This week at the International CES in Las Vegas, 4K display technology (also called Ultra High Definition, Ultra HD, or UHD) was everywhere you looked. Not surprisingly, there was much debate surrounding the rampant, interchangeable use of these terms, since in most cases we're talking about a display resolution of 3840 x 2160 - exactly double the width and height of the current 1920 x 1080 standard (so four times the resolution), but not exactly a true 4K. However, one thing everyone seemed to agree on was that these new "4K" displays looked spectacular. The big question on everyone's mind was, "What are we going to watch in 4K? What about the content?"
Sony was one of the few companies who had some answers on this front. The straightforward answer was Sony's plan for a 4K movie server and download service, said to be in the works for this summer. The more eyebrow-raising answer was Sony's unveiling of new "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Discs, due in stores this spring.
Before you get too excited and worrying about your new Blu-ray hardware being obsolete, the first thing to note here is that Sony's "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Discs are still 1080p, just like the Blu-ray Discs you own today. Furthermore, these new discs are going to play in every Blu-ray Disc player on the market, so no new hardware is required to enjoy them. This begs the question: so what exactly is different about them? Funny you should ask. Here's what Sony has to say:
"Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray releases will feature titles-such as The Amazing Spider-ManTM, Total Recall, The Karate Kid, Battle: Los Angeles and The Other Guys-sourced from pristine 4K masters and presented at high-bitrate 1080p resolution, with expanded color showcasing more of the wide range of rich color contained in the original source. When upscaled via the Sony 4K Ultra HD TVs, these discs serve as an ideal way for consumers to experience near-4K picture quality. SPHE also plans to utilize available high quality 4K masters for select upcoming new release Blu-ray titles. "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Discs can be played on all existing Blu-ray Disc players.
Since 4K masters are not exactly new (hence Sony's mention of "available high quality 4K masters"), the answer to the "what's different?" question seems to lie in the "high-bitrate" presentation on these new discs. As for other differences, details are still sketchy. If you're having flashbacks to the days of Sony's "Superbit" DVDs, you're not alone. One can only hope that these "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray Discs retain the bonus material present on their standard Blu-ray counterparts, something that wasn't always the case with Superbit DVDs. Time will tell.
Additional "Mastered in 4K" titles mentioned throughout the week included Taxi Driver and Lawrence of Arabia, the latter of which is apt to be a dicey proposition for Sony. As collectors well know, Lawrence of Arabia just recently received an elaborate 4K restoration and fans were at long last able to purchase the beautiful-looking Blu-ray Disc in time for the holidays. Are we now going to see an improved presentation on "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray, less than one year later? Hmm.
We'll definitely be requesting review samples as soon as we can get our hands on these new discs, so stay tuned for more on this intriguing development from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
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