This past summer I took my odd job money and bought myself a Panasonic UB820-K a 4K Blu Ray Player with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Ultra HD Premium Video Playback and Hi-Res Audio.
I figured that I had a Sony 4K TV but wasn’t getting the most out of it by streaming movies.
Then I upgraded my audio system from a 5.1 surround sound system using a ten year old receiver to a 5.1.4 (five speakers, one subwoofer, four heights) Atmos capable system.
- Onkyo TX-NR7100 9.2-Channel AV Receiver
- Polk Signature Elite ES15
- Polk Signature Elite ES30 Center Channel Speaker
Next I started collecting some 4K Blu-rays. Was it all worth it? Yes and no. I don’t think my TV is good enough or my eyes aren’t good enough to tell the difference in video quality. Certainly 1080p and 4K look so much better than regular old fuzzy 480p DVDs. Sound wise it depends on the disc.
Newer films such as Blade Runner 2049 sound and look amazing. The native soundtrack was already beautifully processed for Dolby Atmos. But most of the older movies I’ve bought as 4Ks come with the old 5.1 Dolby surround sound mixes.
Do they sound great? Yes. Are they an upgrade from the Blu-ray version. I don’t think so. On the plus side, 4K blu-ray discs often come with three versions – DVD, Blu-ray, 4K and maybe even a digital copy. So you are future proofing yourself.
I usually end up ripping the blu-ray on to my Jellyfin media server for safekeeping. The 4K disc stays in the box as the size of 4Ks would eat up too much of the disk space.
As far as going forward I think I will be purchasing plain old Blu-rays for the films I will only watch every couple of years. For something like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I’ll spend the extra money on a 4K version as I know I’ll probably watched it once a year.
Of course when Black Friday deals or disc are on sale, I’d prefer to snatch up the 4K versions. At some point I’ll upgrade the TV and perhaps notice a difference but for now it seems like the Blu-rays for older movies are just fine.
Suggested Reference 4K Blu-rays:
When is 4K worth it?
- 4K resolution is especially noticeable on larger screens. If you’re watching on a 65-inch screen from about 5 feet away, the difference between 4K and 1080p will be more obvious than if you’re watching on a 32-inch screen from 10 feet away.
- Your TV has HDR support, and ideally one that’s compatible with Dolby Vision.