Concern over 4k and replacing

[U7ysses S Gr4nt]

Hello all,

I have a blu-ray collection of roughly 400 films, and roughly that many on DVD. I've been slowly replacing most all of my DVDs, but given the craze that 4k COULD generate, is it likely I'll have to do this with ALL blu-ray discs, too?

For instance, in the past week, I replaced Stir of Echoes and Frailty. Will these really be titles that receive 4k release?

My knowledge of the technology is limited, and would like input from those of you who really know this stuff well.

Thanks

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by U7ysses S Gr4nt

Hello all,

I have a blu-ray collection of roughly 400 films, and roughly that many on DVD. I've been slowly replacing most all of my DVDs, but given the craze that 4k COULD generate, is it likely I'll have to do this with ALL blu-ray discs, too?

For instance, in the past week, I replaced Stir of Echoes and Frailty. Will these really be titles that receive 4k release?

My knowledge of the technology is limited, and would like input from those of you who really know this stuff well.

Thanks

Yes, you will have to replace all of them with 4K including Fraility and Stir of Echoes is you have a compulsive buying problem.

[Batjoke100]

Yes, whenever 4K BD makes it to market it will replace the current 1080p blu-rays you have (assuming they were shot at a resolution larger than 1920x1080), I wouldn't let that stop you from buying into the current 1080p spec though because who knows how successful it will be, only Sony has put any effort into releasing their films in 4K.

[cinemaphile]

I sincerely doubt 4k is going to take off. I'd bet 90% of your collection never even gets released in a 4k format.

[olivasauce]

How much better is 4k? I don't think I will be double dipping anything for this.

[Taygan315]

Originally Posted by olivasauce

How much better is 4k? I don't think I will be double dipping anything for this.

I demoed a 4K Sony at Best Buy a few weeks ago. It's brighter, more vivid...but other than that...it failed to impresss me or make me feel I had to upgrade to it.

I heard to get the full benefit of 4K, it is really meant to be seen with a projector home theater...on a much larger screen image than tv's.

Even if 4K does take of...it will be sometime I think,imo. Personally...I have not seen anything that makes me feel that 4K is the next gen for HDTV...based on the demo.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

I sincerely doubt 4k is going to take off. I'd bet 90% of your collection never even gets released in a 4k format.

were people saying that about blu-ray or not really?

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

were people saying that about blu-ray or not really?

No. BD was a big enough jump from DVD that it was pretty well received. It would have taken off even faster and sooner if not for the format war with HDDVD.

The next major move is going to be digital - when almost everything is just files and content, like music is now. I dont think there will be another physical media that is anything but a niche market.

[RJ24]

Only time will tell..

[GreenGaijin]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

No. BD was a big enough jump from DVD that it was pretty well received. It would have taken off even faster and sooner if not for the format war with HDDVD.

The next major move is going to be digital - when almost everything is just files and content, like music is now. I dont think there will be another physical media that is anything but a niche market.

+1

That's how I see it. There's the collectors, like us - but let's face it, most people don't care about storing hundreds or thousands of movies in physical cases at home. If they can pay less, get more, and have it all in one device they'll go with that.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

No. BD was a big enough jump from DVD that it was pretty well received. It would have taken off even faster and sooner if not for the format war with HDDVD.

The next major move is going to be digital - when almost everything is just files and content, like music is now. I dont think there will be another physical media that is anything but a niche market.

You, my friend are 100% dead on. Its similar to how big of a jump DVD was from VHS. Actually, DVD from VHS was an even larger overall jump than Blu ray from DVD. But, yeah, you are right. The format war and its inherent confusion did slow things up.

4K? Why stop there? Go to 8K. Then 24K. Then 47 trillion eleventy million K. In other words, for 99.2% of the population the difference from BD to 4K will be trivial and useless.

[RebelPrince1986]

Digital music has been around for a long time now and companies still release CDs and vinyls. Even if digital movies take over as the prominent format, Blu-ray will continue to be made for quite a while. If 4K does take off, it will still use a Blu-ray disc, so I'd imagine it won't be much different than 3D Blu-rays now. Combo packs? A sticker on the front? A different logo on the case or a different colored case? I can't imagine they will ever market it as an entirely separate format.

So I guess, to answer your question, you would only have to upgrade the films you personally wanted in 4K. The jump from DVD to Blu-ray was noticeable enough for me to upgrade, I don't see myself making the effort to double dip for 4K from Blu-ray.

[Clark Kent]

No 4K craze is going to sweep the market. Where do people get this stuff? At best it will be a niche format on par with LaserDisc, if videophiles are lucky. Most people will be content with 1080P Blu-rays upscaled to 4K resolution by their new players.

[A Sith Lord?]

Digital won't replace physical media for movies and blu-rays until storage media becomes very very cheap.

The reason music and pictures are digital now, is because you can buy a 4gb microsd card for less than $10, and it will store almost a thousand of your favorite songs.

Yeah there are 3-4 TB external harddrives, but until we'll all be able to buy externals big enough to hold our 1,000 movie collection in high quality, I doubt it happens anytime soon.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Originally Posted by MasturB

Digital won't replace physical media for movies and blu-rays until storage media becomes very very cheap.

The reason music and pictures are digital now, is because you can buy a 4gb microsd card for less than $10, and it will store almost a thousand of your favorite songs.

Yeah there are 3-4 TB external harddrives, but until we'll all be able to buy externals big enough to hold our 1,000 movie collection in high quality, I doubt it happens anytime soon.

It won't be the same as MP3's. Content providers will store "your" movies for you. The movie industry has a tight grip on this already and won't be letting go.

I think if they can get a single provider with an easy and readily available app on devices, it will replace any new form of physical media. UV is not it, and I don't think Apple has any interest in opening up iTunes to stream on Blu-ray players, smart TV's and video game consoles.

I have 3 places or all my digital copies right now as it is, between iTunes, Flixter (UV), and VuDu (UV). Make it less confusing and it will work.

[Steelmaker]

I wouldn't waste my time (and money) on it honestly. Unless you plan on displaying movies on a VERY large screen, 4K is a complete waste of time for 99.9% of the people out there with home theaters. I have watched 4K on a 60" display and at normal viewing distances, the difference between it and 1080p is extremely small! It's nowhere near the jump from DVD to Blu Ray. 4K is going to be a niche market. The order of diminishing returns is too great for it to take off like DVD and even blu ray have.

[steve1971]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

I wouldn't waste my time (and money) on it honestly. Unless you plan on displaying movies on a VERY large screen, 4K is a complete waste of time for 99.9% of the people out there with home theaters. I have watched 4K on a 60" display and at normal viewing distances, the difference between it and 1080p is extremely small! It's nowhere near the jump from DVD to Blu Ray. 4K is going to be a niche market. The order of diminishing returns is too great for it to take off like DVD and even blu ray have.

Damn Steelmaker you hit the nail right on the head and I couldn't have said it better then you did.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by steve1971

Damn Steelmaker you hit the nail right on the head and I couldn't have said it better then you did.

I'm guessing there will be a big difference in quality.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

No 4K craze is going to sweep the market. Where do people get this stuff? At best it will be a niche format on par with LaserDisc, if videophiles are lucky. Most people will be content with 1080P Blu-rays upscaled to 4K resolution by their new players.

Exactly... Look at the struggle we are currently facing just getting catalog films on Blu Ray... and look at the even bigger struggle we're seeing in getting decent 2k transfers of older films as well. 4K will happen at some point no doubt, but it will be the next laser disk no doubt as well. There are plenty of films that still haven't gotten decent remasters for a good Blu Ray release, let alone the possibility of a 4k release. Add to that, that broadcast tv is still 720p/1080i and suffer's from compression related problems makes 4k broadcasts as a whole very unlikely. I'm sure a few niche channels will rise up but I doubt there will be any in the US. Lastly, with the downsizing of Best Buy, the scaling back of Blu Ray's at Wal-Mart, the closing of stores like Circuit city, Block Buster, etc what reason would there be for those stores still around to have healthy 4k Sections? I personally am still hoping and waiting for the day when the Wal-mart DVD section is filled with Blu rays instead.

At best, 4K will be a niche format with higher prices that will carry the latest films and some of the biggest Hollywood classics, but it will never become the next DVD let alone even attaining the adoption rate of Blu Ray.

[Kevin Holly]

Blu-Ray is the end of the line for me.