Is 4k technology backward compatible with 2k?

[THUNDERSTRUCK]

Will we be able to play 4k discs on our 2k machines? I've replaced nearly all my dvds with 2k blu rays. I'm NOT going through that again.

Any info/thoughts?

[kris26]

I highly doubt coz even though 4k discs are based on bluray with more space
the codec is totally different. 2k players are 1080p max with h264,mpeg2,vc-1codecs.

[welcometothepartypal]

Originally Posted by THUNDERSTRUCK

Will we be able to play 4k discs on our 2k machines? I've replaced nearly all my dvds with 2k blu rays. I'm NOT going through that again.

Any info/thoughts?

Maybe not on our 2k machines. The biggest reason bluray took off was because we could play DVD's on Bluray machines. They would be crazy not to make 4k machines compatible with our exciting blu discs.

[MrsMiniver]

Originally Posted by THUNDERSTRUCK

Will we be able to play 4k discs on our 2k machines? I've replaced nearly all my dvds with 2k blu rays. I'm NOT going through that again.

Any info/thoughts?

What difference does it make? Just don't upgrade your 2K blurays when 4K come out. But new 4Ks but don't upgrade, that is what I did when bluray came out.

[Kirsty_Mc]

I imagine initially the 4K release may be bundled together with a 2K Blu-Ray in the same way Blu-Rays often come with DVDs. So this overcomes backwards compatibility. Also people with 2K kit may begin to build a 4K collection and eventually want something to take advantage of it.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Kirsty_Mc

I imagine initially the 4K release may be bundled together with a 2K Blu-Ray in the same way Blu-Rays often come with DVDs. So this overcomes backwards compatibility. Also people with 2K kit may begin to build a 4K collection and eventually want something to take advantage of it.

that is my guess as well, you also have the same thing with 3D now.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by THUNDERSTRUCK

Will we be able to play 4k discs on our 2k machines? I've replaced nearly all my dvds with 2k blu rays. I'm NOT going through that again.

Any info/thoughts?

You will NOT be able to play 4K discs on current BD players any more than you can play a Blu-ray on a DVD player.

But you should be able to play DVD and Blu-ray 2K discs on 4K players. (The industry would be insane to do anything else.)

And as others state, once 4K disc prices come down, they'll put them in the same package as a 2K Blu-ray disc, just as many today are combo packs with BD and DVD. I don't think this will happen initially as the early releases will be geared towards (rich) early adopters and mastering/replicating costs are always quite high when a new technology is first adopted.

Of course, there's no absolute guarantee yet of a 4K disc-based format. No one has officially announced a format yet. The Blu-ray disc association has only announced that they're developing specs.

The only discs that will be worth replacing are those that are re-captured in 4K or higher from high quality sources. If they're captured in 2K, simply placing that master on a 4K disc is not going to provide any higher quality. For catalog titles, I think we'll only see this for the most popular films. New films that are shot digitally in 4K and mastered for the 4K Cinema projectors (even though the format is different) will be the prime candidates for 4K treatment.

[I KEEL YOU]

You won't be able to play 4K discs on current 2K blu ray players.

But what I'm really interested in finding out is whether you'll be able to play 4K discs on 4K blu ray players but on a 2K TV.

[Kirsty_Mc]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

You won't be able to play 4K discs on current 2K blu ray players.

But what I'm really interested in finding out is whether you'll be able to play 4K discs on 4K blu ray players but on a 2K TV.

That sounds possible and in fact most probable. Like with the discs you could future proof yourself with a 4K player before upgrading your set.

[Funcha]

Wait, 1080P is 2K? I'm confused.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by Funcha

Wait, 1080P is 2K? I'm confused.

Almost. Here, read this: link.

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

You won't be able to play 4K discs on current 2K blu ray players.

But what I'm really interested in finding out is whether you'll be able to play 4K discs on 4K blu ray players but on a 2K TV.

I expect that you could, just like how you can play back Blu-rays on a 720p or even a SDTV. You can select the output resolution on your BD player so you should be able to do that on your 4KBD player.

[Kirsty_Mc]

This thread and the length of time it is taking 4K Blu-ray to be announced as got me thinking! I wonder if they are trying something fancy? Could they be developing a 4K disc that will play on 2K player in the way that a stereo compact cassette would still play back on a mono player. This is also the case for the stereo vinyl record which would still play back on a mono deck.

Imagine this: the first two layers on the disk will be read by the blue laser in all Blu-Ray players. The additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the rumoured violet laser but would not be readable by the blue laser. So when inserted into a current Blu-Ray player it would play at 1080P.

When the disk was inserted into a 4K Blu-Ray player the additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the violet laser as well as layers one and two by a blue laser. The second stream of data read by the violet laser would provide the information to differentiate the 4K data from the 2K data, effectively splitting each pixel in the 2K data stream accurately into 4 pixels. There could also be enhancements in such things as colour space etc.

They're probably not doing anything of the sort but it was just a thought!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Kirsty_Mc

This thread and the length of time it is taking 4K Blu-ray to be announced as got me thinking! I wonder if they are trying something fancy? Could they be developing a 4K disc that will play on 2K player in the way that a stereo compact cassette would still play back on a mono player. This is also the case for the stereo vinyl record which would still play back on a mono deck.

Imagine this: the first two layers on the disk will be read by the blue laser in all Blu-Ray players. The additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the rumoured violet laser but would not be readable by the blue laser. So when inserted into a current Blu-Ray player it would play at 1080P.

When the disk was inserted into a 4K Blu-Ray player the additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the violet laser as well as layers one and two by a blue laser. The second stream of data read by the violet laser would provide the information to differentiate the 4K data from the 2K data, effectively splitting each pixel in the 2K data stream accurately into 4 pixels. There could also be enhancements in such things as colour space etc.

They're probably not doing anything of the sort but it was just a thought!

Probably not but a good imagination is healthy!

[Kirsty_Mc]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Probably not but a good imagination is healthy!

Or somebody in Sony's patent department is weeping uncontrollably

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Kirsty_Mc

Or somebody in Sony's patent department is weeping uncontrollably

[vargo]

Originally Posted by Kirsty_Mc

T

Imagine this: the first two layers on the disk will be read by the blue laser in all Blu-Ray players. The additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the rumoured violet laser but would not be readable by the blue laser. So when inserted into a current Blu-Ray player it would play at 1080P.

When the disk was inserted into a 4K Blu-Ray player the additional third and possible fourth layers would be read by the violet laser as well as layers one and two by a blue laser. The second stream of data read by the violet laser would provide the information to differentiate the 4K data from the 2K data, effectively splitting each pixel in the 2K data stream accurately into 4 pixels. There could also be enhancements in such things as colour space etc.

There are some technical problems with the specifics of your suggestion but in a general sense a multi-layer disc with Bluray data in one layer and 4K data in another perhaps higher density layer(s) is possible.

When it boils down to it, it is just easier and cheaper to use separate discs. Same with Bluray/DVD hybrids and flippers. Nice idea but when the novelty wears off studios go with the cheapest option which is separate discs.