4K Blu-ray Confirmed, Coming in

[AK65]

How are old movies available in 4K and new movies in 2K?

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by AK65

How are old movies available in 4K and new movies in 2K?

Not much cgi in the wizard of Oz

[KRW1]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

The new ones maybe... the catalog Star Wars titles no.

Often studios make very odd choices for their debut title releases because there isn't a certain size of install base for the bean counters. Big name titles usually won't show up until there are enough customers to justify the costs... and yet the customers don't show up until there are a good selection of titles.

It's the ol' chicken and the egg syndrome all over again. The industry never... ever learns.

I just have a sneaky feeling about Star Wars. I know I'm being pie in the sky with unmolested ones, but I've an odd feeling we'll get some sort of bare bones 4k release sooner rather than later this time around, digitally and on disc if we do get a format and it sticks. Not launch titles by any means but a lot sooner than 4 years time.

[Geoff D]

I agree re: Star Wars. Fox AND Disney are part of the UHD Alliance so there are no issues with rights and all that bollocks. And I highly doubt that the new movies will be released on UHD BD because like so many modern films they'll be finished at 2K most likely (especially with 3D involved) as were the prequels, so all that leaves is the Original Trilogy which we know got a 16-bit (!) 4K remaster by Reliance in 2012. Look at the timing of it all; Ep VII is due in theaters around the time when UHD BD hardware will hopefully be hitting the stands, so when that movie hits home video a few months later UHD BD will have found its feet and releasing the original Star Wars in 4K will be one hell of a bold statement. Hell, make it a 'vault' title if you must (thinking of the Disney influence here) but just get it out there!

I know that the studios are normally slow on the uptake, wanting to make sure that a consumer base is in place before unleashing their biggest guns, but they can't afford to be that naive with UHD BD. It won't survive on the back of a dribble of modern day-and-date 4K releases and Adam Sandler movies (if/when Sony get into the game, natch), but if Fox were to have stuff like Star Wars, Titanic, the first two Alien movies and perhaps even the HD/UHD debuts of True Lies and The Abyss ready to go, you'd hear the squeals of fanboy delight echo all around the world.

[Selaboc]

Originally Posted by AK65

How are old movies available in 4K and new movies in 2K?

Old movies were shot on good old analog 35mm (and sometimes even 70mm) film. lots of detail in that to make a 4k transfer. newer movies were shot on digital film and are limited to the resolution that they were shot in.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

...but if Fox were to have stuff like Star Wars, Titanic, the first two Alien movies and perhaps even the HD/UHD debuts of True Lies and The Abyss ready to go, you'd hear the squeals of fanboy delight echo all around the world.

Those Ultra HD discs better be superbit releases on 100 GB discs derived from the best 4k archival masters right from the start (unlike Blu-ray's debut) with outstanding lossless, 24 bit Dolby Atmos or DTS-X object mixes because it is very rare that the titles in the first wave of any home video format get re-released with a better transfer and/or encode later on.

Being the cheap b@stards the studios are.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Selaboc

Old movies were shot on good old analog 35mm film. lots of detail in that to make a 4k transfer. newer movies were shot on digital film and are limited to the resolution that they were shot in.

Some modern titles shot on film will still have 2k DI's if any digital special effects were rendered at 2k.

They would have to re-scan the negatives and remaster the visual effects, which is not something the studios, especially those that are financially hurting, would want to get involved with. Expect 2k upconverts for those too.

For the time being anything that wasn't 100% film derived will mainly benefit from 10 bit, a higher color gamut, and wider dynamic range. Their resolution... not so much.

Here's hoping the BBC has created new nature programming in true 4k. Should be a showcase for sure!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Those Ultra HD discs better be superbit releases on 100 GB discs derived from the best 4k archival masters right from the start (unlike Blu-ray's debut) with outstanding lossless, 24 bit Dolby Atmos or DTS-X object mixes because it is very rare that the titles in the first wave of any home video format get re-released with a better transfer and/or encode later on.

Being the cheap b@stards the studios are.

I was add an edit to my post but here's as good a place as any: if the studios are afraid of losing their double dip percentages by fronting up their biggest catalogue titles in 4K, then they can always release a HDR/Atmos version further along the line.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

...Here's hoping the BBC has created new nature programming in true 4k. Should be a showcase for sure!

Well, until then... truly British showcase

[slickkeng]

We are two days in now with CES, are there no new news about 4k bluray? Is the Panasonic announcement the only confirmation that we have for 4K bluray? Where is the BDA?

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by slickkeng

We are two days in now with CES, are there no new news about 4k bluray? Is the Panasonic announcement the only confirmation that we have for 4K bluray? Where is the BDA?

The head of the BDA (also an exec at Sony) talked briefly along the same lines as Panasonic. They're still saying the road map leads to the end of 2015 for discs and players. The final specs should be ironed out by mid year.

[David M]

Aaack, Here is the link I meant to post! Apologies.

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/uhd-bd-201501053979.htm

Btw, Sony IS part of the UHD Alliance.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Lyris

Btw, Sony IS part of the UHD Alliance.

David, don’t you think THAT ^ part of your post is incomplete? Meaning, in fairness, elaboration for perspective is required….at least for those not following.

Follow-up question, who (what entity) has been contracted to do the actual integration work for Samsung’s UHD offerings? Hint: they have no division (no matter how small) which claims current membership in the UHD Alliance.

[jono3000]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Here's hoping the BBC has created new nature programming in true 4k. Should be a showcase for sure!

The brilliant Life Story, which was shown on BBC HD at end of last year and has a Blu-ray release, was shot in 4K. I have not picked up the Blu-ray as I intend to buy the UHDBD on its release - hoping it will be one of the first batch of titles released in the UK.

Planet Earth was the first HD disc I purchased when I got my first 1080p TV in 2007 and has excellent picture quality.

[Stlsports]

Quick question. If a movie is on a 50gb disc are the studios using nearly every last GB on that disc? How can you tell how many GB's a movie actually takes up?

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I agree re: Star Wars. Fox AND Disney are part of the UHD Alliance so there are no issues with rights and all that bollocks. And I highly doubt that the new movies will be released on UHD BD because like so many modern films they'll be finished at 2K most likely (especially with 3D involved) as were the prequels, so all that leaves is the Original Trilogy which we know got a 16-bit (!) 4K remaster by Reliance in 2012. Look at the timing of it all; Ep VII is due in theaters around the time when UHD BD hardware will hopefully be hitting the stands, so when that movie hits home video a few months later UHD BD will have found its feet and releasing the original Star Wars in 4K will be one hell of a bold statement. Hell, make it a 'vault' title if you must (thinking of the Disney influence here) but just get it out there!

I know that the studios are normally slow on the uptake, wanting to make sure that a consumer base is in place before unleashing their biggest guns, but they can't afford to be that naive with UHD BD. It won't survive on the back of a dribble of modern day-and-date 4K releases and Adam Sandler movies (if/when Sony get into the game, natch), but if Fox were to have stuff like Star Wars, Titanic, the first two Alien movies and perhaps even the HD/UHD debuts of True Lies and The Abyss ready to go, you'd hear the squeals of fanboy delight echo all around the world.

Force is shot 35mm and IMAX, I wonder if now most IMAX's are digital they would finish at 4k or over

[Tech-UK]

Originally Posted by Selaboc

Old movies were shot on good old analog 35mm (and sometimes even 70mm) film. lots of detail in that to make a 4k transfer. newer movies were shot on digital film and are limited to the resolution that they were shot in.

When you refer to 'digital film' I presume you mean digital photography?

Because when you shoot digitally, the information is stored on hard drives and not on film stock.

Films are still being shot using film stock and hold the equivalent digital resolution of 4K plus (35mm), shooting digitally is different and you are limited to the resolution of which the camera can capture.

The reason why older films get the 4K treatment is because new films are handled a lot better and thus a 2K scan is adequate, and the majority of CGI is produced at 2K resolution. That's not to say a new film wouldn't benefit from a 4K scan, because it would, but the cost in doing so has to be justifiable for them to process the film at 4K, which is becoming the norm. Currently 2K scanning is the norm.

Studio's also like to scan at 4K for archival purposes, which tends to be older films, rather than new.

[Tech-UK]

Originally Posted by Stlsports

Quick question. If a movie is on a 50gb disc are the studios using nearly every last GB on that disc? How can you tell how many GB's a movie actually takes up?

1) No.

2) Yes. Use a BD drive in your PC to see the used Bytes.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Force is shot 35mm and IMAX, I wonder if now most IMAX's are digital they would finish at 4k or over

Shooting on film - even on IMAX - doesn't guarantee a 4K finish. Ghost Protocol and Star Trek Into Darkness are proof of that. Digital IMAX is 2K anyway AFAIK, so if there were more of them then people would be even less inclined to finish at 4K.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Shooting on film - even on IMAX - doesn't guarantee a 4K finish. Ghost Protocol and Star Trek Into Darkness are proof of that. Digital IMAX is 2K anyway AFAIK, so if there were more of them then people would be even less inclined to finish at 4K.

I was not saying film guarantees a 4K finish, but a film released in 2015 they would be crazy