4K - 8K Resolution and/or Dolby Atmos/DTSX Content Reviews

[Tankini]

Just saw Stephen King’s “The Monkey” 4K DDP Streaming.

PQ. Looks great. Movie was shot on Ari Alexa 4K digital camera. So no surprise. Looks great.

SQ. The streaming I saw was only DDP5.1, not Atmos. But overall SQ is very good.

Plot/Story. I liked it. I guess the Monkey is the Pale Rider/Death.

One may never know when grim reaper comes calling, could be one of those

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

One may never know when grim reaper comes calling, could be one of those

Yeah I think one of the points was just that - angel of death is coming for everyone.

Better enjoy your speakers, AVP, AVR, amps, HT, and UHD 4K discs TODAY!!!

Anyway, will watch The Monkey again when it comes out on 4K UHD ATMOS.

So I would say that I think The Monkey is one of the best Stephen King’s adaptations. The best one is, of course, The Shawshank Redemption.

Which reminds me - I need to finish watching The Green Mile 4K ATMOS.

 

[j_garcia]

Watched Robocop Director's Cut 4K this weekend. We had been watching "RoboDoc" on Prime, which was 4 episodes on the making of RoboCop and it was pretty interesting. Lots of interviews with just about every character, even the "models" ("B1tches leave"), which was quite funny. That was why I ordered the 4K.

It is an Arrow release and video looks really good. The previous versions looked pretty grainy and splotchy at times, but this 4K looks better than I ever remember seeing it, and I saw it in theaters lol. The Director's cut elements look of lower quality though. I had to look that up and it appears the film masters for those scenes were lost, so they were scanned from other sources. The main film was scanned from the original film masters. The commercials and news bits look bad, because they looked bad originally, partly due to how they were shot.

The Atmos track sounded very clear, but not particularly aggressive. Not much overhead, but a good amount of surround activity, as I believe the original was 4.0. Due to that, LFE isn't so pronounced.

If you're a fan of the film, it is probably worth it. I haven't owned it since the DVD came out and this was a big upgrade.

 

[Movie2099]

Watched Robocop Director's Cut 4K this weekend. We had been watching "RoboDoc" on Prime, which was 4 episodes on the making of RoboCop and it was pretty interesting. Lots of interviews with just about every character, even the "models" ("B1tches leave"), which was quite funny. That was why I ordered the 4K.

It is an Arrow release and video looks really good. The previous versions looked pretty grainy and splotchy at times, but this 4K looks better than I ever remember seeing it, and I saw it in theaters lol. The Director's cut elements look of lower quality though. I had to look that up and it appears the film masters for those scenes were lost, so they were scanned from other sources. The main film was scanned from the original film masters. The commercials and news bits look bad, because they looked bad originally, partly due to how they were shot.

The Atmos track sounded very clear, but not particularly aggressive. Not much overhead, but a good amount of surround activity, as I believe the original was 4.0. Due to that, LFE isn't so pronounced.

If you're a fan of the film, it is probably worth it. I haven't owned it since the DVD came out and this was a big upgrade.

Arrow did a fantastic job on RoboCop. Shout Factory did the 4k restoration for RoboCop 2. Who also did a fantastic job on their 4k restoration.

I watched the new 4k edition of Swordfish from Arrow. Great restoration, only downfall is they didn't include a new Atmos track. Just a normal 5.1 MA. Kind of a wasted opportunity. The opening scene alone warranted a full Atmos. The movie has an awesome soundtrack and good amounts of action. Atmos would've been great all throughout.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just finished watching Stephen King’s The Green Mile 1999 4K ATMOS.

PQ: excellent for a 1999 movie. Reminds me of the PQ of Se7en and Con Air.

SQ: mediocre. Nothing impressive here for me.

 

[Tankini]

I just finished watching Stephen King’s The Green Mile 1999 4K ATMOS.

PQ: excellent for a 1999 movie. Reminds me of the PQ of Se7en and Con Air.

SQ: mediocre. Nothing impressive here for me.

You know what Andrew, you told me a few year's back, that most, not all movies are shot in 2K than upscaled to 4K. I been finding out just how true that is, takes me awhile you know with my thick headedness. Can take a while to sink in. Lol.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You know what Andrew, you told me a few year's back, that most, not all movies are shot in 2K than upscaled to 4K. I been finding out just how true that is, takes me awhile you know with my thick headedness. Can take a while to sink in. Lol.

No, most movies these days are shot in 4K. But many of the movies were MASTERED in 2K digital.

However, these days, I think most movies are now shot and mastered in 4K Digital. So I think it’s mostly good now.

Here’s the thing. Both Avatar-1 and TRON Legacy were shot using 2K Digital cameras. Yet, both of them look awesome. So it seems the PQ is more dependent on the quality of the cameras and whether it is digital or analog films.

So a high quality 2K digital camera movie like Avatar and TRON Legacy will look much better than some dirty or degraded old 70 mm analog films.

 

[Movie2099]

No, most movies these days are shot in 4K. But many of the movies were MASTERED in 2K digital.

However, these days, I think most movies are now shot and mastered in 4K Digital. So I think it’s mostly good now.

Here’s the thing. Both Avatar-1 and TRON Legacy were shot using 2K Digital cameras. Yet, both of them look awesome. So it seems the PQ is more dependent on the quality of the cameras and whether it is digital or analog films.

So a high quality 2K digital camera movie like Avatar and TRON Legacy will look much better than some dirty or degraded old 70 mm analog films.

I think it started in the late 90's (98-99ish) when movies were being filmed in 2k. Or at least started to get filmed in 2k. Mostly because the computer graphics were getting better and they wanted them to look better. That rolled over into the 2000's and went on for at least a decade.

If a company uses the 2k DI and then upconverts it to 4k, it's not going to look that good. The only true way to get the best 4k image is to use the camera negative. Thankfully most boutique 4k restoration companies are using the original camera negatives. While big studios get cheap with movies shot in 2k and just upconvert them and throw them on the store shelf to make a quick buck.

One franchise I would like to see get the 4k treatment is the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The 3 originals. Disney massively screwed up on the first installment and did a garbage job on it. This is one of those 2k Masters that Disney took, upconverted to 4k and used tons of noise reduction and smoothing. If they actually took the time with the original 35mm film and gave it the true 4k treatment, added with a powerful Atmos soundtrack, all 3 would be demo worthy films.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think it started in the late 90's (98-99ish) when movies were being filmed in 2k.

No, I am pretty sure the 1st few movies that were shot using 2K digital were in 2009.

Now, when they remaster a 35mm analog 1990’s movie, they would scan it to either 2K or 4K Digital file. Examples include Se7en, Con Air, The Green Mile.

Movies shot in 2K-2.8K Digital Cameras:
Prey 2022 2.8K Arri Alexa Mini
The Equalizer 2 2018 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Ready Player One 2018 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
John Wick-2 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Wind River 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Atomic Blonde 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Dawn of Planet of Apes 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa M
Jason Bourne 2016 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Morgan 2016 2.8K Arri Alexa
Mad Max Fury Road 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Victor Frankenstein 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
In the Heart of the Sea 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Jupiter Ascending 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Hunger Games Mockingjay-2 2015 2.8K Arri Alex
Godzilla 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
The Equalizer 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
John Wick 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Need for Speed 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Divergent 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Maleficent 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
X-Men Days Future Past 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Guardians of Galaxy 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT+
Maze Runner 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa
The Wolverine 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
47 Ronin 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Riddick 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Iron Man-3 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Gravity 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Hansel & Gretel 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Carrie 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Skyfall 2012 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
The Avengers 2012 2.8K Arri Alexa
Hunger Games Mockingjay-1 2014 2.8K Arri Alex
Capt America 1st Avenger 2011 2.8K Arri Alexa
Immortals 2011 2K Panavision Genesis
TRON Legacy 2010 2K Sony CineAlta digital
Resident Evil Afterlife 2010 2K Sony CineAlta
Predators 2010 2K Panavision Genesis
Avatar 2009 2K Sony CineAlta
2012 2009 2K Panavision Genesis

 

[Movie2099]

No, I am pretty sure the 1st few movies that were shot using 2K digital were in 2009.


Movies shot in 2K-2.8K Digital Cameras:
Prey 2022 2.8K Arri Alexa Mini
The Equalizer 2 2018 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Ready Player One 2018 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
John Wick-2 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Wind River 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Atomic Blonde 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa XT Plus
Dawn of Planet of Apes 2017 2.8K Arri Alexa M
Jason Bourne 2016 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Morgan 2016 2.8K Arri Alexa
Mad Max Fury Road 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Victor Frankenstein 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
In the Heart of the Sea 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Jupiter Ascending 2015 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Hunger Games Mockingjay-2 2015 2.8K Arri Alex
Godzilla 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
The Equalizer 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
John Wick 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Need for Speed 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Divergent 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
Maleficent 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
X-Men Days Future Past 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT
Guardians of Galaxy 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa XT+
Maze Runner 2014 2.8K Arri Alexa
The Wolverine 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
47 Ronin 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Riddick 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Iron Man-3 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Gravity 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Hansel & Gretel 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Carrie 2013 2.8K Arri Alexa
Skyfall 2012 2.8K Arri Alexa Plus
The Avengers 2012 2.8K Arri Alexa
Hunger Games Mockingjay-1 2014 2.8K Arri Alex
Capt America 1st Avenger 2011 2.8K Arri Alexa
Immortals 2011 2K Panavision Genesis
TRON Legacy 2010 2K Sony CineAlta digital
Resident Evil Afterlife 2010 2K Sony CineAlta
Predators 2010 2K Panavision Genesis
Avatar 2009 2K Sony CineAlta
2012 2009 2K Panavision Genesis

I mean to say the films were given a 2k DI. I think films were being given 2K DI treatment the tail end of the 90's and into the early 2000's. I could be wrong on dates, but I feel 2K was becoming a thing when I was in high school. which was 99-2003.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I mean to say the films were given a 2k DI. I think films were being given 2K DI treatment the tail end of the 90's and into the early 2000's. I could be wrong on dates, but I feel 2K was becoming a thing when I was in high school. which was 99-2003.

I think the 4K Digital Remasters were done post 2010. Reason is because 4K didn’t even come out until post 2010.

For example, The Green Mile was shot in 35mm in 1999 and was remastered to 4K Digital in 2022.

 

[Movie2099]

I think the Digital Remasters were done post 2010.

For example, The Green Mile was shot in 35mm in 1999 and was remastered to 4K Digital in 2022.

Hahaha! no, not 4k remasters. 2k DI's. They were on movies in the early 2000's. Like I mentioned above. The pirates of Caribbean 3 film trilogy had a 2k DI. Panic Room had a 2k DI. The Matrix sequels, Big Fish, Kill Bill's, Shaun of the Dead, etc... tons of movies in the early 2000's were shot on film but put through the 2k DI process.

Then recently since 4k physical discs became more popular, studios needed to flip movies to make quick bucks, so some of them cheapened out and didn't use the original camera negative for 4k restoration. They just used the 2k DI and upconverted it to 4k. Which won't look as good. IE-Panic Room 4k. Thankfully, the studios that do give a sh*t about putting out the best version, have taken those early 2000's movies and redid them with original camera negatives. That's what I would like to see done for the Pirates Trilogy.

 

[dolynick]

Then recently since 4k physical discs became more popular, studios needed to flip movies to make quick bucks, so some of them cheapened out and didn't use the original camera negative for 4k restoration. They just used the 2k DI and upconverted it to 4k. Which won't look as good. IE-Panic Room 4k. Thankfully, the studios that do give a sh*t about putting out the best version, have taken those early 2000's movies and redid them with original camera negatives. That's what I would like to see done for the Pirates Trilogy

The 2k DI was typically used to do the digital effects (CGI) in post processing. Those effects probably don't exist in the original film negative. Unless they were going to go to the trouble of redoing or re-applying (assuming the original effect resources are still available), upsampling the 2k DI might be the only option for some of those films. Upsampling tech is certainly getting better these days though.