Best 4K/UHD Movies

[greenman]

I get the impression that grain is kinda 'tempered' a bit on some 4K releases?

This isn't unique to 4K, its been happening to a greater or lesser degree since the days of DVD. If anything UHD/4K plus higher end specialist bluray lables like Criterion have been pushing back against it, partly because at 4K you can resolve the grain more finely which makes for a more pleasant viewing.

It tends to be some of the really big mainstream UHD releases like LOTR that carry on with some smoothing of grain.

If you want to get really technical some UHD releases probably have more pure grain(and detail) that would even have existed on the original cinema releases because their scanned from the master real, the reel you'd have seen at your local cinema back in the day probably would have been a copy several generations down which reduces detail and makes grain a bit less clear as you have multiple grains overplaying each other.

[wasp_f15ting]

This is a very interesting topic.

When Studio Ghibli released HD versions of their films all of the EU / US versions had DNR and it was horrendous.

I love the grain, the texture adds so much to a movie. Lets hope this trend dies down or we at least get an "Original" mix included on a separate disk,

I managed to pick up a few from zoom. Apparently Black Hawk Down and Casino are stellar so looking forward to checking them.

Parasite is so good I might watch it again!

[QDRPHNC]

Generally, yes, but like anything it can be done or poorly. Done badly, they'll just apply a noise reduction filter to the whole image, which eliminates grain but also gets rid of detail too.

[greenman]

Again if you want disk releases that haven't messed around with the grain your actually living in a golden era for it, much more common these days than it was in the 00's because the market has shifted more towards the hardcore end that preffers it.

[QDRPHNC]

Totally agree. Already mentioned elsewhere that the 4k version of The Shining is stunning, like watching film on your TV.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I generally like the grain left intact but the grain in the Marnie Blu-Ray (and presumably the 4k when it gets released, which will be even more noticeable) is horrendous. It's mentioned as a very detrimental aspect of the overall picture (which is otherwise very good) in every review I've read. The issue is apparently a lot to do with the different methods Hitchcock used to shoot certain scenes and characters, so it's totally inconsistent. It's almost like a weird optical effect that changes between shots. Then for the last reel it calms down, which itself is jarring. Not sure if it's fixable but definitely one film that could benefit from DNR.

[Glebe]

Peter Jackson on the 4K releases.

Hmmm, so they've tidied up the effects work and that apparently.

[Menu]

I generally like the grain left intact but the grain in the Marnie Blu-Ray (and presumably the 4k when it gets released, which will be even more noticeable) is horrendous. It's mentioned as a very detrimental aspect of the overall picture (which is otherwise very good) in every review I've read. The issue is apparently a lot to do with the different methods Hitchcock used to shoot certain scenes and characters, so it's totally inconsistent. It's almost like a weird optical effect that changes between shots. Then for the last reel it calms down, which itself is jarring. Not sure if it's fixable but definitely one film that could benefit from DNR.

Is there any chance it was somehow his intention?

[greenman]

Peter Jackson on the 4K releases.

Hmmm, so they've tidied up the effects work and that apparently.

I'v seen a few things mentioned where the FX shots for the cinema version have been swapped with the those in the extended version, when Faramir is leading Frodo towards Osgiliath near the end of TTT's for example you can see Minas Tirith in the background rather than generic mountains. I'm guessing Jacksons feeling there would be that the extended version he had longer to work on was what he really wanted but also probably it meant the same scene would only need to be restored once, they basically created the Extended version and then cut out the extra scenes to make the original.

It seems like your talking fairly small tweeks to the FX work otherwise not any outright Lucas like changes, I don't think people minded for example the black outlines on the AT-AT's on Hoth being removed. Most of the Lord of the Rings FX work was still actually transferred to film and superimposed that way after it was done and they've supposedly gone back and scanned those film elements for this release rather than using digital files.

You do really see the benefit of using so many real sets and minatures on UHD, CGI would only had been done to HD resolution but those shots there is more obvious detail.

[Glebe]

Yeah, it seems like they just tidied up the FX rather than 'enhanced' them.

[Chedney Honks]

LOTR 4K turned up here today. Looks really good, I wouldn't say it's absolutely spectacular, but it's the best I've seen the film look. Soundtrack is fantastic, though. Wonderful richness and sense of space.

[greenman]

LOTR 4K turned up here today. Looks really good, I wouldn't say it's absolutely spectacular, but it's the best I've seen the film look. Soundtrack is fantastic, though. Wonderful richness and sense of space.

Similar to Starwars I spose you could say it probably benefits from the previous bluray release not being that great  so even though the UHD isnt among the very best I'v seen its an upgrade, by far the biggest difference is in the colour timing, not just removing the green tint from Fellowship but reducing the tinting generally across all the films or at least making it more localised and not on peoples faces or skys as much.

[wasp_f15ting]

Watched King of New York last night on UHD BD - Arrow release.

Not the best film in terms of story, but damn the visuals were so good. I really really enjoyed it.

In other news have you chaps seen how in the 4K UHD of LOTR DNR has removed actual detail :|

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=520&y=187&d1=15009&d2=5245&s1=156558&s2=49011&l=0&i=2&go=1

Look at screenshot 3 Gandalf's staff is missing!

[greenman]

I did notice a few moments were the DNR "goes wrong" and removes significant detail in the background, one shot as Eowen watches the three hunters enter Edoras and the corridor when Denethor is burning Faramir. I suspect though part of the reason the impact isn't as much as you'd expect is that a lot of the "grain" you see on the bluray isn't actually grain but rather digital noise from the transfer, removing that doesn't remove detail nearly as much.

For Arrow releases watched Cinema Paradiso yesterday, can't compare with the BR as I'd only seen it on DVD before but it looks pretty dam good, somewhat variable in quality but a lot of detail in the exteriors and the projection room plus no DNR which would have been a much bigger issue here IMHO.

Cronenberg's Crash coming from them next week, the German release of that on UHD was supposed to be very good.

[QDRPHNC]

Watched King of New York last night on UHD BD - Arrow release.

Not the best film in terms of story, but damn the visuals were so good. I really really enjoyed it.

In other news have you chaps seen how in the 4K UHD of LOTR DNR has removed actual detail :|

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=520&y=187&d1=15009&d2=5245&s1=156558&s2=49011&l=0&i=2&go=1

Look at screenshot 3 Gandalf's staff is missing!

oof, that's a bad one.

[wasp_f15ting]

I did notice a few moments were the DNR "goes wrong" and removes significant detail in the background, one shot as Eowen watches the three hunters enter Edoras and the corridor when Denethor is burning Faramir. I suspect though part of the reason the impact isn't as much as you'd expect is that a lot of the "grain" you see on the bluray isn't actually grain but rather digital noise from the transfer, removing that doesn't remove detail nearly as much.

For Arrow releases watched Cinema Paradiso yesterday, can't compare with the BR as I'd only seen it on DVD before but it looks pretty dam good, somewhat variable in quality but a lot of detail in the exteriors and the projection room plus no DNR which would have been a much bigger issue here IMHO.

Cronenberg's Crash coming from them next week, the German release of that on UHD was supposed to be very good.

Crash should be arriving soon as I did preorder, but Royal Mail have been awful this week :(

I love crash, I remember watching it when it was first un banned.. very sensual film.

[greenman]

I admit I use the great satan for that kind of Arrow release who's deliveries hold up better at peak times, I do almost always buy direct from the smaller labels like Indicator and Second Sight though.

[wasp_f15ting]

I've bought a fair few films from Indicator that are held up for the same reason hah.

Someone needs to start a thread on Indicator releases, as there are some cracking transfers thus far.

[greenman]

I've bought a fair few films from Indicator that are held up for the same reason hah.

Someone needs to start a thread on Indicator releases, as there are some cracking transfers thus far.

I'm guessing there rather less known about as they don't have as much presence in places like HMV but they are a good source of US/UK films.

I do order from them with the expectation it won't always be fast, espeically if its during a sale but on the plus side they package their orders very well.