Upgrading from Blu-ray to UHD: Where do you draw the line? (1 Viewer)

[uncledougie]

Per DVD Profiler, I am at 196, including a few I have on order. My disc purchases have slowed down considerably over the past year or two, though. Not sure how many are upgrades from BD, but I would guess the majority fit that description. Interestingly, I have purchased 227 4K digital copies (not including codes that came with discs), and 396 HDX digital copies.

I’ve got my many discs listed by format - Blu-ray or UHD (I’ve culled so many DVDs that that list is no longer up to date) - on just a simple WordPerfect listing. I’d prefer a simple way to input purchases, but see some indications DVD Profiler has been discontinued. Is that the case?
As to the subject at hand, I’d fully agree with Mr Harris’s take on when to consider new versions of films previously acquired on an earlier format or version. I knew the improvements to CASABLANCA or THE WIZARD OF OZ would likely be marginal, but for such classics I wanted the best version available. And I must say I wasn’t let down in any way.
My limitations now are storage space related. I have two boxes to let the nephews go through for titles I’ve upgraded either from DVD to Blu-ray or Blu-ray to UHD. The remainder I’ll take to the local video store which offers a better deal for store credit than cash. But it’s a place that carries titles Best Buy or B&N either don’t or fail to stock in sufficient quantity anymore. I’ve bought at least half my UHD titles from them used. So for those on a budget, if such local retailers exist, that could be a way to enlarge your collection affordably. I especially appreciate their B2G1 sales which further incentivize the purchases.
The major point is seeing the films in the best quality possible within whatever budget and venue/screen size would be the limiting factors. UHD currently affords that golden opportunity.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I’ve got my many discs listed by format - Blu-ray or UHD (I’ve culled so many DVDs that that list is no longer up to date) - on just a simple WordPerfect listing. I’d prefer a simple way to input purchases, but see some indications DVD Profiler has been discontinued. Is that the case?

DVD Profiler is still available for purchase, and is still completely functional (except for some bugs). However, there has not been any new release in over five years, so future development is highly unlikely. There is always the concern that the online database and other online features may cease altogether at some point, but that has not happened as yet.

 

[Bryan^H]

I love UHD, but man I have been double dipping from standard BD so much this past year, I wish the studios would give me a break. I'm going broke. I said I'd draw the line at horror films (which seem to be released at an accelerated rate) but I broke that rule already. And now I'm knee deep in them as well.


I see so many complaints about HDR being "too dark". I wonder if these people are watching in a light controlled room (pitch black) as intended. Otherwise of course the HDR will lose its purpose.

 

[ScottRE]

I love UHD, but man I have been double dipping from standard BD so much this past year, I wish the studios would give me a break. I'm going broke. I said I'd draw the line at horror films (which seem to be released at an accelerated rate) but I broke that rule already. And now I'm knee deep in them as well.


I see so many complaints about HDR being "too dark". I wonder if these people are watching in a light controlled room (pitch black) as intended. Otherwise of course the HDR will lose its purpose.

That's honestly been my takeaway. Star Trek films in 4K were very dark until I turned off the lights and drew my blackout curtains. After that, it was very comfortable.

 

[Bryan^H]

That's honestly been my takeaway. Star Trek films in 4K were very dark until I turned off the lights and drew my blackout curtains. After that, it was very comfortable.

HDR should come with a disclaimer about viewing in darkened rooms for optimal results. Seriously, it would end a lot of confusion about the format.

 

[Bryan^H]

Going through my "upgrades" to UHD, many Blu Ray discs weren't even viewed once from the time I bought them...yet I spend $30 on a newer, better version.

There comes a time when I think this is less a hobby, and more like me being addicted to compulsively buying movies
Addict:
a person with an uncontrolled compulsion to continue engaging in an activity despite suffering negative personal or professional consequences

 

[HubbaBubbaKid]

From what i’ve read , 4K UHD really matters based on screen size & your sound system , the bigger the screen you have and if you dolby atmos , etc. , the more you’ll appreciate 4K UHD. I still watch stuff on my old , small 32 inch 1080p LED so 4K UHD probably won’t do me much any good . My brother on the other hand has a 85 inch TV plus a home LED projector @ 120 inch (i think) with theatre sound (don’t know the set-up) so 4K UHD makes sense and is worth it. Besides, i’m just slowly starting to collect Blu Rays of my favorite Schlock movies from the 60’s & 70’s so those probably won’t be on 4K UHD anytime soon. Also , i’ve read reviews of the color timing / variances where some people prefer the look of the older Blu Ray transfer

 

[YANG]

From what i’ve read , 4K UHD really matters based on screen size & your sound system , the bigger the screen you have and if you dolby atmos , etc. , the more you’ll appreciate 4K UHD...

4K release isn't really about sound, since some 2K bluray releases also carries Atmos audio track. while some 4K releases would just pack only DD/DTS, EX/ES, 5.1/7.1.

 

[HubbaBubbaKid]

for some , they do upgrade to 4K for the sound that wasn’t available on the blu ray even tho they might’ve not upgraded on PQ alone. but i know what your saying

 

[YANG]

well... there're some titles, but not many, that resonates to your earlier sentiments i quote...

TWISTER with best Audio option of both Auro3D and Atmos and cleaned up picture remaster is now only available thru private boutique label from Germany. while we're still waiting for official specs on 4K release from Warner/Universal for global release.

we're likely getting FRIGHTENERS in 2026 with 4K, but yet... still no confirmation on the Audio part of specs. but this German boutique label had made a limited release now.

the one and only Atmos soundtrack GRAVITY is only thru Europe bearing Warner badge on the cover. although a Diamond Edition was released in U.S. before, but it seems that was a limited run, and not available in other regions/markets. it seems only thru 4K re-release, we'll see the light of Atmos track.

 

[Patrick Sun]

For the longest time, I ignored digital codes for streaming movies with the codes that came with BDs and 4k's. Then I found myself splitting time between 2 states (where I live, and where my mom lives, she needs constant supervision these days due to her health), so the value of finally being able to access an online library of streamable movies I had purchased in BD or 4k became an impetus to going through my entire BD collection for digital codes to redeem. So I got that done, and as I mostly buy 4k's, I also add those digital codes for more movies for my online movie library (it was not fun to navigate MA, Itunes, VUDU, GooglePlay, etc for places needed to redeem digital codes depending on movie studios, etc.).

I've been thinning out dupes from my collection, usually passing the dupes down to one of my friends, so that clears off some of the shelf space. I find myself with a bunch of DVDs that I haven't upgraded to BD or 4k, but will be figuring out which of those DVD titles I want to move up to 4k or BD if/when I find deals on those titles (I tries to keep to $10/4k or less, or $5/BD or less when I upgrade titles I want in my collection). And, there are quite a few DVD titles that don't have BD or 4k versions due to rights, so I mostly keep those DVDs around. I would like to cull the DVDs, though, and that's another upcoming project.

After piling up a bunch of 4k titles this holiday buying season (the only time I buy physical media, being from Black November through December), I find myself splurging on some steelbooks of titles I want in mostly 4k, unless only the BD steelbook exists, so tracking those down has been a pasttimes for the past few weeks. I can't wait for January 2023 to come, so I will be less inclined to succumb to the upgrade-itis of this hobby. LOL! At least my want lists is getting pretty short, so the buying frenzy is tamping down for me. I still need to cull and cull the collection, though. But there are some movies that just have weird sentimental value that I like to keep around, and that is that.

 

[Bartman]

I've been thru: VHS, laserdisc, DVD & Blu-ray buying cycles and refuse to go to 4K UHD. I'm still upgrading some favorite DVD titles (most recently: Basic Instinct, True Romance, The Limey, To Kill A Mockingbird), let alone still waiting for some laserdiscs (Abyss, Mountains Of The Moon etc). I have crates full of DVDs in my basement and I'm seriously considering donating them to the local library.

I called my town library, it doesn't have room for my DVDs but the next, much larger, town over will take them. If they already have a copy (or the're valuable) they'll sell them on Amazon etc, now that's an enterprizing library!

 

[Capt D McMars]

Ummmm...call Ghostbusters?

 

[johnmcmasters]

I was rereading this discussion and found my own comments in which I stated that I had cancelled my purchase of the newest SACD release of the Solti "Ring" cycle. Of course, two weeks later I placed another order for that set and this time splurged on the SACD/Blu-Ray bundle. So much for budgetary fortitude...

 

[Capt D McMars]

I was rereading this discussion and found my own comments in which I stated that I had cancelled my purchase of the newest SACD release of the Solti "Ring" cycle. Of course, two weeks later I placed another order for that set and this time splurged on the SACD/Blu-Ray bundle. So much for budgetary fortitude...

I feel your pain!!

 

[Indy Guy]

I’ve got my many discs listed by format - Blu-ray or UHD (I’ve culled so many DVDs that that list is no longer up to date) - on just a simple WordPerfect listing. I’d prefer a simple way to input purchases, but see some indications DVD Profiler has been discontinued. Is that the case?
As to the subject at hand, I’d fully agree with Mr Harris’s take on when to consider new versions of films previously acquired on an earlier format or version. I knew the improvements to CASABLANCA or THE WIZARD OF OZ would likely be marginal, but for such classics I wanted the best version available. And I must say I wasn’t let down in any way.
My limitations now are storage space related. I have two boxes to let the nephews go through for titles I’ve upgraded either from DVD to Blu-ray or Blu-ray to UHD. The remainder I’ll take to the local video store which offers a better deal for store credit than cash. But it’s a place that carries titles Best Buy or B&N either don’t or fail to stock in sufficient quantity anymore. I’ve bought at least half my UHD titles from them used. So for those on a budget, if such local retailers exist, that could be a way to enlarge your collection affordably. I especially appreciate their B2G1 sales which further incentivize the purchases.
The major point is seeing the films in the best quality possible within whatever budget and venue/screen size would be the limiting factors. UHD currently affords that golden opportunity.

My Movies is my system for organizing 3 locations of disc titles.
When you upgrade, the older copy moves to a lesser location or is given away.
My Movies is available for PC, Mac, iPad and Android. Tons of info included as each title is entered by a simple barcode scan.

 

[Douglas R]

I am still buying very few UHD discs. This year the only ones I bought were The Pianist, an upgrade from my DVD and the Hitchcock Collection Vol 3 to upgrade from the Masterpiece Blu-rays. I am tempted by The Train but I’m not sure if I would notice much difference from the Blu-ray. It’s no doubt a deficiency on my part but with few exceptions, even on my 86” screen, I don’t see a massive difference between UHD and Blu-ray. Nothing like the huge difference between DVD and Blu-ray, so I usually don’t think the extra expense is justified.

 

[cineMANIAC]

From what I’ve read , 4K UHD really matters based on screen size & your sound system , the bigger the screen you have and if you dolby atmos , etc. , the more you’ll appreciate 4K UHD. I still watch stuff on my old , small 32 inch 1080p LED so 4K UHD probably won’t do me much any good . My brother on the other hand has a 85 inch TV plus a home LED projector @ 120 inch (i think) with theatre sound (don’t know the set-up) so 4K UHD makes sense and is worth it. Besides, i’m just slowly starting to collect Blu Rays of my favorite Schlock movies from the 60’s & 70’s so those probably won’t be on 4K UHD anytime soon. Also , i’ve read reviews of the color timing / variances where some people prefer the look of the older Blu Ray transfer

Screen size and/or setup isn't a factor as a general rule of thumb. I've heard reports of people hating how the Titanic 4K looks on their high end gear, which includes very large "scope"-sized screens. The best-rendered discs will probably shine on those bigger screens but not every disc is produced in the same manner. I have a 65 inch OLED that is professionally calibrated and most of my collection looks superb on it (the set does a great job of upscaling as well). As much as I love the spectacle of film, I'm probably never going to get a larger-sized TV unless I move to a big house. I've had smaller "budget" sets where everything, including DVDs, always looked great. It's a good idea to keep in mind that flaws on poorly produced discs will likely be enhanced on large screens no matter how much you invest.

As far as drawing the line when deciding to upgrade, I do so at newer films shot with digital cameras. I especially avoid buying 4K editions of films shot during the early days of the transition to digital cinematography when the tech was in its infancy (early 2000's). I do own some 4K discs of big blockbusters but many of those were purchased during my "I need everything on 4K" phase. Admittedly, I also do occasionally splurge and buy a 4K of something new but those are impulse buys or because the price was right.

Movies shot on film are insta buys on 4K. The older, the better*. Horror films are almost always instant upgrades since horror is my fav genre.

*old B&W films are not my cup of tea but I do love and appreciate many and have a decent number in my collection

 

[Patrick Sun]

So a year later, with Best Buy exiting the physical media game soon in 2024, I went ahead and picked up a lot of 4k titles last month during the Best Buy / Gruv Black Friday sales promotion on 4k titles (prices ranged from $6-$12 mostly), and ended up with maybe 80 new 4k titles, as uncertainly of the physical media market spurred my purchases this past month. Any of the B/W (and in-color) classics now on 4k that were discounted heavily, I went ahead and bought, and now that we are in December and the BF sales over, I'm glad to have paid the much lower prices that were available last month.