4K Blu-ray Confirmed For Late 2015

Tornado Red

This from Blu-ray.com earlier today:

4K Blu-ray is officially on the way. According to Victor Matsuda, Chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee, the BDA expects the specs for 4K Blu-ray to be finalized in the first half of 2015, paving the way for commercial availability by the end of the year. This means we can expect to see actual 4K Blu-ray movies and players available in stores by Christmas next year.*

Apart from the jump to 4K resolution (3,840×2,160) we can also expect 4K Blu-ray to support higher frame rates (up to 60fps), an expanded color gamut along with high dynamic range (HDR), as well as HEVC/H.265 encoding to compress 4K movies more efficiently and allow for higher bit rates. The group is currently exploring the possibility of increasing the disc capacity to 66GB or 100GB.*

The news was confirmed by representatives on the show floor at IFA 2014 in Berlin, which opened its doors to visitors today.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14923

tonyb

Yippee !! Does that mean they expect all of us to re-buy hundreds of movies in our collections ? No thanks....

In case these nerds haven't noticed, sales of 4k TV's isn't exactly skyrocketing and the economy is in a slump. Talk to us when broadcast tv catches up....like in 10 years or so. Least by then prices will have come down on 4k sets, while 8k comes out.

Tornado Red

I'd like to think one could assume that the new players will be backwards compatible, like blu-ray to dvd, if they expect to sell any. If you're happy with your blu-ray or dvd movies the way they are, I don't see there being any arm twisting to rebuy, that will be your choice.

I'll be due for a new set in 3-5 years, and possibly a player. If the option is I can have something better than I have now for a decent price by then, I'll bite. 2 mil UHD sets were sold last year, with expectations of 14 mil this year through lower prices, new models etc. Truthfully, I'm just happy there's still going to be a physical disc, which was up in the air till this.

polkfarmboy

Sony is bringing a new low cost pj this year at around 8k for 4k bd's. Hopefully by the end of 2015 we can have 4k pj,s in our home for under 4k.

Polkie2009

Hopefully in the next 2 or 3 years, the 4K tv sets will be 50-60% cheaper than they are now. No sense in buying 4K blu rays til then, even though my Oppo 103 will already up convert to 4K. It will still be interesting to hear from others here who get into 4K early.

BlueFox

This is pretty good timing since I plan on upgrading my HT in 3-5 years when I retire. Until then I am very happy with Blue Rays on my 57" RPTV at 1080i.

cnh

I'm holding out for 32K 5" phone screen resolution. Now that would be a GIANT waste of time and money! lol

Frankly, I divide my watching 50 percent Blu-ray, 50 percent DVD and it really doesn't bother me at all!

4K? I can't even see REALITY in 4K. I wear glasses after all! Bigger, Better, Faster, Smarter till the meteor hits then, poof, we're gone! Why are we "racing" all the time? There are more important things we could be doing with our science, no?

cnh

tonyb

cnh wrote: »

There are more important things we could be doing with our science, no?
cnh

LOL, We are both on the same wavelength but as you know, it's all about money. Money makes the world go round. Which in some respects I'm ok with that....up to a point.

I find it funny too, that on one hand we are told we must go out and spend money, good for the economy and all that.While on the other we are chastised for not saving enough.

More and more people are having less and less disposable income these days. Which means more and more companies are competing for your dollar. So the introduction of higher ticket items seems to me anyway, foolish.

The other way of looking at this is what activity do most spend the most amount of time doing ? Watching TV ? That's where they will spend the bucks. Forget about food, clothing, roof over your head....we will have government to supply that for you. They've done studies, come out and straight up asked....given a choice between food and media, people will take the media by large percentages. In essence what they have created is a huge.....captive audience, and we all know when you have a captive audience the opportunities are boundless.

Sherardp

I already have a 4K PJ, its about time they roll this stuff out.

Tornado Red

As far as having more important things to do with our science, I'd like to think the people inventing 4K tv and players are not being taken away from curing cancer or building a plasma drive so we can get to Mars quicker. Again, they're just tvs and disc players, don't buy into it if you don't want to. Sometimes I think we all know they could probably do several leaps in technology in a single bound (Intel comes to mind), but there's this money thing... Anyway, if we were happy with what we had and wanted to stunt progress, we'd all be listening to music on our AM radios.

LeftCoast

Maybe I'm just not getting something here, but when I go to the electronics stores and see the 4k televisions with the demos of places from all over the world...I've been to many of those places.

They don't look like that in real life.

badchad

Bring it on. If anything, the development of newer technology drives the price of everything else down. In 10-15 years I hope my entire wall is a viewing medium for all sorts of things.

Tornado Red

Just wondering how this announcement may affect high end blu-ray player companies like Oppo over the next year. It would seem to be financial suicide to come out with a new 4K player that isn't backwards compatible, so...if I'm in the market for a new blu-ray player, especially high end, I'm waiting till the end of next year. If my need is NOW, I'd likely pick up a cheapo to do me in the interim. I love the 103 I've had for 1 1/2 years, but if I was in the market today I'd think twice about a player that won't play the new format in a year. If many others have the same thought, I wonder if Oppo sales will tank over the next year??

cnh

It would seem to me that all Oppo has to do is substitute or add a 4K video processing chip and keep the Audio the same. Hardly a game changer! No!

Should be a pretty easy "upgrade",

cnh

Tornado Red

cnh wrote: »

It would seem to me that all Oppo has to do is substitute or add a 4K video processing chip and keep the Audio the same. Hardly a game changer! No!

Should be a pretty easy "upgrade",

cnh

Hmmm, interesting. You think it'll be as easy as a chip replacement?

krabby5

Wouldn't you have to sit like 2 feet in front of the tv to see a difference?

I also think it's funny how we have all these crazy advancements in tvs, computers, phones. Look at cell phones from 1990 and compare to now...same with tvs and computers. YET cars are basically no different..still run on gas. 70% of the planet is covered in water, and we still can't figure out how to use it to power a car?

polkfarmboy

Well no new 4k from epson pj's this year, instead its.... frikin lazer beams!

polkfarmboy

krabby5 wrote: »

Wouldn't you have to sit like 2 feet in front of the tv to see a difference?

I also think it's funny how we have all these crazy advancements in tvs, computers, phones. Look at cell phones from 1990 and compare to now...same with tvs and computers. YET cars are basically no different..still run on gas. 70% of the planet is covered in water, and we still can't figure out how to use it to power a car?

Your right on the money crabby, now they are reversing this mentality with " Now you can sit even closer to your set" As if we want the whole house huddled 3 feet infront of the tv to watch a movie in 4k.

4k in a non projector setup is really only beneficial to pc gamers with an R9 295x graphics card. In gaming your much closer than you would be to the set and your going to notice all the jaggies smoothed out and a better resolution.

I should never have sold my jvc for movies as I thought this was the year 4k would be round about 3k but it seems like we are still 2 years away.

audiocr381ve

krabby5 wrote: »

Wouldn't you have to sit like 2 feet in front of the tv to see a difference?

There are more variables than that. 4K is literally 4x the resolution of 1080p, there is no hype about it, just fact. I'm in the film industry and 4K is really here now. Hëll, there's even a cell phone out that shoots beautiful 4K video. I get your point Krabby, but it's simple really. If you want to enjoy 4K, it might mean getting a bigger TV much in the same way that you would have to move closer to a painting to see the fine details or scale it up from where you are.

tonyb

So lets re-cap....we have to get a bigger TV to enjoy 4k....and sit closer ? Does that cover eye doctor visits too ?

krabby5

So what next? 8K in 3 more years? Does regular 1080p Blu-ray even beat DVD in sales and rentals yet?

Tornado Red

I've seen a 65" Sony 4K, playing their 4K demo stuff, and I didn't have to sit close to the screen to see quite an improvement. A lot of folks are seeing the present 4K displays upscaling 1080p content and blowing them off as virtually no better than our present selection of 1080p displays, and rightfully so. I find an improvement in the upscaling, but it is very minute. I think we'll see quite a difference when there is actual 4K content to use.

Something that suprises me a little is that some of the audio people on this forum that have been open minded enough in the past to improve their audio systems through better amps, cabling etc, are so quick to throw newer video technology under the bus.

tonyb

It's not so much us throwing video tech under the bus, it's simply that other media hasn't even caught up with 1080p yet. They are trying to put the cart before the horse imho.

There is not much in the way of 4k content yet to warrant the cash outlay. If there was, we may not be having these conversations. The cash outlay for a big screen 4k TV is still out of reach for most, in this economy anyway.

I'll sit it out until prices come down below 2k for a decent 4k set. By that time, 8k will be out, broadcast TV will still be stuck in 1080i....maybe 1080p, and the next generation of BRD players will be out along with another version of HDMI that won't be compatible with your legacy gear. Most likely see 4k BR disc at 40 bucks too.

Analog audio devices don't fret the tech changes, everything has to be converted to analog somewhere in the chain. Tube gear, dacs, pre amps...cables, can all last a lot longer for the cash outlay over their video counterparts.

Tornado Red

Point taken Tony. I'm not ready for anything new for awhile video wise, maybe 3 years or so. My point is that when I am, I won't be buying something that is purely a lateral move from what I have today, or rebuying what I already have, in other words. So I'm glad they're working on making a future video experience even better for me, if I choose.

F1nut

So what next? 8K in 3 more years?

Nope, NHK Japan has an 8K set now. 4K will be obsolete before it hits the market.

Something that suprises me a little is that some of the audio people on this forum that have been open minded enough in the past to improve their audio systems through better amps, cabling etc, are so quick to throw newer video technology under the bus.

Speaking for myself, video is a distance second to audio. Yes, I have a very nice HT rig (IMO) and I have spent good money improving the audio aspect for when I do use it, but in reality it doesn't get used that often as I'd rather listen to music.

dpowell

I'd be interested to know if the new 4k standard will end up looking similar to the 48fps standard introduced by Peter Jackson on The Hobbit movies? Seems people either loved or hated it. I personally hated it and wouldn't want to end up watching a movie in that format at home.

gudnoyez

F1nut wrote: »

So what next? 8K in 3 more years?

Speaking for myself, video is a distance second to audio. Yes, I have a very nice HT rig (IMO) and I have spent good money improving the audio aspect for when I do use it, but in reality it doesn't get used that often as I'd rather listen to music.

We watched the 2nd installment of The Hobbit in 3D last night on The Sony 4K last night and everyone said wow the picture and sound is better than at the Theatre we sit 7 feet away and stunning is the word. Watching BluRays on the Oppo with the Darbee set at 35% is also a treat. 4k Blu Rays bring it, even streaming the 4K content House Cards off of Netflix has been good.

Don't get me wrong 2 Channel is still #1 for me but Im starting to like watching and listening to music Blu Rays on the HT Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scotts wow just Wow

tophatjohnny

4K will be obsolete like plasma is already obsolete, but those that own either will still be able to enjoy what they own. I was lucky to score a 55 Samsung 4K for 300 more than my extended warranty paid out, so not out of the pocket too hard for us! That said, 4K is the way movies are now being made, same as TV shows, and sales of 4K sets are rocking the tills (not sure if this is true in all peoples neighborhoods, but I now know at least 10 maybe 15 people who own 4K sets?? The thing about 4K disks.........not now or ever will that be a reality! Sorry to put the Kibosh on that idea. Too much information in true 4K content to have on a disk, so the true 4K can only be shown through a USB (Hard drive) connection and streamed from a external hard drive. The so called 4K Blue Ray movies are just that....shot in 4K, not to be confused with true 4K!! Still very nice to watch!!! So stick around, grab some popcorn and watch for the newer movies to be sold via internet connections to a hard drive, or the stores to load (for a fee) your personal HD while you browse the store! And if you don't own a 4K set and have had time to play with one for a good long period, all I can say to you is it is AMAZING picture quality. Compared the new TV series "Gotham" on our Plasma, our LED LG and our Samsung 4K was quite a bit better viewing....I'm kidding, the 4K blows all my other sets out of the water. Just can't wait till we get our 65 Curve....yes I'm staying with Samsung!

gudnoyez

I have viewed the 4k streams off Net Flix and You Tube on my Sony impressive is the word, looking forward to 4k discs they will be pricey but there is a few favorites I would purchase. I will buy the Sony 4k streamer where you can purchase 4k material from Sony and download them to it.

mantis

Come on , all the fun is re buying your favorite movies on a new format. Just take a minute and count how many times you purchased Star Wars LOL. I love it keep it coming.
It's funny man, the more things change the more just recently I have been longing for them to remain the same.
I think back to the Pro Logic days and when Dolby Digital hit the market , it was so damn exciting. The DTS hit and blew the market a part. When 7.1 came around it was another very exciting times.
Lately 3D sucked , 4K isn't all that fantastic which it's really nice bit I'm not all excited like back then.
Atmos got my attention a little but I'm not even spending any time researching it.
It's really time for some excitement in home theater to come around. Someone needs to figure out how to bring so juice.

ken brydson

mantis wrote: »

Come on , all the fun is re buying your favorite movies on a new format. Just take a minute and count how many times you purchased Star Wars LOL. I love it keep it coming.
It's funny man, the more things change the more just recently I have been longing for them to remain the same.
I think back to the Pro Logic days and when Dolby Digital hit the market , it was so damn exciting. The DTS hit and blew the market a part. When 7.1 came around it was another very exciting times.
Lately 3D sucked , 4K isn't all that fantastic which it's really nice bit I'm not all excited like back then.
Atmos got my attention a little but I'm not even spending any time researching it.
It's really time for some excitement in home theater to come around. Someone needs to figure out how to bring so juice.

Call me a sucker but I have Armageddon on VHS, DVD and BD. Don't know why but I love that flick...