Can I ask a quick, general question about 4k/ HDR picture quality?
I currently have 1080p HD (screen and player). I have been very impressed with some films - the difference between SD and HD is astounding. But others have quite a lot of grain or soft focus and the BD upgrade does not seem so impressive. (And don't get me started on films made this century - they all seem to have the colour washed out and digital film grain added.) So... while I am tempted to get a 4k screen and player, I am wondering if I might often be disappointed. I'm guessing the classic 50s and 60s 35/70mm films look great, which is the kind of thing I like. Maybe people can give a one or two word description of the pic quality when they mention a film? I know I could go to a different forum but, hey, why would I do that?! (Obviously I'm not intending this thread to be sidelined into long discsussions about pic quality but a few words wouldn't get in the way. But if people want to answer this with a general feeling on pic quality that would be great.)
2 cents from the bottom of the planet:
1. Yep, get a 4K screen and player. Once you get everything dialed in the way you want it, you won't be disappointed. The first 4K movie I watched was Christine and in the first few seconds I was like, "OK, looks a bit different", then after about 10 minutes, the colour and resolution improvements became apparent and I was all, "Wow, this is awesome."
2. Presets on TVs are typically garbage and need a significant monkeying with to get them looking how you want it. 4K movies with HDR tend to look dim and washed-out compared to BD but once you select an appropriate preset on your screen, then get into the settings and adjust them, it'll start looking how you want it. Dolby Vision was another one for me that looked horrible right out of the box but after some button-presses, now looks fantastic.
3. There are other factors that make a significant difference to how an image looks including the colour profile that the player outputs and those of your TV. Some players have more/different colour profiles than others also. I have 1 4K player, a Region A BD player + a media player and all result in a different image. Add to this streaming content and I have about 5 TV presets that I toggle through to get the image I want. Plus, I tend to monkey within a preferred setting once I start a movie too as some presentations can completely obscure detail in the shadows (adjusting the black level helps here) while other film grain/digital noise can make it look like there's a snowstorm happening in the background.
4. So, don't be put off when you start your first 4K movie. It'll look horrible until you make it look good. If you're like me, you'll probably find yourself getting fussy every few months too and having a bit of an overhaul of your image settings. I find this is often down to a subjective preference on my part though.
5. In terms of 4K content, everything I've seen (including 4K upscales from 2K content) is at least a bit better than its BD release, and usually a significant upgrade. I've only seen one 4K disc that's probably not worth the 4K upgrade and it's The Big Lebowski. Great flick, horribly lazy transfer. Everything else looks as good as it ever has.
Happy viewing!
