LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY 4K ULTRAHD BLU-RAY REVIEW | THE BEST 4K MOVIES OF 2020?

[@JeffRauseo]

***Quick note - due to some editing I did, the part about special features left out the fact that this set doesn’t have them, only the Middle Earth collection will. This is just the movies and extended editions.***

[@leighhaynes]

Yeah, I can see what happened now. Does end up being rather misleading as it stands.

[@JeffRauseo]

@@leighhaynes yup that’s on me. Didn’t realize I cut that part out. Apologies

[@leohaddad9225]

I want to buy the lord of the rings collection but I’m worried I will miss out on these fantastic steelbooks. I guess I can’t have everything thou. I’m going to wait for the middle earth collection

[@leighhaynes]

@@leohaddad9225 The Middle Earth collection will mostly repeat the extras which have been released previously. The Costa Botes docs were only shot in SD so not much can be done with them. There is a rumour that each film with get one new piece of bonus material.

[@leohaddad9225]

@@leighhaynes I never actually got the lord of the rings on physical ever. Never owned the movies. So it’s ok if they repeat the special features. Btw I wish they had a massive 4k box set for Harry Potter

[@zate251]

Nine Discs were given to the race of men, who above all else, desired quality.

[@thefilmrookie3099]

Nice

[@RavageReeves]

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone who grubbied them up with their dwarven ale and dick cheese

[@harveybaxter9086]

*exhales*

[@tazmanceltic]

Lol you win sir

[@ectobluntus]

A chance for Disc, captain of formats, to show his quality

[@chrism95]

Lotr is the second best trilogy of all time surpassed only by lotr extended edition

[@ismaelrosa8091]

I got them on apple tv

[@thefilmrookie3099]

I dunno, I prefer the theatrical.

[@chrism95]

@@thefilmrookie3099 really? Whys that? There are a lot of inconsistencies in the theatrical that bother me, not that the extended is perfect but at least better (imo)

[@Rapunzel879]

I'm a huge LOTR fan, and I didn't care for the extended at all. It was drawn out, tiresome, and completely screwed with pace of the theatrical

[@crabkingjake6190]

@@Rapunzel879 if you’ve read the Silmarillion it’s really fun watching the extended editions with all the references put in

[@Vagabond824]

Once you go extended lotr you never go back.

[@travisspazz1624]

I'm in the vast minority of thinking the theatrical versions are better. I think it just flows a much nicer.

[@mnorth1351]

@couldn't think of a username I would say the reverse. The fellowship does not add a great deal in the extended edition. The two towers adds some very crucial scenes with Faramir, crucial for his character - they should not have been cut in my opinion. And there's some extra nice stuff too. And the return of the King adds almost an hour of scenes, including actually showing the conclusion of Saruman, which again, should not have been cut. So I suppose if the goal is a very short movie, the fellowship extended might be the best, but I would say the other two gain more from the extended versions.

[@killer92173]

Unless you're a die hard collector like I am, and feel like you must own EVERY format of LOTR. lol

[@logandesris6841]

I actually started with the extended. I've never seen the theatrical. And I'm okay with that lol. It's my favorite trilogy and I watch it at least once every year.

[@colt5189]

I've only ever seen the extended version since they were in theaters. Though I've found this trilogy has gotten to be a real slog to get through after having watched it so many times over the years. And every time the movie feels like it's starting to drag, I can tell it's always in one of those extended scenes. And so I may look at the theatrical version.

[@scottbattles4944]

I don't always watch "Lord Of The Rings" but when I do .....so do my neighbors.

[@themaker2475]

I don’t get it....

[@mikeyxgee]

@@themaker2475 only way to watch this movie is LLLLLLOOOOOUUUUUDDDDDDD, to the point your neighbors hear it

[@obineke]

Lol this guy gets it lol! My surround sound on max

[@zechariahhall97]

My only issue with the 4K versions is that the editing team removed the film grain and made the films look more digital. Which makes for a lot more issues, it makes the effects stick out a lot more because that clean 4K image without the grain just doesn’t blend with the effects from that time. The HDR is incredible, but I still prefer the Blu-ray’s because the grain issue.

[@XenomorphLV426]

Wonder why he didn't mention this

[@kabirh3626]

100% true

[@42crazyguy]

​@@XenomorphLV426 he's a shill

[@thelastmelon9446]

I own both 4K and standard Blu-ray and I like both. The grain never bothered me but the clean looks on 4K is also nice and gives the movies a fresh feel. Idk I guess I like having the choice

[@Onotosho]

They're lord of the rings. That alone made me place a order right away. I love this series more than star wars. So stoked to watch in 4k

[@darrenblizzard3851]

Well especially these days given Star Wars is essentially a nerfed franchise.... Well we can always go back and watch Empire in 4k (though sadly Disney couldn't even get that right!). Thankfully Warner and Peter Jackson scored a TD!

[@bighands69]

Both Star Wars and LOTR are magical movie experiences. I do not think one is better than the other.

[@sean7332]

@@bighands69 they shouldn't be compared as couldn't be more different both are great

[@paulallen8109]

@@bighands69 It's a matter of taste. To be fair the "acting" in the original Star Wars trilogy (and the prequel trilogy for that mater) ranged from bad to embarrassing. Let's just say that George Lucas can't really write compelling dialogue with layers. Star Wars is ultimately Lucas's tribute to the serials of the 30's and 40's he watched as a kid. He just made big-budget versions with incredible (for the time) special effects. As stories however they shouldn't be taken seriously and just seen as a "space sage/light entertainment".

[@Rapunzel879]

But one it absolutely is: LOTR.

[@TheBellPepperBeef]

“How faithful they are to the books” *Tom Bombadil will remember that*

[@MoneyMaker4545]

Lol cutting him was such a wise decision. Would have confused the hell out of the audience.

[@Dark_Jaguar]

Sorry Tom. You're a great addition to the medium of books but had to be cut for the medium LOTR was being adapted to. If it helps, let's just say Peter Jackson is Tom.

[@Justusson]

Who was he?

[@Karstenbiering]

@@Justusson Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow! Bright Blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow!

[@tonygledhill3654]

“Gets a little grainy on the original Blu-ray” Laughs in VHS copies

[@EpicB787Animations]

They put the theatrical edition, and someone said, "What about Lord of the Rings?" "You already have it." "We have one, yes. What about SECOND Lord of the Rings?" BOOM! 4K Extended.

[@w4tkn]

Well done

[@thehunter7422]

" I don't think he knows about Second Lord of the Rings Pippin " 😁 lol

[@mives02]

We're pretty close to "Elevensies" aren't we? OG Theatrical DVD + OG Extended DVD + Blu- Ray for both, that's a lot of hobbits.

[@guyr3618]

The lack of grain is a problem, not a virtue.

[@EntertainingRunner-vd3bn]

There must be some tools online that can add grain to any video

[@wesfishcare]

Restored by Weta Digital. Supervised by Peter Jackson. Warner only distributes. BIG detail to note. Weta is THE powerhouse behind every aspect of these films. The CGI blends well with the live action because this new 4K scan was done on the filmout negative. The CGI was given film grain when it was printed to film, melding live action and CG.

[@ChrisPeteG]

And going by the review on The Digital Bits...it seems that the brand new 4K HDR Color Grading was utilized to blend the CGI into the live action EVEN MORE than ever before, beyond just the matching film grain...the fine details of the color and contrast too. You would be surprised how often the 'color grade' of a CGI effect within a scene is the make-or-break on it looking real or not. Most CGI effects look 'real enough', but the biggest tells is when they don't look lit/colored properly to be fully integrated into the live action shot around them, they don't look properly part of their 'world'. That isn't something typically decided by JUST the CGI model and the quality of the render, but by all of the fine-tuning of the color grade and everything that goes with it. As soon as I heard "Brande new 4K DI with new HDR color grading"....I knew that even without altering/upgrading the CGI effects themselves....that every VFX shot in the films would just be kicked up a few notches in terms of overall integration into the live action.

[@bighands69]

So did they take the digital scenes and transfer them to 35mm film and then back again?

[@wesfishcare]

@@bighands69 yes 2K digital --> 35 mm --> 4K digital

[@adriannn3720]

Isn't LotR a 2K upscale in this case?

[@wesfishcare]

@@adriannn3720 lot of debate around this. I'm no expert, just regurgitating what I've read online. My best guess is that it's somewhere between 2K and 4K

[@JohnnyBRad]

Watching Ride of the Rohirrim on 4K was truly one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced. It brought me back to seeing it for the first time in theaters. Shook my entire house and brought a tear to my eye

[@MegaMetallicaMASTER]

The lord of the rings trilogy is incredible, everything is just perfect. The Cast, the score , the locations, the design choices just EVERYTHING. Can’t wait for this release!

[@ttfidrat]

Perfect? Have you even read the books?

[@MegaMetallicaMASTER]

@@ttfidrat multiple times through but as far as movies go , imagine the movies we could have got had they been made at a different time by someone else

[@conradallen9864]

@@ttfidrat Can you live without trolling? Have a positive mind for heavens sake.

[@rainisneat]

They're great movies and I'm super nostalgic about them (30+ years old so I was a kid when they came out at the cinema). But if you're an avid LotR fan, they're also far from "perfect". They miss out on a lot of what makes LotR special in the first place, like Tolkien's vivid depictions of nature. The journey through Woodhall to Crick Hollow and onwards to Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest is the best part of the entire book, but it's barely even in the movies.

[@MegaMetallicaMASTER]

@@rainisneat I love that stuff but I also understand the limitations of the movie medium , the fact that Hollywood gave Peter 3 movies to make this story in is a miracle enough, cuts had to be made I suppose

[@TheJoshkc662]

The DNR is so distracting for me I might need to downgrade back to the Blu-ray. The digital effects also stand out way more.

[@James_Mansbridge]

The DNR is honestly a dealbreaker for me. Such a shame for what could have been a perfect release.

[@ntmetroid]

I am more excited for this than i was for the ps5 release

[@newandroid14]

I'm the same with my Series X. I've been waiting for this boxset for sooo long 😁

[@brucecarter6205]

Gotta give Sony and Microsoft props. The fact that they managed to create such a frenzy of excitement without any games is crazy.

[@thelegit969]

It doesnt have Dolby vision tho

[@thelegit969]

@@newandroid14 oh shoot, I meant the ps5

[@newandroid14]

@@thelegit969 ahh... that's a shame. Tbh even the Blu-ray player on the Series X doesn't support Dolby Vision. I use my 4K Blu-ray player for playback (Panasonic UB820... amazing player) 😁

[@Leg0456]

Fellowship of the Ring is one of my favorite movies ever!

[@Chelios__]

yep, the best one in the trilogy hands down imo

[@darrenblizzard3851]

Agree.. it is my favourite of the books and also for me the film adaptation of Fellowship is the closest one to the book IMHO....

[@camel40420]

It's the only one that doesn't make me need rage hard at changes that didn't need to be made.

[@a-lexanderluthor1334]

@@Chelios__ I tend to agree hard to beat the first film such a masterpiece and sets up the story perfectly. Although the Return of the King in terms of sheer epicenes may take the cake either way LOTR is the best trilogy ever it wont be beaten.

[@Leg0456]

@quikgamer I wish I saw the trilogy in theaters but I was only a baby when fellowship came out

[@Insane247714]

I'ma watch these with my GF. If she doesn't like them, I'm breaking up with her.

[@rosstee]

She's never seen them? How old is she?!

[@Insane247714]

@@rosstee shes 30 and has never seen them. like i said...if she dosent like them she can go to hell LOL

[@rosstee]

@@Insane247714 Slightly older than Jeff! Lol, yes if she somehow doesn't like these incredible films you would be left with no option...

[@ChrisPeteG]

When Return of the King ended and the first thing my girlfriend said was "Okay, so why did Frodo have to leave?"...I knew that we were not destined to be together.

[@thanosthelord5594]

Don't fall into cultish behavior for a movie lol. A really good set of movies but still separate from real life.

[@gsogymrat]

I was excited before but now I'm really psyched. I just put together my Dolby Atmos system a couple of weeks ago and LOTR is why I put holes in my ceiling.

[@JeffRauseo]

Those holes will be worth it

[@irish7460]

Awesome, congratz. I recommend giving Godzilla King of the Monsters and the 2 Bladerunner movies a whirl. Those are great atmos movies. Blackhawk down is also a thrill.

[@Brendy733]

The extended versions are the real versions to watch. It’s just crazy to me that I watched the movies growing up and the first time that I watch the extended versions were when I bought the Blu-ray box set when it came out several years ago. I didn’t really expect much of the extended I thought that they would’ve just added a few scenes I had no idea that they added like dang near 40 minutes to each movie.

[@yeahiagree1070]

No the theatrical versions are quite literally the "real" versions, and Peter Jackson agrees. The filmmakers spent years of their life flawlessly editing the scenes together into a perfect example of cinematic pacing. The extended editions crap all over it, all of those 40 minutes where cut for good reason. Almost all of the new scenes are narratively pointless, often they conflict with the atmosphere of what has come before or after and some of them are actually BAD. You need to hear Gimli taking about an orcs "nervous system" ?? You think that's a good line and not jarring at all? You think we need a scene on what Eowyns stew tastes like? Or Gandalf brainlessly illuminating a canyon of Mithril in Moria, 5 seconds after saying they would have to remain in darkness.

[@zechariahhall97]

The Theatricals are indeed the better films. They are the films that won Oscar’s, and absolutely what I recommend for first time viewers. However, while the Extended editions are flawed in terms of pacing etc, that are some really great additions that really do a lot of world building and you just get to spend more time with these characters which to a lot of people makes these editions the preferred, which I understand. And while I have some gripes with the extended editions it’s the only way I can really watch these films. I heard someone put it like this: the theatricals are a perfect cinematic experience, while the extended’s are an incredible journey. Just depends which one you want to have. I think a cut of something somewhere in the middle would be nice, but that’s my opinion.

[@yeahiagree1070]

@@zechariahhall97 the extended versions have bad scenes, the real versions do not. it's not very complicated.

[@zechariahhall97]

I’d say yes they do have some bad scenes, but also some really great ones in my opinion. It’s a more flawed experience but there’s also some good stuff you’re missing out on. The depth you get with Boromir and Faramir, the additional scenes between the fellowship, the additional moments in hobbiton, the action scenes have more time to breath (the elephant sequence in the extended is mind blowing), the death of Saurmon, and on and on. There’s great stuff. But on the other hand everything with the army of the dead that’s extended is pretty bad, as well as the mouth of Sauron. I’m 50/50 on that. The effects weren’t finished to put out in that state.

[@yeahiagree1070]

@@zechariahhall97 extended fellowship is still a good movie, but the extra scenes actually ruin two towers and return of the king. the whole epic tone is crapped on with pathetic cringe jokes

[@gregsmith9183]

Nice collection. Good to see they included both the theatrical and extended editions. Extended being split across 2 discs so no compromise in quality. Having no extras means most will be keeping the 15 disc blu-ray extended sets for the audio commentaries and extras. Even if most of them are only on DVD.

[@NYC_Goody]

I was watching another review talking about how scrubbing out the grain you're actually losing detail. And that that's also a big indicator of dnr going on due to lack of grain. Seriously, who likes dnr? It's a bummer that this set has it. He also was showcasing screengrabs comparing the blu ray to the 4k set. Several of the 4k screenshots just looked wax like and some details even lost like the tip of Gandalf's staff completely missing in one of the scenes. He also pointed out that there's evidence that it's not a direct 4k copy from the original film. They simply kept saying it's a 4k restoration which is open to interpretation.

[@AudioEpics]

Yeah, there seem to be different reviews. Doesn't the eventual experience depend a lot on your television, DVD player / console and sound equipment too? Screen shots will never show you the exact experience you will have at home...

[@Wooki3]

@@AudioEpics Yes but in these screenshots you can tell the difference between bd and 4k and they removed grain, changed coloring of certain scenes and the missing detalis between the two are striking. Also the cgi and miniatures stand out a lot to the point of being distracting

[@Chadceeka]

2K transfer. 4K restoration can mean anything. It would cost too much and take too much time to do a 4K scan. All the post processing effects would have to be redone from scratch

[@Nintendoguy19]

Hey man. I know I’m coming to the party late on this. I watch your reviews and for the most part I feel you do a good job on them. On these I have to disagree whole heartedly. These transfers are nowhere near as good as they should be. Their is no grain because they overused DNR to scrub it from the film. Fine detail suffers severely in landscape shots and in some scenes characters look very waxy. The use of DNR in the TTT and RoTK is very aggressive and it leads to soft shots outside of closeups and even some artifacts here and there. These are better than the blu rays for sure just due to color timing. But they are by no means excellent 4K discs in my opinion. These movies deserved much better treatment. It’s like the wanted to give LoTR movies a digital look to match up better with the Hobbit movies. It’s unfortunate that this was not mentioned in your view as it’s plain as day visible to me and it’s a problem for the release as some others have pointed out.

[@mikmo8597]

I just purchased the set myself and noticed this from the beginning. The soft, waxy look of most facial shots stands out like a sore thumb. Thank goodness I got this at a huge discount because it is definitely not worth paying full price.

[@MT-eb2dx]

This opinion is regarded as true. Why would you erase the grain, it doesn't make sense. I will have to review it myself but from the screenshot comparison it doesn't look good.. but it may still be a great experience due to great sound and the fact that Dolby vision is great.

[@jessehernandez9149]

Ordered the steel book versions from Best Buy, super stoked to finally check these out in 4K‼️ Thanks for your early review Jeff !

[@CorneliusCollection]

Oh yeah! I’ll probably be doing a video on them as well! Come check it out!

[@CoinOpTV]

got the steelbook set on pre-order from best buy - expensive month for collectors!

[@Gamerlordpro]

It wasnt availabel in my country... Im so pissed

[@mr.rapter4517]

I'm waiting for them to be available on the UK Amazon but as somebody who doesn't live in the UK, I can't ever tell whether they're just not available to be exported or not available at all. For me it just shows it's not available for pre-order yet with no price set either. Hopefully it'll get sorted out soon, ordered normal versions locally but I keep refreshing the Amazon listing for the steelbooks daily, lol.

[@Gamerlordpro]

@@mr.rapter4517 Some shop in my country seems to sell them when they release on the 3th and 17th of dezember. I pray for all fans to get the steelbook. The normal version looks kind of cheap to be honest. It would be nice so see what the 2021 bundle looks like...

[@jinxykatt]

Mine is arriving tomorrow, the money came out for it about an hour ago from amazon. The amazon exclusive back to the future is coming in a week, and tremours on I think the 19th. And cyberpunk on the 10th and tenet on the 14th I think lol and at the start of the month my MCU 4k set came. Very fucking expensive few months for me.

[@salmark9080]

i got john wick but wasn't able to get that or matrix trilogy steelbook damn

[@allicafilms2467]

My dude that was one of the best reviews I have seen on KZbin. Im a huge collector of 4K films & probably have close to 100 of them & while I definitely have my favourites, You absolutely sold me on this ☺️ Will definitely be picking this one up.

[@zanfear]

For the purists out there though, I read a lot of complaints that DNR got rid of the film grain and some of the detail. And that by making these films look like The Hobbit trilogy, a lot of the film magic is gone.

[@DavidSmith-xe7nc]

Supposedly they upgraded all the CGI to 4k that's why it doesn't look terrible

[@hardnine]

Surely the revier would not not if they have been changed as he says hes such a fan

[@nielsostman]

They did 4k scans of the VFX from the film, so they did not re-render it. Just scanned it in 4k. Should still look great though.

[@ChrisPeteG]

Not exactly. They didn't alter any of the CGI or do any upgrading....but they did go back as far into the process as possible, to find the earliest 'finished' material for the CGI, and they re-scanned THAT in 4K in order to have the highest quality source possible. They re-scanned all of the original footage and all of the original VFX shots in 4K, created a new 4K Digital Intermediate, and completely re-did the color grading in HDR 4K. They basically 're-finished' the movies after going back to the original material. Many 4K Discs just take whatever 'master' the original film currently exists in, whether it be a 35mm negative or for most modern films, a 2K master....and just do a 4K scan/upscale/upsample of it onto a 4K disc. For example, Endgame was finished as a 2K master. The 4K disc presentation is just that 2K master upsampled to 4K. It looks really good, but is not "True 4K" so to speak. Sonic was finished as a 4K master. The CGI within it was only rendered at 2K, but the final mastering of the film was done at 4K. By doing what they did with Lord of the Rings....re-finishing the movies in 4K resolution....it takes a 20 year old trilogy and puts it on a completely modern playing field in terms of the visual and audio presentation. Took a LONG time and plenty of money, but it literally results in the greatest trilogy of all time looking and sounding better than it ever has(and better than many modern films) for the next generation.

[@hardnine]

@@ChrisPeteG i was with you till the end and you remark about greatest trilogy of all time lol..first part a masterpiece but 2 and 3 dont come anywhere close..some of the worse cgi ever

[@sjeunson1]

All shot and produced to 35mm film. Resolution is greater than measly 4K.

[@TheKibbles2005]

I was so nervous to click on this thumbnail but so relieved!!! I can’t freaking wait to see these!!

[@xGaLoSx]

When I heard Peter was overseeing everything, I knew we would get the best.

[@sneakyp1484]

Oh grow up!

[@xGaLoSx]

@@sneakyp1484 grow up? What did he say that was childish?

[@ivanisization]

Uve allrdy seen the films 19 years ago

[@johnking7747]

This video feels insane to me, considering this was the only review I watched before my set came in my expectations were high, I was imagining a Lawrence of Arabia quality transfer, only to be completely confused after watching them. How come you didn't mention all the DNR, the fact that it's likely a 2k upscale, the digital artifacts? I would imagine that stuff would put you off but you couldn't find anything to complain about, as you said. Just curious, I rewatched this video after finishing the set and to say this is the best 4k blu-ray actually made me laugh, what gives? I get that you're a fan and all that but people put a lot of trust in your opinion. I love the videos btw, not a lot of good 4k br channels out there. You personally sold me on the Columbia classics set, usually it's reddit that does that and not youtube.

[@kappy0405]

This is definitely not a 2K upscale.

[@AusnahmeSchoen]

i came back here because of the same reason and wondering if someone has the same question like you. I watched this "review" a couple of weeks back and told my self to buy the two boxes. But then i did a bit of research and "Films at Home" is telling smth totally different then everybody else. LoR is 85% rubbish in the 4k version. No need for an upgrade from 1080p BluRays

[@NYC_Goody]

@@kappy0405 kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2S9ZmurntyWg6c 5:30 says otherwise. This video also has screengrabs of how the 4k version looks like it loses some details and looks waxy. Seems like a informative video to me.

[@lcmotive]

Agreed. Him saying "the grain is there, but you just can't see it" screams heavy DNR.

[@barryaxani6955]

Hey Jeff did you happen to catch Boutique Blue Rays review of the the 4K LOTR. He has bit of a different take than you do. He says its not a 4K but 2K upscale and is full of DNR processing hence no grain plus some other things were scrubbed out as well. Whats your thoughts?

[@NYC_Goody]

@@mv28 So boutique has more of an informed insight to these things? His video definitely seemed to point out several flaws.

[@adriannn3720]

@@NYC_Goody IDK, Boutique seems like a nitpicker. Sure the lack of grain may be controversial, but it's not the end of the world. For LOTR, I think the smoother picture actually works pretty well. Except for that thing with Shadowfax's ear, I haven't noticed anything all that wrong with the image. Plus, I don't know why he doesn't take into account they may have scanned the negatives in 4K, and THEN smoothed it out.

[@NYC_Goody]

@@adriannn3720 I can't remember what he said and am too lazy to scan the video again but he showed and made a strong case showing that the lotr trilogy actually isn't a legitimate 4k transfer.

[@adriannn3720]

@@NYC_Goody He says that it's a 2K upscale, because a native 4K scan of the original film negative would have far more film grain. Which is fair, but then why wouldn't they have scanned in 4K, and THEN DNR-ed it? It's perfectly possible,

[@NYC_Goody]

@@adriannn3720 didn't he also show on imdb or something that it was confirmed an upscale?

[@ArthurDeaville]

As a lover of the films since they came out being around the same age as you, I only ever over the years watched the 2000s extended editions DVDs all this time. I never even upgraded to Blu Ray. Now I'm heavily considering finally upgrading to a 4k player just for these movies alone. I'm sure the upgrade from being used to seeing it on early 2000s DVD to this will be mind-blowing.

[@ChrisPeteG]

It will be absolutely mind-blowing. This is almost like a 3rd version of the films. Not George Lucas Special Edition type of alterations happening....but the process of going back to all of the original material and re-scanning it at 4K, re-finishing the films in 4K with brand new HDR color grading....it basically gives the films a completely modern and pristine 2020 post-production process. The Trilogy was originally finished with film-scanning and Digital Color Grading technology of 2001-2003. State of the art at the time, but woefully outdated by modern standards. This would have been like....if after the Trilogy was filmed and all of the CGI was done, they put everything in an archive and said "Wait until 2020 to finish everything else" and then the movies got to be finished with completely modern tech. Avengers: Endgame exists as a 2K master. It was completely finished at 2K resolution. The 4K Disc is an upsample of that 2K Master. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy being newly color graded and finished at 4K resolution means it now exists as a 4K master that is better than almost every major modern blockbuster. Every MCU movie, every Harry Potter movie....all of them are always finished as 2K masters. You would have to go to a Nolan movie to find modern films that will surpass the new standards that LOTR has been raised to with this brand new 4K master.

[@joshuastoll6808]

This is an amazing channel. Just got a ps5 and excited to started my 4K collection. I’ve had about 3 variations of lord of the rings from dvd, dvd+extended, extended blu ray box set and now the 4k is pre ordered and will be my first addition to the 4K collection. I’ve been binging a bunch of your videos and they’re really helping me understand the quality details! Keep up the great work!

[@rosstee]

Nice, and well done getting a PS5 early. Yeah blu-ray/4K discs really do have much higher AV quality than downloads/streams, enjoy collecting!

[@joshuastoll6808]

@@rosstee thanks. Just slowing adding in new titles for 4K that I think will look good. Got gladiator and parasite since I skipped the blu ray for some reason.

[@rosstee]

@@joshuastoll6808 Great choices.

[@Chelios__]

I'm glad I found your channel, you talk a lot about quality something I really appreciate

[@kevinschmitt4050]

December releases are going to be hard on my wallet

[@jasonedwards5363]

LOR, Hobbit, Total Recall, Leon the Professional, Tenet, Coming to America, and more.

[@alexf8148]

fyi, BT already has 4k version of Total Recall.

[@celion5798]

@@jasonedwards5363 chernobyl

[@MrPenguinboy90]

Akira

[@theoneders2056]

@@jasonedwards5363 what's new about Leon? I already own the 4k release, is there something new besides maybe a Steelbook?

[@NNUTTHOWZE2]

Since the extended are on 2 discs, does that mean they may even look slightly better than the theatrical since they can split it in half and put less compression on it?

[@n2darkness]

Soo looking forward to this! Would love to see a 3 way comparison between DVD, Blu-ray and UHD. As well as the green-blue tint issue with Fellowship extended Blu-ray and now the new transfer. Also would like to know how the use of HDR is besides some of the scenes being darker.

[@TheMowin]

Oh man, you were absolutely right about these. The picture is epic, the colors are natural, the details is crisp. I love the restoration of a natural color palette that was lost with stylistic tints of the BD extended editions. Sound is also a welcome upgrade. This was worth every cent.

[@adriannn3720]

Disagreed. It is shit, worse than the DVD. Wasted my money.

[@michaelmccarroll2698]

Kudos for being the first reviewer I've seen to get this content out!

[@cannikinn]

The 15 people who downvoted this video shall not pass

[@lavcra3]

They fell.

[@MrKasugano]

He is not honest in this video about 4K aspects of this collection, so its kind of biased in this review (fanboyish), people who tested it probably didn't liked it. Even I see that he used reference screens from 1080 BD in this video. That is an argument for a "dislike", from a perspective, don't you agree ?

[@matthewdavid9039]

Bought it and it was STUNNING! Doesn’t come with all the special features of the bluray extended addition box set so will be keeping that set.

[@davemccague222]

Another great review Jeff. Can’t wait to pick this up. I knew it would be something special as long as Jackson was on board. I’m with you on steel books. I’ve never really understood why people gravitate towards them. Difficult to store and Scratch magnets as well. Keep up the good work

[@sbashir9460]

Oh man I cannot wait to get these! I was 21 when this came out and I shed a tear in the cinema as it started as I was so excited haha. To hear that it's a new experience all over again, now I have reason to buy a 4K Player. I didn't get the BR versions I still have the extended DVDs. time to check the BF sales ! Great review, thanks!

[@Rosshobson]

I had these pre-ordered, then I cancelled it due to hearing there’s another set with more special features in summer ‘21. Though after hearing this review, screw it, I’ve pre-ordered it again! I can’t wait. I don’t need all the special features. As long I’ve the theatrical and extended, with a great picture quality and sound - then that’s good enough.

[@Sactown15]

Im holding on to the old Blu-Rays because the Appendixes are something special even though they're on DVDs.

[@sb6482]

the special features wont be upgraded in quality- likely to still be standard definition. so if you have those extra discs already id say its fine to pick up just the 4k movies

[@renzonovara2728]

Lol I did the same thing...now I’m thinking if I want to have these in the steel book package or wait for the “Middle Earth” Collection next year...

[@AlmightyS0sa]

Yeahhhh!!! Awesome, I've been waiting for the day you made a video on this release! Thanks again. Watching it now.

[@DaleFrewaldt]

That case is T H I C C I'm so excited for this review. This is the set that'll convince me to finally FINALLY make the leap to 4K.

[@1983Dave1983]

Thicc?

[@tracebearly]

Pre-ordered, in time for Christmas. My son will be thrilled that I've purchased this set. I watched all three films in the theater with his dad, just before our son was born, and before we divorced. Today, they are just about Jack's favorite films, having become a serious Tolkien fan 🙂. Thank you for the review, Jeff, and many "Happy Holidays" to you and yours! 🦃🎄

[@Celestialrob]

You’re crushing it - 51k already 😂. Happy Thanksgiving

[@keithnmoore2]

I just picked up the package with both trilogies today, Fellowship is the oldest and the first one I started watching, it looks like it was released recently. The transfer is unbelievable🤯. This is in the conversation of best atmos mixes I’ve ever heard.

[@ElliotCoen]

Oh I'm SO excited for this release.

[@valerieyoder]

Just watched your minimalism video. ☺️

[@ElliotCoen]

@@valerieyoder oh thank you so much :)

[@timothymathetes]

@@ElliotCoen So did I

[@TrailingThePages]

This is the review I've been most excited to see you upload all year! I haven't placed my preorder in because I wanted to see if it got your seal of approval, and now I'm happy to throw the 90 bucks at this. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

[@aaronproctor1736]

Just got a 4K OLED, Series X and a Doly Atmos surround sound system... This might be my first buy.

[@tsohgallik]

Damn. .surround system too? Viewing party at your place

[@ravenzyblack]

Aaron Proctor- Do it. You can pre-order at Best Buy... $150 for 4K set or $120 for 4K steelbook set.

[@awesome9174]

Same. The Dolby Atmos really enhances the immersion.

[@SOADGOD]

Only down side is that the Series X doesn't support Dolby Vision. so your tv will end up using a different hdr type. If you still have a one x or one s. you're better off using that one.

[@frankiepavinato]

I have one of the first 4k TV set so it’s 4k SDR and a “basic” Atmos setup (5.1.2) but dude I’m so excited about this..the moment the steelbooks were available for preorder I immediately bought them and I was right since 48 hrs later they were all sold out... cant’wait for this to arrive in my mailbox!

[@leighhaynes]

@3:55 Loads of special features? I thought this release was movies only. Do you have that link for the details?

[@bigspeen3436]

Yeah these are just the movies, no special features

[@TSOWizard]

I'm also looking for the link that was mentioned in the video, and I'm not seeing it.

[@JSK95]

LOL goes to show how he doesn't even actually check thoroughly on these discs. It was reported that other "reviewers" received their copies today. No way one can give a thorough review on these in a matter of couple hours.

[@MrHandsomeStudios]

You know it's going to be good release when Films At Home tells you that "Your neighbors are going to be calling you and asking you if your house is okay because it's going to sound like there's explosions going off inside your house." 😂

[@chinchinabook]

The only film of this Trilogy that I would put above 2001 in terms of 4k video quality is Return of the King. The transfer is simply outstanding in every way and my favorite 4k presentation. I don't care if there is mild DNR in all three. Fellowship also looks fantastic and Two Towers looks Grade A despite some minor flaws.

[@mr.e5595]

I get Peter Jackson's stated desire to make all of the movies look like part of a cohesive whole. My instinct, then, would have been to apply a grain filter to the Hobbit series rather than take away the grain from LOTR! Why edit the good movies to fall more in line with the shitty ones? On top of it all, it seems that the process was automated. I saw another video in which DNR really messed up, and even left digital artifacts on the screen. Egregious shit too ended up on the screen, like the top of Gandalf's staff disappearing into the background in one shot, due to the automated process deciding it was digital noise to be scrubbed away! In that same shot, Shadowfax's ears create ghost artifacts in the background that remind me of video game glitches.

[@maximiliangockel]

You keep repeating it's a 35mm to 4k transfer which is clearly false. It's a 2k upscale with loads of DNR that ruins details. Even the tip of Gandalf's staff is missing due to DNR. Also, if you thought you could give your subs a nice workout, forget it. They got rid of the frequencies below 30 Hz. It's just ridiculously bad. That's what I would have loved to hear in a review, but this channel seems to be more about "wow this is so great and amazing".

[@lbzkBMF]

Because of this release I went over my head and bought a new TV, so I do hope they're worth it!

[@LILGHETTI]

I'm waiting until that special edition coming next summer! Love your detailed review!

[@thefonzkiss]

The original extended versions on DVD that came out mid 2000s were already on two discs each tubby.

[@gpauldejesus]

I got chills when you said this was better than 2001 and Joker, like holy shit im so unbelievably HYPED

[@CorneliusCollection]

Same! I’ll probably do a video on it as well!

[@emilyvilleneuve9315]

I finally got my first 4k tv (LG CX55) and UHD BP and your channel have been great help in deciding what to pick up. I've been a sub for a while and did prep by picking up some 4k titles over the last year. I was very excited to see you list BR 2049 as your number one 4k, since that was one of the first I planned to test with (Spider-verse is another)!

[@anunusualironiccircumstanc2246]

I’ve got this for Christmas from my parents, I’ve never watched the extended versions and I can’t wait to binge them within a week. I was never a fan of the hobbit movies so I’ll just keep my blu-rays for them.

[@bisalwayswright88]

Hah, pathetic. If you're going to binge them, binge them in a day ;)

[@ImmortalRimas]

My only critique would be the packaging I feel they could have been a bit more imaginative with the 4K box set similar to the Xenomorph Head & Phantasm Sphere sets. Maybe the one Ring or The Tower with the Eye of Sauron set could have been a cool limited edition 4K release?

[@thomasneufeld2035]

I know what you mean, but to be honest as someone who collects films I much prefer nice tight packaging over some big disc holding eye sore. They just store better and are far more practical

[@ThatReplicant]

Yeah the packaging is abysmal. It was my first thought after opening.

[@FilmGamerHUN]

They deleted that green grain at the extended editions so now we can see at last as it was in the cinemas!

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

Why put the green grain in the first place?

[@zaittsev]

Class!

[@scottyee707]

These movies came out when I was 16 and still managed to pull me into that golden age of childhood movies you speak of but it must have been so cool for people your age. Im jealous of that for sure.

[@4rcgv]

I remember seeing these in the movies. It was like watching a living dream in real time.

[@darrenblizzard3851]

As someone who had read the books several times in the years before these came out I was really worried they would ruin it in the adaptation. Up until then fantasy in film had rarely been taken seriously or captured the epic feel that such stories did in print form (with some exceptions such as the original Conan) and although interesting (and unfinished) the previous attempts at animated adaptations of Tolkien were not quite there. However the very moment the music kicked in 2001 watching Fellowship and the prologue begun I had goosebumps and was totally enthralled. And Sir Ian as Gandalf...I mean... Wow. He was EXACTLY as I'd imagined him from my readings of the books, as was Gimli. The others weren't far away either and the look and feel were spot on. Absolute masterpieces though I do recommend every fan of the film to also read the books as there is so much more there and I'd hate for the literary source material to get forgotten!

[@Fl0yd]

Best book adaptations EVER.

[@nattila7713]

@@darrenblizzard3851 same here. I don't quite liked fantasy but still read the books and enjoyed them very much. Then I had my doubts in the cinema... up until the 2nd minute or so :D Excellent adaptation, I saw and heard exactly what I only imagined before.

[@ChrisPeteG]

The reason THESE 4Ks look so good is because they went back to all of the original material and created brand new 4K Digital Intermediates. The original trilogy was finished with film scanning and color grading tech of the time.....these 4K discs went back to all of the original footage, and all original VFX shots....and re-scanned it all in 4K and did a top-to-bottom brand new 4K Digital Intermediate with brand new HDR color grading and brand new Dolby Atmos sound mix. So...this is a new 4K MASTER....movies like Avengers Endgame get finished as 2K masters and upsampled for their 4K discs. These films have basically been 're-finished' as 4K masters....something most modern films don't even get treated to.

[@Gregforeli]

I watch the trilogy once a year. When I heard these were coming to 4k a few weeks ago, i decided it's time to start rebuilding my hard copy collection for films. The bluray trilogy are the only films I have on display next to my tv. Everything else is hidden away under the center. These are the first time I've been this excited about buying movies in a long time. And I've only been buying digital for the past several years. Anyone recommend any good 4k players besides consoles?

[@theemulationportal]

Panasonic DP-UB820EB-K , if you're looking for something slightly less expensive then the Sony UBP-X700/Panasonic DP-UB450EB-K is a good choice to. If you have the spare 100 bucks lying about though I would go with the Panasonic DP-UB820EB-K.

[@evanractivand]

How is the colour grading compared to the 1080p Blu-ray discs? The Blu-rays have a green tint, very much want to know if this is improved on this release. Thanks!

[@wormo88]

Green tint issues have been resolved! Check out the forums at Bluray.com where reviewers address this.

[@evanractivand]

@@wormo88 Great! Bluray.com was down yesterday, hadn't yet again checked if it was back up

[@civilpython]

I read that they went back and remastered the CGI elements in 4K themselves, which is unheard of. Likely why everything looks so amazing.

[@ChrisPeteG]

I mean...yes but actually no. CGI at the time(and MOST CGI effects to this day unless you are someone like Nolan or Villeneuve) was rendered at a 2K resolution. So the footage was scanned in at 2K resolution, the CGI was added in, and then that image was printed back 'out' onto a piece of 35mm film. For the LOTR trilogy, "Digital Color Grading" was becoming very popular at the time. That was the method of, instead of finishing the color photo-chemically on film, all of the footage was scanned and they did the color grading digitally. LOTR was digitally scanned and color graded with the top tech of the time, but that tech is now outdated. If the versions of the films originally finished in 2001-2003 were just scanned/upscaled/upsampled to 4K....you would get a 4K disc looking something like Van Helsing. Clearly shot on film, but also clearly handled with a Digital Intermediate representative of early 00s tech. TO GET TO THE POINT - What they've done here, for all of the footage, CGI and non-CGI, they went back to the earliest source in the 'process' possible, the highest quality source. The CGI is still rendered at 2K, but they are going back to the original film it was printed on to maintain maximum quality. ALL of the original footage and original material has been freshly SCANNED in 4K. The CGI is still a 2K resolution(as is almost all CGI)...but that footage being scanned at 4K will maintain as much quality as possible. Then they created a 4K Digital Intermediate from the ground up. They re-did ALL of the digital color grading in HDR at 4K resolution. They took all of the original footage and VFX work, and re-colored and "re-finished" the films in full 4K HDR. To put this into perspective: The Lord of the Rings now exists as a pristine, state of the art 4K Master. Avengers: Endgame has only ever existed as a 2K master. The 4K Disc is an upsampled scan of that 2K master. The Lord of the Rings will look better on 4K disc than the top blockbuster released nearly 20 years later.

[@michaelwright9101]

I found myself getting giddy watching this. The second it was over, I preordered my copy from Best Buy. Thanks for the review!

[@paul8926]

I was waiting for the reviews, and wasn’t going to purchase the 4K version, because I already had the extended blu-ray box set. Now, you got me hooked line and seeker...purchased from Best Buy as quickly as I could...lol !

[@Rapunzel879]

1) The Two Towers 2) The Fellowship 3) The Return of the King My opinion.

[@BandanazX]

switching discs in the extended version seems like a mistake. quad layer and make it fit on a single disc.

[@SamLovesMovies25]

Did they fix the weird coloring issue that Fellowship had in the extended edition Blu ray?

[@tylermorningstar5054]

This was my first thought too. Hopefully we'll get an answer.

[@wormo88]

Reviewers on the Bluray.com forum confirm that these new masters do not have the green tint! Fantastic

[@tylermorningstar5054]

@@wormo88 Awesome! Happy to hear that!

[@SoapNugget]

Yes

[@ChrisPeteG]

Absolutely. The review in progress but up to read at thedigitalbits.com has also confirmed there is NO green tint or anything ugly in any of these presentations. This is the best that these films have ever looked or sounded, including their original theatrical presentations.

[@georgepatton8693]

Does the enhanced clarity and detail show some of the weaknesses of the old cgi? I watched a few trailers and some of the Pelanor Fields effects looked a bit iffy compared to the bluray and dvd which hid some imperfections.

[@ThatReplicant]

I compared scenes of gollum last night between bluray and 4k. 4k looks better with the upgrated color grading.

[@busht4169]

Already got my steelbook pre-ordered!

[@BlurayDan]

Great review, my dude!

[@jromins9155]

Damn, my wallet is going to hate me but I must have them on 4k and that steelbook set! Not so much with the hobbit lol. Thanks for the review!

[@goblinsandflagons]

I am so pleased to hear this review. I'm a little older than you are and my friends and I made a lifestyle from these films. Today I came across your review and teared up because one of my friends lost a battle with brain cancer yesterday and he would have loved to have seen these new upgraded transfers. Bittersweet, but thank you for this energetic review. I will purchase them on release.

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

can’t wait to get them and watch them on a projector remember seeing them in cinemas at age of 12 back in 2001 and great review as always Jeff

[@darrenblizzard3851]

Oh man another comment making me feel old lol....Aliens and Temple of Doom just came out when I was 12 😳

[@BlaBla-jj6sh]

12 years old, that's the perfect age to watch the trilogy for the first time. I showed these films to my son for the first time when he was twelve and also during the christmas holidays. I specifically told him he was now at the perfect age for this and it was the right time of the year. I think he got that message very well. One day he'll have a son of his own and do the same thing. And grandpa will be there to watch it with them.

[@Leg0456]

@@BlaBla-jj6sh that was the same age I was when I became a Lord of the Rings fan.

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

@@BlaBla-jj6sh I was 12 in 2001 now I’m 34 years old

[@ThriftyAV]

Not a grain hater... Filters that remove grain remove detail as well.

[@alexf8148]

native 4k. This CAN'T be missed. Just wish they had a 3d version out before.

[@avtechman77]

I got the 3D edition on the Hobbits

[@alexf8148]

@@avtechman77 so do I. But they never made one for LOTR.

[@AadilMoosa]

Duuude!! Super awesome! Can't wait for my set. All the way from Johannesburg, South Africa here and loving the content. Keep it up!

[@robertJ14]

Shooting on film looks so much better!

[@JLMCGLOTH]

EASY subscribe after this video. Thanks for the awesome review sir! I'm definitely considering that it's time to upgrade to 4k, just to enjoy this set.

[@vlcheish]

This movie is less than 20 years old and I this would be the 4th time buying the entire thing. I guarantee this will not be the last. I'm not sure what the next tech will be for this(could be some non-physical format in the future) but this is no way this is the last time we see this. This is why I don't keep large collections since I would always be replacing them every 10 years at least. With that said enjoy! Original Versions DVD Extended Versions DVD Extended Versions Bluray Original/Extended Versions UHD Bluray

[@AudioEpics]

If you'd end up on a desert island (with a working television and audio that is), this would be the only collection you needed. :-)

[@Speakup84]

Never seen a lord of rings movie before but I bought this and a sound bar with atmos. I’m about to test out my tv with this. Wish me luck!

[@williamdono]

"video games" Yes that two towers ps2 game was awesome I already have the BluRay extended box set so i might stay with them for a while... Edit: but I'll definitely save some money for this eventually, i was 4 when i saw the first one, and i have similar experience like you, godamn theses films a great

[@thelastmelon9446]

I always watch the extended but it is nice to also have the theatrical versions too for when i have less time to watch or watching with someone who doesn't want to sit through 4 hours of awesomeness

[@DeesNerds]

Painfully, we’re going to wait for the Middle Earth Collection. Great review!

[@dineshrashid2766]

That makes two of us buddy, I was planning to buy both versions just because I need these transfers now to heal all my 2020 wounds. But here in Australia The Lord of the Rings 4K Blu-ray cannot be bought because the demand is so high (which never happens). So now I wait for the Middle Earth collection, the next few months are going to be hard. 😔

[@DeesNerds]

@@dineshrashid2766 We'll get through it! One way or another. lol

[@dineshrashid2766]

@@DeesNerds We most certainly will, around 10 years ago when the lotr trilogy first came out on regular Blu-ray. I didn’t buy it because it was just the theatrical cuts with no special features. It took a year and a bit but I did wait for the extended versions on Blu-ray, and they not only came with all the appendices. But also a replica of the ring, so I never looked back. Also given that next year is the 20th anniversary of Fellowship of the Ring, I’m very hopeful the new special features included in the 4K 6 film middle earth set will be to die for.

[@DeesNerds]

Absolutely! Good things come to those who wait!

[@shawntaylor7442]

I don't know how many times I've watched these movies. I didn't buy the Blu-ray set, I was happy with the original faux books DVD set. So glad to hear they made these at such high quality

[@MuscleAL]

Thank you for the wonderful review! For me, LOTR is the best trilogy of all time!

[@vincevirtua]

Did they fix Gollum from the first film to look the same as the other films? Also are they hdr or Dolby Vision only? Finally are they Atmos only, or DTS?

[@IronWolf277]

Great Review, i might pick it up! Only got LOTR on DVD, never upgraded

[@rosstee]

You will see a huge difference!

[@w4tkn]

Exactly what Ross said, you are in for quite an experience

[@Ericuf]

Great video thanks! Does the collection digital code include extras or only the movies?

[@MajorFletch]

To me the film grain adds a nice effect like you’re watching something from the past

[@Thevinylhead]

Great review! Just hearing you got me goosebumps. Can't wait until I have the collection myself. Two (or even three) thumbs up to you!