Blade Runner 4K UHD (1982)

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by KMFDMvsEnya

I haven't watched the entirety of the disc and it has only been with my Oppo 203 and Panasonic Vt60. PQ is an impressive improvement and vastly superior to the low bitrate BR, whereas the new audio mix is unbalanced and ultimately I prefer the original FC mix.

SDR conversion? I find that the compression issues which I alone seem to be afflicted with are greatly lessened (but ultimately still present) in SDR.

[Candletric]

Is the version from France, the 35th Anniversary Collectors Edition, region-free ?

[Colson]

Originally Posted by Candletric

Is the version from France, the 35th Anniversary Collectors Edition, region-free ?

All 4K discs are region-free, but I'm not sure about the standard BDs/DVDs.

[Candletric]

Originally Posted by Colson

All 4K discs are region-free, but I'm not sure about the standard BDs/DVDs.

Thanks. Thats what I wanted to know.

[Vangeli]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

SDR conversion? I find that the compression issues which I alone seem to be afflicted with are greatly lessened (but ultimately still present) in SDR.

Could it be an error mostly in the HDR metadata itself, then? I noticed a similar effect in Planet Earth II and it caused the FALD backlight to go flicker-crazy in that specific area.

[KMFDMvsEnya]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

SDR conversion? I find that the compression issues which I alone seem to be afflicted with are greatly lessened (but ultimately still present) in SDR.

I only watched certain bits due to borrowing the disc and limited time to check it out.

At that time my 203 was setup for HDR Off and 300 nits. -Aside note: Starship Troopers is nearly unwatchable at 300nits and adjusted to likely 600nits to reduce the aggressively blown out highs and high midtones which makes it more pleasant to watch with the current gimped HDR-SDR conversion with the Oppo . I was mostly watching the intro sequence and the Deckard and Rachel VK interview scene. I didn't notice compression artifacts in those scenes. What I did notice was the sharpening that had been applied to several shots in the VK scene and some of the DNR baked into a shot during the intro sequence.

I chapter skipped and viewed some content at each for short durations until chapter 16 or so.

The amount of fine detail that is visible even with 1080p down conversion is astonishing. Especially in comparing to the adequate but kneecapped original BR encode.

What I found odd was the new mix, too compressed in dynamic range in comparison to the original FC mix and changes in various things. Such as the bass during chapter ten being much louder than before and the bass in chapter eleven actually being much lower to the point of almost not being present. Almost as though they were swapped but that is not the case.

So from that impression BR FC 4k is a mixed bag, great picture quality with inferior dynamics and curious changes in the sound mix.

[BluRayHiDef]

I just ordered a copy from Best Buy. I initially selected in-store pickup but received a phone call from someone who works at the location that I selected indicating that they could not find a copy. As an alternative, they offered to change my delivery option to shipping and assured that I'd receive a copy in two days, and I obliged.

This is a blind buy for me, which I've made because I've heard for years that this movie is the best thing since sliced bread and also because I intend to see its sequel, which is on the horizon. There's also the fact that it has served as inspiration for so many highly regarded science fiction films, such as Ghost in the Shell (1995).

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

No, the blatant artefacts are lessened in HDR but are still very much there on ST '09, as well as that super-odd smoothing out of the mid tones. As for Blade Runner I wish I could explain it but I simply don't know what's going on, if it was purely a setup issue then why am I not seeing such bad compression artefacts on, say, the wonderfully grainy Starship Troopers? Either I've got a bad disc or there's something about the ZD9's super brightness that shows it up more, and I know I sound like an arrogant arse when I say this but it wouldn't be the first time that people have mistaken a cluster of digital schmutz for 'grain'.

I really doubt it's a bad disc. At least with Guardians I thought maybe it was semantics, like your definition of "significant crush" is way different from mine. With Blade Runner though, it's my favorite movie of all time and if I have any kind of pet peeve with home video it's compression artifacts. That's a huge reason I buy discs, because I always notice compression issues. So I really feel like I would have seen them, especially in the photo examination/window light scene, which I went back and forth over multiple times.

Could just be a random hardware/software combo thing I guess. Not tooting my horn because my set has deficiencies elsewhere, but it is supposed to be great at tone mapping and maybe there's something going on with those light bursts that needs to be mapped better to avoid displaying compression? We know encodes sometimes hide compression in blacks and brights. I dunno, wish you enjoyed the disc as much as everyone else. I has a sad about it.

[evoll]

Just ordered the digibook 4 disc set from Amazon UK and I just read that the final cut is the 4k disc. Is this the best cut to watch or should I cancel the order?

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by evoll

Just ordered the digibook 4 disc set from Amazon UK and I just read that the final cut is the 4k disc. Is this the best cut to watch or should I cancel the order?

Since you're asking I'm guessing you're not that familiar with the movie, in which case I'd say yeah. Watch the Final Cut and don't worry about it.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I really doubt it's a bad disc. At least with Guardians I thought maybe it was semantics, like your definition of "significant crush" is way different from mine. With Blade Runner though, it's my favorite movie of all time and if I have any kind of pet peeve with home video it's compression artifacts. That's a huge reason I buy discs, because I always notice compression issues. So I really feel like I would have seen them, especially in the photo examination/window light scene, which I went back and forth over multiple times.

Could just be a random hardware/software combo thing I guess. Not tooting my horn because my set has deficiencies elsewhere, but it is supposed to be great at tone mapping and maybe there's something going on with those light bursts that needs to be mapped better to avoid displaying compression? We know encodes sometimes hide compression in blacks and brights. I dunno, wish you enjoyed the disc as much as everyone else. I has a sad about it.

This is no way to watch a movie but what happens if you pause and step through the specific light burst at 43m35s? As the light fades away that entire upper left portion of the screen above Deck's head explodes into a shower of blocky digital artefacts on my TV, blatantly visible for me at my normal viewing distance in motion but naturally all the more visible in still form. (It's exactly the kind of compression weirdness that I've talked about on ST '09 from day 1, the light seems to spaz out the encoder.) But if you're not seeing it even in step form - given your professed hatred of compression artefacts - then something's gotta be wrong with my disc somewhere.

But you think YOU has a sad about it?!? It cracks me up when people drop their hints that all I do is go looking for problems, to which I can only say that when those problems smack me square in the face then it's kinda hard to ignore them. You know me: I love to eulogise about even minor HDR upgrades so naturally I also treat any problems that I see with the same kind of verbosity.

This is literally one of my favourite movies of all time and I was ready for the amazing experience that the reviews and y'all have been drooling about but practically as soon as I started watching it something felt very, very wrong with both the picture and the 'core' 7.1 sound. Haven't heard back from Warners or Technicolour yet, which is odd. I guess they've just put me in the crank file along with Rorschach's journal but the truth may well get out someday. "Tonight, the 4K UHD of Blade Runner died on Geoff's TV"

[calico]

Well I've imported the 4 disc UK set. Really looking forward to it, even considering the apparent flaws you're discussing.

It will be a couple of weeks until I get it, but just curious - is the color timing the same as the 1080p Final Cut? Obviously, it's an HDR release, but is it the same grading style? For much of the film, I do enjoy the Final Cut's grading. But for scenes with a brilliant electric blue look in the archival disc gradings, the Final Cut's teal shift makes me a bit sad. Minor detail in the scheme of things, though!

[KnighsTalker]

Originally Posted by Pineapples101

I apologise for asking what may already have been asked in this thread.
But, if I wanted the 3 Blu Ray set:
Disc 1: Final Cut
Disc 2: DC, International and US theatrical
Disc 3: Workprint, Dangerous Days, picture gallery in HD

Do any of the 4K sets include the above?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

UK 4-disc SE contains all of the above exactly as you describe it. It's basically the 3-disc 30th anniversary Blu-ray set (you even get the double-sided art book that came with that edition) with the 4K Final Cut on top.

So... I know you or someone else has stated that the UK Blade Runner 4-disc SE set is region free. However, I just want to clarify before I have it imported to the US that all 4 discs will play on region A players. The reason I ask is because both this site and Amazon UK state that the UK Blade Runner 4-disc SE set is region B.

Thank you in advance for a definitive answer to this question.

[pbz06]

I have the same TV as Geoff so I can try that exact pause. Although I have Oppo 203 which I'm not sure if that matters.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by calico

Well I've imported the 4 disc UK set. Really looking forward to it, even considering the apparent flaws you're discussing.

It will be a couple of weeks until I get it, but just curious - is the color timing the same as the 1080p Final Cut? Obviously, it's an HDR release, but is it the same grading style? For much of the film, I do enjoy the Final Cut's grading. But for scenes with a brilliant electric blue look in the archival disc gradings, the Final Cut's teal shift makes me a bit sad. Minor detail in the scheme of things, though!

The 4K timing is beautiful, toning down that strong teal wash and making it bluer in the moments that matter like Roy and Leon confronting Chew in his frozen lab. It actually reminds me more of the archival cuts than being yet another new 'vision' for the film. There's also some laughable black crush on the FC BD which the HDR version corrects, and the increase in detail is similarly eye-popping.

Originally Posted by knighstalker

So... I know you or someone else has stated that the UK Blade Runner 4-disc SE set is region free. However, I just want to clarify before I have it imported to the US that all 4 discs will play on region A players. The reason I ask is because both this site and Amazon state that the UK Blade Runner 4-disc SE set is region B.

Thank you in advance for a definitive answer to this question.

Each and every disc is 100% region free and 60hz friendly. Buy with confidence.

[StrayButler91]

Just throwing this out there - I also found that grain appears to be mixed with video noise. On the one hand, this could be traceable to the digital intermediate itself - I haven't seen the movie on the big screen so I cannot comment. On the other, perhaps Warner reused the dated video master created for the Blu-ray when they should have returned to the DI.

Anyway. Still a huge upgrade and it only cost me $25 AUD, so I can't complain about that.

[Laserdisk]

Another one see's it then.
Join Geoff and myself on the bad side of town

[evoll]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Since you're asking I'm guessing you're not that familiar with the movie, in which case I'd say yeah. Watch the Final Cut and don't worry about it.

Ok thank you for the help and i might wait to watch it until the new movie comes out on 4k to binge watch them.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StrayButler91

Just throwing this out there - I also found that grain appears to be mixed with video noise. On the one hand, this could be traceable to the digital intermediate itself - I haven't seen the movie on the big screen so I cannot comment. On the other, perhaps Warner reused the dated video master created for the Blu-ray when they should have returned to the DI.

Anyway. Still a huge upgrade and it only cost me $25 AUD, so I can't complain about that.

Simplest possible answer for me isn't that they used a fubar intermediate master or that the 2007 restoration itself is at fault, it's that the compression for this specific release has been botched.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Simplest possible answer for me isn't that they used a fubar intermediate master or that the 2007 restoration itself is at fault, it's that the compression for this specific release has been botched.

I didn't notice anything awry with this one, but WB turning to shoddy compression would be par for the course.