I fear for 4k Disks...

[Gold Ranger]

As we know, 4k media is just around the corner.
My greatest fear for it is that, like a lot of movies nowadays, they aren't being remastered to 2, 4, 6 or even 8k where available.
We are getting a lot of VHS, LaserDisk and DVD ports instead of proper Video Quality.
Also suffering is the Audio side of things. A lot of things are still being released with Lossy Sound. Heck, some movies are getting downgraded sound from previous releases.

In order for 4k to truly take off, DVD needs to be completely gone by the time 4k starts coming out.
Also, EVERY 4k Title must come with a BD and UV code in order to survive.
BD should not be a standalone option either, but 4k should also be relatively inexpensive, both Movie and Player wise.

[agoofykindasuperman]

I agree with you although I don't think DVD will be completely gone by the end of next year unfortunately. Most retailers still push DVD over Blu-ray, and some studios don't even publish equivalent Blu-rays for releases they put on DVD.

[Kryptonic]

It will fall flat on its face because it's unnecessary for 99% of consumers.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

It will fall flat on its face because it's unnecessary for 99% of consumers.

I predict that 4K Blu-rays will be to standard Blu-rays what SACDs are to standard CDs right now.

The 4K Blu-rays will have a viable market out there in the niche community of videophiles, just as SACDs have a viable market in the niche community of audiophiles. Most people will probably be perfectly happy with standard Blu-rays, just as most people are happy with standard CDs, but the superior product will be available for the small crowd that wants to put their resources into great home theater systems necessary to enjoy the improvement in resolution.

[Blu MacReady]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I predict that 4K Blu-rays will be to standard Blu-rays what SACDs are to standard CDs right now.

The 4K Blu-rays will have a viable market out there in the niche community of videophiles, just as SACDs have a viable market in the niche community of audiophiles. Most people will probably be perfectly happy with standard Blu-rays, just as most people are happy with standard CDs, but the superior product will be available for the small crowd that wants to put their resources into great home theater systems necessary to enjoy the improvement in resolution.

I'm not into looking through anyone's collection. But I see you've got around 1000 movies. How many would you upgrade to 4k? Then once you've done that, how many to 8k when that comes out etc etc.

Genuine question btw not trolling or arguing.

I love Robo Cop. VHS-DVD-blu-blu 4k. I'd have to stop there Im not going 6k/8k. I also love Jaws and The Terminator. But I doubt I'd spend more to have them 4k. I'm happy with the blu Rays I can't keep spending £10-£15 every 2 yrs on the same film.

[Rblu-Dblu]

I would probably only buy new releases in 4k. Don't feel like investing thousands of dollars to replace movies that may not benefit from the upgrade or lack of as some of the companies would do. You know some will push off old masters on a 4k disc.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Blu MacReady

I'm not into looking through anyone's collection. But I see you've got around 1000 movies. How many would you upgrade to 4k? Then once you've done that, how many to 8k when that comes out etc etc.

Genuine question btw not trolling or arguing.

I will probably be a late adopter to the 4K Blu-ray technology, just as I was a late adopter to Blu-rays.

Shortly after I upgrade to a 4K Blu-ray player and buy a handful of 4K discs, I will join an online forum dedicated to 4K Blu-rays, and post repeatedly about how I have no intention of upgrading all of my standard Blu-rays to 4K Blu-rays , and about how I only plan to upgrade my "essential favorites" to 4K. I will upgrade the James Bond 007 movies, favorite classic-era film noirs, and some of the brilliant Criterion releases as soon as possible. I will be proud of my growing library of highbrow foreign films and classic American Film Institute Top 100 movies in the 4K format.

For a long time after that, I will continue to post on the forum about how there's no need for me ever to upgrade the B-movies (the Friday the 13th series, the 1980s teen comedies, etc.) to 4K, because those are just throwaway films that come across just as well on standard Blu-ray anyway.

One thing will eventually lead to another, though, and I will eventually be buying all of the Friday the 13th movies, gritty early-1980s slasher flicks, and 1980s lowbrow teen comedies (Porky's, Bachelor Party, etc.) on 4K to replace my old standard Blu-ray editions. I will post long-winded glowing reviews of the 4K editions of these movies at long last, and try to convince everyone on the 4K Blu-ray forum that they are essential classic films. After a while, my mature, highbrow collection of classic cinema on 4K will start to look like the movie selection in the grimy back room of an old videotape rental store.

Hey... I at least get a few points for honesty here, don't I?

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by Blu MacReady

I'm not into looking through anyone's collection. But I see you've got around 1000 movies. How many would you upgrade to 4k? Then once you've done that, how many to 8k when that comes out etc etc.

Genuine question btw not trolling or arguing.

I love Robo Cop. VHS-DVD-blu-blu 4k. I'd have to stop there Im not going 6k/8k. I also love Jaws and The Terminator. But I doubt I'd spend more to have them 4k. I'm happy with the blu Rays I can't keep spending £10-£15 every 2 yrs on the same film.

I know you weren't asking me directly, but IMO it just depends on the movie - and how much of an upgrade it is.

Lets take 1000 movies in any random person's collection. Probably half of them are mediocre or sub-par quality blu-rays anyway (taken from DVD era master), so there are many opportunities for improvement with a new 4K master. Then you have "eye candy" stuff like Star Wars, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc. Where one might buy 4K version just to have the most reference quality of one of those stunning catalog films.

I'm not going to "dump" blu-ray like I did with DVD in 2006/2007, but I can imagine myself replacing quite a few of my blu-rays with 4K if they were to be made available. I'm thinking it would be pretty easy to come up with 100 that I would definitely buy on 4K (presuming it's a brand new 4K master and large upgrade from old blu-ray).

[murphywmm]

4K BD will be an extremely niche product like SACD... and DVD is still way too popular to die off so quickly.

[k_dog77803]

I think 4K will be what laserdisc used to be when VHS was the standard. Something videofiles will collect, but trust me the general public wont care about it at all! DVD is still pushed way too hard for there to be a new disc format.

[Jbug]

Originally Posted by k_dog77803

I think 4K will be what laserdisc used to be when VHS was the standard. Something videofiles will collect, but trust me the general public wont care about it at all! DVD is still pushed way too hard for there to be a new disc format.

I think it will do better than laserdisc but still be a videofile thing. 4k Tvs are in all the major stores and have been advertised on TV and in the news and many movie goers have seen the 4k symbol at one time or another when going to see movies at a theater. Many are aware of 4k regardless of if they plan on buying one or not. In comparison, Laserdisc were a well kept secret.

[montyb]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I predict that 4K Blu-rays will be to standard Blu-rays what SACDs are to standard CDs right now.

The 4K Blu-rays will have a viable market out there in the niche community of videophiles, just as SACDs have a viable market in the niche community of audiophiles. Most people will probably be perfectly happy with standard Blu-rays, just as most people are happy with standard CDs, but the superior product will be available for the small crowd that wants to put their resources into great home theater systems necessary to enjoy the improvement in resolution.

That's what they thought about DVD when introduced in March 1997 that it will be a niche audience that want stellar video and 5.1 audio because everyone was fine with VHS and its ugliness. DVD shot to the moon at take off. Many people are still satisfied with DVD and never convert to blu ray. Just like many satisfied with blu ray will never step up to 4K UHD. You guys are right, 4K UHD discs are a niche audience for the time being. Until 4K TVs start replacing 1080p TVs at retailers and become cheap enough for a home to have 4 or more 4K TVs in their homes and people start discovering the difference in the quality of 4K over standard HD. Then they will want more and that is where 4K streaming and UHD blu ray players and discs come into their homes and they are hooked! Its all a matter of time.
Just think how many people would still have the old square analog TV if they were not forced to switch to widescreen/HD TVs?

[jdw89]

Originally Posted by kryptonic

it will fall flat on its face because it's unnecessary for 99% of consumers.

+100

[steve1971]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

It will fall flat on its face because it's unnecessary for 99% of consumers.

Kryptonic,

I agree with you 100% and this something I have been saying for awhile now but right away I am labled a 4K hater by some. Pretty sad that Sony's PS4 has been out selling their 4K tv's so far by a big margin this year and to me that says alot about 4K. When game consol's are out selling 4K tv's somethings wrong and that should send a message to Sony. 4K Blu ray is not going to do any better because the general public dont give a damn about 4K. They are happy with dvd and plain ol Blu ray. 4K and 4K Blu ray are a niche product. I am all for the advancement of technology but not when its really needed and honestly was 4K really needed? I say no.

[Geoff D]

So because a games console outsells TVs that cost several times what the console does, that means that people don't care about 4K? That makes no sense. I know people like to reach when justifying certain arguments, but you must have 20-foot arms to go reaching that far.

Why is it all or nothing for people these days? Why does something have to be so utterly irredeemable that it's totally dismissed out of sight? Is it the modern focus on the cult of the individual that says 'I don't want it so why should anyone else'? With all avenues in life there's a niche for a premium product. Let's go with Kryptonic's 1%: the top 10 selling Blu-rays for 2014 (thus far) have accrued about $440 million dollars between them, so if 4K BD were to have 1% of that total that'd still be a cool $4.4 million and a couple hundred thousand units shifted, that's not bad for a niche product right out of the gate and it'd only get bigger from there.

[Mansinthe]

i recently startet to enjoy streaming so much, given how good some anime shows are already looking in "HD" , 4k streaming might be the real problem for 4k discs.. i think the equipment (whatever from projector to player) will just do fine if enough time went buy.

customers will get the new hardware if plenty of that stuff is avaible for a decent price.

just wait to the next (insert favorite sport of your country) season starts.
or the first "real 4k 3D porns" get released (im serious here)

or imagine what will happen if star wars , indiana jones , transformers etc get a real 4k dolby atmos relrease.

people will go nuts and "upgrade" their "favorite" movies again... like they did with vhs , dvd , hd dvd and bluray.


there are plenty of people out there that "collect" multiple copys of movies for a different artwork , slipcover whatever... plenty of these will buy the whole 4k stuff as well again. even if they are watching it on a 32 inch TV ..

take a look at the screen size many people have in the UK at the moment.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

With all avenues in life there's a niche for a premium product.

For some of us older folks we have heard it all before. It was hard to believe all the nay saying about: color TV, HDTV, Transistors, CD's, etc., etc. .......

I do agree we are in diminishing returns for certain products and technologies. I am joining the UHD/4K crowd with a VPL-VW600ES on order.

Have been making plans to add Atmos/Auro/MDA to the sound system. AFAIK, there is no hardware to decode all three so it may be sometime before I can join that group. Will pass on the 1st gen of Atmos.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by steve1971

...this something I have been saying for awhile now but right away I am labled a 4K hater by some.

llol, that's because I'm told by reliable sources if you run your name regarding past postings in the Audio Video Speculation Forum, your expressed sentiments with regards to 4K are much more transparent (a hater).

Even in threads there which are not devoted to the topic of 4K, I’m told you go out of your way to take every opportunity you can to disparage 4K. Please don’t play the neutrality/sympathy card when you come to visit here on Blu-ray.com.

[KRW1]

Originally Posted by steve1971

Kryptonic,

I agree with you 100% and this something I have been saying for awhile now but right away I am labled a 4K hater by some. Pretty sad that Sony's PS4 has been out selling their 4K tv's so far by a big margin this year and to me that says alot about 4K. When game consol's are out selling 4K tv's somethings wrong and that should send a message to Sony. 4K Blu ray is not going to do any better because the general public dont give a damn about 4K. They are happy with dvd and plain ol Blu ray. 4K and 4K Blu ray are a niche product. I am all for the advancement of technology but not when its really needed and honestly was 4K really needed? I say no.

That makes no sense. The PS4 (clue is in the number) followed on from the PS3 which is owned by millions, a lot of whom were gagging for a next gen machine. This is not even comparing apples and pears, it's comparing apples and churches.

There is nothing wrong in the 4k world whatsoever.

[Canada]

I am asking for The Great Escape (High Def Digest) I know the video is bad but I only own the non anamorphic DVD. This got me thinking if we are going to make the leap to 4K or 2160p or whatever, the studio's that master the 4K Blu-rays better lay off the excessive DNR and only use it judiciously. (Aliens, Bridge on Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia.)