4K Movies Releases

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

unstrike 'pioneers', for you blaze the economic trail for the rest of us.

If i hadn't over spent on HD as a whole I would be in there with the pioneers. I really want to see the full benefit of Ultra HD with my first purchase after my last attempt at home cinema, that includes 3D. I must stress that I only wanted the best for us all but if some enjoy jumping in too soon than so be it.

[Richard Paul]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I see they reiterated the difficulty of having HDR content fold down into SDR on the fly without the aid of the usual trim pass. I hope the BDA have nailed it with UHD BD, otherwise there really will be separate UHD+HDR and UHD releases to cater for us pioneers poor saps who've got non-WCG/HDR 4K sets. If they do go down that route then I also hope that the regular UHD disc isn't gimped in terms of bit depth at the very least.

I think things will be fine with HDR video on Ultra HD Blu-ray since it will include human graded metadata. With TV production the cost is more of an issue and broadcasters are very concerned with live action HDR video since conversion would be both automatic and real time. It would be a huge problem if live action HDR video looked bad on SDR displays since that will be the majority of the customers for many years. That is why the broadcasters are so concerned with picking an HDR system that would be suited for the broadcast industry.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

If i hadn't over spent on HD as a whole I would be in there with the pioneers. I really want to see the full benefit of Ultra HD with my first purchase after my last attempt at home cinema, that includes 3D. I must stress that I only wanted the best for us all but if some enjoy jumping in too soon than so be it.

It's not about "enjoying jumping in too soon", I bought my 4K set because it was a much better all-round TV than the 1080p one I had (especially for 3D) and I kept saying at the time that actual 4K content would simply be the cherry on top. I knew full well the TV would be left behind in terms of wider colour gamut and possibly bit depth (though it can at least accept a 12-bit 4K signal, if not display it at 12-bit) but what I didn't see coming was HDR and "if I knew then..." I wouldn't have bought it.

[Richard Paul]

The BT media company has released a research paper on UHDTV and at 50+ pages it provides a good amount of details.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Richard Paul

The BT media company has released a research paper on UHDTV and at 50+ pages it provides a good amount of details.

It’s not prospective research, but after an admittedly very quick skim-through, it seems like a very fine retrospective. From the top pages of the paper, in the spatial resolution section it’s especially gratifying to see an engineer at least introducing Vernier Acuity into his visual system '4K' discussion, if only for so briefly.

Beyond the academic principles and historical coverage of UHD/4K video introduction and standardization outlined in the BT Media and Broadcast paper, I foresee a couple things emerging as practical issues to consider for content creators and future UHD/4K display purchasers.

A potential pitfall on the far horizon? That be a TV manufacturer nits race – https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...e#post10613291

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Richard Paul

The HDR standard for UHDTV might be finished by July and a few people from the ITU gave reports on how development is going. Also there was recently a conference on ATSC 3.0 though the only video information I could find from it was a presentation slide that was put on Twitter

So Richard, any guess as to which company’s HDR proposal will be adopted as the broadcast standard by the ITU?

Or…..do you think it will turn out to be a joint (entity) proposal which is adoptd?

Because I’m really looking forward to superior picture quality vis-à-vis HDR especially while watching broadcast sports on a sunny afternoon at some venues like Steed’s home stadium…

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

For those who didn’t have the opportunity to view it on TV, the setting was a fan filled stadium of about what 50,000? excited, passionate folks on a bright….very bright…sunny afternoon (Steed, you could have made some serious coin just selling baseball caps or visors at the venue as I noticed everyone on one side of the stadium constantly with a hand on their brow). In fact, it was so sunny that at least for the entire first half , almost exactly half of the field was washed in sunshine whereas the other half of the field (pitch) was drowned in shadow from the stadium stand….a rather typical situation for a southern California day at many a stadium sporting event, but I guess somewhat unusual for Northeast England?

So anyway, on a purely video analysis note, that Sunderland v. Newcastle derby typified this from 2013 in that the imagery begged for HDR capture, transmission and display at home. For not just serving to better visualize the ball; but also, the players….esp. to help with clearly seeing the Newcastle players because the shadows were so deep and their kits were all grey along with the Sunderland lads with their black shorts and socks.

Then when the shadows engulfed almost the entire field one could better visualize the soccer match but then the stadium crowd in the sunshine was all over-exposed in the SDR transmission so a viewer couldn’t make out any details in order to spot the Steed and the sisters.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Netflix plans to share their HDR calibration Guidelines with partners sometime in Q3 2015, until then, some background on their True 4K ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vGQyWm3o4

Not exclusive to the company Netflix per se, but, in general, a follow-up as to calibrating higher nit UHD displays -
http://www.spectracal.com/Documents/...anding-HDR.pdf

[Richard Paul]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

So Richard, any guess as to which company’s HDR proposal will be adopted as the broadcast standard by the ITU?

Or…..do you think it will turn out to be a joint (entity) proposal which is adoptd?

My guess would be the joint proposal from the BBC/NHK since it would have a reasonable cost, would work with displays in different brightness environments (dark, dim, or bright), and is well suited for live action HDR video.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Richard Paul

My guess would be the joint proposal from the BBC/NHK since it would have a reasonable cost, would work with displays in different brightness environments (dark, dim, or bright), and is well suited for live action HDR video.

Rather fine guess.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Always a worthwhile event to attend - http://www.cinegearexpo.com/83/ except perhaps when the temp. hovers well over 100 degrees , which it did, not too many years ago.....and one truly appreciated the value of water.

Musings from Cinegear 2013….and alas, soon it be time for Cinegear 2015….

[Penton-Man]

As an aside, the cinematographer for Tomorrowland (Claudio M.) also happens to be the cinematographer that shot the standard dynamic range music video linked to as posted in my signature (submitted in 2010)…and remains to this day to bring awareness to those folks in the Caribbean.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

As this has been a good attention-getting week for Blu-ray , in that the internet is a buzz with audio/video *journalists* and those with their own personal blogs reporting on the finalization of the Ultra HD Blu-ray specs, along with flashing that new blue and white logo everywhere/everyhow imaginable…..

I must admit, as an organization, I’m feeling a little sorry for thee ol’ UHD Alliance, which some might argue is of more significance to the UHD consumer ecosystem than the BDA, since it has not restricted itself solely to 4K/UHD physical media as per its vision and goals…. http://www.uhdalliance.org/vision-and-goals/

Speaking of which, a new week heralds -
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/beh...-create-796952

And on that note, a UHD HDR-related tip of the hat goes out to Infront Sports & Media (last paragraph)…. http://www.insideworldfootball.com/w...ltra-hd-format

[jono3000]

Write up on Tomorrowland Dolby Vision showing

http://m.highdefdigest.com/news/show...y-vision/23076

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by jono3000

Write up on Tomorrowland Dolby Vision showing
http://m.highdefdigest.com/news/show...y-vision/23076

ray, if you don’t believe the blogger review and remain queried:

Originally Posted by raygendreau

The first audience reaction to the Dolby Vision Cinema screening of Tomorrowland with HDR. Will it be better than audience reaction to The Hobbit HFR? If the audience starts stumbling around screaming MY EYES! MY EYES!, unable to find their way out because the exit signs have been extinguished to maintain that Christie Laser projector contrast ratio of 1,000,000 to 1...?

then go see for yourself. It's not too far a drive up from Irvine.

In fact, if you remain worried about your eyes after having viewed the movie at El Capitan theater, I’ll pay your out of pocket charges for an OCT to determine any possible maculopathy, but….if the test comes back normal, or if no change from any previous OCTs you’ve had in the past, well, you’d have to reimburse me.

[jono3000]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Tomorrowland

Penton-man, do you have the DCP details for this, resolution and file size for the Dolby Vision and 'normal' version?

I would think this to be a good bet for one of the first Disney UHD Blu-rays

[Pieter V]

Fox to Be First Studio to Create All Movies in High Dynamic Range, Ultra HD for Home Viewing (Exclusive)

High dynamic range is viewed by many Hollywood tech leaders as the key feature to create a noticeable picture advancement for viewers.
Marking the biggest commitment yet to high dynamic range (HDR) content, 20th Century Fox has decided to make versions of all of its new movies in Ultra HD (UHD) with HDR for home entertainment, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It also intends to make HDR UHD versions of its recent releases, including X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Maze Runner.

High dynamic range — meaning a wider range between the whitest whites and blackest blacks in an image — is viewed by many Hollywood tech leaders as the key feature that will create a more noticeable picture advancement for viewers, certainly compared with Ultra HD (4K resolution, or four times the resolution of HD) alone. But while many tech industry leaders are in agreement on taking an HDR path, the challenge is how to implement it while sidestepping a potential format war.

To do this, the recently formed studio and manufacturer coalition UHD Alliance is aiming to work swiftly to create an agreed-upon, consistent and inter-operable HDR quality specification for home entertainment. (Standards bodies such as the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers are also doing HDR standards work.)

Speaking last month at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, UHD Alliance president Hanno Basse — who is chief technology officer at Fox — asserted: "We want to have a first version [of a quality spec] later this year to coincide with the Blu-Ray Disc Association (which is introducing Ultra HD Blu-Ray with HDR support)."

Fox intends to follow these guidelines once they are completed, and for the time being the studio is creating masters in UHD with HDR, using a non-proprietary HDR spec that's based on the Alliance’s current direction.

The Blu-Ray Disc Association recently completed its UHD Blu-ray spec with HDR support. The first products to support the UHD Blu-Ray format are expected to begin to roll out later this year.

Some consumer electronics manufacturers have already started to introduce HDR capabilities. Notably, Samsung has released HDR-supported UHDTVs, dubbed SUHDTV, which supports content for a non-proprietary HDR spec. Fox previously said it intended to release content for these displays. (UHD with HDR clips created for Life of Pi and Exodus: Gods and Kings were provided to Samsung by Fox to use as demonstration material when the set maker launched its SUHDTVs at CES in January.)

Dolby has developed a Dolby Vision HDR format, and Vizio is expected to be the first set maker to release Dolby Vision-supported TVs. Fox has not made announcements with regard to this format.

Hollywood is also eyeing HDR for cinema. Dolby Vision is also starting to roll out (Disney’s Tomorrowland will be the first film to be released in the format at a handful of Dolby Vision-equipped theaters), and Imax’s recently launched laser projection system provides HDR support.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/beh...-create-796952

[Teazle]

Originally Posted by jono3000

Write up on Tomorrowland Dolby Vision showing

http://m.highdefdigest.com/news/show...y-vision/23076

I wonder about false positives here. How much of that wow-factor is just the result of higher contrast due to deeper black level consistent with SDR? (Better PJ; turning off ambient light e.g. exit signs?)

[Pieter V]

Brad Bird, should wash his mouth with soap. IMAX this IMAX that on Mission Impossible 4. But not releasing the IMAX footage on Blu-ray. And now he is yelling about Dolby Vision.

[jono3000]

Originally Posted by Teazle

I wonder about false positives here. How much of that wow-factor is just the result of higher contrast due to deeper black level consistent with SDR? (Better PJ; turning off ambient light e.g. exit signs?)

Speaking of exit signs, the screen I saw Mad Max Fury Road in earlier this week had a fire exit sign illuminating a green light into the bottom left corner of the screen. Frustrating. For some reason they put Pitch Perfect 2 into the large auditorium and put Mad Max into one of the smaller ones.

I'm sure ambient light is a factor in the perceived colour range. It's like the TVs in shops with the brightness cranked up to compensate for their store lighting.

[4K fanatic]

They need to have at least 50 titles at launch with 1.77:1, 2.35:1, or 1.85:1 aspect ratios. I think they'll make the biggest impact with films like Avatar or Avengers that fill the entire TV screen- obviously. I like OAR to a degree but 4K needs images and when 1/4 of the screen is black bars, your not going to make a stellar impact like you would with a full frame picture. They also need players with a max price pint of $400. There's a small segment who have 4K uhd tvs and the ones that don't are probably not going to have the room for a TV big enough to purchase a uhd TV plus new uhd player and discs. I see uhd blu-Ray being a small niche market- hopefully large enough to sustain it. They're going to have to do some serious marketing to people who have 50" and under tvs to upgrade to appreciate the difference over 1080p. Idk if it'll work. If it ends up being a niche off blu-Ray traditional discs, I hope the price point can be affordable. I doubt you'd see any one movie welling 1 million copies.