Discs Giving 4K/UHD Delivery A Real Shot In The Arm (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

That's a good price for Kick-Ass, Robert. I have not used DDD is quite awhile, but just placed an order for that and Close Encounters. They still do not charge sales tax, so Amazon's price would have to be even lower for them to be a better deal. Hopefully DDD's shipping speed has improved -- a few years ago it would take up to a month for me to receive an order once I received a shipping notice from them. That's the main reason I stopped using that vendor. I guess it's time to give them another chance.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I'll have my copy tomorrow.

I will be interested to read your thoughts. I watched Starship Troopers last week, and thought the grain structure was inconsistent from shot to shot. I do not remember that being the case with previous releases on BD and DVD, but it had quite awhile since I last watched the film. I did not compare the UHD to the BD in this set, though -- I only watched the UHD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I will be interested to read your thoughts. I watched Starship Troopers last week, and thought the grain structure was inconsistent from shot to shot. I do not remember that being the case with previous releases on BD and DVD, but it had quite awhile since I last watched the film. I did not compare the UHD to the BD in this set, though -- I only watched the UHD.

Wow, you and Rachel have opposite perspectives on this disc. I'll post my thoughts as soon as I view the disc in its entirety. It might not be tomorrow, but it will be sometime before next week.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon now selling Close Encounters of the Third Kind for $16.99 Also, Starship Troopers for $9.51. Great pricing that I missed out on because I was again too impatient.

https://www.amazon.com/Close-Encoun...65953&creativeASIN=B073LWR8XD&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/Starship-Tro...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07288ZGX7

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon having a 3 for $49.99 sale for many 4K/UHD titles.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/promotion/A30S4IVIR5X2K3?ref_=plp_pc_dp_imp_A30S4IVIR5X2K3

 

[ScottJH]

Amazon having a 3 for $49.99 sale for many 4K/UHD titles.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/promotion/A30S4IVIR5X2K3?ref_=plp_pc_dp_imp_A30S4IVIR5X2K3

Is this still active? Wednesday the link was showing the sale now it just goes to Amazon's home page.


EDIT: Found this one:
https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=gbps_u..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=GTCPR7MBRJ8HKAQCRG0Y

 

[Robert Crawford]

Is this still active? Wednesday the link was showing the sale now it just goes to Amazon's home page.


EDIT: Found this one:
https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=gbps_u..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=GTCPR7MBRJ8HKAQCRG0Y

Yeah, they killed that previous link so what you linked to is the sale.

 

[David Wilkins]

The negativity is predictable, but I'm enjoying the hell out of the new format, despite the lack of worthwhile titles in significant numbers. When and if they arrive I'll be ready. Meanwhile I'm being more judicious about BD purchases, stalling for potential 4K editions. Also, the 4K display is enjoyed every day, with the up-res factor being significant, even for DVD's, which have never looked as good.

 

[PMF]

Just checked out the Amazon 4K list.
Boy, was I ever thrilled to discover that "Joy" had finally received its long-overdue welcome into the world of 4K.
That breaking of the glass, that wringing of the mop and yes, that son-in-laws singing; all of this truly requires an Atmos with the utmost. If "Joy" doesn't lock-in the need for people to invest their monies into a 4K panel and Oppo player, then nothing ever will.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Just checked out the Amazon 4K list.
Boy, was I ever thrilled to discover that "Joy" had finally received its long-overdue welcome into the world of 4K.
That breaking of the glass, that wringing of the mop and yes, that son-in-laws singing; all of this truly requires an Atmos with the utmost. If "Joy" this doesn't lock-in the need for people to invest their monies into a 4K panel and Oppo player, then nothing ever will.

Some might counter (Mr. Sarcasm!) that anytime one can see Jennifer Lawrence in the highest resolution possible is a very good thing!

 

[PMF]

Hard to argue with that one.

 

[Rachael B]

I'll have my copy tomorrow.

How did Srarship Troopers look to you? I got an LG OLED yesterday and it does revel more grain on this set than the 2016 Samsung I was using. I need to get a handle on this new set and I'll likely get it calibrated.

 

[Robert Crawford]

How did Srarship Troopers look to you? I got an LG OLED yesterday and it does revel more grain on this set than the 2016 Samsung I was using. I need to get a handle on this new set and I'll likely get it calibrated.

Did you watch the entire disc?

At first, the grain was there, but I thought the video presentation was a lot better during the second half of the film. Also, the Dolby Atmos audio track was outstanding. IMO, the 4K disc is a major improvement over the Blu-ray.

Also, do you have your HDR setting at standard? I had my panel calibrated and it's something I never regretted.

 

[Rachael B]

I watched about the first 30 minutes of Starship Troopers and about 15 minutes of Bridge Over The River Kwai. I think I left HDR at standard. I was playing around with all the menu adjustments. I have a party to go to tonight. I'll get back with the new set tomorrow night.

I'll watch the rest of Starship Troopers. I thought there was less grain after a couple of close-ups near the beginning. I got a little past the Rio destruction....I made it to the fight just before Casper left for war....

The original Starship Troopers sounds way better than The Traitor Of Mars UHD that I unfortunately bought recently. What a lousy flick!

 

[Rachael B]

I watched all of Starship Troopers last night. I don't have a problem with the grain that is here and there. It says to me that they didn't scrub away resolution to get to a grain-less look. I also watched Unforgiven last night. On it, I sometimes wondered if it had lost a bit of resolution to eliminate grain. I saw a scene here and there that looked like they'd lost some detail. Friday night I watched Prometheus and it looked nearly purr-fect.

 

[Robert Crawford]

A good article which to some extent I agree with as the industry once again has fumble another video format into the mass market.

According to the MacRumors website, “Apple has updated its iTunes Store on iOS devices and the Apple TV with plenty of 4K movies ahead of the launch of the Apple TV 4K, but has made clear in a recent support document that 4K content from Apple can be streamed, but not downloaded directly on a device. According to Apple, customers can download a local copy of an HD movie … but 4K movies are not available for download and thus can't be watched without an Internet connection. … That means customers who have had their previously purchased iTunes movies upgraded from HD to 4K at no cost can stream those movies in 4K, but can only download HD versions. Newly purchased content is also restricted from download.”

An Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc player, and a stack of discs, seems the perfect solution to this dilemma.

And yet Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc sales face their own set of challenges. According to the Futuresource report, high dynamic range (HDR), the enhanced visual technology that is one of Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc’s key selling points, “remains largely lost on consumers.”

According to Futuresource, the HDR concept is more difficult to relay to consumers than the more straightforward resolution improvements offered by simple 4K, even as those familiar with the technologies peg HDR as the main advantage that 4K has in elevating image quality above conventional high-definition. Without a universally accepted standard, the industry risks devaluing the HDR brand, as there are many poor representations of HDR that fail to demonstrate its effectiveness by offering little to no discernible improvement in image quality.

So what’s the solution? Promote and market the hell out of Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc! Minimize the technical jargon and adopt something that’s easier and simpler for the average Joe to comprehend. Stop trying to explain HDR and instead play up how much closer Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc brings us to the theatrical experience: “You’ll think you’re at the movies, except there’s no annoying guy two rows back who’s constantly yelling at the screen.”

As consumers move more and more into the digital space, the physical disc will continue to serve as a bridge, which is why the combo pack concept works well — especially if you can give consumers a trilogy of value: an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc, a regular Blu-ray Disc and a digital code.

But just as importantly, the disc remains the optimum viewing platform, with a far better picture than even the best streamed UHD movie — if your system can even handle it.

All we, as an industry, have to do now is figure out how to get this point across to the consumer.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/tks-take/industry-should-simplify-uhd-awareness-focusing-4k-disc

 

[DaveF]

I don’t quite follow that essay. In the middle, he complains that Apple doesn’t sell 4K content, and then follows with an official statement that Apple sells 4K content.

Compounding this inability to get UHD content is the fact that digital UHD movie sales can be a challenge, as well, with iTunes, still the biggest online seller of music and movies (with Amazon and Comcast nipping at its heels), apparently riding this one out.

According to the MacRumors website, “Apple has updated its iTunes Store on iOS devices and the Apple TV with plenty of 4K movies ahead of the launch of the Apple TV 4K...”

He concludes that the industry needs to stop trying to explain or actually show the difference, but instead focus its efforts on generic and vague messaging that could apply to everything from Blu-ray to Netflix: “You’ll think you’re at the movies, except there’s no annoying guy two rows back who’s constantly yelling at the screen”

My two cents:

1. Lower media prices. At a 30% or more premium, $30 vs $20 in broad terms, it’s too expensive. Especially as a “future proofing” buy if someone doesn’t yet have a display
2. Demos! There are no good demos at retail. Hand-waving “it’s like you’re at the theater, except your popcorn is fresh from the microwave” is worthless. Show people the better image, better contrast, punchier images, etc. And since there are no demos, it’s easy for me to ignore and enjoy my blu-ray until UHD is affordable.
3. Projectors. The enthusiast market wants projectors. But they’re three years behind and 3x the price. Some of the biggest format cheerleaders are stranded years behind the mass market.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don’t quite follow that essay. In the middle, he complains that Apple doesn’t sell 4K content, and then follows with an official statement that Apple sells 4K content.


He concludes that the industry needs to stop trying to explain or actually show the difference, but instead focus its efforts on generic and vague messaging that could apply to everything from Blu-ray to Netflix: “You’ll think you’re at the movies, except there’s no annoying guy two rows back who’s constantly yelling at the screen”

My two cents:

1. Lower media prices. At a 30% or more premium, $30 vs $20 in broad terms, it’s too expensive. Especially as a “future proofing” buy if someone doesn’t yet have a display
2. Demos! There are no good demos at retail. Hand-waving “it’s like you’re at the theater, except your popcorn is fresh from the microwave” is worthless. Show people the better image, better contrast, punchier images, etc. And since there are no demos, it’s easy for me to ignore and enjoy my blu-ray until UHD is affordable.
3. Projectors. The enthusiast market wants projectors. But they’re three years behind and 3x the price. Some of the biggest format cheerleaders are stranded years behind the mass market.

Yeah, that's why I said I agree with him to a certain extent. I think his main point is that the industry is confusing the general public. I agree with him about the confusion. People don't understand what is HDR and how is it related to 4K. They don't understand the difference of having actual 4K material versus 1080p, 1080i or 720p material to view on their 4K displays. Hell, this confusion goes back to DVD versus Blu-ray viewings and the up-converting of 480p to 1080p on their HD displays

 

[Rachael B]

I'd compare the article to chewing gum that has no taste.Much of the the public will never get the gist of HDR unless it's a new movie called High Dynamic Range by Cheech & Chong.

 

[DaveF]

Yeah, that's why I said I agree with him to a certain extent. I think his main point is that the industry is confusing the general public. I agree with him about the confusion. People don't understand what is HDR and how is it related to 4K. They don't understand the difference of having actual 4K material versus 1080p, 1080i or 720p material to view on their 4K displays. Hell, this confusion goes back to DVD versus Blu-ray viewings and the up-converting of 480p to 1080p on their HD displays

Yep. DVDs touting HD. 2D Blu-rays touting 3D, and now 4K. It just never really conveys the benefit.

And now the confusing jargon of a new “blu-ray”. Is it 4K or is it UHD? Who knows.

Even for us informed enthusiasts there’s competing HDR modes. With special hdmi requirements or needing multiple ports or something?

So confusing.