Sony "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Titles May 14 and July 16

[Bluyoda]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

[Show spoiler]"The Blu-ray “Mastered in 4K” collection will set a new standard for Blu-ray HD picture and sound, creating the ultimate 1080p home entertainment experience.

Created from the highest quality 4K source materials with new expanded color*, consumers can enjoy a brilliant picture with exquisite detail using their existing Blu-ray player or PlayStation®3.

The Blu-ray “Mastered in 4K” collection is optimized so that 4K Ultra HD TV owners can take full advantage of the new 4K upscaling technology, delivering an outstanding near-4K experience.

“Mastered in 4K” Blu-rays also work with all 1080p HDTVs for spectacular high definition picture and sound."

http://www.amazon.com/Angeles-Master...ld+los+angeles

That's the claim, from Amazon (Battle: Los Angeles). Has anyone noticed any improvement when playing a 4k mastered disc on their existing 1080p system?

I'm debating if I should opt for "Mastered in 4k" discs, when there is a choice, even though I don't yet own a 4k system...I'm sure I will in the future (we all will). Would I see an improvement on 1080p right now?

Well, I have only bought Men in Black Mastered in 4K, and I have the original MiB release as well. The Mi4k wins hands down in terms of definition, and grain structure.
I haven't even watched the whole movie in Mi4k yet, but I compared some scenes, and it's noticably clearer to me. Some may not see any improvement, but to me it's very obvious. I keep the original for the bonus features, and the Mi4k was only $7.99, so it didn't hurt that much and was worth the experiment.

[Kenbar]

Disappointed this was moved/mixed into a thread about 4k titles. The main thing here was that 4k mastered movies play on standard 1080p systems according to Amazon. Folks should be made aware of this, as they might decide to buy 4k titles ahead of time and save some $$$$$ in the bigger picture, by buying 4k when possible, ahead of time. My thread was not about particular titles at all.

[HeavyHitter]

I own Spider-Man I & II, Men in Black, and Moneyball Mi4K - all worthwhile upgrades. I wish Sony would release more Mi4K titles along with other studios.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

The one's I was pointing out say "Mastered IN 4k"...not "from". And the claim is they will play on a 1080p system...and seem to suggest they will play/look a bit better then a 1080p recorded one. At least that's what I am getting from reading the Amazon description...

Mastered in 4K from a 4K source file, then downscaled to 1080P.

Not all the Mastered in 4K titles are better, but they all play on standard BD players (even if you can't make use of the Expanded Colour). No matter what the source the end result is (usually) a 1920 x 1080 Blu-ray. If it says Blu-ray on the box, that's what it is.

We've got movies mastered from 8K sources too, but let's not confuse things ...

Just check out the differences in the standard Godzilla release and the Mastered in 4K one. The other comparisons are here.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Disappointed this was moved/mixed into a thread about 4k titles. The main thing here was that 4k mastered movies play on standard 1080p systems according to Amazon. Folks should be made aware of this, as they might decide to buy 4k titles ahead of time and save some $$$$$ in the bigger picture, by buying 4k when possible, ahead of time.

The ones you are seeing right now are not 4K resolution releases.

They are 1080/24f Blu-rays sourced from new 4k masters. We have Ultra HD televisions which are 4k resolution screens but there are no Ultra HD Blu-ray players yet. You can enjoy some Ultra HD content through streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon. However, you need a UHD display to take full advantage of the 4k resolution.

Ultra HD Blu-ray is coming later.

[Kenbar]

Originally Posted by Bluyoda

Well, I have only bought Men in Black Mastered in 4K, and I have the original MiB release as well. The Mi4k wins hands down in terms of definition, and grain structure.
I haven't even watched the whole movie in Mi4k yet, but I compared some scenes, and it's noticably clearer to me. Some may not see any improvement, but to me it's very obvious. I keep the original for the bonus features, and the Mi4k was only $7.99, so it didn't hurt that much and was worth the experiment.

Are you playing them both on a 1080p system?

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Disappointed this was moved/mixed into a thread about 4k titles. The main thing here was that 4k mastered movies play on standard 1080p systems according to Amazon. Folks should be made aware of this, as they might decide to buy 4k titles ahead of time and save some $$$$$ in the bigger picture, by buying 4k when possible, ahead of time. My thread was not about particular titles at all.

Folks are aware of it. Mastered in 4K titles play on standard Blu-ray players and televisions. There is going to be very little benefit when you play them back on a UHDTV (apart from the Expanded Colour feature which a lot of 1080p TVs have).

They have zero bearing on your purchase of 4K TVs or real 4K movies. These are just standard Blu-rays with Expanded Colour features! Actual 4K movies will probably be more expensive, you're not gaining anything now by stocking up on Mastered in 4K titles. They're just Blu-rays! The title is all that matters, if you like the movies buy the Blu-ray!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Are you playing them both on a 1080p system?

I'm sure he is. Bear in mind that some of the Mastered in 4K titles replaced some very dated transfers that were available on Blu-ray already. Ghostbusters, Men In Black, Godzilla, all look better with Mastered in 4K BDs, because the original releases weren't that great to begin with.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

The ones you are seeing right now are not 4K resolution releases.

They are 1080/24f Blu-rays sourced from new 4k masters. We have Ultra HD televisions which are 4k resolution screens but there are no Ultra HD Blu-ray players yet. You can enjoy some Ultra HD content through streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon. However, you need a UHD display to take full advantage of the 4k resolution.

Ultra HD Blu-ray is coming later.

Sony also has several 4K titles you can view on the device found here: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-FMP-X1-Ul...046330&sr=8-2&

[Kenbar]

Originally Posted by chip75

Mastered in 4K from a 4K source file, then downscaled to 1080P.

Not all the Mastered in 4K titles are better, but they all play on standard BD players (even if you can't make use of the Expanded Colour). No matter what the source the end result is (usually) a 1920 x 1080 Blu-ray. If it says Blu-ray on the box, that's what it is.

We've got movies mastered from 8K sources too, but let's not confuse things ...

Just check out the differences in the standard Godzilla release and the Mastered in 4K one. The other comparisons are here.

Is it the 1080p player (coding on the disc?) that down scales to be able to run on the 1080p system? I'm not sure I'm understanding. It's a 4k disc...right..."Mastered IN 4K"...but somehow it can also run in the 1080 players and 1080 tv's we have today...correct. And later when we upgrade our systems to full 4k (both tv and disc player) we will have true 4k from the "mastered in 4k" disc?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Sony also has several 4K titles you can view on the device found here: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-FMP-X1-Ul...046330&sr=8-2&

Maintaining the Look and Feel

Each movie has its own look and feel, especially when presented in 4K Ultra HD. The Sony Pictures team has worked to carefully maintain the original look and feel of each movie, just as the filmmakers originally intended. While newer movies are often shot digtially, older movies were shot on film, which, for example, can result in varying levels of grain. However, the preservation and presentation of that grain is very important to make those movies look just as they did in theaters...and not every movie is intended to look as smooth and new as Total Recall or The Amazing Spider-Man(). With film, the grain is an inherent part of the image and removing it would significantly decrease picture detail. Additionally, some filmmakers used this grain as part of their storytelling to give the movie a grittier, textured "feel" for the audience. 4K Ultra HD is an ideal way to remain true to the filmmakers' original intent and present movies in the home just as they were shown in theaters.

for Sony.

[Bluyoda]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Are you playing them both on a 1080p system?

Yes, I am. Sorry, I forgot to mention that.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Is it the 1080p player (coding on the disc?) that down scales to be able to run on the 1080p system? I'm not sure I'm understanding. It's a 4k disc...right..."Mastered IN 4K"...but somehow it can also run in the 1080 players we have today...correct. And later when we upgrade our systems to full 4k (both tv and disc player) we will have true 4k?

No. Its not a 4k disc... I already explained it but you're ignoring me:

Mastered in 4k, not encoded in 4k.

The master is a 4k source at 3840 x 2160, the Blu-ray is still encoded at 1080x1920. The 3840 x 2160 picture is downscaled to 1080x1920 during the Blu-ray production.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc will be encoded in 4k 3840 x 2160 and these are coming at a later date.

That's what these Mastereed in 4k Blu-ray discs are now. So even if you watch them on a UHD display, it's going to be upscaled from 1080x1920 to 3840 x 2160. The UHD display will not restore the quality lost during the downconversion from 3840 x 2160 to 1080x1920. Only a true 4k 3840 x 2160 source will be displayed at full resolution with no quality loss on a UHD display

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

No. Its not a 4k disc... I already explained it but you're ignoring me:

Mastered in 4k, not encoded in 4k.

The master is a 4k source at 3840 x 2160, the Blu-ray is still encoded at 1080x1920. The 3840 x 2160 picture is downscaled to 1080x1920 during the Blu-ray production.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc will be encoded in 4k 3840 x 2160.

That's what these 4k Blu-ray discs are now.

If he doesn't get it by now I'd just move on.

[Kenbar]

Originally Posted by chip75

Folks are aware of it. Mastered in 4K titles play on standard Blu-ray players and televisions. There is going to be very little benefit when you play them back on a UHDTV (apart from the Expanded Colour feature which a lot of 1080p TVs have).

They have zero bearing on your purchase of 4K TVs or real 4K movies. These are just standard Blu-rays with Expanded Colour features! Actual 4K movies will probably be more expensive, you're not gaining anything now by stocking up on Mastered in 4K titles. They're just Blu-rays! The title is all that matters, if you like the movies buy the Blu-ray!

Wow, fast thread. Ok...so you are saying true 4k discs are not out yet...and perhaps they will not be called "4k Blu-rays"...but go by some other name possibly? Seems like they should not be claiming "mastered in 4k" then...another slippery marketing gimmick I guess.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Amazing Spiderman 2 is part of Sony's Mi4K line

I think he means "none completed or exhibited in 4K 3D", which is true. Sony's 3D deliverables for their 4K movies have been strictly 2K.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Kenbar

Wow, fast thread. Ok...so you are saying true 4k discs are not out yet...and perhaps they will not be called "4k Blu-rays"...but go by some other name possibly? Seems like they should not be claiming "mastered in 4k" then...another slippery marketing gimmick I guess.

Disc? No. There have been some movies available on a hard-drive when you purchase Samsung 4K TVs (and a couple of other options), but no retail disc based content.

I doubt they will be called 4K BDs. I think at the moment they're called Ultra High-Definition Blu-rays and they'll need UHDTVs to get the full benefit from them.

It is just a marketing gimmick, for the most part they're very good releases and shouldn't be ignored, but plenty of other releases derive from 4K and 8K sources.

Just remember the FAQs about Mastered in 4K:

They work on standard HD televisions and standard Blu-ray players.
You do not need a 4K TV or 4K player to play the standard Blu-ray discs.
The content is NOT 4K just mastered from a 4K source.
The discs have an Expanded Colour feature.
Some of the Mastered in 4K releases are better than their original Blu-ray releases, some are not.

[Kenbar]

Originally Posted by chip75

Disc? No. There have been some movies available on a hard-drive when you purchase Samsung 4K TVs (and a couple of other options), but no retail disc based content.

I doubt they will be called 4K BDs. I think at the moment they're called Ultra High-Definition Blu-rays and they'll need UHDTVs to get the full benefit from them.

It is just a marketing gimmick, for the most part they're very good releases and shouldn't be ignored, but plenty of other releases derive from 4K and 8K sources.

Just remember the FAQs about Mastered in 4K:

They work on standard HD televisions and standard Blu-ray players.
You do not need a 4K TV or 4K player to play the standard Blu-ray discs.
The content is NOT 4K just mastered from a 4K source.
The discs have an Expanded Colour feature.
Some of the Mastered in 4K releases are better than their original Blu-ray releases, some are not.

And I guess if this is correct:

"The good news for those with extensive Blu-ray libraries is that the Ultra HD Blu-ray players will be backward compatible with regular Blu-ray discs. The bad news: You'll need to buy a new players to enjoy the higher-quality Blu-ray UHD discs. "

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...2015/index.htm

True 4k discs simply will not play on 1080p machines...

Seems to me like Amazon should be called out on there claims. Many folks are going to think "Mastered in 4k" (not from 4k) is the same as encoded in 4k. Very misleading in my opinion.

[Sky_Captain]

These 'folks' have had two years to get over it.

[Kenbar]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

These 'folks' have had two years to get over it.

But these folks may have no way to know their not getting a 4k disc....not till the real 4k players come out and they discover these discs will not play true 4k in them.

Two years? Not unless they are informed in some other way...other than reading the misleading info on the box.

The boxes should have just said "Mastered from 4k and with enhanced color"