Criterion Channel, an online streaming service for classic movies through the ages, will launch its first 4K Blu-ray movie slate this year, featuring iconic movies from David Lynch, Orson Welles, and Jane Campion, among others. These six films will benefit from 4K Blu-ray processing for the first time, and each title will be released with a 4K HD Blu-ray alternative, along with a host of special features. Some titles "will be presented in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos", although we have yet to hear which ones specifically. Films include the classic Citizen Kane (Orson Welles), Menace II Society (Allen and Albert Hughes), The Piano (Jane Campion), Muholland Dr. (David Lynch), The Red Shoes (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger), and A Nuit of a hard day (Richard Lester). With Dolby Vision delivering an even more carefully calibrated picture compared to ordinary HDR, and Atmos expanding the possibilities of three-dimensional sound, that is, if you have the right equipment for these formats, there's no doubt it's the best way to experience. these movies without being in a real theater. A blog post for the announcement informs us that more details will come later in August for the first release, "and more in the coming months." While release times aren't entirely clear, it means you have time to start considering a 4K Blu-ray player for your home theater, which offers a number of advantages over the world of online streaming.
Analysis: Are 4K Blu-ray Players Still Relevant Today?
It may come as a surprise that these movies have yet to be released on 4K Blu-rays; If the distributors won't commit these movies to high resolution discs, what are they doing with their time? Most or all of these movies have already made their way to HD Blu-rays, and while 4K resolution is now the dominant standard for new content and new 4K TVs, it hasn't been for a long time. The first 4K Blu-rays were released in 2016 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, in a list that includes The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2. And while new Marvel movies may appear with a 4K Blu-ray shortly after its theatrical release, less commercial (read: older) movies don't always get the same treatment as quickly. But the best-case scenario for 4K Blu-rays is to keep watching iconic movies in the highest quality possible, and that means getting a 4K Blu-ray player. Any of you with a new PS5 or Xbox Series X will have one included in the drive (PS5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S notwithstanding), anyway, but standalone models like the Panasonic DP-UB9000 also guarantee an experience. no lag and broad support for formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. These "offline" solutions mean you're not at the mercy of internet bandwidth, buffering, or service interruptions, though streaming is getting better and we're getting more used to it. Watching Netflix shows on our laptops or phones, the case for 4K Blu-ray players may be undermined. If you're not quite ready to go yet, you may want to buy a model before the production of 4K Blu-ray players dries up further.