A Few Words About A few words about...™ Blade Runner -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[PMF]

S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G, glorious and WOW.

 

[Bartman]

I don't have Blade Runner on Blu-ray. Has a new Blu-ray encode of the 4K DI ever been available in Region A or B?

Or in other words, which is the best Blade Runner Blu-ray from a picture quality POV?

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't have Blade Runner on Blu-ray. Has a new Blu-ray encode of the 4K DI ever been available in Region A or B?

Or in other words, which is the best Blade Runner Blu-ray from a picture quality POV?

I don't believe so. I think the only blu-ray edition ever released has been the 2007 disc. The same blu-ray disc was included with the 2017 4K release.

From what I've read, the 2017 4K disc is from the same 4K DI source as the 2007 blu-ray, just with HDR applied. Any limitations of the older blu-ray are mostly due to bitrate and other technical aspects used in 2007 that could be modernized with a new edition. But that disc received good reviews at the time.

 

[Bartman]

I don't believe so. I think the only blu-ray edition ever released has been the 2007 disc. The same blu-ray disc was included with the 2017 4K release.

From what I've read, the 2017 4K disc is from the same 4K DI source as the 2007 blu-ray, just with HDR applied. Any limitations of the older blu-ray are mostly due to bitrate and other technical aspects used in 2007 that could be modernized with a new edition. But that disc received good reviews at the time.

Thanks, that's a pity. The VC1 encode is moderate bit rate. I'm finding that discs well reviewed in the 2006-2010 timeframe often have not passed the test of time. I'll stick with free streams until some enterprising company revisits Blade Runner!

 

[Chewbabka]

Thanks, that's a pity. The VC1 encode is moderate bit rate. I'm finding that discs well reviewed in the 2006-2010 timeframe often have not passed the test of time. I'll stick with free streams until some enterprising company revisits Blade Runner!

The problem with streams is it seems half the time I see it on a streaming service, it’s the theatrical cut. E.g., a couple years back, Netflix had the theatrical cut. I tried to watch it as I’d never seen it before. I couldn’t continue past 10 minutes knowing I could pop in the FC…

It’s really a testament to how great a film it is that it gained such a huge following despite that godawful commentary.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys, I totally forgot about this 4K release. Last weekend I started watching the previous blu ray and remembered about this and I ordered it along with Alien. My set does include discs 1, 2 and 4 and the 4K blu ray. So it’s the complete set.

i watched part of the 4K Blade Runner up until Roy and Leon terrorize Chew where the disc froze. I figure the disc has something on the surface and I’ll clean and try again later today. I was able to skip ahead where it played again. As the earlier blu way was fresh in my mind, as I started the new 4K, I was immediately surprised how the color and sound is boosted compared to the earlier blu ray. The first shots with the aerial fly over of Los Angeles in 2019 with the flames and flying spinners going by looked like a thin layer of haze was removed. The sequence where the camera flys into the Tyrell building also surprised me be the increase contrast and clarity, I could really enjoy the model of the buildings. With all the compositing going on, I was surprised how clean all these shots look. Then the scene when Leon is interviewed also impressed. The smoke and haze in the room is not clouding the image and I can see the detail of Holden’s tie and suit jacket.

The shots when Deckard interviews Rachel again looked great. They sure smoked a lot in this film! i look forward to watching the rest of the film.

It’s nuts, I’ve collected this film on the Criterion laserdisc, dvd’s, the last blu ray set and now the 4K set. Of all the cuts, I do like this cut. It’s straight forward.

Edit: I forgot to add, I’ve become a little cynical of the 4K releases because not all of them seemed that much of an improvement. This is one that looks like I’m going from DVD quality to real high definition. It’s too bad the new release did not include a blu ray version with new encoding to improve its quality.

 

[Edwin-S]

Is the 4K of this film Scott's "Final Cut" version only?

 

[Worth]

Is the 4K of this film Scott's "Final Cut" version only?

Yes.

 

[Bartman]

Still waiting for a 'better' regular Blu-ray of Bladerunner. The present Blu-ray's visuals are hobbled by low bit rate, single layer disc. Until then I'll watch it streaming (for free)!

 

[Edwin-S]

Yes.

Thanks.

 

[Nelson Au]

I completed watching the 4K Blade Runner UHD disc. It really does look quite good! I’ve watched this film many times, seen all the versions on every format. I do like this final cut a lot more. It gets to the point. It is still a challenging story as I continue to try to re-interprete the themes on each viewing.

Unfortunalte the 4K UHD disc I recieved froze in a later scene while Roy is chasing Deckard through Sebastian’s house. Plus it was stuttering in an earlier scene at Deckard’s place after Rachel and Deckard share a Tsing Tao. So I’ll try to get this disc exchanged.

About the contents of this set, my set does include the Final Cut on 4K and standard blu ray, disc 2 and 4 from the earlier blu ray set which are the supplements and the Dangerous Days documentary. It does not include disc 3 and 5 which is the alternate cuts of the film and the work print.

 

[Blu_rayfan66]

When talking about discs freezing/skipping/stopping etc during playback, it may be worth mentioning the exact model 4k disc player you are using as the player itself is often the problem, not the disc.

 

[Lord Dalek]

I completed watching the 4K Blade Runner UHD disc. It really does look quite good! I’ve watched this film many times, seen all the versions on every format. I do like this final cut a lot more. It gets to the point. It is still a challenging story as I continue to try to re-interprete the themes on each viewing.

Unfortunalte the 4K UHD disc I recieved froze in a later scene while Roy is chasing Deckard through Sebastian’s house. Plus it was stuttering in an earlier scene at Deckard’s place after Rachel and Deckard share a Tsing Tao. So I’ll try to get this disc exchanged.

About the contents of this set, my set does include the Final Cut on 4K and standard blu ray, disc 2 and 4 from the earlier blu ray set which are the supplements and the Dangerous Days documentary. It does not include disc 3 and 5 which is the alternate cuts of the film and the work print.

I had the same problem. Turns out the way Warner packaged it (with the discs literally stacked on top of each other) scratched the UHD durring shipping. Warner Customer Support was nice to send me a replacement which plays flawlessly, and won't get scratched because I swapped it into my old five disc ce.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hugh, the 4K player I have is an Oppo 205.

I suspect the reason the disc was freezing was as Hugh suggested, they were stacked and the disc could have had been lightly scratched. When the discs were delivered, Amazon left them on the porch and the sun was beating down on the package. The disc case was very warm when I retrieved them, so maybe, maybe the heat got them. I hope not.

The other possible cause is the case inside was a bit oily feeling and I think that was from the mold release not cleaned off the case. It outgassed and left a thin film on the disc. I tried to clean the residue off the disc and it wasn’t coming off. That might have created some problems for the player to read the disc.

A recieved a replacement copy of Blade Runner yesterday, but was too busy with work to check it out.

 

[Nelson Au]

FYI, I watched a large portion of my replacement Blade Runner 4K disc and it played fine during all the sections my earlier disc froze on. So I think this new replacement will work out nicely.

 

[sbjork]

Hugh, the 4K player I have is an Oppo 205.

I suspect the reason the disc was freezing was as Hugh suggested, they were stacked and the disc could have had been lightly scratched. When the discs were delivered, Amazon left them on the porch and the sun was beating down on the package. The disc case was very warm when I retrieved them, so maybe, maybe the heat got them. I hope not.

The other possible cause is the case inside was a bit oily feeling and I think that was from the mold release not cleaned off the case. It outgassed and left a thin film on the disc. I tried to clean the residue off the disc and it wasn’t coming off. That might have created some problems for the player to read the disc.

A recieved a replacement copy of Blade Runner yesterday, but was too busy with work to check it out.

I've never had many issues with light scratches on my 205, but it's hypersensitive to any blemishes on the surface, like the oil that you mentioned. Whenever I have freezing issues, a gentle cleaning solves it at least nine times out of ten, if not more.

I've had two Oppo DVD players, 2.5 Blu-ray players, plus the one UHD player, and none of them have been as sensitive as the 205 has been.

 

[JoshZ]

I've never had many issues with light scratches on my 205, but it's hypersensitive to any blemishes on the surface, like the oil that you mentioned. Whenever I have freezing issues, a gentle cleaning solves it at least nine times out of ten, if not more.

I've had two Oppo DVD players, 2.5 Blu-ray players, plus the one UHD player, and none of them have been as sensitive as the 205 has been.

I have an OPPO 203 and don't find it particularly sensitive to things like that.

 

[sbjork]

I have an OPPO 203 and don't find it particularly sensitive to things like that.

I know, that's what I've heard from people who have them. With the same transport and basic electronics, there shouldn't be a difference, but I've seen a lot of people with 205s complain about discs freezing, and that matches my experience. All anecdotal, but pretty consistent.

 

[Nelson Au]

My freezing Blade Runner disc seems an anomaly for me and my 205. I think I have had one or two other experiences of a 4K blu ray disc freeze and I wiped the playing surface and that fixed it. So I also don’t think my player is more sensitive, or I’ve been lucky.

I think that disc was just messed up.

 

[Christian D66]

I've never had many issues with light scratches on my 205, but it's hypersensitive to any blemishes on the surface, like the oil that you mentioned. Whenever I have freezing issues, a gentle cleaning solves it at least nine times out of ten, if not more.

I've had two Oppo DVD players, 2.5 Blu-ray players, plus the one UHD player, and none of them have been as sensitive as the 205 has been.

My Oppo 205 freezes a lot on 4k discs.