Coral

The source was fine. The question is did you compare the 4k viewing side-by-side with the same material on 1080p?
The 4k I saw looked great, but when comparing side-by-side with 1080p from a proper viewing distance - I couldn't really tell much of a difference. I noticed the difference when I got up close to the TV - but that's not a real-world scenario since most people aren't going to view a 70" screen from 3 feet away.

JTH182

It was so noticeable to me that I didn't need to see side by side. It was natively shot for 4k and almost looked 3D when watching. I'm not easily impressed anymore by 1080p, but this really knocked my socks off!

I've also seen that soccer reel they show at Best Buy, and wasn't as impressed.

Why So Blu?

I received my copy of Chappie today and it says it's mastered in 4K but it's branded as a Blu-ray, so why tease that on a BD instead of the UBD?

I'm probably lost on some of the UHD details, etc.

popegregFKAgoblin23

I just use the Netflix app native to my Samsung Smart TV. My internet service is TWC Roadrunner 30Mbps, and I've never had problems with buffering. I believe the minimum for Netflix 4K is 15Mbps,

E Unit

Cool. So I'm assuming the current HDMI specs and cable supports 4k pass through? That's what I'm still sketchy about.

BSTNFAN

Not sure what you are considering the "current" HDMI specs. Current high-speed cables will work, but the HDMI specs are up to 2.0 which is needed to pass basic 4K signals if it is HDCP 2.2 protected *. You might get away with HDMI 1.4 if it is not protected and is a lower bandwidth signal. However if you are streaming 4K Netflix via a TV app, it is your Wi-Fi you need to worry about, not HDMI. There is actually a lot of confusion as to specifically which HDMI chips (and associated capabilities) are in the currently available 4K gear (TVs, AV receivers, etc.). Some have full bandwidth HDMI 2.0, but no HDCP protection; some have HDCP, but are limited bandwidth. The chips that included both were only recently released and gear specs aren't always clear. It's also unclear whether a 4K movie at basic 24Hz would even require the higher bandwidth. Just make sure you do your homework before buying anything.

*Note: I think there is even an HDMI 2.0A which includes High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG), but don't quote me.

Sub-Zero

May 23:

bruceames

American Sniper week and Blu-ray barely does $20 million (lowest week of year so far)? That doesn't sound right.

bruceames

Did anybody actually buy American Sniper on Blu-ray? I noticed that the Blu-ray is $25 everywhere, $10 more than the DVD. That price difference is very unusual for a new popular release, and may explain why Blu-ray did so bad.

Josh-da-man

Hm. I would have thought that the masses would have gone apeshit over American Sniper, but it looks like a colossal dud on home video. I figured this would be a huge hit and sell wild numbers because it seemed like the kind of film that people who don't normally buy DVD and blu-ray discs would line up to purchase.

Don't know if it's because of the price, or if it was a movie that people made a point of going to see in the theater to do some kind of patriotic duty, but don't want to own. Or maybe we're seeing a market shift where casual buyers of DVD/BR are drying up.

slop101

I did notice no commotion and no one buying American Sniper, especially when compared to Marvel movies. I think AS definitely had more of that casual-buyer fan-base who's already seen it in the theaters and even if they liked it, isn't interested in owning it.

BuckNaked2k

How did the exclusive SteelBook do? That would be a bellwether. If there were copies still on shelves late in the week, it could be an indication that the title didn't sell well overall.

hanshotfirst1138

We've been seeing that market shift for a while. I did think that AS would maybe do some business for the drowning BD market, but no luck.

Josh Z

My site ran a contest last week to give away American Sniper for free and we only got 8 entries.

JimRochester

Is it the title, the BR market, or people like me that are no longer in a rush to buy because the prices drop so rapidly? In the beginning, you bought release week or you waited 9 - 12 mos. or more before you saw real bargain prices. The few times I've purchased on release week, I've seen bargain prices a month or two later. I will pick up AS but I know it'll be $5 less in a month

Adam Tyner

That's where I am. Once upon a time, waiting for a deal meant holding out for months on end; now, it's sometimes as little as one extra week...and for the bigger titles, rarely more than 3-4. I'm not watching movies at the same clip I used to, so waiting a very short while longer isn't a problem.

Qui Gon Jim

Same for me. I will occasionally buy something release day like The Hobbit or Guardians of the Galaxy, but I rarely have to break my "no more than $10 rule."

IIRC, even the third Hobbit film had a price drop to like $12 the week after release.

PhantomStranger

People searching some form of "Blu-ray review" has drastically declined on Google the past 18 months. The audience appears to be dwindling for anything that isn't a pure movie site like IMDB.

JimRochester

I think most of the BR releases are pretty standard these days. Most of the discs are pretty basic and they seem to do a nice job if not great job on catalog titles. I can't remember the last time I read a BR review for the BR quality.

Spiderbite

Yep. Same here.

Hell, I saw that a newer release movie that I eventually want to get on BD for $11.99 the other day. I didn't buy because I know it will be under 10 bucks pretty soon.

davidh777

I haven't seen American Sniper yet so take this with a grain of salt, but it feels like Gone Girl, an acclaimed movie that people have heard a lot about and want to see, but they may not want to OWN it. If they don't think they're going to watch it multiple times, a rental may be adequate.

Josh-da-man

The only reason I will read blu-ray reviews is to know if a blu-ray carries over the special features from its DVD counterpart.

I don't look up reviews for things like picture quality because if there's a problem with a blu-ray I'm interested in, there will be fits thrown here and on blu-ray-dot-com over it. (See: Twilight Time's Night of the Living Dead)

hanshotfirst1138

Some of the reviewers around here write some interesting stuff about the movies themselves too, you know .

Loc Nar

This. I missed it at the theater and would have snagged it for $16.99 or under during release week, but $25 is stupid money for a blu-ray these days, especially given the almost guaranteed precipitous drop over the next 6 months. At this point, I think I'll just wait to see it on premium cable, which shouldn't be too far away.

bunkaroo

I have to admit I am getting more and more turned off to buying as well. I used to blind buy a lot for 19.99 or maybe even 22.99 on release day, but 24.99 is stupid. I would definitely picked up American Sniper day one if it was cheaper but I'll just wait for the inevitable 14.99 sale. Same with Jupiter Ascending.