4K "Classic Movies" - Blu-ray Forum

McHugh · 12-13-2016, 03:35 AM

I have yet to see a movie such as Lawrence of Arabia in 4K. A salesman at one of our local home theater outlets told me that it is because unlike the newer movies classics such as LoA do not have any digital content?

Any thoughts on this as I am waiting for more content I am interested in before making the jump to 4K.

Thanks.

2M8O · 12-13-2016, 03:55 AM

I'm not sure what your question is exactly but perhaps what you're bringing up is what is ably described in this article.

http://4k.com/news/the-4k-uhd-restor...tunning-11933/

Namely, film archives which are actually super high res can be rescanned like they did for Lawrence of Arabia. And now it looks amazing whereas display technology at the original release couldn't handle this level of detail. When they rescan film at 8k it's like they are just creating new pixels at will.

"Newer" movies that were shot and mastered in what is now older tech (1080p) can never be "re-scanned" since it already has all the pixels it will ever have.

I believe LoA has been announced for a 4K UHD Blu-ray but no date yet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dubstar · 12-13-2016, 04:01 AM

'Lawrence' is in UHD via Amazon 'digital' - but for $29.99 - yeah, no thanks, give me the actual disc edition.

McHugh · 12-13-2016, 06:35 AM

Thanks guys, sounds like the salesman had it backwards as a movie such as LoA shot on 65 mm film can be mastered at a higher resolution than today's movies shot with digital cameras.
I remember seeing Public Enemies on blu-ray where Michael Mann shot it using a digital camera and I just couldn't get past how everything looked like an afternoon soap opera.
I look forward to the release of the 4K version of LoA on disc.

StingingVelvet · 12-13-2016, 12:24 PM

In general reviewers and commenters do seem to think UHD mostly benefits more modern films with digital intermediates. 35mm movies like Ghostbusters for example seem to be upgrades but on a much subtler level than something like Deadpool or Sicario. So I'm not sure we're going to see a flood of older movies on the format, if sales follow this advice.

You never know, though. Obviously something like Lawrence would be amazing to see, due to it's 65mm roots.

bruceames · 12-13-2016, 12:53 PM

I have Lawrence as a download from the Sony 4k Unlimited store, and it does look great. I'm sure it will come to UHD BD at some point, but I've heard it's been regraded with HDR (the download version doesn't have it, nor the much lower bit rate streaming version). So when it does come out, it's very likely it will have HDR (likely to be very subtle though...hopefully).

TheKingofRetro · 03-05-2017, 12:34 PM

When will we get more 70s, 80s, and 90s movies in 4K?

LexInHD · 03-05-2017, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKingofRetro

When will we get more 70s, 80s, and 90s movies in 4K?

Sony has at least a dozen or so, ready for release, due to their 4K mastering program that predates the UHD-BD format. Until UHD-BD is widespread and more industry infrastructure is in place to prep/master content and replicate discs, the UHD-BD releases are going to be very limited in their scope and number. Unfortunately, with the death of the optical disc industry and the demise of many media authoring facilities, that may never happen.

DJR662 · 03-05-2017, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKingofRetro

When will we get more 70s, 80s, and 90s movies in 4K?

I would like this as well!

mzupeman · 03-05-2017, 01:35 PM

I'd assume we'd see more classic films once the studios start to see a reason to invest more money into doing 4K transfers or conversions. Right now the catalog stuff, I'd imagine, aren't their top top sellers. Maybe the releases of Gladiator, Mummy, Braveheart and etc will push them a tad closer in that direction.

My dream would be to one day have 2001 on 4K.

StrayButler91 · 03-05-2017, 05:59 PM

I'm not sure about others, but personally I'll be passing on films like Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai on 4K, for one reason: I'll never watch them. I love me some 4K, but those standard BD discs are on the shelf gathering dust. I'm hasty to upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray due to that incredible upgrade, but I'm being more selective with 4K titles. Why upgrade if I'm never going to watch it? Or watch it just once?

As I said though, others are welcome to disagree, and such titles should be made available on UHD BD for those who wish to own it. But yeah, if I ever want to watch classics like that for whatever reason, BD is good enough.

FilmFreakosaurus · 03-05-2017, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrayButler91

I'm not sure about others, but personally I'll be passing on films like Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai on 4K, for one reason: I'll never watch them. I love me some 4K, but those standard BD discs are on the shelf gathering dust. I'm hasty to upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray due to that incredible upgrade, but I'm being more selective with 4K titles. Why upgrade if I'm never going to watch it? Or watch it just once?

As I said though, others are welcome to disagree, and such titles should be made available on UHD BD for those who wish to own it. But yeah, if I ever want to watch classics like that for whatever reason, BD is good enough.

To each his own, but those two films are fantastic epics, expertly told (Hollywood at its best). You're missing out.

TheKingofRetro · 03-05-2017, 06:40 PM

Been thinking of starting a Blu-ray collection since movies are cheap enough now but I don't want to if Blu-ray is going to be seriously outdated soon. I was thinking of getting 4K movies but not if older movies will see release

brainofj72 · 03-05-2017, 06:50 PM

Very excited for older films to come out more regularly. IMO modern films just can't match them in visual terms.

FilmFreakosaurus · 03-06-2017, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKingofRetro

Been thinking of starting a Blu-ray collection since movies are cheap enough now but I don't want to if Blu-ray is going to be seriously outdated soon. I was thinking of getting 4K movies but not if older movies will see release

Get deep or obscure catalog titles you want on regular Blu. The newest blockbuster is more likely to get a 4k release. That and maybe the most popular classics.

mzupeman · 03-06-2017, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKingofRetro

Been thinking of starting a Blu-ray collection since movies are cheap enough now but I don't want to if Blu-ray is going to be seriously outdated soon. I was thinking of getting 4K movies but not if older movies will see release

There's no reason why you couldn't have both. Blu-ray still looks fantastic on 4K UHD TV's.

But as far as older films coming to the format... it's possible... eventually. There's catalog titles already out. Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Underworld had just been released, the Bourne films... but nothing really to pre-date any of that stuff. It's possible they may come to the format one day, but I imagine UHD has to continue to sell, sell, sell. You could probably buy some classic films on Blu now and be content with that forever, or feel OK with re-buying if/when they get released on the format later down the road. I imagine a lot of the truly older stuff will take years before coming to UHD.

AaronY · 08-14-2017, 01:12 AM

Have there been any old movies on 4k yet? Or at least what's the oldest so far?

FilmFreakosaurus · 08-14-2017, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronY

Have there been any old movies on 4k yet? Or at least what's the oldest so far?

Well, not too long from now Sony is releasing Bridge on the River Kwai sourced from its 4k restoration of the OCN. It will also include Dolby Atmos. The film is from 1957 and is based on a novel by the same guy who wrote The Planet of the Apes.

It's a fantastic war film directed by David Lean.

There are a handful of other more recent classics on the way too. Some from the 70's and 80's.

ryantoyota · 12-15-2017, 06:59 AM

I’d love to see more classic movies on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. I wasn’t really a fan of Lawrence of Arabia, mostly because I didn’t like the main character, but it was a stunning movie that would be amazing to see in 4K HDR. I’d also love to see some old black and white movies on the format. Citizen Kane would be awesome and I’d have to buy that one. Others I’d likely buy if they were available would be Double Indemnity, Tokyo Story, Rebecca, Ikiru, 12 Angry Men, Harakiri, High Noon.

Even a few silent films like Nosferatu or City Lights probably have the potential to be incredible on the format. Here’s hoping we see some more classic releases soon.

bluescholar · 12-15-2017, 07:14 PM

Yes, yes and yes. For me especially old Japanese films (Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Naruse etc. etc.) Yes.

12-13-2016, 03:35 AM	#1
McHugh Active Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Calgary, Alberta, Canada 4K collection:35 Blu-ray collection:125	4K "Classic Movies" I have yet to see a movie such as Lawrence of Arabia in 4K. A salesman at one of our local home theater outlets told me that it is because unlike the newer movies classics such as LoA do not have any digital content? Any thoughts on this as I am waiting for more content I am interested in before making the jump to 4K. Thanks.

12-13-2016, 03:55 AM	#2
2M8O Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2015	I'm not sure what your question is exactly but perhaps what you're bringing up is what is ably described in this article. http://4k.com/news/the-4k-uhd-restor...tunning-11933/ Namely, film archives which are actually super high res can be rescanned like they did for Lawrence of Arabia. And now it looks amazing whereas display technology at the original release couldn't handle this level of detail. When they rescan film at 8k it's like they are just creating new pixels at will. "Newer" movies that were shot and mastered in what is now older tech (1080p) can never be "re-scanned" since it already has all the pixels it will ever have. I believe LoA has been announced for a 4K UHD Blu-ray but no date yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-13-2016, 04:01 AM	#3
Dubstar Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:down at Fraggle Rock Home Theater Gallery:1 4K collection:201 Blu-ray collection:1953 DVD collection:304 MA collection:4 Digital collection:33 Trading Score:29	'Lawrence' is in UHD via Amazon 'digital' - but for $29.99 - yeah, no thanks, give me the actual disc edition.

12-13-2016, 06:35 AM	#4
McHugh Active Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Calgary, Alberta, Canada 4K collection:35 Blu-ray collection:125	Thanks guys, sounds like the salesman had it backwards as a movie such as LoA shot on 65 mm film can be mastered at a higher resolution than today's movies shot with digital cameras. I remember seeing Public Enemies on blu-ray where Michael Mann shot it using a digital camera and I just couldn't get past how everything looked like an afternoon soap opera. I look forward to the release of the 4K version of LoA on disc.

12-13-2016, 12:24 PM	#5
StingingVelvet Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Jan 2014 Location:Philadelphia, PA 4K collection:852 Blu-ray collection:2331 DVD collection:111 Digital collection:12 Trading Score:69	In general reviewers and commenters do seem to think UHD mostly benefits more modern films with digital intermediates. 35mm movies like Ghostbusters for example seem to be upgrades but on a much subtler level than something like Deadpool or Sicario. So I'm not sure we're going to see a flood of older movies on the format, if sales follow this advice. You never know, though. Obviously something like Lawrence would be amazing to see, due to it's 65mm roots.

12-13-2016, 12:53 PM	#6
bruceames Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Nov 2012 Location:Novato, CA 4K collection:15 Blu-ray collection:1337 DVD collection:2 Trading Score:1	I have Lawrence as a download from the Sony 4k Unlimited store, and it does look great. I'm sure it will come to UHD BD at some point, but I've heard it's been regraded with HDR (the download version doesn't have it, nor the much lower bit rate streaming version). So when it does come out, it's very likely it will have HDR (likely to be very subtle though...hopefully).

03-05-2017, 12:34 PM	#7
TheKingofRetro Junior Member Member since:Mar 2017	When will we get more 70s, 80s, and 90s movies in 4K?

03-05-2017, 01:35 PM	#10
mzupeman Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Upstate New York 4K collection:385 Blu-ray collection:1669 DVD collection:173 Digital collection:589 Trading Score:7	I'd assume we'd see more classic films once the studios start to see a reason to invest more money into doing 4K transfers or conversions. Right now the catalog stuff, I'd imagine, aren't their top top sellers. Maybe the releases of Gladiator, Mummy, Braveheart and etc will push them a tad closer in that direction. My dream would be to one day have 2001 on 4K.

03-05-2017, 05:59 PM	#11
StrayButler91 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Feb 2012 Location:Australia 4K collection:994 Blu-ray collection:3980 DVD collection:173 iTunes collection:291 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:45	I'm not sure about others, but personally I'll be passing on films like Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai on 4K, for one reason: I'll never watch them. I love me some 4K, but those standard BD discs are on the shelf gathering dust. I'm hasty to upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray due to that incredible upgrade, but I'm being more selective with 4K titles. Why upgrade if I'm never going to watch it? Or watch it just once? As I said though, others are welcome to disagree, and such titles should be made available on UHD BD for those who wish to own it. But yeah, if I ever want to watch classics like that for whatever reason, BD is good enough.

03-05-2017, 06:40 PM	#13
TheKingofRetro Junior Member Member since:Mar 2017	Been thinking of starting a Blu-ray collection since movies are cheap enough now but I don't want to if Blu-ray is going to be seriously outdated soon. I was thinking of getting 4K movies but not if older movies will see release

03-05-2017, 06:50 PM	#14
brainofj72 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Location:USA 4K collection:1036 Blu-ray collection:3611 DVD collection:817 Digital collection:150 iTunes collection:140 Trading Score:152	Very excited for older films to come out more regularly. IMO modern films just can't match them in visual terms.

08-14-2017, 01:12 AM	#17
AaronY Active Member Member since:Sep 2015	Have there been any old movies on 4k yet? Or at least what's the oldest so far?

12-15-2017, 06:59 AM	#19
ryantoyota Senior Member Member since:Aug 2017 4K collection:304 Blu-ray collection:519 DVD collection:1 iTunes collection:205	I’d love to see more classic movies on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. I wasn’t really a fan of Lawrence of Arabia, mostly because I didn’t like the main character, but it was a stunning movie that would be amazing to see in 4K HDR. I’d also love to see some old black and white movies on the format. Citizen Kane would be awesome and I’d have to buy that one. Others I’d likely buy if they were available would be Double Indemnity, Tokyo Story, Rebecca, Ikiru, 12 Angry Men, Harakiri, High Noon. Even a few silent films like Nosferatu or City Lights probably have the potential to be incredible on the format. Here’s hoping we see some more classic releases soon.

12-15-2017, 07:14 PM	#20
bluescholar Senior Member Member since:Oct 2016	Yes, yes and yes. For me especially old Japanese films (Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Naruse etc. etc.) Yes.

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