Is Criterion going 4K UHD HDR?

[Hindustani]

...any time soon.

to my knowledge, many of their scans are 4K down converted to 2k bluray releases.

Even Digital releases of criterion 4K scan news is fine too?

Anyone knows anything about Criterion going 4K UHD ever?

[nick4Knight]

I'm going to make a call. I think Criterion will NOT get into the 4K UHD game. They have too big a library in BD licensing and still so heavily invested in these 2K releases it would threaten their business strategy to dual release.

And they alienate their current dedicated collector base to drop BD. Even if they focus on UHD+BD SKU's? The side effect is pricing increases -- Put it all together either move is a lose-lose proposition for Criterion.

I'm hoping I'm proved wrong. I'd love Criterion to do the 4K release of Armageddon, for instance (than trust Disney/Buena Vista these days)

[Geoff D]

My Magic 8-Ball sez: Don't Bet On It

[Bates_Motel]

Doubtful. They might stream 4K on their new channel, though.

[chingythingy]

I agree with everyone here. If Criterion did embark on 4k, it would not be for several years until UHD has become more ubiquitous. I get the sense that the blu-ray versions are already definitive versions audio/visual wise. The restorations of many of their films don't need HDR and increased resolution from a film preservation and entertainment standpoint. From a business standpoint, it seems cost prohibitive to bring on a new format and the retail price would, I assume, cost $60 for one title, which few consumers in an already niche market of a niche market are willing to shell out. All that said, I'd probably pick up some of their UHD releases.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by nick4Knight

They have too big a library in BD licensing and still so heavily invested in these 2K releases it would threaten their business strategy to dual release.

I don't follow your logic. Can you explain in what way a dual-release program would threaten their business strategy?

From where I sit, maintaining their present model also threatens their business strategy as previously free-spending customers like me become more and more reticent to purchase conventional BDs of 4K masters that we know going in we're ultimately going to want to replace with UHDs. The market is a moving target and 'maintaining what they've been doing' is not necessarily a viable solution for the future. Criterion needs to take a page from Apple and get busy replacing their own business model because if they don't, the alternative isn't continuing their current business model, it's someone else replacing their business model for them.

[Geoff D]

I see what you're saying there Doc but the problem is that us 4K UHD disc'ers are still in the minority of a minority, which is why ALL the indie labels are still so reticent to release feature-length narrative product on UHD. I know Kino keep threatening it but I'll believe it when I see it, and even after they do that there's no guarantee that the floodgates will open, from them or anyone else. Personally I think that some indies are definitely waiting it out to see if 4K streaming kills off 4K disc so that way they don't have to bother with it.

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Doubtful. They might stream 4K on their new channel, though.

dude. this will do it for me.

I think more criterion titles will see 4k UHD Daylight as Digital Buy!

ON THE WATERFRONT is now available in UHD!

who would've thought of it ever! (out of all classics, its not 8K scanned BEN-HUR or even 6K scanned Brando directed OEJ)

I think ON THE WATERFRONT is criterion own 4K DI scan that available to buy on Amazon Prime and Google Play both.

correct me if I'm wrong.

Criterion is already experimenting. If I wanna bet money this year, I say criterion's own 6K scan of Brando WesternOEJ will be available to buy on Prime or Google Play or itunes in 4K UHD at some point in 2019.

The experiment has already started. Criterion dont wanna make it a big deal and loose its prestigious BD collecting audiences.

[Dubstar]

that rumored release of 'War and Peace' would look sweet in 4K since it was shot in 65mm

[danny24]

Originally Posted by nick4Knight

I'm going to make a call. I think Criterion will NOT get into the 4K UHD game. They have too big a library in BD licensing and still so heavily invested in these 2K releases it would threaten their business strategy to dual release.

And they alienate their current dedicated collector base to drop BD. Even if they focus on UHD+BD SKU's? The side effect is pricing increases -- Put it all together either move is a lose-lose proposition for Criterion.

I'm hoping I'm proved wrong. I'd love Criterion to do the 4K release of Armageddon, for instance (than trust Disney/Buena Vista these days)

I think they should do it but very slowly. A select few titles a year like under 10 or so to upgrade to 4K UHD, I don't think that would alienate dedicated collectors at all. I actually would like it if they had 3 options for collectors DVD, BD and UHD.

They should get into the UHD game no doubt. A select few titles first that's how you do it.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

correct me if I'm wrong.

With pleasure. Sony did the scan and colour grade of On the Waterfront, not Criterion. This is the great misconception at the heart of the Criterion myth: more often than not they're using a new transfer created by the rights holders of the content they're releasing. [edit] And by that same token, the studios are often retaining digital rights for those films e.g. the new 4K transfers of Princess Bride and Silence of the Hams that were released on Criterion 1080p Blu-ray are also available in 4K Dolby Vision on iTunes from MGM.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

Criterion dont wanna make it a big deal and loose its prestigious BD collecting audiences.

What’s to lose? If they release both, the cool collectors () will buy the UHDs and the lame collectors () will buy the BDs- simple.

[oilers73]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

What’s to lose? If they release both, the cool collectors () will buy the UHDs and the lame collectors () will buy the BDs- simple.

Yay lame collectors!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by oilers73

Yay lame collectors!

Just 'cause you can't see a difference doesn't mean nobody else can

[crackedknee]

Criterion waited quite a while before releasing Blu-Ray editions (2010, wasn't it? Well after introduction of the Blu-Ray format) So I think they waited a few years for the format to settle in before opting to sell in that format.

But I think the double (triple) dipping might be an issue that Criterion does consider (being a specialty label, with good but not huge sales). The bigger the collection of Criterion BDs, the less willing I might be to swap everything out for the new 4K sets (I just bought the Ingmar Berman set, it's going to take a while to even watch those, let along get a 4K upgrade set, assuming they might ever release one).

Anyway, I do think that might be an issue, though admittedly, once it was clear the Criterion was selling BDs, I sold every Criterion DVD I had as quickly as I could, and bought everything again.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

My Magic 8-Ball sez: Don't Bet On It

so sayeth the King ...

"never say never" ... "anything is possible"

in an article it was suggested that Criterion might bite with the help and push by Soderbergh:

https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2018/07...e-4k-treatment

[Hindustani]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

With pleasure. Sony did the scan and colour grade of On the Waterfront, not Criterion. This is the great misconception at the heart of the Criterion myth: more often than not they're using a new transfer created by the rights holders of the content they're releasing. [edit] And by that same token, the studios are often retaining digital rights for those films e.g. the new 4K transfers of Princess Bride and Silence of the Hams that were released on Criterion 1080p Blu-ray are also available in 4K Dolby Vision on iTunes from MGM.

..then thats it then.

Here I am waiting forever not biting on criterion's OEJ being a brando fan and all that. I was very sure in 2 yrs time, that 6K vista vision scan of OEJ will show up at some remote digital platform in 4K UHD HDR.

I got so happy when WATERFRONT & GUNS OF NAVARONE got UHD release on streaming. Not that I watched or bought any.

I was even more assured with NON-HDR, NON-DV GUNS OF NAVARONE had UHD option on streamings.

but now...

[imsounoriginal]

I think we'll get something at some point. They released 3D movies and that format lasted about 28 minutes.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

so sayeth the King ...

"never say never" ... "anything is possible"

in an article it was suggested that Criterion might bite with the help and push by Soderbergh:

https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2018/07...e-4k-treatment

I remember the article well, but note that it's Soderbergh who was pushing for it to be finished in 4K HDR while he had the opportunity as he's a proper techo-geek, while Criterion were like "um, okay then?". Mr S was finishing stuff like Ocean's 13 in 4K a full twelve years ago, he's always been ahead of the curve...but that still doesn't mean that Criterion will do anything with this 4K HDR master of SL&V while they still have the licence for the movie.

Their silence about 4K UHD thus far speaks volumes, them being the capo di tutti capi of indies. I ain't ruling it out completely - it took 'em long enough to make anamorphic DVDs back in the day 'cause they didn't really understand the benefit of it - I'm just saying that I'm not expecting to see Criterion UHDs (as much as I think they're waaaaay overhyped, that's got a nice ring to it) any time soon.

[tyler2tall147]

Isn't the 4k version of the scan they used of Silence of the Lambs on iTunes?

I think they will continue with Blu-ray releases, and then the actual studios will release the 4k version digitially.