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

[RocShemp]

Are there any calibration discs that have x.v.Color test patterns?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

Penton, as an indusrtry insider... what's the general feeling of frame rates? For that matter, even 240hz LED with motion smoothing? Personally I love the smoother movement. I see more detail. 24fps kinda bugs me a bit but I do understand that generally, people do not shoot on higher frame rate video because you get what you shoot. With film you have so many more creative choices to work with. Now, since Peter Jackson and James Cameron are working with higher frame rate digital cameras, is there a general feeling about it in the industry or is it heavilly devided?

Well, despite the thoughts expressed by Jon Landau here at the past NAB 2013 which I attended – http://link.brightcove.com/services/...=2282434481001

I would say since The Hobbit received mixed reviews from the public-at-large, the general feeling is that due to generations of movie audiences being conditioned for years with *the 24fps look*, that HFR for cinema (i.e. movies) is still an unknown…as to whether it will gain any traction beyond being used for high-profile special event type features like the Avatars or The Hobbits. And there aren’t many risk-takers out there in the motion picture business…because it is a business. For example, big budget feature films are often co-financed in order to decrease the exposure to risk…in case they fail.

But, the general feeling is different for 4K tv…by “tv” I’m referring to sports broadcasts, dramas, comedies, etc., in essence everything which is not a ‘movie’. For that content, HFR acquisition and display is thought by industry leaders to ultimately have FAR greater significance. Because increasing the temporal resolution (HFR) of the captured content allows home viewers to appreciate an increased clarity to the picture quality when seated at further distances away from their TV screens than does by just increasing the spatial resolution (HD -> 4K). Thusly, HFR is viewed as a potentially important catalyst to drive mainstream adoption of 4K tvs in years to come. The question isn’t whether HFR will eventually be adopted by 4K ‘tv’, but rather, at exactly what capture rate and what display rate, i.e. how high an in-camera frame rate and how high a delivery frame rate?

If videophiles haven’t had the opportunity to view high rez/high frame rate footage, or are unable to take proper advantage of these test sets which at least show the superiority of 4K at a measly 50p ( http://tech.ebu.ch/testsequences, note that HFR sequences > 50fps should be soon available in order to determine the effect of temporal oversampling), then I suggest videophiles read the following paper from the BBC, or at least scroll to the end and read the Conclusion (on page 5) for some understanding of the great advantage of increased temporal resolution -

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/w...les/WHP209.pdf

[marine92104]

Okay now I'm really confused.

According to a poster on this forum they stated there was no subtitles on the Chinese speaking parts on "The Karate Kid" mastered in 4k.

But according to this reviewer he states there is:

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-...st-review.html

reply #13

So is there subtitles or not? I've held off from buying this title because of what the person said in this thread.

[tkbryant]

The new 4K edition of Angels & Demons looks worse to me than the old edition. There's loss of detail in almost all the shots. Anyone else done side by sides of this title?

[double_l4488]

What am I not seeing in those angels and demons, screenshots that makes that a superior transfer?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by marine92104

Okay now I'm really confused.

According to a poster on this forum they stated there was no subtitles on the Chinese speaking parts on "The Karate Kid" mastered in 4k.

But according to this reviewer he states there is:

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-...st-review.html

reply #13

So is there subtitles or not? I've held off from buying this title because of what the person said in this thread.

He didn't answer your question. No one said there's no subtitle track here, someone said the subtitles that supposed to be shown during the non-English parts aren't there. That's completely independent of the subtitle and/or hearing impaired tracks.

Ask that person if the non-English part at the end of Chapter 6 has subtitles show up automatically without the subtitle track being turned on.

[Pieter V]

Originally Posted by tkbryant

The new 4K edition of Angels & Demons looks worse to me than the old edition. There's loss of detail in almost all the shots. Anyone else done side by sides of this title?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...7/#Screenshots

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...8/#Screenshots

[Sky_Captain]

Originally Posted by double_l4488

What am I not seeing in those angels and demons, screenshots that makes that a superior transfer?

You're missing the Sony Kool-aid pack, sent out to reviewers.

[Tech-UK]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Are there any calibration discs that have x.v.Color test patterns?

I am surprised that there are not any on the discs. There is a few posts back in this thread of a BDinfo scan revealing a lot of hidden stuff on these discs, including some test patterns, but no indication to whether they are xvYCC encoded. Take a look back.

Edit. See here (thanks to McCrutchy):

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=922

[rickah88]

Does every review start out with a scripted Sony commercial? That seems odd:

[Show spoiler]Sony's commitment to releasing the finest Blu-ray products is evident with every spin of a Sony-branded disc. The consistency of product -- from the latest blockbusters to the most cherished classic titles from years gone by -- is arguably tops in the entire industry, and why shouldn't it be; Sony was a lead Blu-ray design and advocacy outfit, its PlayStation 3 console offered disc playback and instant wide format adoption, and the first wave of titles released back in 2006 bore the Sony label on the spine. Since then, and through a few growing pains and spurts -- a bloody format war, a misstep or two, the transition from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD Master Audio -- the studio has emerged as the most trustworthy in the industry when it comes to its Blu-ray product. When it says Sony, chances are extremely high that the movie is going to look (and sound) about as good as the format allows. Now, Sony is recalling the days of its "Superbit" DVD releases with the emergence of "Mastered in 4K" (*) Blu-ray discs. The initial wave consists of a handful of films, all of which have enjoyed previous, and largely very high quality, Blu-ray transfers. The new transfers are sourced from 4K masters but here's where the giant asterisk comes in: they're then downscaled to standard Blu-ray 1080p resolution. That means buyers can enjoy them on their regular old Blu-ray players and their regular old HDTVs -- no fancy new hardware required. The downside is that viewers aren't really seeing the material in 4K; even those who shell out the large sum of cash for a new 4K TV will be treated only to an upscaled presentation, much the same way today's regular old TV/playback 1080p device combos upscale standard definition DVDs.

Watching the "Mastered in 4K" transfer in 1080p does yield some benefits over the standard 1080p Blu-ray releases, even if it's not a true 4K experience. The discs take advantage of a significantly higher bitrate than regular old Blu-ray discs, meaning more muscle to produce the finest picture quality, revealing superior details and showcasing that perfect cinematic, pleasing grain texturing for pictures photographed on film and more accuracy for those photographed in the wholly digital realm. "Mastered in 4K" discs also promise superior color balance and accuracy, reproducing a more faithful-to-the-source palette that will reveal the sort of natural shading and subtle nuance even the best of 1080p Blu-ray cannot match. More, Sony promises enhanced viewing on its own line of 4K TVs thanks to a proprietary upscaling algorithm that's designed to squeeze the most out of the "Mastered in 4K" line of Sony discs, above and beyond what any competitor's display can offer. Makes sense considering some branch of Sony is at work along every step of the process. Unfortunately, one of Sony's shiny new 4K televisions was not available for review purposes, but suffice it to say that either of the launch displays -- the 55" and 65" XBR-labeled sets -- will undoubtedly offer the best consumer viewing picture to date, whether joined with a Sony "Mastered in 4K" disc or a regular old Blu-ray from any studio.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by Tech-UK

I am surprised that there are not any on the discs. There is a few posts back in this thread of a BDinfo scan revealing a lot of hidden stuff on these discs, including some test patterns, but no indication to whether they are xvYCC encoded. Take a look back.

Edit. See here (thanks to McCrutchy):

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=922

Yeah, I found the hidden patterns on the new Ghostbusters disc using the 7669 code but said patters were not encoded in x.v.Color.

[seabterry]

Originally Posted by Pieter V

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...7/#Screenshots

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...8/#Screenshots

I used these shots. I am not sold, yet. The difference is nowhere near enough to warrant double dipping and complete absence of supplements.

[seabterry]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

You're missing the Sony Kool-aid pack, sent out to reviewers.

This is starting to look very true. I also don't see Sony making the Kool-Aid pack available for public consumption. Probably something with the FDA.

[Sporkies]

Originally Posted by Pieter V

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...7/#Screenshots

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Angel...8/#Screenshots

I actually prefer the cooler color palette of the original release. The new one has way too much yellow for my taste.

[Tech-UK]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Yeah, I found the hidden patterns on the new Ghostbusters disc using the 7669 code but said patters were not encoded in x.v.Color.

Here you go :

http://www.chromaate.com/product/232..._Generator.htm

[marine92104]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

He didn't answer your question. No one said there's no subtitle track here, someone said the subtitles that supposed to be shown during the non-English parts aren't there. That's completely independent of the subtitle and/or hearing impaired tracks.

Ask that person if the non-English part at the end of Chapter 6 has subtitles show up automatically without the subtitle track being turned on.

I don't know how much easier he could have said it. He said there are subtitles for the non-english chinese speaking parts.

Everyone knows there are subtitles that can be turned on.

Here's his quote:

I don't understand why someone would claim there are no subtitles, but yes, I can confirm on my disc, there are definitely subtitles for the non-English/Chinese-speaking parts of the film.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by seabterry

I used these shots. I am not sold, yet. The difference is nowhere near enough to warrant double dipping and complete absence of supplements.

Agreed. The difference is negligible at best.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by rickah88

Does every review start out with a scripted Sony commercial? That seems odd:

[Show spoiler]Sony's commitment to releasing the finest Blu-ray products is evident with every spin of a Sony-branded disc. The consistency of product -- from the latest blockbusters to the most cherished classic titles from years gone by -- is arguably tops in the entire industry, and why shouldn't it be; Sony was a lead Blu-ray design and advocacy outfit, its PlayStation 3 console offered disc playback and instant wide format adoption, and the first wave of titles released back in 2006 bore the Sony label on the spine. Since then, and through a few growing pains and spurts -- a bloody format war, a misstep or two, the transition from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD Master Audio -- the studio has emerged as the most trustworthy in the industry when it comes to its Blu-ray product. When it says Sony, chances are extremely high that the movie is going to look (and sound) about as good as the format allows. Now, Sony is recalling the days of its "Superbit" DVD releases with the emergence of "Mastered in 4K" (*) Blu-ray discs. The initial wave consists of a handful of films, all of which have enjoyed previous, and largely very high quality, Blu-ray transfers. The new transfers are sourced from 4K masters but here's where the giant asterisk comes in: they're then downscaled to standard Blu-ray 1080p resolution. That means buyers can enjoy them on their regular old Blu-ray players and their regular old HDTVs -- no fancy new hardware required. The downside is that viewers aren't really seeing the material in 4K; even those who shell out the large sum of cash for a new 4K TV will be treated only to an upscaled presentation, much the same way today's regular old TV/playback 1080p device combos upscale standard definition DVDs.

Watching the "Mastered in 4K" transfer in 1080p does yield some benefits over the standard 1080p Blu-ray releases, even if it's not a true 4K experience. The discs take advantage of a significantly higher bitrate than regular old Blu-ray discs, meaning more muscle to produce the finest picture quality, revealing superior details and showcasing that perfect cinematic, pleasing grain texturing for pictures photographed on film and more accuracy for those photographed in the wholly digital realm. "Mastered in 4K" discs also promise superior color balance and accuracy, reproducing a more faithful-to-the-source palette that will reveal the sort of natural shading and subtle nuance even the best of 1080p Blu-ray cannot match. More, Sony promises enhanced viewing on its own line of 4K TVs thanks to a proprietary upscaling algorithm that's designed to squeeze the most out of the "Mastered in 4K" line of Sony discs, above and beyond what any competitor's display can offer. Makes sense considering some branch of Sony is at work along every step of the process. Unfortunately, one of Sony's shiny new 4K televisions was not available for review purposes, but suffice it to say that either of the launch displays -- the 55" and 65" XBR-labeled sets -- will undoubtedly offer the best consumer viewing picture to date, whether joined with a Sony "Mastered in 4K" disc or a regular old Blu-ray from any studio.

I notice that too. Not sure why they feel the need to get into all the detail in every review.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by Tech-UK

Here you go :

http://www.chromaate.com/product/232..._Generator.htm

Thanks.

But why do I have a funny feeling I can't afford that?

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Thanks.

But why do I have a funny feeling I can't afford that?

I don't think any of us could. You have to send off for a quote.