UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

Discuss North American DVDs and Blu-rays or other DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#1 Post by Finch » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:35 pm

Covering English-friendly imports (meaning the release has to have English subs for the feature at least) but a note about native language only UHDs is at the bottom.

Reference 4k titles and/or spectacular upgrades from the most recent BD:
2001 (WB)
8 Mile (Universal)
A Christmas Story (WB)
Adaptation. (Sony)
After Hours (Criterion)
Air Force One (Sony)
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (Criterion)
Alien (Fox)
Alligator (Scream Factory)
American Psycho (Lionsgate)
An American Werewolf in London (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs including Arrow's own new BD)
Angel Heart (Lionsgate)
Animal House (Plaion) (German import with Dolby Vision and original mono)
Army of Darkness (Scream Factory) (note: only the theatrical is in 4k)
Apocalypse Now (Arthouse/Eagle Pictures/Lionsgate) (better compression on theatrical cut of the Italian disc than the Lionsgate)
Barbarella (Arrow)
Batman Mask of the Phantasm (WB) (caveat: the 1.33:1 ratio is NOT included)
Battle Royale (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's own new BD)
Beetlejuice (WB)
Belle (All The Anime/Shout & GKIDS) (UK/US) (All The Anime & Zavvi exclusive in the UK) (caveat: forced subtitles)
Beverly Hills Cop (Paramount)
Black Christmas (Scream Factory)
Black Hawk Down (Sony) (2023 steelbook release)
Black Magic Rites (Indicator)
Blood and Black Lace (Arrow) (correct framing against the old BD)
Blood for Dracula (Severin)
Blow Out (Criterion)
Blue Hawaii (Paramount) (Caveat: audio only includes a 5.1 mix, no OG track)
Blue Sunshine (Camera Obscura) (German import)
Boyhood (Arrow)
Branded To Kill (Criterion)
Bride of Chucky (Scream Factory)
Brotherhood of the Wolf DC (Studio Canal/Shout Factory) (if compared to the 2011 BD)
Candyman (Scream Factory/Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except the Arrow/Scream Factory)
Cannibal Holocaust (88 Films) (Caveat: 15 seconds cut due to UK animal cruelty laws, recreated title sequences contain a spelling mistake "autheticity")
Carlito's Way (Arrow) (original audio included, more extras)
Carrie (Arrow)
Casablanca (Warner)
Casino (Universal)
Christine (Carlotta) (French import)
Cinderella (Disney)
Cinema Paradiso (Arrow)
Citizen Kane (WB)
City of the Living Dead (Cauldron)
City of the Lost Children (Sony) (currently only available in the Sony Pictures US set)
Clockwork Orange (WB)
Clue (Shout Factory)
Cold Eyes of Fear (Indicator)
Columbia Classics Vol 1 & 2 (Sony)
Coming to America (Paramount)
Conan The Barbarian & Conan The Destroyer (Arrow)
Coraline (Laika/Shout!)
Crimes of the Future (Second Sight) (UK import) (most extras)
Cross of Iron (Via Vision) (Australian import) or (Studio Canal elsewhere)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Sony) (only applies to the 2022 disc currently only available in the Sony Pictures US set; this edition has Dolby Vision and the original Mandarin track)
Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (Studio Canal)
Darkman (Scream Factory)
Dark Water (Arrow)
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (MoC) (if compared to all BDs except the MoC)
Daughters of Darkness (Blue Underground) (if compared to Blue Underground's old BD)
Dawn of the Dead (Second Sight) (UK import) (caveat: all audio tracks have heavy noise reduction applied)
Dawn of the Dead 2004 (Scream Factory)
Days of Heaven (Criterion) (reference rating only applies to the HDR10 playback)
Dazed and Confused (Criterion)
Dead & Buried (Blue Underground) (if compared to Blue Underground's old BD)
Deep Red (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's most recent BD)
Devil in a Blue Dress (Criterion) (if compared to the Indicator & TT BDs)
Die Hard (Fox)
Django (Arrow)
Dog Soldiers (Second Sight)
Don't Look Now (Studio Canal)
Double Indemnity (Criterion)
Dr. Who and the Daleks (Studio Canal)
Dragonheart (Shout Factory)
Dragons Forever (88 Films)
Drive (2011) (Second Sight) (UK import)
Drive (1997) (88 Films)
Dune (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's own new BD)
Eastern Promises (Kino)
East of Eden (WB)
Edge of Tomorrow (WB)
Elf (WB)
Escape From New York (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Eugenie (Blue Underground) (if compared to the 2015 BD)
existenz (Vinegar Syndrome)
Fanny Lye Deliver'd (Pull Back Camera) (UK import)
Fargo (Shout Factory)
Fascination (Indicator)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Arrow) (minor caveat:not all extras from Arrow's BD were carried over)
Final Fantasy The Spirits Within (Sony)
Flatliners (Arrow) (if compared to all previous releases)
For All Mankind (Criterion)
Four Flies on Grey Velvet (Carlotta & Plaion) (French & German imports)(caveat: German import not English-friendly in the Italian only scenes)
Fright Night (Sony)
Gattaca (Sony)
Get Carter (BFI)
Gremlins (WB) (very good UHD, bad BD)
Groundhog Day (Sony) (2023 steelbook-reissue for the original audio track + somewhat better compression but the original release is no slouch either)
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4)
Hackers (Shout Factory)
Hacksaw Ridge (Lionsgate) (if compared to the US BD)
Heavy Metal (Sony)
Hellraiser Quartet of Torment (Arrow)
Henry (Arrow) (if compared to any BD/DVD preceding the 2016 Dark Sky US BD & 2021 Carlotta BD)
Highlander (Studio Canal) (if compared to all pre-2022 BDs)
High Plains Drifter (Kino) (if compared to all pre-2021 BDs) (caveat: audio is a downmix, no OG mono)
High Tension (Second Sight)
His Girl Friday (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4) review)
Howard's End (Concorde) (German import) (minor caveat: no original title card)
House on the Edge of the Park (88 Films) (replacement disc only)
Hugo (Arrow)
I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony)
In the Heat of the Night (Wicked Vision) (German import)
Indecent Proposal (Kino/Paramount) (if compared to the old BD)
Indiana Jones set (Paramount)
Inn of the Gruesome Dolls (Subkultur) (German import)
Invaders from Mars (Ignite/Arrow)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1976 (Arrow & Capelight) review
It Follows (Second Sight)
JFK (Shout)
Ju On The Grudge (Arrow)
Justine (Blue Underground) (if compared to the 2015 BD)
Karate Kid (Sony) (part of the 2022 boxset)
Killer's Kiss (Kino)
King of New York (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's first BD)
Kramer vs. Kramer (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4)
Kubo and the two Strings (Laika/Shout)
Labyrinth (Sony) (35th anniversary edition)
La La Land (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Last Action Hero (Sony) (2021/22 UHD)
Le Samourai (Pathe) (French import)
Little Darlings (Vinegar Syndrome)
Lips of Blood (Indicator)
Lone Star (Criterion) Chris's review
Lost Highway (Criterion)
Mad Max (Kino)
Mad Max 2 (WB) (second pressing ONLY; UPC: 883929 789993)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (WB) (caveat: underwhelming 5.1 sound)
Malcolm X (Criterion) (if compared to WB's old BD)
Martin (Second Sight)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Arrow) (if compared to all Blu-Rays except Arrow's new 2022 BD)
McCabe and Mrs Miller (Criterion) review
Mean Streets (Second Sight & Criterion) (Second Sight has a slight edge in the encoding)
Men In Black (Sony) (2022 Steelbook)
Menace II Society (Criterion)
Midsommar (A24)
Mission Impossible (Paramount) (very good UHD, mediocre BD)
Mission Impossible 4 (Paramount)
Monty Python and the Meaning of Life (Universal)
Mr Smith Goes To Washington (Sony)
Mulholland Drive (Studio Canal) (compared to all BDs except SD's own new BD)
My Bloody Valentine (Scream Factory)
My Fair Lady (Paramount)
Naked Lunch (Arrow)
National Lampoon Christmas Vacation (WB)
Natural Born Killers (Shout Factory)
Oldboy (Arrow)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Sony)
One False Move (Criterion)
One From The Heart Reprise (Studio Canal) (review)
Out of Sight (Kino)
Opera (Plaion) (German import)
Paprika (Sony) (review)
Paranorman (Laika/Shout)
Parasite (Universal)
Paths of Glory (MOC) (visually only slightly better than the Kino but more comprehensive extras)
Peeping Tom (Studio Canal) (capsule review)
Pearl (Plaion) (German import)
Phantom Thread (Universal)
Phenomena (Arrow)
Philadelphia (Sony)
Police Story 3 (88 Films) (US version)
Poltergeist (WB)
Possessor Uncut (Second Sight) (UK Import) (if compared to all Blu-Rays)
Predator (Fox) (very good UHD, bad BD)
Prince of Darkness (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Psycho Collection (Arrow)
Pulp Fiction (Miramax/Paramount)
Punch Drunk Love (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4 review)
Quigley Down Under (Shout) (review)
RAD (Vinegar Syndrome)
Raging Bull (Criterion)
Real Genius (Sony) (small caveat: the OG 2.0 track has not been cleaned up)
Requiem for a Dream (Lionsgate)
Reservoir Dogs (Lionsgate)
Return of the Living Dead (Scream) (small caveat: the original song The Damned - "Dead Beat Dance" has been replaced by Straw Dogs - "Young, Fast Iranians" over the end credits in the print made available to Shout)
Rider on the Rain (Plaion) (German import)
Ring (Arrow)
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's 2022 BD)
Robocop (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's own new BD)
Ronin (Capelight) (German import)
Rollerball (Shout Factory)
Run, Lola, Run (Sony) (currently only available in the Sony Pictures US set)
Saboteur (Universal)
Schindler's List (Universal)
Scream 2 (Paramount) (very good UHD, terrible BD)
Scream 3 (Paramount)
Scott Pilgrim vs The World (Universal) (strong video, reference sound)
Scream 1996 (Paramount) (if compared to the original BD)
Shadow of a Doubt (Universal)
Shaft (Criterion)
Showgirls (Vinegar Syndrome) (applies to REPLACEMENT DISC)
Silent Running (Arrow) (if compared to the MoC BD)
Singin' in the Rain (WB)
Six-String Samurai (Vinegar Syndrome)
Sleepless in Seattle (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4)
Some Like It Hot (Kino) (caveat: Heavy noise reduction and opening snare hit is missing)
Snow White And The Seven Dwarves (Disney)
Spartacus (Universal)
Starman (Sony) (Columbia Classics Vol 4 review
Streets of Fire (Shout Factory)
Suspiria (Synapse) (if compared to all BDs except the Synapse)
Tammy and the T-Rex (Vinegar Syndrome)
Tenebrae (Arrow/Synapse)
The Alfred Hitchcock Collection Vol 1 (Universal) (Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Birds)
The Alfred Hitchcock Collection Vol 2 (Universal) (Shadow of a Doubt, The Trouble With Harry, Family Plot, Saboteur, Marnie)
The Alfred Hitchcock Collection Vol 3 (Universal) (Rope, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Torn Curtain)
The Apu Trilogy (Criterion)
The Big Lebowski (Universal) (great UHD, bad BD)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (Sony) (2022 Limited Steelbook Edition has original mono & Dolby Vision)
The Burning (Scream Factory)
The Cat O' Nine Tails (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's own BD)
The Changeling (Second Sight)
The Dead Zone (Scream Factory)
The Draughtman's Contract (LCQF) (French import) (removable French subs)
The Driver (Studio Canal)
The Double Life of Veronique (Curzon) (UK import)
The Elephant Man (Studio Canal) (UK import) (if compared to all BDs except Studio Canal's 2020 BD) (caveat: some grain management and artifacts which may be due to film negative degradation)
The Fisher King (Criterion)
The Fog (Scream Factory)
The Frighteners (Turbine) (German import)
The Fugitive (WB)
The Godfather Set (Paramount) (caveat: inferior encoding on the original cuts of Part III)
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Kino) (if compared to all previous Blu-Rays)
The Green Mile (WB)
The Guest (Second Sight) (UK import)
The Guns of Navarone (Sony) (2023 steelbook release)
The Haunting of Julia/Full Circle (BFI) (UK import)
The Hills Have Eyes (Arrow)
The Howling (Scream Factory) (see comparison with UK Studio Canal in import column)
The Hurt Locker (Lionsgate) (as of 2/24/22 only available as a Best Buy in store exclusive)
The Incredible Melting Man (Vinegar Syndrome)
The Inugami Family (Kadokawa) (Japanese import)
The Invisible Man (Universal)
The Killers (1964) (Koch) (German import)
The Killing (Kino)
The Ladykillers (Studio Canal) (if compared to the 2010 & 2015 BDs)
The Last Emperor (Arrow)
The Last Picture Show (Criterion)
The Limey (Lionsgate) (if compared to the UK & German BDs)
The Lost Boys (WB) (excellent UHD, enclosed BD is disappointing)
The Magnificent Seven (Shout Factory)
The Man In The Iron Mask (Shout Factory)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Studio Canal)
The Misfits (Capelight) (German import)
The Mist (Lionsgate)
The Night of the Hunted (Indicator)
The Others (Studio Canal/Criterion) (a tie overall though the SC has the original 5.1 audio) (capsule review)
The Outsiders (WB) (note: the Studio Canal UK UHD is from the same master but the presentations differ; caveat for audiophiles: the original sound mix is not included on both discs)
The Piano (Criterion US & Studio Canal Europe)
The Power of the Dog (Criterion) (if compared to Netflix's streaming)
The Prince of Egypt (Universal)
The Proposition (BFI) (if compared to all previous Blu-Rays except the BFI's own 2022 separate Blu-Ray reissue)
The Quick and the Dead (Sony)
The Princess Bride (Criterion) (better compression than the Turbine)
The Ranown Westerns: Five Films by Budd Boetticher (Criterion)
The Rape of the Vampire (Indicator)
The Red Shoes (Criterion)
The Raid (Sony)
The Remains of the Day (Sony)
The Revenant (Fox)
The Roaring Twenties (Criterion) (review)
The Rules of the Game (ESC) (French import) (caveat: reference if your player can force the HDR into SDR)
The Servant (Studio Canal) (if compared to SC's 2013 BD)
The Seventh Seal (BFI) (UK import, SDR master in a Dolby Vision container) (if compared to all pre-2018 BDs)
The Seventh Seal (Criterion) (SDR master) (if compared to all pre-2018 BDs)
The Shining (WB)
The Shiver of the Vampires (Indicator)
The Sisters Brothers (Arrow)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Second Sight)
The Three Colors Trilogy (Curzon) (UK import) (caveat: no original audio)
The Three Musketeers (Studio Canal) (caveat: the pitch of the English audio is too high, as of 5/16/23 unclear if replacements will be offered)
The Toolbox Murders (Blue Underground)
The Universal Monster Collection Vol 2 (Universal) (The Mummy, The Phantom of The Opera, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon)
The Untouchables (Paramount)
The Wages of Fear (BFI) (review)
The Warriors (Arrow)
The Wicker Man (Studio Canal)
The Witch (Second Sight) (UK import)
The Wolf Man (Universal)
Thelma and Louise (Criterion)
Touch of Evil (MoC/Kino) (tie for PQ, MoC has a book + more extras)
Tremors (Arrow)
Tremors 2 Aftershocks (Arrow) (review)
Twelve Monkeys (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs except Arrow's 2018 BD)
Two Orphan Vampires (Indicator)
Uncut Gems (Criterion)
Unforgiven (WB)
Universal Soldier (Studio Canal)
Videodrome (Arrow) (if compared to all BDs preceding Arrow's BD) (note: as of 10/27/22, there is no direct comparison between Arrow's UHD and BD yet; will update when that changes)
Wayne's World (Paramount) (Stairway to Heaven track reinstated, Dream Weaver original track instead of re-recorded cue that was used in theatrical cut)
Weird Science (Arrow)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (Disney)
Wild Things (Arrow) (if compared to Sony's BD)
Wings of Desire (Curzon) (UK import) (compared to all the Blu-Rays) (solid upgrade over the CC 4k)
X (Capelight) (German import)
Young Guns (Lionsgate)

Appreciable/Solid upgrades compared to the most recent Blu-Rays:
12 Angry Men (Kino) (reference video but heavily filtered audio, fewer extras than the Criterion BD)
A Bronx Tale (MVD)
A Fistful of Dollars (Kino) (correct colors on both the UHD and BD, no HDR on the UHD, heavy noise reduction on audio)
A Hard Day's Night (Criterion) (second pressing from March 2022 as first pressing has shots in one scene placed in wrong order)
Air Force One (Sony) (2023 steelbook with Dolby Vision added, original 4k release was already very good)
Animal House (Universal)
Another 48 Hrs (Paramount)
Back To The Future series (Universal)
Battle Royale (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own new BD)
Bayan Ko (Le Chat Qui Fume) (French import)
Blade Runner (WB)
Bloodsport (Capelight) (German import) (caveat: AR is 1.78:1 instead of 1.85:1; compression merely solid)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Sony)
Breaking The Waves (Curzon)(encode results in clipped highlights, if you're not sensitive to this, you can regard this as a reference disc)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Studio Canal/Shout Factory) (if compared to the 2023 BD)
Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest (Arrow) (if compared to the Criterion BD set, except The Big Boss)
Candyman (Scream Factory/Arrow) (if compared to the SF/Arrow BDs)
Carlito's Way (Universal)
Carrie (Scream Factory)
Casino Royale (Sony)
Child's Play (Scream Factory)
Citizen Kane (Criterion)
Cliffhanger (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Sony)
Coco (Disney)
Cool Hand Luke (WB)
Crash (Arrow) (if compared to Criterion's Blu-Ray)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Sony) (original release)
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (MoC) (if compared to the MoC BD)
Daughters of Darkness (Blue Underground) (if compared to Blue Underground's new BD)
Dead & Buried (Blue Underground) (if compared to Blue Underground's new BD)
Death Wish (Kino)
Deep Red (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's 2021 BD)
Delicatessen (Studio Canal) (DNR and inconsistent encode but still superior to the decade-old earlier BD)
Devil in a Blue Dress (Criterion) (if compared to their 2022 BD)
District 9 (Sony) (the current 2020 release has a glitch around the 40 min mark where a shot is repeated; no word from Sony about a replacement at the time of writing, i.e. 8/1/8/22)
Do The Right Thing (Universal)
Doctor Strangelove (Sony)
Dog Soldiers (Scream Factory) (big PQ upgrade over their BD but on a BD-66 compared to Second Sight's BD-100, good if inferior compression to Second Sight's disc)
Don't Look Now (Criterion)
Dracula (Universal) (Spanish version is reportedly in 4k too)
Dragonslayer (Paramount) (heavy DNR on the finale sequence, good encode otherwise, excellent Atmos track, no OG audio included)
Dressed To Kill (Kino)
Dune (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own new BD)
E.T. (Universal)
East of Eden (WB)
Easy Rider (Sony)
Enter The Dragon (WB) (if compared to Criterion's BD)
Escape from L.A. (Paramount)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Kino)
Eugenie (Blue Underground) (if compared to the 2023 BD included)
Event Horizon (Paramount)
Evil Dead 2013 (Scream Factory)
Face/Off (Kino)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Paramount)
First Man (Universal)
Flash Gordon (Arrow)
Flatliners (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own 2022 BD)
Flesh for Frankenstein (Vinegar Syndrome) (applies to second pressing only which fixes the oversaturated skin tones, the replacement disc has the UHD logo on a yellow background instead of white)
For A Few Dollars (Kino) (excellent SDR presentation)
For A Few Dollars More (Kino) (excellent SDR presentation)
Forrest Gump (Paramount)
Four Flies on Grey Velvet (Severin)
Frankenstein (Universal)
From Beyond (Vinegar Syndrome)
Full Metal Jacket (WB) (caveat: mixed opinions on the 5.1; not a player issue)
Future Boy Conan (Anime Limited)
Ghost in the Shell (Japanese import) (English friendly)
Ghostbusters (Sony) (2022 'Ultimate Collection' UHD disc currently exclusive to the new box set)
Giant (WB)
Gladiator (Universal)
God Told Me To (Blue Underground)
Goodfellas (WB)
Guns of Navarone (Sony)
Heat (Disney)
Henry (Arrow) (if compared to Dark Sky's 2016 BD and Carlotta's 2021 BD)
Highlander (Studio Canal) (if compared to the 2022 BD)
High Plains Drifter (Kino) (if compared to the 2021/22 BD)
Hocus Pocus (Disney)
In Bruges (Kino)
Indecent Proposal (Kino/Paramount) (if compared to the enclosed 2022 BD from the same source)
Independence Day (Fox) (video merely okay with compression issues but reference sound)
Inglourious Basterds (Universal)
In The Heat Of The Night (Kino) (sequels included, better compression than the Criterion BD, no HDR)
It's A Wonderful Life (Paramount)
Jaws (Universal)
Justine (Blue Underground) (if compared to the 2023 BD included)
King of New York (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own new BD)
Hacksaw Ridge (Lionsgate) (if compared to the UK BD)
Hannibal (Kino)
Hard Target (Kino) (SECOND PRESSING ONLY)
Holiday Inn (Universal)
Lawrence of Arabia (Sony)
La Haine (Studio Canal) (English-friendly French import)
Le Cercle Rouge (Criterion) (good encode, accuracy/faithfulness of the color grading is debatable)
Le Mepris (Studio Canal) (inconsistent encode ranging from terrible to excellent)
La Regle Du Jeu (ESC) (French import; HDR enforced by distributor)
Leon (Sony)
Lock Up (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Madman (Vinegar Syndrome)
Mad Max Anthology set (WB)
(update 11/17/21: WB BD of Mad Max inferior to Kino's; Fury Road is the earlier UHD repackaged and is still a respectable 2k upscale; Road Warrior (corrected disc from Feb 2022) and Beyond Thunderdome are reference discs)
Malcolm X (Criterion) (if compared to Criterion's own 2022 BD)
Mallrats (Arrow) (if compared to their own BD; caveat: the 4k drops some extras like the TV Cut)
Maniac (Blue Underground)
Marathon Man (Kino)
Marnie (Universal) (some DNR but given the source limitations still a big upgrade)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's new BD)
Memories of Murder (CJ) (Korean import)
Midnight Run (Shout) (new master much better than their 2016 artificially sharpened BD but grain managed, "OG audio" is a downmix)
Mildred Pierce (Criterion)
Millennium Actress (Anime Limited)
Misery (Kino)
Mission Impossibles 2, 3, 5 & 6 (Paramount) (all in 4k except Rogue Nation which is a very good 2k upscale)
Moon (Sony)
Moonage Daydream (Criterion) (if compared to their own BD)
mother! (Paramount)
Mystery Men (Kino)
Mulholland Drive (Criterion) (far better than their own BD but eclipsed by SC's reference UHD)
Night of the Hunter (Kino)
Night of the Living Dead (Criterion)
Piranha (Scream Factory)
Point Break (Shout Factory) (great picture, disappointing audio)
Police Story set (Eureka) (good UHD upgrades of Ritrovata's flawed PS1 & 2 restorations, Police Story 3 is a reference disc)
Possessor Uncut (Well Go USA)
Possessor Uncut (Turbine) (German Import) (if compared to the Well Go USA UHD)
Rain Man (MVD)
Rambo I-III (Eagle Pictures) (Italian imports)
RAN (Studio Canal) (excellent 4k restoration marred by unfaithful color grading)
Raw Deal (Studio Canal)
Rebel Without A Cause (Warner)
Rio Bravo (WB)
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's 2022 BD)
Robocop (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own 2021 BD but the Director's Cut inserts look appreciably better on the UHD)
Rocky 1-4 boxset (MGM)
Scarface 1983 (Universal)
Scream 1996 (Paramount) (new BD is excellent, margin is less pronounced than with other upgrades)
Scrooged (Paramount)
Shaun of the Dead (Universal) (good 2k Digital Interpositive upscale, good colors, very good detail, blacks are heavily crushed)
Shutter Island (Paramount)
Silent Running (Arrow) (if compared to their 2021 BD)
Sound of Metal (Criterion)
Speed (Fox)
Stand By Me (Sony)
Starship Troopers (Sony) (same HDR10 grade, Dolby Vision layer yields a more balanced image)
Superman The Movie (WB)
Supermarket (Subkultur)
Suspiria (Synapse) (if compared to Synapse's own BD)
Swamp Thing (MVD)
Terms of Endearment (Paramount)
The Apartment (Kino) (SDR only, Arrow's Blu-Ray is still the most comprehensive package; BD included with the 4k is the old MGM Blu-Ray with window-boxed opening credits)
The Babadook (Second Sight)
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (Arrow)
The Blues Brothers (Universal)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (Sony) (original UHD release)
The Cat O Nine Tails (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's own BD)
The Color Purple (WB)
The Deer Hunter (Shout Factory)
The Deer Hunter (Studio Canal)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Studio Canal) (good encode, accuracy of the color grading is debatable)
The Elephant Man (Studio Canal) (UK import) (if compared to SC's 2020 BD)
The Evil Dead (Lionsgate) (caveat: audio in the wrong pitch)
The Exorcist (WB) (retains the revisionist colors with minor tweaks, has OG mono)
The Funhouse (Scream Factory)
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Kino) (if compared to Kino's own new BD)
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import) (extended cut minus grotto sequence, with Italian title cards, stereo is a downmix, colors are not corrected)
The Great Escape (Kino) (excellent SDR transfer)
The Haunting of Julia/Full Circle (Scream Factory)
The Heroic Trio / Executioners (Criterion)
The House By The Cemetery (Blue Underground)
The Hunt For Red October (Paramount)
The Ladykillers (Studio Canal) (if compared to the 2020 BD)
The Last Starfighter (Arrow)
The Last Waltz (Criterion)
The Limey (Lionsgate) (if compared to Lionsgate's own US BD enclosed with the UHD)
The Lord of The Rings (WB) (caveat: mostly great video but the UHDs have had additional DNR applied in some scenes on top of the DNR that had been applied in post-production and was already present on the DVDs & BDs)
The Maltese Falcon (WB) (scrubbed audio, compression is "just" good)
The Manchurian Candidate (Kino) (reference video, lousy 2.0 audio)
The Mask of Zorro (Sony)
The Monster Squad (Kino)
The Matrix (WB)
The New York Ripper (Blue Underground)
The Night Porter (Wicked Vision) (German import)
The Power of the Dog (Criterion) (if compared to Criterion's own 2022 BD)
The Proposition (BFI) (if compared to the BFI's own 2022 re-issue which is separate from the UHD; the Blu-Ray included with the UHD only has extra material)
The Psychic (Severin) (if compared to the US and UK BDs)
The Rules of the Game (Criterion) (US Criterion 4k) (if compared to their BD)
The Running Man (Lionsgate/Paramount) (German Capelight import is the more complete edition for fans)
The Servant (Studio Canal)
(if compared to SC's 2021 BD)
The Seventh Seal (Criterion/BFI) (if compared to the 2018 Bergman boxset-exclusive BD)
The Shawshank Redemption (WB)
The Sting (Universal)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Kino) (caveat: audio is a 5.1 downmix, no OG mono)
The Ten Commandments (Paramount)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Dark Sky) (if compared to their 2016 BD)
The Thing (Universal) (caveat: great video, controversial new 4.0 sound mix)
The Three Colors Trilogy (Criterion) (good encodes for Blue & White, good encode for Red in Dolby Vision only, no original audio)
The Train (Kino)
The Trial (Criterion/Studio Canal)
The Usual Suspects (Kino)
The Virgin Suicides (Criterion) (compression not as good as on their reference titles)
The Wizard of Oz (WB)
The World's End (Universal) (best colors of the Cornetto Trilogy on UHD, very good detail, blacks are crushed if not as much as on Shaun and Hot Fuzz)
They Live (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (Kino)
Time Bandits (Arrow) (if compared to their own BD, better grain reproduction on the Arrow 4k than the CC4k)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Studio Canal & Kino)
To Die For (Criterion) (review)
To Kill A Mockingbird (Universal)
To Live And Die In L.A. (Kino)
Torn Curtain (Universal)
Total Recall (Eagle Pictures) (Italian import)
Toy Story 1-4 (Disney)
Trainspotting (Criterion) (Chris' review)
Training Day (WB) (big improvement over old BD but controversial revised color grading)
Triangle of Sadness (Criterion)
Tropic Thunder (Kino) (note: only the theatrical in 4k, Director's Cut has not been upgraded)
True Romance (Arrow)
Twelve Monkeys (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's 2018 BD)
Undefeatible (Vinegar Syndrome)
Wall-E (Criterion) (HDR10 same as the Disney disc, new Dolby Vision layer improves presentation in some aspects, very good extras)
Warrior 2011 (Lionsgate)
Waterworld (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's BD)
Weird Science (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's BD)
Wild Things (Arrow) (if compared to Arrow's 2022 BD)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (WB) (good UHD, bad BD)
Wings of Desire (Criterion) (if compared to all BDs)
Witness (Arrow)
U-571 (Studio Canal)
Zombie (Blue Underground)


Superior Imports/versions:
Akira (Japan > everyone else) (all 4ks have some DNR but the JPN has the original 1988 home video audio + subs for the film itself)
Animal House (Plaion Germany > Universal US) (Dolby Vision and original mono on the German release)
Apocalypse Now (Eagle Pictures Italy > Lionsgate US) (better compression than the US/UK disc)
Apocalypse Now (Arthaus Germany > Lionsgate US) (the only global release with the original audio track (lossless))
Benedetta (Capelight/Koch Media Germany > MUBI UK) (good encode and correct colors on the German import)
Blade Runner 2049 (Sony Global > WB US) (slightly sharper, better encode on the Sony BD100)
Breathless (Criterion US > Studio Canal Europe) (stronger encode on the Criterion)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Studio Canal Europe > Shout Factory US) (the European disc has more extras but the "theatrical cut" offered appears to be the DC with the DC scenes removed)
Carlito's Way (Arrow UK > Universal Global) (original audio & more extras)
Carrie (Arrow UK > Scream Factory US) (stronger encode)
Citizen Kane (Warner Europe > Criterion US) (fewer extras but superior compression and grain on the film itself)
Cliffhanger (Eagle Pictures Italy > SC Europe & Sony US) [color=#008000](better compression than SC and no DNR unlike Sony's UHD)[color=#008000]
Crimes of the Future (Second Sight UK > Metropolitan France & Decal US) (more extras than the other versions)
Cross of Iron (Via Vision AUS > Studio Canal Global) (more and better extras than the other versions)
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (MOC UK > OneGateMedia Germany) (excellent encode on the MoC + bigger booklet)
Dog Soldiers (Second Sight UK > Scream Factory US) (superior compression)
Don't Look Now (Studio Canal UK > Criterion US) (superior compression on the UK disc)
Escape from New York (Eagle Pictures Italy > Scream Factory US/Studio Canal UK) (better compression than SF & SC)
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (Carlotta France + Plaion Germany > Severin US) (better compression and more saturated colors than the Severin 4k)
Ghost in the Shell (Bandai Japan > Lionsgate US) (more accurate image and correct song over the end credits)
Henry (Arrow UK > Turbine Germany) (Arrow's grade is faithful to the theatrical release; Turbine's is too vibrant due to a color gamut error)
In The Heat Of The Night (Wicked Vision Germany > Kino US) (adds HDR and DV)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1976 (Arrow UK + Capelight Germany > Kino US) (excellent encode)
La La Land (Eagle Pictures Italy > Lionsgate US) (better compression than Lionsgate & brightness levels fixed)
Lock Up (Eagle Pictures Italy > Studio Canal Europe) (better compression than SC)
Mad Max (Kino US > Warner Europe) (Kino has Dolby Vision + US dub + more extras)
Mean Streets (Second Sight Canal UK > Criterion US) (better compression on the SS)
Mulholland Drive (Studio Canal UK > Criterion US) (better compression on the SC, however fewer extras)
Night of the Living Dead (Criterion US > Studio Canal Europe) (better encoding on the Criterion, Studio Canal's is pretty bad in places)
Paths of Glory (MoC UK > Kino USA) (FiM encode and more extras)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Second Sight UK > Criterion US) (UK edition has the theatrical cut)
Possessor Uncut (Second Sight UK > Turbine Germany > Well Go USA) (new HDR grade and Dolby Vision added for the UK and German editions)
Prince of Darkness (Eagle Pictures Italy > Studio Canal UK & Scream Factory US) (better compression than SC & SF and in the correct color space unlike the SF)
Rambo I - III (IT Eagle Pictures Italy > Studio Canal UK) (better compression than SC and no forced subs on non-English dialogue)
Red Heat (IT Eagle Pictures Italy > Studio Canal UK) (better compression than SC)
Ronin (Capelight Germany > Kino US) (better compression than Kino, stronger highlights)
The Amityville Horror (88 Films UK > Vinegar Syndrome US) (additional commentaries and audio options)
The Apartment (Kino US > Capelight Germany) (better encoding)
The Fifth Element (UK Studio Canal > Sony US) (superior grading)
The Fog (Scream Factory US > Studio Canal UK) (for the inclusion of original mono, vastly improved HDR10 compression)
The Haunting of Julia/Full Circle (BFI UK > Scream Factory US) (more extras + Fidelity in Motion encode on the UK disc)
The Howling (Scream Factory US > Studio Canal UK) (for the inclusion of original mono, more extras)
The Others (Studio Canal UK > Criterion US) (OG 5.1 audio on the UK disc is better than the Atmos track)
The Princess Bride (Criterion US > Turbine Germany) (better compression on the CC 4k but audio purists might prefer the Turbine for the OG audio)
The Rules of the Game (ESC France > Criterion US 4k + BFI UK BD) (if your player can convert the HDR into SDR manually)
The Running Man (German Capelight > Lionsgate/Paramount US) (Capelight is the more substantial release)
The Seventh Seal (Criterion US > BFI UK) (more extras on the Criterion, some may prefer the Criterion subs)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Second Sight UK > Dark Sky US) (additional restoration work done by SS, stronger encode by Fidelity in Motion)
The Three Colors Trilogy (Curzon UK > Criterion US) (better encode on the UK set across all three films + documentaries in HD)
The Trial (Criterion US > Studio Canal UK) (better extras on the Criterion)
The Virgin Suicides (Studio Canal UK > Criterion US) (better encode on the UK disc)
The Wolf of Wall St (Arrow UK > Paramount US) (same black crush as the US disc but encoded by Fidelity in Motion and very good new supplements)
Time Bandits (Arrow UK > Criterion US) (better encode on the Arrow, especially in HDR10)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Studio Canal UK > Kino US) (more extras on the UK disc)
Total Recall (Eagle Pictures Italy > Studio Canal UK) (good HDR10 and DV whereas the SC release only looks acceptable in Dolby Vision)
Triangle of Sadness (Criterion US > Alamode Germany) (HDR10 grade on the German disc was not approved by the filmmakers, Criterion's SDR only master is the most faithful representation and the German disc is not English-friendly)
Wings of Desire (Curzon UK > Criterion US) (highlights clipped on both, with macroblocking, but UK version looks better as it hasn't had low-pass filtering and has better encoding)

Good to excellent imports:
Bloodsport (Capelight) (German import)
Crimes of the Future (Metropolitan) (French import)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Eagle) (Italian import) (region locked) review
Men (German import)
Pearl (Plaion) (German import)
Sex, Lies & Videotape (L'Atelier d'Images) (French import) (technically a reference disc as the compression is far superior to Criterion's HD release from the same 4k master but forced French subs on the English audio)
The Princess Bride (Turbine) (German import) (2.0 track unlike the CC 4k)
The Running Man (Capelight) (German import) (recommendation for REPLACEMENT discs only)


Good or Great in Dolby Vision, poor in HDR:

Deep Impact (Paramount)
Escape from New York (Studio Canal)
Le Cercle Rouge (Studio Canal)
Prince of Darkness (Studio Canal)
Saturday Night Fever (Paramount) (the DV is not great on this disc but it is much superior to the HDR10)
Saving Private Ryan (Paramount)
Staying Alive (Kino)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Criterion)
The Doors (Studio Canal)
They Live (Studio Canal)
Three Colors Red (Criterion)
Three Days of the Condor (Studio Canal) (French/German import)
TIme Bandits (Criterion)
Total Recall (Studio Canal)


Disappointing UHDs:
3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) (DNR applied to filmout of the 2k DI, better depth and blacks than the US BD; European Sony BD seems to be consensus best choice)
48 Hours (Paramount) (atrocious HDR10 encode, Dolby Vision is altogether better but still mediore)
Aliens (Disney) (artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time)
Barb Wire (Turbine) review
Basic Instinct (Studio Canal) (considerable improvement over the old awful BD but marred by teal grading and DNR)
Belladonna of Sadness (Anime Ltd) (great source poorly encoded)
Blood Simple (Criterion) review
Breathless (Studio Canal) (very inconsistent encode)
Cat's Eye: (Studio Canal) (solid encode, controversial colors by Hiventy)
Cat People (1982) (Scream Factory) (great source poorly encoded but it does look significantly better than the Blu-Rays)
Cujo (Kino)
Cutthroat Island (Studio Canal) (poor compression, grading looks very off)
Cloak and Dagger (Vinegar Syndrome) (poor encoding and questionable HDR application in some scenes)
Death Wish II (Vinegar Syndrome) (poor encoding)
Drowning By Numbers (Severin) (macroblocking noticeable especially in outdoor shots)
Duel (Universal)
Escape from Alcatraz (Kino) (source provided by Paramount has had DNR applied which affects the inherently soft looking film pretty strongly for at least a third of the running time)
Fatal Attraction (Paramount) (heavy DNR)
Grease (Paramount)
Gunfight at the OK Corral (Kino) (review)
Halloween 1-5 (Shout) (bad compression, issues with the mono track on the original film)
In The Mood For Love (Criterion) (controversial revisionist colors retained (or imposed by WKW?), no HDR, minimal resolution uptick)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 (bad compression & missing audio stem for Don Siegel cameo)
Jurassic Park (Universal) (excessive DNR)
Kindergarten Cop (Kino) (HDR10 encode and audio tracks are poor, film looks fine in Dolby Vision)
King Kong (1976) (Studio Canal) (solid encode, controversial colors)
Le Magnifique (Studio Canal) (mediocre encode)
Leviathan (Kino) (HDR10 encode and audio tracks are poor, film looks fine in Dolby Vision)
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (Discothek) (stacked with extras and great mono, issues with the video)
New York Ripper (Blue Underground) (in wrong color space, poor compression on the HDR layer)
Out of the Blue (Severin) (encode and grain look better on the BFI BD, soundtrack has noise reduction applied; however it has very good extras more relevant to the film)
Pan's Labyrinth (WB) (best BD is the 2011 Optimum)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Second Sight) (DNR and artificial grain added by restoration team at director's request)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (Paramount) (DNR applied but it is still much better than the bad BD)
Primal Fear (Paramount) (review)
Red Dragon (Kino) (mediocre encode)
Red Heat (Studio Canal/Lionsgate) (poor encode)
Red Sonja (Studio Canal) (solid encode, controversial colors by Hiventy)
Roadhouse (Vinegar Syndrome) (mediocre encode, over-saturated skin tones)
Rosemary's Baby (Paramount) (inconsistent encode, "We happen to be in labor here" line is missing almost completely on the 4k disc and digital)
Run, Lola, Run (Sony) (in Columbia Classics 3 set: average compression for Sony's high standards)
The Abyss (Disney) (artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time)
The Boogens (Kino) (dated master & poor encode)
The Changeling (Severin) (poor encode)
The Craft (Scream Factory) (poor encode)
The Firm (Paramount) (poor encode)
The Fog (Studio Canal) (audio in wrong pitch)
The Last Detail (Shout Factory)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Paramount) (very good HDR but poor encode on the UHD, remastered BD looks fine; stereo is a 5.1 downmix with heavy noise reduction)
The Pianist (Studio Canal) (poor encode and heavy DNR)
The Silence of the Lambs (Kino) (colors off in the first reel, no genuine 2.0 audio)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Turbine)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Vinegar Syndrome) (mediocre encode, over-saturated skin tones)
The Three Days of The Condor (Kino) (poor encode)
The Trial (Studio Canal) (poor encode)
The Truman Show (Paramount) (compression poor in HDR10, okay in DV; stretched image has been fixed)
The Wolf of Wall St (Paramount)
They Live (Shout Factory) (better encode than SC disc but wrong colors)
Titanic (Paramount)
Trading Places (Paramount)
Trainspotting (Criterion) (encode struggles with brighter areas of the image)
Santa Sangre (Severin) (bad encode)
Serpico (Studio Canal) (European discs) (elevated blacks and inaccurate colors)
Stalag 17 (Kino)
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back & The Phantom Menace (Disney)
Used Cars (Shout Factory) (good PQ, mediocre compression)
Walkabout (Criterion) (poor compression)


UHDs worse than the BDs:
American Graffiti (Universal)
Bilitis (Capelight) (German import) (heavy DNR)
Fear and Desire (Kino) review
Friday the 13th (Paramount) (DNR, strong in places; editing error introduced where the prologue no longer fades to white) (best is the 2021 Paramount BD)
Hot Fuzz (Universal) (black crush, color is off, DNR has been applied whereas on Shaun and World's End it has not) (best BD is the old Universal)
Hell of the Living Dead (88 Films) (color is off, poor Italian audio compared to the BD) (25/4/23: replacement forthcoming with grading fix)
Hustle & Flow (Paramount) (smeary grain/detail, poor contrast) (best BD is the old Paramount disc)
King Kong (2005) (Universal) (excessive DNR) (best BD is the old Universal)
Love Actually (Universal)
No Escape (Turbine) (German Import) (upscale, not a true 4k source) (best BD is the Unearthed Films)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Disney) (excessive DNR) (best BD is the old Disney/Buena Vista)
Platoon (Shout Factory) (poor encode and heavy DNR, ditto the enclosed BD) (best BD is the MGM)
Terminator 2 (Studio Canal) (best BD is the 2015 Lionsgate BD)

The Blood on Satan's Claw (NSM Records) (German Import) (best BDs are the Severin or Screenbound)
The Bourne Identity (Universal) (best BD is the old Universal)
Trancers (Full Moon Features) (best BDs are the Full Moon Features or 88 Films)
True Lies (Disney) (best BD is the Spanish Blu-Ray)

UHDs with poorer audio than previous releases:

Heavy filtering / muffled

Anatomy of a Murder (Alternative: 1986 RCA/Columbia LaserDisc)
Bridge on the River Kwai, The (Alternative: 1985 RCA/Columbia Hi-Fi VHS)
Citizen Kane (Alternative: 1992 Turner Hi-Fi VHS)
Dawn of the Dead (Theatrical Cut) (Alternative: 2017 Midnight Factory BD or 2013 JP Happinet BD)
Dr. Strangelove (Alternative: 1994 LaserDisc)
For a Few Dollars More (Alternative: 1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS)
Halloween (Alternative: 1994 Criterion LaserDisc)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Alternative: 1995 Columbia Tri-Star LaserDisc)
Paths of Glory (Alternative: 1999 MGM US DVD)
Raging Bull (Alternative: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc)
Rear Window (Alternative: Universal DVD)
Wizard of Oz, The (Alternative: 1989 MGM LaserDisc)

Moderate filtering

2001: A Space Odyssey (Alternative: 1997 LaserDisc (PILF-2510) or 1998 MGM DVD)
Double Indemnity (Alternative: 1991 MCA LaserDisc)
Elephant Man, The (Alternative: 2001 Paramount US DVD)
Fistful of Dollars, A (Alternative: 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc)
For All Mankind (Alternative: 2009 Eureka UK BD’s 5.1 (created from original audio stems) or 2.0 (OG matrixed stereo))
Full Metal Jacket (Alternative: 1999 Warner R1 DVD)
Godfather, The (Alternative: No good alternative)
Great Escape, The (Alternative: 1991 MGM LaserDisc)
In the Heat of the Night (Alternative: 2018 Criterion BD)
It's a Wonderful Life (Alternative: 1991 Republic Pictures LaserDisc)
Jaws (Alternative: 1995/1997 MCA LaserDisc)
Servant, The (Alternative: Universal DVD)
Seventh Seal, The (Alternative: 1993 JP LaserDisc)
Vertigo (Alternative: 2005 Universal DVD)

Light filtering

Get Carter (Alternative: 2000 Warner US DVD)
Piano, The (Criterion & StudioCanal) (Alternative: 2014 StudioCanal UK BD’s 5.1 for a faithful de-matrixing of the original Dolby Stereo track, or (maybe) 2012 Lionsgate US BD’s 2.0 for matrixed stereo)
Taxi Driver (Very minor. Likely not discernible. Alternative: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc or 1991 Japanese Columbia Tri-Star LaserDisc)

Non-OG mix & misc. other issues

American Gangster (Non-OG. Alternative: original BD)
Apocalypse Now (Theatrical Cut) (US Lionsgate UHD only has Atmos remix; IT Eagle UHD only has an earlier remixed 5.1. Alternative: German UHD & US BD purportedly have OG 5.1 in AC-3)
Back to the Future Trilogy (A handful of dialog has minor changes over the years. Alternative: LaserDiscs should have original versions)
Big Lebowski, The (Comparison against Cinema DTS disc reveals that UHD mix is non-OG.)
Blade Runner (Atmos track has later remixed effects. Alternative: 2007 BD Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is closer to OG)
Casino (DTS:X’s surround channels are boosted compared to theatrical. Alternative: Cinema DTS or BD 5.1)
Deer Hunter, The (StudioCanal’s 5.1 is sourced from 70mm mix but has a brief audio drop at one point. Their 2.0 is possible OG stereo and doesn’t have the drop. Shout’s 2.0 and 5.1 both have this audio drop, and neither sounds like StudioCanal’s 5.1. Hypothesis is their 2.0 is a downmix from 5.1, which in turn is an old remix.)
Escape from New York (Shout’s 2.0 is a unique faithful remaster of the OG theatrical, whereas Eagle only offers 5.1 remix. Shout > StudioCanal.)
Gladiator (Non-OG. Alternative: Cinema DTS or Signature Collection DVD AC-3)
Jurassic Park (Non-OG, but OG has distorted vocal. Alternative: 3D BD’s DTS-HD MA track seems to be best-sounding)
Killing, The (MGM DVD has “the most balanced sound”)
Labyrinth (Advertised OG 2.0 on the 35th anniversary steelbook is likely a downmix. Alternative: LaserDisc or 1999 Sony US DVD 2.0)
Marathon Man (No OG mono. But the 5.1 remix sounds good and likely came from original audio stems. Alternative: Warner/Paramount BD has lossy restored mono)
Matrix, The (Comparison against Cinema DTS disc reveals that both Atmos and 5.1 are remixes)
Reservoir Dogs (No OG 2.0. Alternative: US/JP LaserDisc 2.0)
Shawshank Redemption, The (Noticeable clipping. Alternative: 2008 US BD TrueHD 5.1)
Shining, The (No OG mono. Alternative: 1999 Warner DVD)
Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The (No OG mono. Alternative: MGM DVD or BD)
Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The (Second Sight) (Filtered and missing a few grunts. Alternative: LaserDisc/VHS likely will have less filtered and correct audio. MPI UHD’s mono appears to be correct content-wise.)
Thing, The (Non-OG. Alternative: Signature LaserDisc AC-3 or Shout BD 2.0)
Top Gun (Atmos track widely considered a bad mix. Alternative: US THX LaserDisc’s AC-3 5.1 or PCM 2.0)
Total Recall (Neither the US Lionsgate nor IT Eagle UHD has OG 2.0. Alternative: US LaserDisc)


There are a few foreign language UHDs of noteworthy titles that are NOT English-friendly. The French discs of the Truffaut films and the Kieslowski films are poorly encoded.
Last edited by Finch on Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:19 pm, edited 664 times in total.

User avatar
Blutarsky
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2017 10:09 pm

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#2 Post by Blutarsky » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:41 pm

My old blu ray player broke in 2019 and rather then spending money on a regular blu ray player, I upgraded to a 4K player. One of the first titles I got when I upgraded was Goodfellas as it was only $10 and when I bought my 4K player, and I wanted a movie to test out. Over time I have gotten other titles that have shown that the jump to 4K is worth it, such as Space Odyssey. However, Goodfellas looks almost the exact same as the old blu ray release, and in some places the color is just a real travesty. Casino, on the other hand, looks wonderful in 4K.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#3 Post by swo17 » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:49 pm

I'd heard that about Goodfellas and it being dark, but is it possible that it plays better if your setup is properly calibrated and your room sufficiently dark?

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#4 Post by tenia » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:19 pm

Terminator 2 is the abysmal 4k restoration. It technically is better than the older BD but still. What I read is that the UHD also has a bonkers HDR grade on top of that.

I seem to recall the Goodfellas UHD has a very peculiar HDR grade but is overall good, though the SDR downconverted BD is a mess (as are many Warner remastered BDs sadly).

Peter Jackson's King Kong has a earth scorching HDR grade that is overall accepted as possibly being a technical mistake on Universal's side since it's just so bad.

Also from Universal : the 1st 2 Jason Bourne (and possibly the 3rd one) are older masters with a peculiar HDR grade slapped on them.

Finally, some of Turbine's UHDs in Germany seem strange, such as Crying Freeman and An American Werewolf in London, both being contenders for that claim it's "AI regrained and fake HDR graded" from James Flower.

These are what I'd deem not just "UHD not worthy of upgrading" because too close to their BD counterparts but UHDs to be avoided altogether. I'm not sure that, past that, cutting off at UHDs possibly being too close to BD counterparts is a good idea as it might, in some ways, either eliminate many UHDs or actually remind that since the bump might be more subtle and less linear than in the past, most UHDs are offering something worth the upgrade anyway thanks to HDR.

User avatar
cdnchris
Site Admin
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#5 Post by cdnchris » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:26 pm

The Bourne movies are a bit questionable. The last two might be legitimately 4K (and from what I could find online Jason Bourne is from a 4K intermediate) but I suspect 2 and 3 are 2K upscales. They don't look bad but not worth it if you already have them on BD. I had the first three on HDDVD so it was worth picking up the set on sale.

Except the first film legitimately looks like a DVD upscale. It looks fucking ridiculous.

The Disney discs are hit and miss. The colours on stuff like Coco and even the Guardians of the Galaxy films look great, but if you already bought them on BD it's probably not worth it.

Edit: and Tenia beat me on the Bourne movies. As he said, the first three are most certainly upscales. And again, if someone told me the 1st was a 480p upscale I wouldn't be surprised.

Another Edit: Based on more online research it appears The Bourne Legacy was completed in 2K, so that one is also an upscale, but it's a newer one (at least) and looks pretty good.

User avatar
dwk
Joined: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:10 pm

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#6 Post by dwk » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:46 pm

I believe the German Texas Chain Saw Massacre UHD is one to avoid, as the encode is so bad that it looks worse than the Second Sight Blu-ray.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#7 Post by EddieLarkin » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:27 pm

Goodfellas is a fantastic UHD, which got a very bad rep from those who did not understand what they were looking at or how HDR works in comparison to SDR (the Blu-ray.com review is still up with a 1/5 for video quality).

The UHD is no darker than the BD, and in fact it has far more shadow detail visible in direct comparison. What it does have is a very low nit grade. IIRC, a max average frame level of 60 nits (so parked presumably in the exact same range the BD is), and max highlights of around 250 nits (so just barely entering HDR territory), almost certainly reserved for a few streetlamps and car headlights etc.

But, HDR is an absolute luminance system. You don't have a choice at what nit level you watch something in HDR, these levels are fixed. SDR on the otherhand is relative, if a title averages 60 nits you can if you want play it back on your TV with luminance maxed out, meaning it'll be outputting at something more like 300-400 nits. So someone who is doing this, and comparing the two, it's going to seem like the BD is much brighter than the UHD. And it is, but only because they are making it so. Combine this with a bright room and you're probably not going to be able to make out the UHD at all.

Another issue is how older TV sets tonemapped HDR10 content. Whilst Goodfellas was graded to this very low nit level, it was graded ON a 4000 nit monitor (being a WB title). The way TVs often used to interpret HDR10 metadata was to look at the maximum brightness of the grading monitor, rather than the brightness of the actual content (these two bits of information is essentially what the metadata is). So a TV that could hit say 500 nits of brightness, that should in theory be able to playback a title like Goodfellas on UHD 1:1, instead acts like it's receiving a 4000 nit light cannon, and maps it down accordingly, crushing the already low brightness grade into imperceptibility. To put it midly, HDR has never been well implemented from Day 1.

But, if you're using a more current and advanced TV (especially something from Panasonic or Sony, rather than LG), and you're watching in a relatively controlled light environment, and you don't watch your SDR content pumped up to false levels of brightness, Goodfellas is a stellar disc and a very nice upgrade over the BD. Not only for the aforementioned superior shadow detail, but the 4K resolution and grain give it a lovely velvety authentic 35mm feel.

As for Terminator 2, avoid that piece of shit like the plague.
Last edited by EddieLarkin on Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#8 Post by EddieLarkin » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:37 pm

swo17 wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:35 pm
I've also read that Disney generally uses 4K as a sales gimmick, and that their releases usually aren't that distinguishable from the Blu-ray editions.
I'm willing to bet this is solely the result of the vast bulk of Disney's UHD releases being either the Marvel movies, or their animated titles. Which means 2K upscales in every single case. Which sadly means idiotic vitriol from certain quarters. But their application of HDR in nearly all of these cases is just as good as the other studios and I wouldn't hesitate to pick them up, if they're you're bag.

And the very few film based live action titles they've released show plenty of promise; Hocus Pocus is an absolutely fantastic disc.

User avatar
cdnchris
Site Admin
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#9 Post by cdnchris » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:43 pm

The reactions to Goodfellas are so unbelievably mixed it's bizarre, so I suspected there had to be something with the equipment being used to watch it; I was not seeing what most of the negative comments were referring to. I've owned the film on just about every format so I upgraded to 4K without a second thought. I don't know if it's one most will see the value in upgrading to from BD, but I thought it was worth it.

User avatar
denti alligator
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#10 Post by denti alligator » Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:50 pm

A good thread to have, though with so few titles it would also be great to make this a place to recommend upgrades, as it appears is already happening with Goodfellas. I got 2001 and The Big Lebowski. They both look fantastic.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#11 Post by EddieLarkin » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:04 pm

Obvious big upgrades are 2001, Apocalypse Now, Midsommar, The Revenant, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, Dawn of the Dead etc, but most people already know these.

Some lesser appreciated titles released by the studios (and thus can be found pretty cheap at times) that really show off how brilliantly UHD can present film, with lovely grain and respectful but impressive HDR include, Beetlejuice, Animal House, Gremlins, Shutter Island and the already mentioned Casino.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#12 Post by swo17 » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:17 pm

That's all very interesting, Eddie, thanks!

User avatar
denti alligator
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#13 Post by denti alligator » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:22 pm

EddieLarkin wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:04 pm
Obvious big upgrades are 2001, Apocalypse Now, Midsommar, The Revenant, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, Dawn of the Dead etc, but most people already know these.

Some lesser appreciated titles released by the studios (and thus can be found pretty cheap at times) that really show off how brilliantly UHD can present film, with lovely grain and respectful but impressive HDR include, Beetlejuice, Animal House, Gremlins, Shutter Island and the already mentioned Casino.
I wouldn’t mind you filling in that “etc.” …

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Not Worth Upgrading

#14 Post by EddieLarkin » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:42 pm

denti alligator wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:22 pm
EddieLarkin wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:04 pm
Obvious big upgrades are 2001, Apocalypse Now, Midsommar, The Revenant, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, Dawn of the Dead etc, but most people already know these.

Some lesser appreciated titles released by the studios (and thus can be found pretty cheap at times) that really show off how brilliantly UHD can present film, with lovely grain and respectful but impressive HDR include, Beetlejuice, Animal House, Gremlins, Shutter Island and the already mentioned Casino.
I wouldn’t mind you filling in that “etc.” …
Of those I've seen:

The Hitchcocks
The 90s Batmans
Black Hawk Down
Blade Runner
Close Encounters and E.T.
Flash Gordon
First Man
The Matrix Trilogy
The Mummy
Superman The Movie
plus basically everything from the indies has been incredible (Arrow, Blue Underground, Vinegar Syndrome and Suspiria in Synapse's sole case).

I've left Sony titles out mostly but that isn't to say they aren't great too (their restorations/remasters are probably the best around), but sometimes their HDR applications can be a bit wild, especially the further back into the format's history you go. But titles like Boyz n the Hood, Stand By Me, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and from what I hear, those from the 6 film Classics box set are all brilliant.

User avatar
denti alligator
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#15 Post by denti alligator » Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:56 pm

Anyone seen Die Hard, Parasite, or The Arrival?

User avatar
Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#16 Post by Finch » Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:58 pm

Can we also list films that have been botched on Blu-Ray but fixed on UHD? Big Lebowski and Predator come to mind. Anything else?

User avatar
RitrovataBlue
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:02 pm

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#17 Post by RitrovataBlue » Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:32 pm

Die Hard and Predator both look excellent. Arrival is a surprisingly substantial upgrade, with much better contrast than the standard Blu. I own the Parasite 4K but haven't watched it yet.

I own a few Turbine 4Ks: Crash, The Princess Bride, and An American Werewolf in London. The first two look superb and are strong upgrades from Blu. An American Werewolf does not look like an artificially regrained film to me. It is, however, a relatively dark film with a very muted HDR grade. I thought it offered a modest improvement in the Arrow Blu. A number of commenters on the other forum accuse anything without extreme contrast of being "fake HDR," so I suspect this one is being unfairly accused. But I don't have the tools to closely inspect the transfer, so it's possible that I'm wrong. your mileage may vary.

As for other controversial releases, I own all the Studiocanal 4Ks reputed to have terrible encodes(the John Carpenters, Total Recall, Le cercle rouge, etc). My setup has Dolby Vision, and I have not noticed any of the compression artifacts/black crush these discs are reputed to be infested with. However, I have read that the DV metalayer somehow corrects these issues, whereas they are plainly visible when viewed without DV. So again, your mileage may vary here.

The biggest upgrades I've seen include Suspiria, all the Warner Kubricks (especially 2001), The Big Lebowski, Beetlejuice, Dune, The Thing, Dawn of the Dead, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Rear Window, Predator, Alien, Mad Max, The Princess Bride, Evil Dead, Blade Runner, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Don't Look Now, Gremlins, King of New York, The Birds, Mission: Impossible, and Santa Sangre. But some of these are major upgrades less because they're visually stunning than because the previous Blu was mediocre or terrible.

User avatar
soundchaser
Leave Her to Beaver
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:32 am

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#18 Post by soundchaser » Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:45 pm

Finch wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:58 pm
Can we also list films that have been botched on Blu-Ray but fixed on UHD? Big Lebowski and Predator come to mind. Anything else?
The Back to the Future trilogy. Even discounting the beautiful use of HDR (especially on Part III), the UHD discs are far less egregious in terms of noise reduction and edge enhancement.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#19 Post by swo17 » Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:18 am

I'm getting the sense that, while some titles will be bigger upgrades than others, literally every UHD title provides some kind of an improvement with the exception of Terminator 2

User avatar
andyli
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:46 pm

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#20 Post by andyli » Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:45 am

Five UHD titles that have impressed me the most so far.

1. Apocalypse Now

By any standard this should be my go-to disc for showcasing what a good 4K HDR remaster could do to a classic film. Beautiful grain, contrast, color and sound. I especially love how the relatively dark scenes are handled. It's like a whole new experience. The disc carries a feature that talks about how they use Dolby tools to perfect the look of the film. I also appreciate Coppola's dedication for his films and efforts to make all versions available.

2. Gemini Man

The movie is shit but this disc showcases 4K 60fps on the home video front. My jaw dropped when the scene of two assassins' first encounter came up and this instantly made me consider my system upgrade worthwhile. It's a different kind of cinema for sure and I wish some day actually good films shot in this format will start to appear.

3. Almost Famous

This easily blows the age-old transfer on the original blu-ray out of water. And it sets a good example how smaller titles should be treated by the studios. If all the nonblockbuster titles I want to own can come out like this in 4K I'm definitely on board.

4. The Revenant

The magnificent cinematography calls for the upgrade and I've got zero regret. Probably one of the best looking UHDs of newer films out there...

5. A Perfect Planet

This to UHD is the counterpart of Planet Earth to blu-ray. Buy it, throw it in your 4K player and let your TV blow you mind all day long. You can also go for other recent nature documentaries like Seven Worlds, One Planet. I believe the latter's content is a tad better than APP but picture quality a tad lower.

User avatar
tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#21 Post by tenia » Thu Sep 09, 2021 1:20 am


RitrovataBlue wrote: An American Werewolf does not look like an artificially regrained film to me. It is, however, a relatively dark film with a very muted HDR grade. I thought it offered a modest improvement in the Arrow Blu.
Turbine are clearly using the Universal master as a source and its video incarnations are DNRed. It could have been that they managed to get a pre-DNR version of it but I trust Geoff D over blu-ray.com when he says grain looks very artificial in the way it moves but also in the fact its size and aspect is pretty much constant along the movie, while it should vary during opticals and other shots whose grain is usually thicker. Except it doesn't.

Same goes for Crying Freeman which uses the same base as the French BD which IIRC wasn't even a 4k restoration but possibly a simple HD remaster with definitely not the fine grain "4k looking" the Turbine UHD has.

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#22 Post by MichaelB » Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:25 am

RitrovataBlue wrote:
Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:32 pm
The biggest upgrades I've seen include Suspiria
Which version of Suspiria, and an upgrade from what?

I have the Synapse Blu-ray (sourced from the same 4K cinematographer-approved restoration), and was umming and aahing about whether it was really worth upgrading to the UHD, but I'm not under the impression that it's a particularly big upgrade.

Oh, and The Revenant is my HDR demo title - there are some extraordinary shots in that which appear to be lit by nothing but moonlight, and yet shadow detail on the ground is perfectly clear.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#23 Post by EddieLarkin » Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:54 am

swo17 wrote:
Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:18 am
I'm getting the sense that, while some titles will be bigger upgrades than others, literally every UHD title provides some kind of an improvement with the exception of Terminator 2
Pretty much, yes. It's the exact same story with Blu-ray, where going from a botched/poor DVD to a brand new 2K/4K Blu-ray transfer can obviously be a massive uprade, whilst going from an adequate but old transfer on DVD and sticking with that same transfer for Blu-ray would yield a far more minimal upgrade, but an upgrade nonetheless. What you saw at the start of that format was the same umming and aahing about just what to upgrade, but then once we were a decade deep into it pretty much everyone was happy to upgrade to any semi-decent looking Blu-ray disc, regardless of how good the DVD already might have been. I think many adopters will reach the same point with UHD eventually, especially as UHDs become more frequently available at bargain sale prices.

Taking Michael's examples, BOTH Suspiria and The Revenant are sourced from the same excellent transfers in their Blu-ray and UHD editions, so the same upgrade/no upgrade logic can be applied to both if you're just looking at that basis. The real question is how much difference is the HDR aspect making, which varies title to title. In The Revenant's case it evidently makes a big difference, but that may largely be driven by the cinematography rather than solely HDR as a system. Everyone's mileage is going to vary title to title, and it's basically impossible with this format to make a judgement with the screencaps because they specifically cannot demonstrate the gains HDR is going to offer! AND most reviewers don't know what the heck they're talking about, and almost never describe directly comparing UHD HDR to Blu-ray SDR like Geoff D does (which is why so many people like his reviews) so it's difficult to use them as a basis as well. Ultimately the only way you're going to know for sure whether a UHD is worth it over the BD you already own is to watch it.

User avatar
jegharfangetmigenmyg
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:52 am

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#24 Post by jegharfangetmigenmyg » Thu Sep 09, 2021 5:54 am

Great thread! Don't think any of my favorites hasn't been mentioned, but I do agree that StudioCanal's Carpenters are pretty crappy, and oh yes, do avoid Terminator 2! Keep in mind that I'm a projector user, but I must say that I didn't like the look of It's a Wonderful Life at all. It looked very waxy to my. The same goes for Wizard of Oz also felt way to blown out and extreme for my taste. Will have to check out Mr. Smith Goes to Washington if that can be labeled as "older film demo material". I also steered away from Goodfellas, but reading Eddie's post about, I will have to check it out as actually prefer the more dimly mastered UHD's. I'm also much a fan of the natural and very filmic look of The Big Lebowski, and I will second Apocalypse Now which is just a world of a difference compared to earlier the blu-ray.

@EddieLarkin: Being somewhat of an "layman expert" within this field, do you know if Criterion will have any say in the HDR mastering their UHD titles? Or will the just license masters from the studios? If they only license them, then I guess that the quality of their UHD titles will vary just as extremely as everything else on the market. But of course I'm hoping that they will be able to provide reference releases of archival titles just like they have (mostly) been able to up until now.

User avatar
EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: UHD Titles Worth/Not Worth Upgrading

#25 Post by EddieLarkin » Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:03 am

I'm sure it will depend on the title. Mulholland Drive and Uncut Gems will certainly be wholly done by StudioCanal and Netflix, and I would guess the same for Citizen Kane/WB. Perhaps Menace II Society could be their own work though.

Post Reply