4k UHD Blu-Ray v's UHD Streaming

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

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I've been enjoying my CX48 OLED for a while and find myself watching UHD content quite a bit, however it's all streaming content. I'm wondering, is the UHD Blu-Ray experience worth the additional investment in hardware and discs? I also use a separate sound system, Yamaha RS202D with Dali Spektor 2.

Interested in opinions. :)
 
UHD blu-ray is the best you get get in terms of quality. However it depends on the movie itself, how it was shot and the image of the transfer. Bitrates are well in excess of that of streaming a 4k UHD and if all things are equal a 4k Bluray of the same video will look the best (mainly because of the high bitrate)
Streaming services really do compress the hell out of a video, but if its done right (decent codec and encode) it can still look fantastic streamed to a 4k TV.
Really is in the eye if the beholder.
 
UHD Blu-ray is definitely superior quality to the UHD streams. Personally I find the colour banding and compression incredibly annoying when watching "UHD" streams, 1080p blu-rays provide a better experience from a picture quality perspective in many instances. The bit rate of many of these online streams is abysmal, even when combined with the latest codecs I personally still find the quality to be lacking.

If you are an "AV" enthusiast and the compression bothers you, then yeah it's worth it. Otherwise just enjoy the movies :)
 
@wellibob I suppose the least expensive way to see for myself would be to pick up a player and see (sounds obvious now that I've typed that out).

If I preferred the experience then I'd probably prefer to rip the disc to hard drive, so would there be a disadvantage to watching via PC optical Blu-ray as opposed to a dedicated stand alone player? I'm thinking potential restrictions on the PC software side, codecs etc..

I'm a bit apprehensive of jumping in 2 feet first here and wasting cash on the wrong purchase.
 
Squidward said:
If you are an "AV" enthusiast and the compression bothers you, then yeah it's worth it. Otherwise just enjoy the movies
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Between the TV and sound system, I've laid out £2k so I think I might be heading toward the AV enthusiast side although I accept that enthusiasts will have spent a lot more. I suppose I just want to be getting the best from my current set up. :)
 
Dirk Diggler said:
I've been enjoying my CX48 OLED for a while and find myself watching UHD content quite a bit, however it's all streaming content. I'm wondering, is the UHD Blu-Ray experience worth the additional investment in hardware and discs? I also use a separate sound system, Yamaha RS202D with Dali Spektor 2.

Interested in opinions. :)
Click to expand...

Apple TV has the best streaming Quality to my eyes. Not much difference in between that and an actual disc in regards to Picture Quality.

But, UHD discs crush streaming when it comes to sound quality. If you have a good sound system I think you are better off getting the Discs if possible.
 
Dirk Diggler said:
Between the TV and sound system, I've laid out £2k so I think I might be heading toward the AV enthusiast side although I accept that enthusiasts will have spent a lot more. I suppose I just want to be getting the best from my current set up. :)
Click to expand...
It really is a case of how far you want to take it. I would class my self as an enthusiast, but even then I don't bother with 4k blu-rays, most aren't even shot at 4K DI and are essentially upscaled. I view movies on a 140" screen (projector) and I am really happy with 1080p blu-rays combined with a quality AV Receiver and speakers over streaming.

Edit: Where are you based OP? If you are nearby I am happy to lend you a 4K Blu-ray player if you want to try it out before spending on a setup?
 
@Squidward I'm in Glasgow area, thanks for the offer.

It's interesting that you mention the 1080p experience, maybe I could pick up a couple of standard Blu-ray and see what I think. I'll check out some hardware prices to help me decide.

Should I stick to stand alone player, or PC drive?
 
Dirk Diggler said:
@Squidward I'm in Glasgow area, thanks for the offer.

It's interesting that you mention the 1080p experience, maybe I could pick up a couple of standard Blu-ray and see what I think. I'll check out some hardware prices to help me decide.

Should I stick to stand alone player, or PC drive?
Click to expand...
Ah, unfortunately that's really really far away from me.

If it was me, I would pickup a used Xbox One S for circa £100 (Supports 4k blu-rays) and a movie of choice. If you aren't keen you can always re-sell the xbox for what you paid minus shipping, and if you are keen then keep it, or sell and upgrade to a dedicated player if you think that's worth it.
Regarding PC Vs Stand alone player, I am not sure as I have always used a standalone player.

If you are keen on the picture quality I would also recommend upgrading your sound system, I had a glance at your receiver and it is 2 channel, audio is a big part of the blu-ray experience and it is well worth investing in a 5.1 or 7.1 audio setup provided you have the room. Denon generally do good AVR's and you can self calibrate the audio for the room. But this is going down a rabbit hole and it depends how far you want to take it lol.
 
Squidward said:
If you are keen on the picture quality I would also recommend upgrading your sound system, I had a glance at your receiver and it is 2 channel, audio is a big part of the blu-ray experience and it is well worth investing in a 5.1 or 7.1 audio setup provided you have the room. Denon generally do good AVR's and you can self calibrate the audio for the room. But this is going down a rabbit hole and it depends how far you want to take it lol
Click to expand...

If I upgrade the amp, would the Spektor speakers still be ok?
 
Squidward said:
It really is a case of how far you want to take it. I would class my self as an enthusiast, but even then I don't bother with 4k blu-rays, most aren't even shot at 4K DI and are essentially upscaled. I view movies on a 140" screen (projector) and I am really happy with 1080p blu-rays combined with a quality AV Receiver and speakers over streaming.

Edit: Where are you based OP? If you are nearby I am happy to lend you a 4K Blu-ray player if you want to try it out before spending on a setup?
Click to expand...

Some of the best Bluray UHD discs have a 2K DI. Just goes to show that shoot res isn't everything.
 
I've been having a think and Google around on this. I think the point raised regarding sound is totally valid; it's all part of the experience.

I could actually opt for some decent quality headphones because quite often I'm watching stuff when the family are in bed. I'll post in the sound forum for some suggestions.

Thanks all for the steer so far. :)
 
Dirk Diggler said:
I've been having a think and Google around on this. I think the point raised regarding sound is totally valid; it's all part of the experience.

I could actually opt for some decent quality headphones because quite often I'm watching stuff when the family are in bed. I'll post in the sound forum for some suggestions.

Thanks all for the steer so far. :)
Click to expand...

Audeze Mobius!! Awesome headphones for watching movies. And they work with Bluetooth from your LG CX OLED or your new Denon AMP when or if you get it. You don't need an amp as it comes built in.
 
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