Would you like to get acquainted with 4K Blu-ray? Here are two players and five movies to get you started
It may seem like 4K Blu-ray (and physical media in general) is dying out, but many still like to collect their favorite movies in physical format. That’s not surprising, since not only are streaming sites raising their prices, meaning people have to resort to “subscription shopping” (subscribing to streaming sites for certain shows and movies every month before canceling) to save money, but it cannot be relied upon. to keep movies on their platforms. How often Spider-Man (the 2002 version with Tobey Maguire) have to switch from Netflix to Prime Video before things settle down?
If you bought one of the best TVs, it would be a shame not to give it the best quality. But what does that mean? 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming are both the same, right? Unfortunately that is not the case. 4K streaming transfers data at a speed of 17-25 Mbps, while 4K Blu-ray can transfer data at 128 Mbps. This means that with 4K Blu-ray you get a more detailed image thanks to significantly lower data compression.
If you’re getting into 4K Blu-ray, you’ll need one of the best 4K Blu-ray players. Below I’ve listed two players I recommend, along with five movies that I think could be the perfect starting point for your new addiction: 4K Blu-ray collecting.
4K Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB150/154
Panasonic makes some of the best 4K Blu-ray players on the market, and they can vary dramatically in price. The first player I recommend checking out is the Panasonic DP-UB150/154, one of the budget models. (The UB150 and UB154 are identical and their availability depends on your region.)
Even though the UB150/154 is a budget model, you still get HDR10 and HDR10+ HDR support and effective upscaling for lower resolution sources. Performance is fantastic too, with excellent contrast and natural, lifelike quality to the images.
Lacking smart features or Wi-Fi capabilities, the UB150/154 may not be as feature-packed as more premium 4K Blu-ray players, but it can still pass through Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. For aspiring home cinema enthusiasts on a budget, the UB150/154 is a great place to start – you can expect to pay less than £160/$200 for this brilliant 4K Blu-ray player.
4K Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820
The Panasonic DP-UB820 is the gold standard for value for money in a 4K Blu-ray player. It offers excellent picture reproduction, with refined details and textures, strong colors and contrast, and effective upscaling of regular Blu-ray discs and DVDs.
It’s also packed with features, including both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. That means that no matter which TV you have, the UB820 has you covered when it comes to HDR, while other players around this price point, such as the Sony UBP-X800m2, only support Dolby Vision and not HDR10+. It also features 7.1 channel analogue, optical digital and dedicated HDMI audio outputs plus smart features such as streaming.
You’ll have to stretch the budget a bit further for the DP-UB820 – you can expect to pay $449/£349, although we’ve seen it lower – but it’s a significant step up from more budget players and even rivals in the market . its price range.
4K Blu-ray Disc 1: Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick (2022), starring Tom Cruise, is a phenomenal 4K Blu-ray disc that shows you the possibilities of your 4K Blu-ray player. Stacked with plenty of fast-paced action and quick, panning shots as jets zoom through the air. Independent thinking person is an excellent tool for evaluating motion processing in any home theater setup and will quickly reveal any image judder or blurring caused by the display.
Independent thinking person is also a great reference disc for evaluating skin tones and textures. With its many well-lit close-ups of characters’ faces, both in the cockpit and in the Californian sun, it effectively demonstrates the level of detail you can get from a 4K Blu-ray Disc.
Thanks to the many flight sequences, Independent thinking person also shows 4K Blu-ray audio and how well the best soundbars or home theater systems handle lossless soundtracks on disc. When I did a comparison test between Blu-ray and streaming, audio was one area where Blu-ray shined.
4K Blu-ray Disc 2: The Batman
One film I consider essential for testing TVs on Ny Breaking and showing what 4K Blu-ray can do is The hitter (2022) with Robert Pattinson. A dark, grainy film with many muted colors, The hitter is perfect for evaluating a TV’s black depth and shadow details.
Throughout the film there are long sequences of low light or near darkness, and only the best TVs and 4K Blu-ray players can handle these dark tones without losing detail. Mastered at 400 nits instead of the more typical 1,000 nits, The hitter can easily reveal any imperfections in the backlight of an LED TV. The Panasonic players mentioned above do an excellent job The hitter. Plus, in my opinion, it’s the best Batman movie ever made.
4K Blu-ray Disc 3: Blade Runner: 2049
Beautifully filmed and beautifully detailed, Blade Runner: 2049, released in 2017 and starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, is another fantastic disc that showcases the potential of 4K Blu-ray. Directed by Denis Villenueve and with cinematography by the legendary Roger Deakins. Blade Runner: 2049 was destined to look fantastic on a 4K disc.
The film is packed with scenes with changing lighting conditions, making it perfect for evaluating contrast and color. The night market scene is perfect for testing contrast and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is powerful. Blade Runner: 2049 is a slam-dunk disc to add to your collection if you want to see the benefits of 4K Blu-ray.
4K Blu-ray Disc 4: Alien
The classic science fiction/horror film Alien (1979), starring Sigourney Weaver, is an example of an older film given new life by a good 4K treatment on disc. On 4K Blu-ray, Alien gains refinement and detail, enhancing the tired and almost ghostly complexion of the Nostromo crew.
A recent wave of James Cameron-directed 4K Blu-ray releases including Aliens received a mixed reception, as people felt the color palette had changed significantly and the films looked too digitized and clean. The 4K Blu-ray of Alienon the other hand, shows how an older film can be cleaned up and given new life without going too far. Alien at 4K, Blu-ray lacks a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is nevertheless an excellent example of atmospheric and tension-inducing film sound.
4K Blu-ray disc 5: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Now listen to me. Despite its polarizing nature (most opinions are negative), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) looks very good on 4K Blu-ray, and so does the entire sequel Star Wars movies for that matter. There are plenty of reference scenes here for testing different aspects of a 4K Blu-ray player and TV, but there’s one sequence in particular that I find myself coming back to often.
The fight scene in the throne room Star Wars:TLJ is punctuated by lots of vibrant reds – a lightsaber, the walls, the guards’ uniforms – and in 4K this scene has a dynamic, punchy look. It’s also a good example of how sharpness and subtlety can be combined, with plenty of refined detail in objects and faces. Star Wars:TLJ may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is an excellent ambassador for the 4K Blu-ray format.
Final thoughts
Collecting 4K Blu-ray can be expensive and all those discs can be a real space hog, but it offers the best video and audio quality most people can get in a home theater setup. For any movie fan, adding a 4K Blu-ray player to your 4K TV is a no-brainer.