What am I missing? (UHD vs Blu-ray) - Blu-ray Forum

blurayGeo · 09-20-2018, 12:02 AM

Home video tech question:

Most new films shot in the digital age are finished at a 2K DI in post-production, if not outright photographed in 2K to begin with; therefore, with UHD Blu-Rays and 4K home video technology, I'd thus originally come to the conclusion that there was absolutely no point in purchasing the UHD disc of a contemporary film that was never even finished in 4K, because it would simply be an upconvert (that most decent-quality players or TVs can do well-enough anyway...for free, without paying the premium price of the UHD disc over the 1080p BluRay disc). However, I have a couple of follow-up thoughts:

First, the latest 4K TVs and projectors practically all have HDR capabilities (nearly all with HDR10, and many more everyday supporting DolbyVision); many UHD releases are graded with HDR; so, would it make sense to purchase a film finished in 2K that was upconverted to 4K on a UHD disc IF and ONLY IF that UHD disc featured HDR (to provided higher luminance contrast and expanded color palette)?

This brings me to my second pondering: I imagine that most theatres, of which 99.9% of project digitally now, must have a projection system of AT LEAST 4K, because some directors will shoot digitally in native 4K or above OR shoot in 35mm and finish with a 4K DI that is sent to the theatres in native 4K (in fact, a lot of these badasses, such as Tarantino and Nolan, have shot and PROJECTED in 70mm in the past five years).

Now, since the theatre projectors are almost certainly 4K or above, I imagine that, just as a 2K-equivalent disc (ie. Blu-Ray) is upconverted on a 4K home display, these 2K films that are sent to the theatres for screenings on 4K+ projectors, they ar eupconverted to 4K.

However, here is the crux of the matter: are these 2K films that are being sent out to theatres already FINISHED with HDR when they are screened theatrically, and thus being PROJECTED with an HDR-capable projector when you head out to see the latest hit superhero epic when it premiers next Friday? Or, is HDR ADDED only after theatrical exhibition for the sake of home video viewing?

If the answer is that films that are being upconverted are still being projected with HDR, then it would technically mean that, even though you're not buying the UHD disc for improved NATIVE resolution, you are getting the color and contrast that was theatrically exhibited; if however, on the other hand, if HDR is only applied to an upconverted 2K film on UHD disc as a post-theatrical-exhibition gimmick, then there truly seems to be NO point, since you're not getting an accurate representation of what was screened theatrically?

What am I missing here, and what is the ultimate answer to this question?

09-20-2018, 12:02 AM	#1
blurayGeo Member Member since:May 2016 4K collection:172 Blu-ray collection:745 DVD collection:181 Trading Score:17	What am I missing? (UHD vs Blu-ray) Home video tech question: Most new films shot in the digital age are finished at a 2K DI in post-production, if not outright photographed in 2K to begin with; therefore, with UHD Blu-Rays and 4K home video technology, I'd thus originally come to the conclusion that there was absolutely no point in purchasing the UHD disc of a contemporary film that was never even finished in 4K, because it would simply be an upconvert (that most decent-quality players or TVs can do well-enough anyway...for free, without paying the premium price of the UHD disc over the 1080p BluRay disc). However, I have a couple of follow-up thoughts: First, the latest 4K TVs and projectors practically all have HDR capabilities (nearly all with HDR10, and many more everyday supporting DolbyVision); many UHD releases are graded with HDR; so, would it make sense to purchase a film finished in 2K that was upconverted to 4K on a UHD disc IF and ONLY IF that UHD disc featured HDR (to provided higher luminance contrast and expanded color palette)? This brings me to my second pondering: I imagine that most theatres, of which 99.9% of project digitally now, must have a projection system of AT LEAST 4K, because some directors will shoot digitally in native 4K or above OR shoot in 35mm and finish with a 4K DI that is sent to the theatres in native 4K (in fact, a lot of these badasses, such as Tarantino and Nolan, have shot and PROJECTED in 70mm in the past five years). Now, since the theatre projectors are almost certainly 4K or above, I imagine that, just as a 2K-equivalent disc (ie. Blu-Ray) is upconverted on a 4K home display, these 2K films that are sent to the theatres for screenings on 4K+ projectors, they ar eupconverted to 4K. However, here is the crux of the matter: are these 2K films that are being sent out to theatres already FINISHED with HDR when they are screened theatrically, and thus being PROJECTED with an HDR-capable projector when you head out to see the latest hit superhero epic when it premiers next Friday? Or, is HDR ADDED only after theatrical exhibition for the sake of home video viewing? If the answer is that films that are being upconverted are still being projected with HDR, then it would technically mean that, even though you're not buying the UHD disc for improved NATIVE resolution, you are getting the color and contrast that was theatrically exhibited; if however, on the other hand, if HDR is only applied to an upconverted 2K film on UHD disc as a post-theatrical-exhibition gimmick, then there truly seems to be NO point, since you're not getting an accurate representation of what was screened theatrically? What am I missing here, and what is the ultimate answer to this question?

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