How do you plan to collect Criterions going forward?

[MichaelB]

I feel my collection has largely plateaued, with my holy grail list reduced to maybe 2 films (Prospero's Books, Lelouch's Les Miserables).

...and Prospero's Books is an interlaced video work at sub-HD resolution (if I remember rightly, it's 1035i), so 4K will offer pretty much no advantage that I can see.

[shiftyeyes]

I came into collecting Criterion titles as a movie lover and physical media enthusiast. Part of that is watching films at the highest quality possible. I've been frustrated with Criterion for not getting into 4K sooner. Imagine them waiting an extra 3 years to start releasing 1080p Blu-rays. That being said, I'll buy everything they put out in 4K if available. I'm a bit surprised how reluctant some seem to embrace 4K. 4K TVs have been around for a few years now and are pretty standard these days.

[Mr Sausage]

I might actually try and find a way to subscribe to The Criterion Channel in France before making the jump to 4k !

A VPN will do it for you. It’ll set your IP address to a different country if you want, so you can for instance access the Netflix roster for foreign countries. Some VPNs, like Express VPN, can be put directly in your router, so you’ll be able to stream the Criterion Channel to a home theatre system more easily. It also gives you more protection and anonymity online as an added bonus.

[fdm]

I have a 4K player, just had to get one right before Oppo turned the lights off, but no 4K tv. Kinda like having 3D as an occasional plasma option, and I'm usually pretty fine with what 1080p/24 does for me, so no hurry. That said I do once in a while buy a UHD, but not that often, just to have something handy in case the plasma dies, and my oppo/plasma combo usually translates/displays a UHD just fine.

I tend to think that will remain the case with the Criterion releases, buying maybe one here or there once in a while, but I'm pretty much as Criterion sucker so we shall see. Otherwise BDs will do me just fine.

Oh and if the blu-rays end up in their regular plastic cases and the UHDs do not, all the more likely it will be just blu for me.

[tenia]

I might actually try and find a way to subscribe to The Criterion Channel in France before making the jump to 4k !

A VPN will do it for you. It’ll set your IP address to a different country if you want, so you can for instance access the Netflix roster for foreign countries. Some VPNs, like Express VPN, can be put directly in your router, so you’ll be able to stream the Criterion Channel to a home theatre system more easily. It also gives you more protection and anonymity online as an added bonus.

That's likely what I'll end up to do (I don't have a router though, so I'm likely to use a different configuration). I haven't done it yet because I was looking for a free VPN or working through a proxy, and those most often aren't advised for security purposes, which felt a tad extra-complicated since it meant turning it on and off depending on what I was doing. I suppose a solution like Express VPN would fit on a simpler aspect, since I'd leave it on and be done with it. In the end, it would only cost about 8€ per month on top of the Channel subscription, and it would also allow me access to stuff on the BFI Player and so on. I guess I'll cave in one day.

[Caligula]

At the risk of going off-topic (I have no idea where to post this otherwise, apologies if this causes inconvenience): I installed Surfshark on my Mibox and have been able for several months to access Netflix in other countries, until recently. Now I can log into Netflix via VPN but whatever I've been watching on, say US Netflix, that isn't available in South Africa just doesn't show up. Downton Abbey vanished until it became available on South Africa's Netflix a week ago, then it appeared again, as if it had never been gone. Been watching Sons of Anarchy on the UK Netflix, but, even though I get into the UK Netflix, Sons of Anarchy is now just not showing up. I have been trying Express VPN on 30 days' trial and, though it is a bit faster, the same problem persists.

Has Netflix upped their anti-proxy detection? Should I try another VPN? Any advice would be appreciated

[Reeniop41]

4K UHD when available. Whether I upgrade every title I have on BD already to UHD will be a case-by-case basis, just like I do for other studios/labels, but any outright new purchases (not upgrades) with a UHD option will definitely be UHD. Any new BDs to the collection (or BD upgrades to DVDs) without 4K UHDs I will still buy since with 4K UHDs it's just the reality that they'll have to be more selective in which titles they also release on UHD.

I am a completionist but my plan will mirror captveg's! I wish they have a trade-up program for those pre-existing blurays that will be upgraded to 4K.

[Wood Tick]

When I filled out the poll (blu-ray purchases only) I had a completely different attitude than I do now. My thought was: "Here we go again." I have spent the last 11 years replacing my voluminous DVD collection with blu-rays when they were made available. Now, as I am a somewhat obsessive collector, I would have to do the same for UHD. That prospect makes me weary.

The reality is I will probably get an 4K TV and player within the next six months, will purchase 4K releases from Criterion and other studios when available, but won't be hell bent on replacing the blu-rays I already own.

A question for those already initiated into the format...

When I made the switch from an SD to an HD TV in 2010, I was soon to learn that a DVD displayed on an HD TV had a picture that ranged from crap to ultracrap. It was clear that I was getting considerably less visual information that with the blu-ray counterpart. My question is: how do Blu-rays look on 4K UHD TVs? I keep reading that they look better than on standard HD TVs, but I'm afraid there will be something akin to the loss of picture I had experienced with DVDs played on an SD TV.

[EddieLarkin]

When I made the switch from an SD to an HD TV in 2010, I was soon to learn that a DVD displayed on an HD TV had a picture that ranged from crap to ultracrap. It was clear that I was getting considerably less visual information that with the blu-ray counterpart. My question is: how do Blu-rays look on 4K UHD TVs? I keep reading that they look better than on standard HD TVs, but I'm afraid there will be something akin to the loss of picture I had experienced with DVDs played on an SD TV.

Blu-rays will basically look the same on 4K TVs as they do on an HDTV. Once you take HDR out of the picture, a 4KTV is just like any HDTV except its resolution is doubled, and because it's a straight doubling it's very simple for the TV or player to upscale 1080p to 2160p. HDR and WCG will offer the real upgrade when you're comparing UHD to Blu-ray, but you're not going to feel it's making your Blu-rays look worse than they were, as it is not activated when you offer the TV an SDR source. There will probably be an option on your TV to apply fake HDR to your SDR sources but by God leave that shit off.

It is also true that Blu-rays can look better, depending on which TV tech you go for. If you're going from an LCD HDTV to an OLED, you're definitely going to see an improvement. Even Plasma to OLED should offer a decent jump, though there are some drawbacks in comparison.

[schellenbergk]

So… my player is a little persnickity about 4K - they look great but “The Deer Hunter” stalled in last reel… had to switch to the Blu to finish it.

Since most of my blus look fantastic, I won’t upgrade any titles I own on Blu. However, I’ll happily re-purchase titles I own only on DVD. So “Citizen Kane” and “Red Shoe” will be upgraded (my DVDs are almost 20 years old) but not so for “Mullholland Drive” the blu of which looks great. My DVD of “The Third Man” from 2001 still looks great, but that is a title I would buy in UHD.

Certain beloved titles will get purchased no mattet what - I own “Safety Last” on blu, DVD, VHS, and even Super 8 (yes, I am old).

Blind buys are a quandry - unless the film has a supurb reputation I will likely stick with Blu

[swo17]

What was the timecode where Deer Hunter had issues for you?

Also, if you're referring to the Criterion BD of Mulholland Dr, it can certainly be improved upon (as StudioCanal did in the UK). We'll see if the Criterion UHD fixes the compression issues, or if not, presumably the SC UHD will be the way to go

[B....]

DOUBLE EDITED POST, for the purpose of clarification.
I'm set up for 4K but have some 4K discs that are less than desirable, relative to the BD copy that is included in the standard combo - by far. On the other hand there are some 4K discs that are exemplary. For a few $ more than the regular BD, I am willing to toss the coin w/a combo, given the good ones. Sometimes I think that HDR of 4K is an aspect of marketing that is seldom monitored in manufacturing. 4K should never be the inferior product that I have experienced. I'm sure Criterion would prove to be a reliable 4K/UHD benchmark.

When I filled out the poll (blu-ray purchases only) I had a completely different attitude than I do now. My thought was: "Here we go again." I have spent the last 11 years replacing my voluminous DVD collection with blu-rays when they were made available. Now, as I am a somewhat obsessive collector, I would have to do the same for UHD. That prospect makes me weary.

The reality is I will probably get an 4K TV and player within the next six months, will purchase 4K releases from Criterion and other studios when available, but won't be hell bent on replacing the blu-rays I already own.

A question for those already initiated into the format...

When I made the switch from an SD to an HD TV in 2010, I was soon to learn that a DVD displayed on an HD TV had a picture that ranged from crap to ultracrap. It was clear that I was getting considerably less visual information that with the blu-ray counterpart. My question is: how do Blu-rays look on 4K UHD TVs? I keep reading that they look better than on standard HD TVs, but I'm afraid there will be something akin to the loss of picture I had experienced with DVDs played on an SD TV.

I have a Sony HD TV w/4K panel that's a couple years old. I have a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K player & would recommend you try to find one! It's a bargain & should be considered above the higher priced edition. It has an inherent quirk of needing a double startup most times (others agree but deal with it because of the upside) The upscaled resulting picture is above average for standard BD & I've had good results with DVD as well but not to the superior extent of BD. I think the diminishing returns of something "better" is a waste unless you go with "all out". This unit will be quick to point out variation in the quality of discs. All you can ask for IMO. That's what makes a good player. It brings out the best in the disc & improves by far what seems mundane in less quality on a regular BD player. I am so impressed with Blu Ray upscaling that I'm upgrading most of my best DVDs to Blu Ray. I've noticed that with 4K /BD combos, the standard BD VQ is even preferable to the (4K if it's HDR) is overdone on some titles. The Criterion UHD titles I have are all exemplary on this player. I have had no issues other than the startup which is only a minor inconvenience relative to what I've heard about many players. A safe choice. I level mine on a foundation of a few clean bricks for absolute stability. Nice visual touch as well. 😀

EDIT: With 4K player/TV, it is essential to interconnect with HDMI cable. NOTE: You should be sure to check that your TV's HDMI setting is set to ENHANCED rather than standard. Enhanced is a higher bandwidth for HDR and Dolby Vision content. I use "Monoprice" brand. No need to go with overpriced cable.
I will also mention that with the resulting jump in video quality, I have found it necessary to fine tune the TV's picture adjustments for disc playing. There's a bit of a learning curve so don't become discouraged. A little goes a long way with any of the adjustments.(EX: within the "brightness" category, there is a "gamma" setting which I like to back off (less) ever so slightly - resulting in something akin to better blu ray disc HDR). I have a couple of presets for disc. My TV remembers the settings for both disc & TV programming. Wishing you all the best.
IF you are like me & use quality headphones for late evening viewing & your residence/apartment precludes a full blown sound system, I can run you through my setup to maximize audio quality if you wish.

[Finch]

So, since deciding to upgrade to 4k (TV & player next summer, buying some discs now), I'm facing the dilemma of buying Criterion Blu-Rays that are from a 4k restoration of which there is a not insubstantial amount and then a UHD upgrade comes down the pipeline. I kinda wish Criterion would let us know which discs are going to get the 4k treatment in 2022 but that's a pipe dream (after all, it's not their problem if I buy a Blu-ray with a 4k restoration and they then announce a UHD disc a few months later). I guess, some titles are more likely to get the 4k upgrade than others, but I'd prefer not to get burned too often. Anyone else hesitating to buy those BDs sourced from 4k now?

[swo17]

4K source doesn't guarantee a title will be profitable enough to merit a 4K release any time soon. I guess I'd avoid any giant tentpole titles for the time being if that's your concern. I feel like Roma, The Irishman, and The Seventh Seal have to be top priorities, though it could also have to do with when the current print runs sell out

[dwk]

I think Paramount titles and Fox titles are likely safe buys. Sony titles too, but the risk with those is that Sony will release them themselves.

[Finch]

I was thinking the likes of Nightmare Alley and The Gunfighter are actually priorities for me because they are Fox titles and who knows how much longer Disney lets anyone else have their properties. I certainly feel safer buying something like The Baker's Wife now but with Warner licences I'm not so sure. That said, they don't seem to be in a hurry to upgrade their catalogue unless it's Kubrick or the biggest canon titles (Wizard of Oz) and Warner Archive are only now getting to Fury for standard HD (with I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang and many others still waiting).

[hearthesilence]

4K source doesn't guarantee a title will be profitable enough to merit a 4K release any time soon. I guess I'd avoid any giant tentpole titles for the time being if that's your concern. I feel like Roma, The Irishman, and The Seventh Seal have to be top priorities, though it could also have to do with when the current print runs sell out

I really hope they do The Irishman simply because the BD encode sucks - it wouldn't surprise me if Netflix's stream looks better. UHD or no UHD, there's no way I'd buy the BD.

[Johnny8204]

I have to decide if I want to get my 4K player fixed (it died in less than a year). As for the switchover for Criterion it's tricky because most of the releases aren't really titles that you need to see in 4K. For me I normally buy French New Wave and Film Noirs...and Criterion has been pretty slow to pump those out in recent years.

[Johnny8204]

My 4K player died after a year so I'm going to wait till the technology gets better and cheaper before purchasing another one. As for my Criterion purchasing habits...they've tapered off over the years due to the quality of the selections. African American cinema just doesn't really interest me very much, certainly not enough to own. Frankly I miss the French New Wave, Noirs, and Genre works

[MitchPerrywinkle]

I'm going to be more selective about buying films in their catalog going forward if they tout a 4K restoration but haven't received a UHD disc (I'm attempting to double-dip as little as possible in these financially difficult times). However, I do plan on buying certain boxsets that I'll actively integrate into my teaching (going to buy the Small Axe set just for Lovers Rock alone, but the package seems like a great primer on the historical context that I have little doubt will enrich the viewing experience of my students).

[bfaison]

What are you guys doing to offload your blu-rays that are now UHDs? I have them all and they are not moving on eBay. I'm probably going to just take the loss and donate them to the library because if I lower the price any more I'll end up losing some, but I've never had this problem with Criterions in terms of not holding any sort of value. Its made me stop buying blu-rays altogether because double dipping at ~$30+ is just too costly, and now I have doubles of films on the shelves I can't get rid of. In the DVD to BD era I was always able to recoup a few bucks on each title but it seems those days are gone. I wish I could find a forum of people who are adamantly against 4K and would buy my BD sets at a hefty discount

[JSC]

Companies like Decluttr and EagleSaver will probably buy your Criterions. Depending on
the title you won't necessarily get much but they do pay for shipping costs, which is nice.
I tend to save a bunch of DVDs and Blu-rays that I want to sell off and then ship them off
together through one of those places. As for Ebay, I would try selling things as a lot rather
than individual titles (they tend to move more quickly that way).

[bfaison]

Companies like Decluttr and EagleSaver will probably buy your Criterions. Depending on
the title you won't necessarily get much but they do pay for shipping costs, which is nice.
I tend to save a bunch of DVDs and Blu-rays that I want to sell off and then ship them off
together through one of those places. As for Ebay, I would try selling things as a lot rather
than individual titles (they tend to move more quickly that way).

Thanks for the heads up, they only offered me around $2 per disc so I'm just going to give them to my local library.

[therewillbeblus]

I've just been giving most of them away to friends and family who haven't upgraded to 4K (and likely don't know what a "UHD" is) as a way to introduce them to good films or if I know they like a movie I now have two of. Otherwise, yeah, try to post a listing online with a bunch in bulk to see if it catches. I'm also personally rationalizing asking for around half of what I paid as a casualty of choosing to upgrade formats, which helps

[tenia]

I've tried to sell movies (that I upgraded) to members on forums and it was so much more trouble than money back that I quickly started giving whatever made sense to my local cinemathèque (especially since 'm not trying to sell that for costs but rather to clear out some space). They were quite happy to upgrade some VHS straight to Blu-ray ! (And since I volunteered there for some months to inventory and order their archives, I knew how to do so for whatever I brought so it was all the easier for them "You know what to do and where to store them already !")