldn't find this locally so I ordered from Barnes and noble. $33 -15% coupon and free shipping came to $28.

    Thanks for mentioning this. I just ordered this way too. I can wait a week.

  32. I hadn't watched my Blu-ray in many years, so today I watched this on Blu-ray upconverted to 4K on my OLED, and I have to say I was more than happy with the image quality I saw, so I won't myself be upgrading. Now, if some friend wants to gift me this on 4K, I'd gladly accept it, but I'll hold my money for films I don't already have in perfectly fine transfers.

  33. Let me just add to the praise regarding this release (price issue, aside). The audio and video quality are top notch. I don't know enough about what the theatrical color was (I did see it in the theater but 19 years is a long time for accurate recall), but this disc on its own merits looks outstanding.

    I will say the Atmos mix is aggressive and loud. Usually I run Atmos mixes at 53db on my receiver (Last Jedi is closer to 57db). This one I have to dial down to 47db or else I risk disturbing the neighbors.

    I watched this film a lot in the early 2000s but it's probably been a decade since I last saw it. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it has held up for me nearly 20 years later.

  38. I figured id find a better price as soon as I purchased it. Oh well, such is this hobby.

    I was willing to pay $24.99 for die hard, and Amazon dropped the price on me. So if I apply that savings to the matrix it all balances out. And ill have this disc on the 30th, on Amazon its not even available until the 31st.

  40. I am looking forward to adding The Matrix 4K blu-ray to my collection as I love this movie. It will be an upgrade from my 2007 HD-DVD release as I never got around to getting any of the Matrix movies on blu-ray. I had purchased the trilogy on DVD and have trilogy on HD-DVD as well but not on blu-ray. So hopefully the other two Matrix films will make it to 4K blu-ray looking as good as the first film did and this will be my reference copy as all movies will be as I do not plan to go beyond 4K blu-ray. If physical media is still around after 4K and I can see a benafit to buying into a 8K format it will have to be compatible with the 4K discs and I will no longer be going back and upgrading 4K content. That is not to say that I would not possibly upgrade a 480p DVD version or a HD-DVD version to 8K if I do not get around to getting a 4K version. But as far as my 4K library is concerned and The Matrix on 4K blu-ray is concerned the ultimate goal will be watching this content on a 4K projection set up if I am able to ever make the upgrade from a 55″ 4K display.

  43. Well the surprising happened when I watched this 4K. I’m actually looking forward to the next two. Though I don’t like them nearly as much as the first, the A/V was top notch on this one that I’m excited to see what they can do with the sequels. I won’t be paying $35 each for them but if they come in at $25 or less they’ll get my business.

  49. ScottJH

    Now down to $18.99 @ bestbuy.com but currently sold out.

    It hasn't been available for pickup at any Best Buy near me since the price was lowered to around $22, and it's been listed as pickup only since that time, too. I have a $5 BB e-gift card I would love to apply to buying this, but it's been impossible to order for over a week now.

    I guess it's easy to keep lowering the price when you don't have any product to sell. 🙄

  52. ScottJH

    If you can check a b&m. Mine had two copies on a p.o.p stand up for Father's Day that had a mix of 4k, 1080p & dvd WB titles.

    If Best Buy's online inventory is to believed, there is not a copy available at any store within 250 miles of my home. I am not about to drive from store to store to see if that's true or not. I'll wait until either it's available for pickup at this price or Amazon's price drops.

  55. Scott Merryfield

    If Best Buy's online inventory is to believed, there is not a copy available at any store within 250 miles of my home. I am not about to drive from store to store to see if that's true or not. I'll wait until either it's available for pickup at this price or Amazon's price drops.

    Carlo Medina

    Scott, BB's inventory system is pretty accurate. Save your gas.

    My zip code said the same thing. If the store inventory is less than 3 then .com says it's not available.

  56. It's common practice if an inventory has 1-2 to say out of stock, because of lossage (theft) and misplacement. You can always take your chances that someone tucked one copy away somewhere, but that's definitely rolling the dice with your gas and time.

  60. Apparently lots of BBY have it in-stock , but the inventory checkers are mostly wrong so folks either have to go to the store, call the store to check stock, or get someone in the store to run an internal inventory check of local stores to get a better read on stock

  67. If someone finds a copy in stock for under 20 please pick it up for me. I've struck out here on east coast and it is no longer listed on their site. I will pay shipping and tax of course. Text me at 9084617181 to confirm if you want!

  68. Robert Crawford

    Try the Saginaw store, but only a few remain in-stock.

    Time constraints kept me from stopping in Saginaw on my way home, but thanks anyway Robert. I checked Best Buy online again, and this title is no longer even listed there in UHD.

  70. brap

    I myself am not up to 4K yet, but they say that the included SDR blu is sourced from this new master and is a vast improvement on the old 2007 master. Has anyone checked out that disc yet?
    I may pick this up tonight if so. Future-proofing for the eventual upgrade to 4K and a great new SDR transfer to watch in the meantime. Can't pass it up.

    Has anyone confirmed this? I’ve only got my HD DVD of this and while it’s fine with my present gear, WB HD DVDs have a high failure rate on my shelf. I grabbed Unforgiven in UHD to get the new BD transfer (was another WB HD DVD on my shelf) and would do the same here if this is confirmed.

  71. PaulDA

    Has anyone confirmed this? I’ve only got my HD DVD of this and while it’s fine with my present gear, WB HD DVDs have a high failure rate on my shelf. I grabbed Unforgiven in UHD to get the new BD transfer (was another WB HD DVD on my shelf) and would do the same here if this is confirmed.

    The Blu-ray copy of the film included with the UHD has indeed been remastered. However, there's been a lot of controversy about the quality of that remaster. Some people claim that the downconversion from HDR to SDR went wrong. (I haven't seen it myself yet.)

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