(Frustratingly, some studios have decided to make Atmos a UHD exclusive feature, even though there’s no technical reason it can’t be included on regular Blu-ray as well.) My tipping point occurred with the recent release of ‘ Blade Runner‘, which not only has an exclusive Atmos track but features a new video master said to be a notable improvement over the old Blu-ray from 2007.
My primary interest in this is that I want to be able to watch Ultra HD discs that have Dolby Atmos soundtracks not available on the standard Blu-ray editions. Nevertheless, I’ve recently taken a small step into the UHD waters by purchasing an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, even though I don’t have a UHD display yet. (The sad irony of Ultra HD is that it works a lot better on brighter flat panels than on large projection screens.) Also, I’m not convinced that current 4k projector models are in enough of a finalized state to be worth their hefty price tags. As a projector owner, the upgrade process is too expensive and too daunting, and would require me to replace not just my projector but also (at a minimum) my Lumagen video processor and the long HDMI cable installed above my ceiling. Those who may need the downconversion should know that the process has some drawbacks.ĭespite my long history as a videophile, I have not yet made the leap into 4k Ultra HD. However, most professional reviews only focus (for obvious reasons) on true 4k High Dynamic Range, Wide Color Gamut playback, assuming that’s what most readers are interested in.
At least in theory, Ultra HD Blu-ray players are designed to be backwards compatible with viewing on any HDTV or 1080p display.