List of remasters only avaliable on streaming.

[LMFAObros]

After checking out Disney + Star and comparing some masters on there to the BD's I've found a few are either remastered or different scans in terms of filtering. Today I compared the BD of High Fidelity to the stream and the stream has more grain and detail while the BD is softer and cleaner.
What are some other digital only remasters that aren't on disc yet?

[Mikezilla3k]

I believe Con Air, and the original Star Trek movies have different remasters than the ones on Blu-Ray.

[Kriztoffer Swank]

To my knowledge, Breaking Bad on Netflix is sourced from a newish 4K master which hasn't been released on Blu-ray.

[akaun6899]

Compared to the master HBO Max had, the Disney+ version of the live-action Mr. Magoo movie looks remastered.

[lilboyblu]

This might be a better fit in the Digital Movies forum.

[meremortal]

Definitely curious as well.

[The Fallen Deity]

Here's the films I've seen via streaming that seem to have newer transfers that aren't on disc:

The Die Hard sequels
Commando
Con Air
The Color of Money
Office Space
The Sword in the Stone
The Black Cauldron
Event Horizon (getting released in 1080p SDR by Shout Factory next month)
Pirates of the Caribbean 1-4
National Treasure: Book of Secrets

[Fiffy]

Older movies that have been upgraded to 4K on streaming services are in most cases based on a new master, and many of them aren't available on UHD disc. They often look better than BDs based on older masters even when streamed in HD (as long as the service updates the HD versions as well, like iTunes usually does).

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Older movies that have been upgraded to 4K on streaming services are in most cases based on a new master, and many of them aren't available on UHD disc. They often look better than BDs based on older masters even when streamed in HD (as long as the service updates the HD versions as well, like iTunes usually does).

Some of these aren't in native 4k digitally (Commando) or are only 4k SDR (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

Some of these aren't in native 4k digitally (Commando)

Assuming you mean the 1985 movie, I'm not sure what you mean by that. If a 4K version was available (which it isn't to my knowledge) they would likely have scanned a film master or ideally the camera negatives in 4K resolution, producing a digital master in native 4K.

or are only 4k SDR (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).

That isn't necessarily a bad thing for older movies that were never meant to be presented with HDR. There are quite a few 4K catalog titles with HDR re-gradings that can only be described as revisionist.

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Assuming you mean the 1985 movie, I'm not sure what you mean by that. If a 4K version was available (which it isn't to my knowledge) they would likely have scanned a film master or ideally the camera negatives in 4K resolution, producing a digital master in native 4K.

People seem to not quite understand the difference between an up-conversion (a 1080-to-4K using the original 1080 master) and a remaster (rescanning original negative, DNR, cleaning up imperfections on a native 4K format). The difference is hundreds of thousands of $$$ and a HUGE upgrade in both sound and visuals. Google the "Dracula" restoration Universal did in 2012 for the You Tube clip and the difference becomes clear.

Originally Posted by Fiffy

That isn't necessarily a bad thing for older movies that were never meant to be presented with HDR. There are quite a few 4K catalog titles with HDR re-gradings that can only be described as revisionist.

HDR can be a blessing or a curse (again, look at the Vincent Teoh videos for HDTV Test on the Disney Star Wars HDR).

Star Wars in 4K HDR Dolby Vision on Disney Plus Analysis: Is It Fake HDR? - YouTube

.....and why add HDR to a classic B&W film? That seems like overkill to me. A 4K master fine, but HDR? Usually a "remastered" B&W film will correct the contrast/brightness anyway.(Schindler's List and others)

[The Fallen Deity]

HDR has always been there. It's literally what it says on the tin: High Dynamic Range.

We're seeing the full range of the image in these presentations. SDR is compressed.

How these HDR presentations are mastered on the other hand, is a totally different story.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

HDR has always been there. It's literally what it says on the tin: High Dynamic Range.

We're seeing the full range of the image in these presentations. SDR is compressed.

Until the early 2010s, theater projectors weren't anywhere near bright enough to show HDR. No movie older than that was ever meant to be shown in HDR.

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

Until the early 2010s, theater projectors weren't anywhere near bright enough to show HDR. No movie older than that was ever meant to be shown in HDR.

HDR isn't just about brightness.

Films have always been shot and presented theatrically with a much higher dynamic range than what's been available on home video and streaming... Until now.

The technology has finally caught up on the consumer end.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

HDR isn't just about brightness.

No, but a projector needs to have a lot of light output to be able to create the kind of contrast required to show HDR.

Films have always been shot and presented theatrically with a much higher dynamic range than that what's been available on home video and streaming... Until now.

That is not true. TVs have had higher dynamic range than theatrical projection for decades. That only changed when projectors with laser-based light engines became more common in theaters.

You can make an argument that film has always been capable of capturing high dynamic range, but since theaters weren't able to render it, filmmakers didn't make their movies with HDR in mind until recently.

[tjritter79]

HDR wasn't prevalent on films until movies started filming digitally.

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

HDR isn't just about brightness.

Films have always been shot and presented theatrically with a much higher dynamic range than what's been available on home video and streaming... Until now.

The technology has finally caught up on the consumer end.

HDR is a TELEVISION technology, not a filmmaking technology. At least not until films began filming using digital cameras. Then that whole dynamic changed. Theaters today using digital masters, digital projectors are closer to large-format TV technology then ever before.

Films, at least the ones filmed on 35mm stock, have the same RESOLUTION as 4K (again, a TV technology) but there was NEVER the ability of projectors in theaters to exhibit a dynamic range, especially when it comes to nits and brightness/contrast.

The ABILITY to view in HDR is dependent on the output device your viewing on. Whether that be a monitor, via projector on a screen or a TV set. If that final step that creates the image is incapable of displaying HDR, its moot.

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

You can make an argument that film has always been capable of capturing high dynamic range, but since theaters weren't able to render it, filmmakers didn't make their movies with HDR in mind until recently.

Yep. Again...it's all on what/how the image is displayed. A movie screen is not "electronic" therefore it can only display what's projected upon it. The digital projector on the other hand, contains the electronics to vary/adapt the picture that the light passes through it.

[The Fallen Deity]

Wait... So if I'm reading this right..

Analog film has always had the range, but they could never display it properly before digital projectors became a thing?

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

Wait... So if I'm reading this right..

Analog film has always had the range, but they could never display it properly before digital projectors became a thing?

It's mostly a function of luminance. HDR-capable TVs can usually output 500 nits or higher. In comparison, the DCI standard for traditional cinema calls for 48 (!) nits. Even Dolby Cinema uses only 108 nits. Standards for theatrical HDR are still evolving.