*** 4K Player Thread ***

[Jamauk]

I've used the Amazon.com site and also DeepDiscount.com. The DeepDiscount order was $29.99 and wasn't taxed, the Amazon.com order was $34.77 and had import fees (edit: of $6.95, so ~20%), not an exact figure, but $30+

For security I'd only order from somewhere that accepts PayPal or a well known site such as Amazon.

 

[signs]

cheers , i have used deepdiscount in the past (years ago mind )

 

[Besty]

The LG player got the DV update a while ago.

I got a bit confused above as model numbers are similar. Summary is as far as I can make out.......

The Panasonic UB900 has no DV support and probably never will (from what I can gather Panny have committed to HDR10+).

The LG UP970 still has no official DV support. There was (is) a LG U.S firmware which enabled it but it was quickly pulled by LG due to problems and has not been officially re-released anywhere to my knowledge. There is still no official U.K or U.S firmware which will enable DV on this deck.

Additionally there are a number of problems with the LG deck (the bluray forum thread is a bleet-fest) which means I am personally avoiding the LG UP970 unless LG commit to releasing an updated model at CES 2018.

If anyone knows different then happy to hear about experiences. I have held back as my Sony A1 OLED does not have the DV update yet and I expect superior 4k decks with DV and Atmos to be announced at CES 2018 in Jan.

 

[varkanoid]

for those getting films from the states , who are you using please ? and how much is it before import tax is applied ?

I've been using Deep Discount lately, the Spiderman Homecoming 4k I just got is pretty good. They post from the UK so no tax. They are the same company as WOWHD. I also have bought a few from www.jbhifi.com.au and not been charged tax.

 

[jpaul]

The LG UP970 still has no official DV support.

you are right - seems the firmware maybe re-released later this year, but seems folks have other problems too, so waiting to see new DV decks next year, as you say, maybe best.

I am 2ch fan too, but would consider taking a player like ub700, and adding a schiit dac say, connected via optical/toslink
However, I dislike that ub700 (like oppo ?) gives no control on the mix-down to 2ch (thinking of Dunkirk soundtrack) I want speech/centre track to be audible.

At risk of linking another Vincent video 3 Reasons We Use OPPO 203 for TV Reviews + Pro Tips & Tricks
the chroma-upscaling and hdr->sdr are oppo 'problems' vs ub900, also he implies oppo is unique; for 1080blu-ray can let the TV do the upscale.

.... the 64k question on whether dv is worth it, versus better & dynamic tone mapping available on 2017 tv's, still stands


I liked this quote

My biggest fear with HDR, is companies attempting to market it similar to 3D, and employing it as a gimmick to make everything unrealistically contrasty. Meaning, super bright, hot highlights, with blacks so dark, it actually crushes detail, instead of being used for the correct reason in ENHANCING more shadow detail.

 

[Vertigo]

that was a joke ? that they will not be releasing the good 2.39 : 1 aspect ratio version, rather the 16:9 so 25% less ?
the comments on avforums do not seem to say what is planned

edit scratch that I was think of blade runner - although question about multiple aspects may still apply

What are you on about?!

The whole point of releasing IMAX films in 16:9 (at least the IMAX portions) is to preserve image. It's not a case of cropping the sides off a 21:9 image to fit the screen, like broadcast TV often does, it's preserving additional image at the top and bottom that's present on the IMAX negative.

 

[jpaul]

... on the 4k disc you want the aspect ratio that director recommends.
so yes - for dunkirk the IMAX 70mm one, so you will have black bars left/right on a 16:9 tv
for BR 2049 the 2:39:1 non Imax one ?

 

[marc2003]

so you will have black bars left/right on a 16:9 tv

As IMAX is closer to 4:3, you might think that but looking at previous Nolan releases on blu-ray (Batman trilogy, Interstellar), the IMAX portions take up the full 16:9.

My blu-ray rip of Interstallar...

non-imax section


imax section

 

[signs]

They post from the UK so no tax.

great thanks , how's that work then ?

 

[jpaul]

My blu-ray rip of Interstallar...

as you say the BD/uhd images are cropped vs 70mm imax

Subsequently saw comparison of a frame from interstellar ... you can still see their heads

Spoiler: frame compare

View attachment Yb7Tt5y.jpg

 

[marc2003]

I honestly don't think you'll ever see IMAX portions of a movie transferred to blu-ray/UHD shown "as-is" with black bars at the side. Far more people would complain about that than the people who know what real 70mm IMAX is. Most people's experience of "IMAX" is going to be their local cineworld or whatever. My local LIE-MAX is 90m squared widescreen compared to the 520m squared at the BFI.

I wish I got to see Interstellar at the BFI. I saw Dunkirk there but I didn't enjoy the film at all.

 

[VincentHanna]

From the Dark Knight onwards, I've seen all of Nolans movies at the BFI IMAX. They are great experiences.

Excluding 'Inception', as that wasn't filmed in IMAX.

 

[Jamauk]

That's quite useful, I never realised DeepDiscount were a UK store, what with it being in $.

Going back to the early days of DVD with multi region players it used to be the Jersey based play.com/247.com, thankfully they've finally scrapped the truly dreadful region coding for 4K.

 

[varkanoid]

Deep Discount are a US store but what I think happens is they send a shipment over to the UK of stock possibly once a week to a UK location then your order is shipped from there to your address. Hence no import tax etc.
Amazon US dont do this its posted to you direct from US hence tax costs can be incurred. I think this is the way they have got round the UK Government stopping shipping from the Channel Islands which a lot of people used to do (some may sitll do) to avoid paying tax.

I found this as part of the delivery instructions from WowHD which kind of shows what I was saying.
"Your package is delivered by your regular postal worker. DHL/Globalmail helps us expedite delivery by flying your package closer to your destination before injecting the mail into the postal stream. Delivery times vary based on the shipping destination."

 

[jpaul]

From the Dark Knight onwards, I've seen all of Nolans movies at the BFI IMAX. They are great experiences.

I had not realised that even if it is in 70mm at the IMAX (~18K) , it has(mostly) been shrunk to 4K, to add any CGI, and then upscaled, so maybe the 4K experience is not as bad as I thought

Regardless of how a modern film is shot, it likely gets converted into a digital format for editing--a process called the Digital Intermediate. Most 35mm films go through either a 2K or 4K resolution intermediate process, then "scaled" back up when printed on film for projection. That means the film unfortunately loses some of the original detail in the negative, but the process is necessary for color grading, grain reduction, and adding digital effects. Christopher Nolan actually cut some of The Dark Knight Rises from the original IMAX negative to retain all of its image quality. IMAX has its own proprietary DI procedure called DMR (Digital Media Remastering),

also

 

[VincentHanna]

AFAIK Nolan movies are full resolution.

I don't ever watch anything that's been 'reformatted' for IMAX or whatever....

For instance, the BFI are showing Episode VIII on their Digital projector, which is basically 2k

You are better off viewing it in 70mm at the Science Museum, or at the Cineworld Leicester Square, 4K laser projected.

 

[Vertigo]

... on the 4k disc you want the aspect ratio that director recommends.
so yes - for dunkirk the IMAX 70mm one, so you will have black bars left/right on a 16:9 tv
for BR 2049 the 2:39:1 non Imax one ?

Yes, full 15/70 IMAX is 1.43:1 so, even at 16:9, they still have to crop some of the top and bottom off, just nowhere near as much as to fit it to 21:9.

An alternative would be to pillarbox it to fit the full image in but this would be considered too extreme by most consumers.

 

[Vertigo]

AFAIK Nolan movies are full resolution.

I don't ever watch anything that's been 'reformatted' for IMAX or whatever....

For instance, the BFI are showing Episode VIII on their Digital projector, which is basically 2k

You are better off viewing it in 70mm at the Science Museum, or at the Cineworld Leicester Square, 4K laser projected.

Yeah the BFI have both types of projector so you need to be careful what's being shown.

I saw Dunkurk there in full 15/70 and it was staggering. They also turned every single light out so as near to total darkness as possible and was the only film I've ever seen which was followed by a round of applause from the audience.

 

[Boge]

Wow. That must have been some experience. I'm almost envious.

The last time I paid to watch a film/movie in a cinema we ended up walking out due to everyone in there wanting to tell their friends all about it on facepalm. The glow from their mobiles was soooo distracting. Plain rude really.

Was Prometheus. Premier. Imax in Vegas. Thought it might have been memorable.

I vowed never again.

Looking forward to watching Dunkirk in December. In the pitch black dark. At home. With NO distractions whatsoever.

 

[deuse]

Just pre-ordered Dunkirk 4K and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 4K from HMV.
Looking forward to watching them