Is 4K a game changer?

[Firecrackker]

Are we going to be seeing everything released in 4K? Is there really a huge difference for 50" TVs? I haven't really tried out 4K yet so I was wondering what some of you thought.

[Blades1370]

Unless every single release is scanned from a 4k OCN source, just simply stating the release is 4k won't make much difference IF for instance they are using ancient masters like Universal often does.

It's most older catalog titles that will see the least benefit from 4k, UNLESS they are using newer/4k masters. An older DNR/EE to death master is going to look like crap whether your watching it on a tube, HDTV or 4KTV.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Blades1370

Unless every single release is scanned from a 4k OCN source, just simply stating the release is 4k won't make much difference IF for instance they are using ancient masters like Universal often does.

It's most older catalog titles that will see the least benefit from 4k, UNLESS they are using newer/4k masters. An older DNR/EE to death master is going to look like crap whether your watching it on a tube, HDTV or 4KTV.

That's it folks. The studios are not going to bother going beyond 2K DIs for most titles. Not only would it take a lot of man hours, but it gets expensive. Titles that have been scanned at 4K, 6K, or 8K would benefit, but even the source has to be in good shape and often times need restoration work itself.

[franken_psycho1990]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

That's it folks. The studios are not going to bother going beyond 2K DIs for most titles. Not only would it take a lot of man hours, but it gets expensive. Titles that have been scanned at 4K, 6K, or 8K would benefit, but even the source has to be in good shape and often times need restoration work itself.

You probably said that about restoring movies for DVD, When VHS was still popular... hahahaha
Of course most films will be released on 4k discs. That is where the money will be. Wake up.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by franken_psycho1990

You probably said that about restoring movies for DVD, When VHS was still popular... hahahaha
Of course most films will be released on 4k discs. That is where the money will be. Wake up.

Sure, but it will be small market just like 3D has been. You think studios are going to restore/remaster most titles at 4K for 35mm films and 8K for 65/70mm films? The answer is no. It will be limited to titles that they know are big money makers and people will buy no matter what like Bond, Star Wars, Indy, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Disney classics, etc.

[franken_psycho1990]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Sure, but it will be small market just like 3D has been. You think studios are going to restore/remaster most titles at 4K for 35mm films and 8K for 65/70mm films? The answer is no. It will be limited to titles that they know are big money makers and people will buy no matter what like Bond, Star Wars, Indy, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Disney classics, etc.

I do see your point, But I do think everyone is kinda overacting about only the really known films being released on 4k discs. I think it will eventually be like BD is now.

[42041]

Originally Posted by franken_psycho1990

You probably said that about restoring movies for DVD, When VHS was still popular... hahahaha
Of course most films will be released on 4k discs. That is where the money will be. Wake up.

4K is not DVD, sorry.

[franken_psycho1990]

Originally Posted by 42041

4K is not DVD, sorry.

I didn't mean it was, I ment that people probably said movie companies wouldn't restore films for DVD. Just as some here are saying they won't restore them for 4k. Rubbish. They will.

[drak b]

Originally Posted by franken_psycho1990

You probably said that about restoring movies for DVD, When VHS was still popular... hahahaha
Of course most films will be released on 4k discs. That is where the money will be. Wake up.

I don't even think most DVD films will be released on blu-ray. I upgrade *every* DVD I own when it comes out on blu-ray. Even so, slightly over half of my 2000+ title collection is on DVD and that is not by my choice. If you're a collector of the classics (1930s/40s/50s), odds are that a huge chunk of your collection is still stuck in SD too...

Maybe 4K will mean something for streaming in the future, but it looks DOA to me for disc-based content outside of the AAA titles.

[musick]

as much a game changer as 3D was

[Blu-21]

Originally Posted by musick

as much a game changer as 3D was

Pretty much this.

[Maggot]

Originally Posted by Blu-21

Pretty much this.

+1

The economy being the way it is, can't support 4K in any reasonable fashion. People are not going to run out for a new, expensive 4K screens, let alone some massive one that would really be a show-off for that kind of resolution. No actual 4K native discs to play. Streaming 4K??? I'm just not impressed. It's as weak a launch as 3D and at a bad time. People have less and less "throw away" cash to spend on one new format after another. For the time being, it's niche at best. Anybody remember DVD-A/SACD? How about Blu-ray Audio.....that doesn't seem to be taking off either.

[Blu-21]

Originally Posted by Maggot

+1

The economy being the way it is, can't support 4K in any reasonable fashion. People are not going to run out for a new, expensive 4K screens, let alone some massive one that would really be a show-off for that kind of resolution. No actual 4K native discs to play. Streaming 4K??? I'm just not impressed. It's as weak a launch as 3D and at a bad time. People have less and less "throw away" cash to spend on one new format after another. For the time being, it's niche at best. Anybody remember DVD-A/SACD? How about Blu-ray Audio.....that doesn't seem to be taking off either.

4K Blu-Ray at best will probably be in the middle of 2 other niche formats in HD-DVD and Laserdisc. Slightly more popular then the former but barely a quarter of the latter.

[The Great Owl]

A few flagship titles, like The Wizard of Oz or Lawrence of Arabia, may see release in a 4K format.

For the vast majority of movies, though, I'm inclined to think that the process of restoring them to Blu-ray standards is already problematic enough. The debates in this forum about the Alfred Hitchcock Blu-ray transfers and such are a good indication.

My guess is that a 4K format will be mostly a "from here on out" format for new and future releases, like the Avatar sequels, the latest Marvel Comics movies, and such.

[scorpiontail60]

Originally Posted by musick

as much a game changer as 3D was

I think you mean "as much a game changer as Blu-ray was"

****ing LOL @ Blu-ray aficionados talking shit about 4K... you guys are as bad as the DVD peasants back in 2006 complaining about how "we don't need Blu-ray! DVD is JUST fine!"

Congrats, you've officially become the luddites you despised less than a decade ago.

I like Blu-ray and all but I'm not an idiot. I always welcome continued improvements to technology. I thought DVD was pretty neat when it first launched too. Now I despise the format. I'm sure I'll have the same sentiment about Blu-ray a decade from now when 4K has saturated the market and Blu-ray is still overstaying its welcome just like DVD is right now.

4K video is an even bigger leap forward in A/Q quality than Blu-ray was. It is 24 times the resolution of standard definition. 1080p is only six times the resolution of SD.

I hope that better puts things into perspective for you.

Originally Posted by Scarface32

I read an article that says 4K TVs are only worth it if you have 80" or more. 50" you won't see a difference. However, I haven't tested this myself, just read it in a CBS article.

Was this article written by the same idiots who said you can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p unless you have a 80" TV or more just a few years ago?

[UNCMT9]

Only time will tell. Any guess one way or the other is speculation. I agree with Owl. I tend to believe the newer releases and block busters will be 4K.

[42041]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

4K video is an even bigger leap forward in A/Q quality than Blu-ray was. It is 24 times the resolution of standard definition. 1080p is only six times the resolution of SD.

That'd only be a sound argument if everyone was in a position to fully benefit from 4K resolution (and, perhaps more importantly, cared). 192khz vs 44.1khz audio is a bigger difference in sampling rate than 44.1khz from 22.1khz, but guess which one makes a huge difference, and which one you can't even hear?

[scorpiontail60]

Originally Posted by 42041

That'd only be a sound argument if everyone was in a position to fully benefit from 4K resolution (and, perhaps more importantly, cared). 192khz vs 44.1khz audio is a bigger difference in sampling rate than 44.1khz from 22.1khz, but guess which one makes a huge difference, and which one you can't even hear?

Your argument is flawed, however.

Human vision is greater than human aural acuity. We can judge the quality difference of images far better than we can judge the quality difference of audio.

1920x1080 doesn't even come close to saturating the limits of human vision. 1080p is only 2.1 megapixels. 4K is over 8 megapixels.

This is why high resolution still images still look so much better than HD video.

Now imagine if those high resolution still images were in motion. That's what 4K video is.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

Your argument is flawed, however.

Human vision is greater than human aural acuity. We can judge the quality difference of images far better than we can judge the quality difference of audio.

1920x1080 doesn't even come close to saturating the limits of human vision. 1080p is only 2.1 megapixels. 4K is over 8 megapixels.

This is why high resolution still images still look so much better than HD video.

Now imagine if those high resolution still images were in motion. That's what 4K video is.

If 4K is 8 MP, and my camera can take 12 MP...

4K movies would look like junk compared to still images in motion from my camera

[Hypnosifl]

Originally Posted by scorpiontail60

1920x1080 doesn't even come close to saturating the limits of human vision.

It can, depending on how large the screen is and how far you sit from it. For example, the chart here suggests that if you're sitting 6-7 feet away from a 50 inch screen, then you won't notice a difference between 4K and 2K.