The Hobbit Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Review | Nerd of the Rings

No matter how you feel about these films, there's no denying this is a reference quality release - the kind of films you put on to show off your home theater to your friends. In this video, I share my thoughts on the video & audio quality, what’s in the packaging, my perspective on the trilogy, and a final recommendation.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on 4K UHD: amzn.to/3lluDOa
The Hobbit Trilogy on 4K UHD: amzn.to/37h9CiB
View my Review of The Lord of the Rings on 4K UHD here: • The Lord of the Rings ...
**I can also confirm that the Digital Copies included are also the 4K versions - both Theatrical and Extended versions.
For a more detail regarding tech specs, I recommend Bill Hunt’s review at Digital Bits: thedigitalbits.com/item/hobbi...
If you’re a Middle-earth fan new to 4K, I recommend Cliff Broadway’s article at theonering.net: www.theonering.net/torwp/2020...
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies will release for the first time in 4K UHD on December 1, 2020. 4K Ultra HD showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering brighter, deeper, and more lifelike colors. The 4K remastering process was overseen by Peter Jackson.
In Summer 2021, a six-film “Middle-earth” Ultimate Collectors’ Edition with new Bonus Content will be released.
#TheHobbit #4KBluray #Middleearth4k

[@NerdoftheRings]

Do you plan to pick up The Hobbit on 4K? If you have already received your copy of LOTR/Hobbit in 4K - what do you think?! Purchase Links: The Hobbit Trilogy on 4K UHD: amzn.to/37h9CiB The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on 4K UHD: amzn.to/3lluDOa

[@Doominator8713]

I plan on buying the Collectors Edition next year ^•^

[@imperfectxennial3008]

I plan on buying the Apple TV version to stream

[@FantasticExplorers]

I plan on getting the one in 2021

[@pepppery]

I just rewatched all of the Hobbit trilogy last week, first time since seeing them at the theatres. I basically liked them, but what really stands out in why I did not like them was the obvious kowtowing to the 3-d format, and retreading of very similar themes from LOTR ( the war scenes in particular), and inserting a theme of greed which is fairly present throughout the trilogy, ( a worthy subject, just for another movie). When the format is more important than the story that is when things go south real quick for me , i.e escaping from the orcs, some of the fight scene with smaug, etc. How many times can you fit in a ziplining scene into a movie. We get it . it's for 3-d (a format btw which I despise in movies). Anyhoo, There's a lot of great things in this trilogy. More gandalf !, Martin Freeman's Bilbo is a n A+, Smaug, more Legolas! I also liked Evangeline lilly story. My fave scene of the whole trilogy is Bilbo's monologue at the end of the first movie where he confronts Thorin about not believing in him. What I didn't like, is how the Dwarves were portrayed in general. I didn't like them, and their costumes came off as too cartoonish, ( for me). I didn't like the whole storyline about laketown. Also, Like I said above the cheesy 3-d aspects of the filming. They need to do this series again, but perhaps in a more serialized way, like maybe on tv. Tone down the epicness of it, and make it more of the adventure that it was written as. Thanks I know I rambled on.

[@RobsMemoryLane]

Waiting for the ultimate edition. Wish they'd make the 48p version available

[@aflemish4616]

And 9, 9 discs were gifted to the race of Men.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Haha. Nice.

[@mirkopasaporte3647]

who above all else desire quality...

[@per7658]

@@mirkopasaporte3647 epic dude

[@DustinHarrelson]

Well done😂

[@peavester]

Six.

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

"While they warrant some criticism, they also don't get the credit they deserve" Couldn't have said it better.

[@NerdoftheRings]

👆 Jack gets it! 😁

[@JohnDRuddyMannyMan]

Those barrel Go-Pro shots ARE Go-Pro shots. They weren’t intended to be used but then they thought “eh, it looks fine!”

[@dpc4548]

@@willparker8498 but... peter jackson said that you couldn't tell!! In the cinema my first thought was, "why did they use gopros" ? It's like using a camera phone's camera.

[@dpc4548]

@@willparker8498 it's likely to have been shot in 4k on the gopros. The problem is the processing these cheap cameras do. Mixing them is a nightmare. That sort of thing is my job and it always sucks when someone films something on their camera phone and expects you to make it look movie worthy. The hobbit is a good showcase of your best results.

[@DisentDesign]

it certainly doesnt look fine, the movie looks bad enough and then those jarring few shots are just like WTF...not as bad as watching steven fry eat testicles though, I really wish I hadnt seen the extended editions for that scene a lone.

[@dpc4548]

@@willparker8498 the cg had problems at times, as did the visuals in general, but yea, the technical aspects were pretty damn good for 95% of it. Those guys and girls are real pros and jackson can frame things with the best. It's not the worst or greatest movie ever, but the look of it really does help with the enjoyment.

[@funtourhawk]

That entire sequence is a joke so it fits....just laugh at how bad the entire scene is and move on

[@ryanpalmer2898]

After rewatching these, I think they’re BETTER than I remembered. And they’re gorgeous! People shouldn’t expect them to have the same chemistry as LOTR, rather these movies stand on their own!

[@WiesoNurMistnamen]

The books are also very different, so I think it makes sense that the movies turned out different as well

[@dr.k1012]

There are faults but I cannot help but love the Hobbit Trilogy.. just can't imagine anyone else as Bilbo or Thorin🔥

[@NerdoftheRings]

Definitely. The casting in these films, as with LOTR, is fantastic.

[@gzubeck3]

I didn't like the theatrical release of the Hobbit as it made Bilbo look like a dildo! The extended version cleaned things up a bit with better editing. In some ways I actually prefer the Hobbit over Lord of the Rings for all the irony and Humor that worked so well. Loved Goblin Town, Loved all the Dwarven Singing, Loved the sarcastic ending of so many characters, Loved the bear shapeshifter, loved the third wizard Radagast as the bestest cast character in the Hobbit. I would say the greatest strength of the Hobbit Trilogy is dead on Character casting for the film. Oh and almost forgot the sickly Troll scene. Lots of situational humor. Given that I mostly buy 4k movies for improved audio (Example Bladerunner 4k/ Bluray) I consider the sony 4k Bluray upconversion as adequate for me at the moment and will wait until box set prices come down. How's the audio in the 4k version...maybe that could be the impetus for purchasing the new set!

[@jon4715]

The Hobbit is unwatchably bad. I saw LotR in theaters, I watched the EE's and all the special features 10's of times. I saw Hobbit 1 and 2 in theaters...and I still haven't watched the third Hobbit film.

[@BanjoSick]

The Lord of the Rings has many flaws but is still great! The Hobbit is unwachtable garbage with some great scenes. It’s so bad, especially if you have read the novel.

[@gzubeck3]

@@jon4715 Yup...the theatrical version of the Hobbit sucks badly as Bilbo looks like Dildo. They cleaned it up a lot in the extended version. Yes, the trilogy is really not exactly the same as the book as sometimes they have to change it for the media type. None the less the extended version is much much better than theatrical release and simply could not watch it either.

[@21centuryhippie61]

Love the Hobbit movies Bc Martin Freeman was perfect casting for Bilbo Baggins.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Yes he was! I thought he did a wonderful job.

[@hazbojangles2681]

@Pops what about Fili

[@21centuryhippie61]

@Pops true, lol Edit: not funny about Thorin and Kili and Fili, just the Goblin king death was great, haha.

[@hazbojangles2681]

@Pops I kind of am referring to the book lol even though this is on the movie

[@hazbojangles2681]

@@ManOfTheNoldor kili was already mentioned in a previous comment

[@twinsfan9141]

I will not part with a single disc. Not. One piece of it.

[@patrickc9726]

Personal opinion: I'll enjoy The Hobbit Trilogy for what it is. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Is it bad? I don't think so. The studio dropped the ball on this one but I still find moments that are very enjoyable Edit: grammar mistake

[@NerdoftheRings]

Totally agree. Lots to enjoy in these films!

[@patrickc9726]

@@NerdoftheRings thanks for the great video! I sent the LoTR review to a few friends of mine who were on the fence and are on the fence no more!

[@josephrichter2104]

@@NerdoftheRings I enjoyed the last two quite a bit as a Legolas fan. Trahduil and the rest of the mirkwood elves are great as well. If you don't have it already, I would recommend you try out Battle for Middle Earth 2, rise of the witch king, and the age of the ring mod 6.0 for it.

[@jonbaldwin]

How frequently do you think you'll watch them?

[@roddo1955]

Same. A rewatch is not complete if it does not include the hobbit movies

[@bojakai2102]

I think Peter did ok with not having any pre production, i could be wrong, i believe he was thrown into this late and he had to make stuff as he went along

[@grant1691]

Yes, the timescales imposed on him were completely crazy when you consider how long pre-production was for LOTR. The Hobbit is imperfect in many more ways than we'd like but it's still amazing it's as good as it is.

[@roddo1955]

WB played a really nasty trick on del Toro and Jackson. They pussyfooted around everything to wait del Toro out. Once he was gone, they threatened to take production to eastern europe if NZ did not go along with their labour laws(basically they were offered money way below the nz pay grade) . They knew that a middle earth movie by Peter Jackson would sell better and go toe-to-toe with Rowlings Potter movies. They basically gave PJ an ultimatum: make the movie or, we'll take it elsewhere.

[@jyotichoukikar3392]

If more of us valued 4K UHD over pirated movies , it would be a merrier world

[@xGaLoSx]

I'm one of those dirty pirates. Haven't paid for a movie in 15 years. Since I upgraded to 4k a couple months ago, I've spent more than I care to admit lol. Can't get dolby vision from 4k remuxes.

[@thehunter7422]

Lol the Thorin quote 😁

[@jyotichoukikar3392]

@@thehunter7422 ikr

[@alumlovescake]

Fam what about 4k pirates

[@alumlovescake]

It probably be the opposite like pirates have stitched together the 2 parts of the LOTR Extended films a

[@kajetandziuda6190]

I haven't seen anything from this channel before these 4k reviews, but if this is indicative of the quality on this channel, you've just earned yourself a new subscriber, sir. What a lovely change of pace to hear a non-binary description of the Hobbit trilogy. Are they as good as the Lord of the Rings films? No, and they never were going to be. The source material was just not rich enough. But boy, do the Hobbit films make me feel like a kid again... they take me back to a time when I was reading the book for the first time and dreamt of an adaptation that would stand alongside the Lord of the Rings movies (which were my gateway drug into a lifelong love of fantasy).

[@JohnDRuddyMannyMan]

The Hobbit Appendices are Blu-ray. LOTR Appendices are DVDs ;)

[@GandalfGreyhame3]

Your review is very much how I felt! The surround sound is insane in this, you wont regret upgrading!

[@joelcrofts]

The Feast of Starlight motif is also a beautiful part of the Hobbit score. Definitely one of the musical standouts.

[@vidkris1535]

“I don’t watch anything as much as I watch the Lord of the Rings” Amen!

[@mgelb3302]

Can't tell you how much I enjoy your channel! Keep it up! As far as the Hobbit trilogy in general- what I realized after watching the Extended versions is besides for the story of the Hobbit (with superb acting from Bilbo/Martin Freeman ; Thorin/Richard Armitage and of course Gandalf/Ian Mckellan) I was most intrigued by the scenes of the White Council and Gandalf's mission. Most of this is pulled from Tolkien's unfinished tales and other books from the Legendarium and they did a fantastic job fleshing out the backstory and portraying it on film in an amazing way. Especially the sacking of Dol Goldur. I love the lore of Tolkien as much as the actual story of LOTR and I feel this is really where the movie shines. It really gives the fan a great feel for Gandalf toils in Middle Earth and how he really fulfilled his destiny and purpose of the Istari. Just my two sense ✌

[@adamk5305]

Yeah, you gotta have a good sound system to enjoy these movies thoroughly. Smaug's voice coming through an SVS Ultra Center and 3 subwoofers will leave a tear in your eye. I feel bad for people who disliked the films yet watched it on their phone Lol

[@gijsvandeneynde1264]

It is better to have a film than non

[@fgdj2000]

I initially disliked The Hobbit.. didn‘t hate it but it didn’t click with me, so much so that I didn’t even watch DoS in cinemas. However in 2014 just before BotFA somehow suddenly they did click with me and I‘ve loved them ever since. To me Hobbit and LotR have become the same 6-part film series and I watch them every year or so, usually alternating between theatrical and extended editions, so it always feels kinda fresh. In recent years I think I‘ve come to prefer the theatrical cuts for their incredible pacing and flow, yet they still deeply immerse you in Middle Earth. Last but not least, The Appendices and Acosta Boates Behind the Scenes are so amazing that I care at least as much about the story of the people who made these films as I do about the films themselves. So, even though I consider myself a bigger Star Wars fan (yes, I love all nine films), I think I still give Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth films the Edge as my favorite film series of all time.

[@thehunter7422]

It's so tough cause it's like a tradition for me at this point I believe I still have my single dvds for the theatrical versions Hobbit and Lord of the rings (also VHS tapes for LOTR as well) I have the extended editons for the Hobbit and Lord of the rings for dvd and for blu ray as well. Now that I'm hearing so many good things about this I wanna get it so badly . But part of me wants to get the ultimate collection as well. Might just wait cause I spent alot already for Christmas and other stuff . Plus I ain't got a 4k Blu ray player yet which of course that will eventually be the PS5 whenever I can get my hands on one lol

[@sinistercinemareviews5420]

Definitely will come back for your Amazon show reviews whenever that comes out.

[@MrNiceGuyHistory]

I dread what the modern super woke producers will do to the Tolkien universe.

[@MrNicodemus11]

I bought the extended editions of lord of the rings and the hobbit on iTunes and when I heard it was getting a 4K restoration I was super excited because I knew iTunes would automatically upgrade my purchase. I’m re watching and even in digital form it looks amazing. The only movie that somehow hasn’t changed from HD to 4K is return of the king at the moment only the theatrical has the 4K in iTunes but not the extended but maybe in a few days I changes. Regardless everything you said is on point and this for me is the movie I will demo from now on.

[@TeenageMutantZuckerTurtle]

Yea, it confuses me why Return of the Kings is still regular HD. The only reason I can think of is some error. Some intern forgot to push the 4K iTunes button for that one.

[@GhoulishGwyn]

The Vudu version of the six 4K extended editions includes all the Appendices and other extras from prior releases. Don’t know if that‘s the same for the digital copies that come with the physical 4K.

[@Andyyybeeeee]

Hi, I’ve stumbled upon your channel after trying to research something. Been a life long fan of middle earth and some of my onLy positive memories growing up, very fond they are to me though. How accurate is the information you provide around lore ? I really appreciate anyone that really takes the time to delve into the pits of knowledge and I’m just wondering wether it’s all fact or some fact and some interpretation. Also great video I’m a lover of both movie sets despite being a book reader before their release. Thank you so much I do love to see passion for this growing daily 🙏🏻👊🏻

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks for watching! I try to be as accurate as possible and consult multiple sources when researching my videos, including breaking out my copies of the books - including the History of Middle-earth set. :)

[@Andyyybeeeee]

@@NerdoftheRings awesome thank you so much, I wish I had the time to pull out all my books but I just don’t , was looking for a reliable source to watch while cooking or listen to at the gym. Thanks for the response really appreciate it and got my sub 👍🏻💪🏻

[@korvkioskshelvete]

Coming from a guy growing up in the 80:s getting lost in movies like ”The Never Ending Story” I feel that kids of today are waaay to focused on effects and CGI and how real it looks. We are supposed to use our fantasy, not be convinced we are watching real footage. I have never understood the ”that looks iffy” comments. I’m just amazed with how movie effects has evolved since I was a kid. I’m greatful that I live in a time where movies like these can be made.

[@MrNiceGuyHistory]

Yep same here as you can probably tell from my early 80s avatar. I first read the Hobbit in 1990 and LOTR in 1991 while I was in middle school long before either film trilogy was released. I am amazed when I watch the films, though they don't follow the books exactly, the scenery and characters are almost identical to what I had visualized in my mind when reading the books as a child.

[@stevelamasney]

Thank you for your great reviews

[@MKF30]

Great breakdown and review bro, few others I watch on here who do movie reviews have all told me to get these that you have listed in your pinned comment! Thanks! They sound like they look amazing on top of them already being amazing! Are you excited for the Amazon Prequel series coming next year?

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks! And yes, I am definitely excited for the Amazon series. Cautiously optimistic, but overall very excited. I just love the experience of being transported to Middle-earth, so if they nail the tone and the cast is good - good things will come!

[@MKF30]

@@NerdoftheRings Yeah same lol. I'm just hoping they don't kill it or tarnish it like almost everything else now days with the whole *woke* bs know what I mean? Like focus on the story and nothing PC and I think it'll do well. Sometimes what hollywood does now is they bank on the popularity of a franchise(ie star trek, star wars movies or shows) ruin it with that crap and it still makes money yet turns a lot of fans off. So we'll see what happens but I too am excited and as you said cautiously optimistic lol.

[@zoet9322]

Hello! First off - huge fan of this channel so far. Really cool stuff. Second off, could you do a video on Tom Bombadil? He is one of my absolute favorite characters but a lot about him seems to be left in the dark when I read the stories. Would be super cool to see a Tolkien Explained vid about him!

[@NerdoftheRings]

So glad you’re enjoying the channel! I will definitely be doing a Tom Bombadil video in the future! I’m trying to balance out the bigger topics with my schedule, but he is definitely on the to-do list. Also, I love the username! 😁

[@zoet9322]

@@NerdoftheRings Woohoo!! Awesome. Haha thanks! lol

[@iforgot87872]

4:15- Can we also add the shot of Legolas riding the horse away from Laketown at the end of Desolation of Smaug? I thought that looked video gamey personally. By the way I think the reason that Smaug/ Thorin shot looks weak is because they ran out of time to render all of the frames and went every other frame or did some kind of blending. It always looked to me like the frame rate actually goes down in that shot.

[@roddo1955]

I hate that shot. Reminds me of a horse in Shrek

[@friedpickle8332]

Love the Hobbit films to death and just got this as my very first 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Looks fantastic. Perfect films to test new 4k players and TVs. Since I don't watch the Theatrical Editions, I hope they eventually come out with a decent set of just the Extended Editions on 4K.

[@hubertcumberdale2008]

I agree, while The Hobbit Trilogy isn't perfect, I'm still being entertained by them. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is a definite must see Trilogy once (or twice) per year. I usually sit down and watch all three parts in their extended edition in one sitting. Can't wait to do that during my upcoming Christmas holiday. As I already commented on your LotR 4k review, I just ordered them (both trilogies) while watching said review. I guess that's my personal Xmas gift to myself. 😅

[@sergiouggiano3899]

Hello. Do you think it will still impress with just standard HDR?

[@bentertainmentproductions8451]

I just purchased the digitals off of “Movies Anywhere” and I thought the rendering/modifications made the entire experience feel like a breath of fresh air. It feels more tonally aligned with Lord of the Rings despite the fact that trilogy still suffers from being a trilogy to begin with. Anywho, I really enjoyed myself returning this corner of the Middle Earth tale.

[@Alandennis1]

When you have a digital copy, are you able to download them into (say) Google play so they are not only available as streamed?

[@grant1691]

Every AV system I've had in the last (almost) 20 years has always involved a demo of the Hobbiton scene from the beginning of Fellowship (good colour, environmental effects etc), culminating in the fireworks every time. The 4k version absolutely rocked my world and I know the rest of the trilogy will be amazing based off how good it is. I tried out the beginning of Unexpected journey...not dissappointed - the short fireworks excerpt is better than the 1080p / DTS offering and the unexpected party an absolute delight. The only dilemma I'm facing is which trilogy to watch first :)

[@NerdoftheRings]

That’s awesome to hear. Glad you’re enjoying your time in 4K Middle-earth!

[@malvanlondon8683]

I haven't even got a soundbar! You are inspiring me to upgrade my whole system (when funds allow). lol.

[@joefidell4068]

These films weren't bad, they were just expected to live up to the best 3 films ever made in lotr.

[@johnwoody2587]

I have to disagree with you about the lack of appendices. For 90 dollars, both sets really should come with them frankly.

[@TeenageMutantZuckerTurtle]

I already have the Appendices in my Blu Ray set and my original DVD set. The video quality is so low on them (which really doesn’t matter because listening to the interviews is really what they’re for, the video quality has pretty much zero bearing on them) that I really see no reason to own them a third time on a 4k disc. Seriously, anyone who is at all interested in watching them likely already has them from another set like me. Putting them into the new sets would just increase the disc count with something the average viewer will never touch, unnecessarily inflating the price with something that 9/10 people don’t need. I would MUCH rather have both the theatrical and extended cuts like in this new set, than have a third copy of the appendices and need to buy a whole different set to also get the theatrical versions. For me, this is really the best way they could have done this set. This is the first time we’ve gotten both cuts together in one package that ISNT some huge special edition that comes in a leather bound book or something and costs $300. And that’s the thing, anyone who’s a serious enough fan to want ANOTHER copy of the appendices is likely to get the upcoming collector’s edition anyway. So I really see no cons in this set not including appendices. The trade off of not having them, but instead getting both cuts of the films in an affordable package, is more than worth it to me. For the few people that want them, there’s the upcoming collector’a edition, or the past blu ray set which will now be far cheaper and have the same video quality on the special features. Nobody loses here.

[@Henriksylvander]

I doubt that it did, but did they change/remove the Wilhelm scream from Thrain's death scene in the extended cut of DoS?

[@johnnythesnow253]

Yes, thank you! There's so much more to love about The Hobbit trilogy than to hate. Btw, how does the colour grading look in 4k? Is it still a little bit weird or out of place as it was before? Smaug is the best CGI character in film history (Gollum as well but Smaug is just bloody massive, isn't he:). I wish they would cut out that Bombur scene with the barrel. And of course we all passionately dislike that forced love triangle:)

[@88alaktal]

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, there is a DVD with The Appendices Parts IX and X, which is a showcase an immersive multi-part history of the filming of The Hobbit. And there the makers confirmed, that they are used GoPro footage.

[@ombrevance]

This all sounds exciting but I think I’m going to wait for summer because I really want those special features since I don’t own physical copies of the movies.

[@eberco5]

Great review. Will you be doing a 40K live stream next week?

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks! I need to play a little catch-up after taking time away from my regular schedule to watch these 6 movies and do the review videos - not that I am complaining, mind! I'll gladly sit on my couch for 3 days to watch these movies anytime - especially in 4K! I'll probably wait until next week and see where the subscriber count is. I may hold off and do a big livestream for 50k if I'm closing in on that number. :)

[@eberco5]

@@NerdoftheRings Sounds good. And personally I think I’m going to wait until the collectors editions come out to make the purchase. Just seems worth it! Can’t wait! Congrats on 40K!!!

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks!!

[@Tobberz]

Do we have any more info on what the Ultimate Collectors Editions will involve?

[@Sweeney732]

Please tell me that they fixed those horrible armies of CG elven clones including the scene where Thranduil goes through his troops on his elk.

[@justice4all190]

Honestly that was WAY OFF in all trilogy, just terrible decision for CGI quality.....

[@ShadMcNeil]

Just popping by to say the go pro shots drive me nuts!!!

[@jomanclus108]

Thanks for the honest review Matt. I enjoyed the films for what they were. Many book to film adaptations are much worse. What people seem to forget is that a lot of what we see is Guillermo del Toro's vision not PJ's. PJ came to the films very late - when a lot of the groundwork had already been done. Time was very tight & he didn't have anything near the prep time he had for LOTR. Given the difficulties he faced, I think he did a better than OK job. We also know that some of the changes were forced on PJ by the studio who, at the end of the day, was paying for the films to be made. I'm just grateful that PJ ended up making the films & enabled us all to return to Middle-earth. I expect I'll get a lot of downvotes for my views ...

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Glad you enjoyed the review. One small thing I would amend is that nothing of GDT's Hobbit was kept for these films. It's all PJ's, but like you said, it was on a crazy short timeline, which didn't help anything.

[@jomanclus108]

@@NerdoftheRings Thanks Matt. I really thought that, because of the very short timeline, PJ got lumbered with some of the decisions that GDT had already made as it was too late to change everything.

[@Dr_Cole]

I may be a little late to this review but it was outstanding. I have a very similar take on The Hobbit. Despite some screenplay flaws and a few gross over-Hollywoodizing of some action scenes, these movies were fun, moving, and absolutely enveloped me in Middle Earth for many wonderful hours. Our main giant TV is not even 4K, so we’ve only seen this 4K version on our 42” TV. About 2 years ago we added a 75” 4K UHD TV to our second game room and my high school-aged son has been getting deep into Tolkien. I came in when he was watching this version of The Hobbit and WOW did it look great. We do t watch a lot of TV or films in the house but I have ever since been looking forward to rewatching these on the large 4K TV.

[@Gabagu]

I love the Hobbit movies, I actually prefer them over LOTR, the story is smaller which makes it a little more appealing and personal, and I just find the antagonists much more interesting compared to Sauron. Smaug, the Elves, even the Orcs feel more charismatic, with better character design, like Azog. And the acting is superb, love the cast.

[@edbouhl3100]

Time to see what 4K players are on the market and the best time to buy one! I’ll probably wait for summer 2021 for the movies (or later, when the price moderates).

[@zybch]

Just get one of the new consoles, or even an xbox One s. They do a good job and you get a free games system thrown in for free.

[@blackgenesisishere]

I am a huge LOTR fan. Owned the movies on both DVD and Bluray...can't wait to pick up both 4k sets. I will honestly pick up any version they come out with.

[@marionbaggins]

IDK, If I will have time yet to Buy and Binge the EE...Guess I will have to Wait and See...

[@Lost_Vegas]

Does the 4k picture on these Blu-Ray Discs come out at 48fps, as seen in theaters?

[@Lead_Foot]

The hdr makes good use of the extra range of brightness. Any difference in colors is just from color grading. This remaster doesn't make any use of wide color gamut.

[@aran2457]

Agreed! I am not sure if I am to get The Ultimate Editon that will release in summer 2021 or the films only... I think I will wait until TUE is released next year and then take it from there...;)

[@FilmGamerHUN]

May be they will release remastered extras also

[@aran2457]

@@FilmGamerHUN Yes, hopefully 🙏🏾

[@windfire5380]

LOTR is my time favorite movie series, with original Star Wars as #2. The Hobbit was fun, but not that level. I still consider this a must-buy as I really do love JRR Tolkien and his world, the books and these movies. Peter Jackson jumped the shark a few times, but the actors and characters are well crafted and eminently enjoyable. Must buy.

[@fgdj2000]

I recently got the newly remastered Blu Rays and I have to say, even without 4K, LOTR looks great. I know some people don't like that the new color grading is now very much in line with The Hobbit, but I like that the movies now look consistent. It was something that was actually bugging me, although I didn't quite know until this release.

[@bryce148]

Hi, great review, as always. I'm a bit late to the party, but should you have an affiliate link that's usable in the Netherlands/Europe, I'd be glad to use it.

[@outthewindow9773]

I love the hobbit trilogy. Granted I think that lord of rings is by far the best. There is some moments in The Hobbit trilogy that are amazing. For instance when the dwarfs sing their song(so good). Also like everyone else is saying the casting was perfect, especially Bilbo and Thorin. Keep up the amazing work.

[@astropictures4396]

OK but BOTFA is so amazing in its extended form imo

[@sharksbean]

Flawed though they are I love the Hobbit trilogy( specifically the extended cut)

[@TheCarljey]

Does anyone know, what the ultimate collectors edition will look like? Will it be the same little bookshelf with the nice leather band books in it? Cause I have the first edition of this with the FHD-Versions of the movies...

[@FilmGamerHUN]

May be at 2021 Summer with the collectors edition the extras will be remastered also!

[@MykolaChurpita]

Thanx for the video!₴

[@carlosc1512]

I have all six movies on apple tv. is it worth it to get physical discs?

[@elongatuspiranha]

7.x.4 would blow your socks off. The Smaug part was very cool.

[@knuckelsknowsdawea]

do you get all the exstended versions of the movies or without the exstended scene

[@giles852002]

This 4K set made me fall in love with these movies, a love that wasn’t there for the Blu-Ray. CGI blends better so you’re not distracted by how bad it looked on Blu-Ray!

[@CliveRosfield16]

Well I still don’t know why people shit on the hobbit movies. I loved them just like I love The lord of the Rings trilogy. I love fantasy movies and tv show and I appreciated them all. Harry Potter and Game of thrones been perfect examples why I love fantasy movies.

[@MrNiceGuyHistory]

When I first saw the Hobbit films I was a little let down probably from unrealistic expectations but with each viewing I appreciate them more and more. Only really good films get better with each viewing.

[@davidwilson6577]

Because they're awful. They cripple the narrative by appealing to spectacle and out of place humour, in doing so forgoing investment in any audience that values coherence. Humour of course has its place in The Hobbit, but the tone-deafness of those films permeates everything. Beardless dwarves and drunken elves should not be ignored. About the only saving grace are performances from the LoTR cast, and the man who played Bilbo, whose name escapes me. The CG is terrible, by the way. Game of Thrones is an insult to ASOIAF, the main plot of that show centres on a trope of fantasy that GRRM specifically cited as something he wrote the series to avoid; the Dark Lord, which does not exist in the books. There are many other reasons but that one is just so blatant. This comment could become a many-thousand word essay on the failings of GoT in chronological order, starting with Ros in season 1, the injustice done to those books has left a wound on my soul, but this comment is probably already far too long. Harry Potter is fun, at least, but also hopelessly incoherent. The simplest example is the time turner (no, their convenient destruction does not fix this) and Felix Felicia, or whatever it's called, which are both incredibly overpowered and not justifiably sparse like the Elder Wand.

[@CliveRosfield16]

@@davidwilson6577 Damn bro, you are full of hate and can’t see nothing good. You are blinded by hate. Your comment mean nothing.

[@davidwilson6577]

@@CliveRosfield16 why is liking a bad film morally superior to disliking a good one? I'm full of appreciation for narratives which are properly crafted, and full of disappointment for the state of modern fantasy and sci-fi.

[@goji3755]

I've never seen the Hobbit extended. I've decided to hold out for the complete edition coming next year, but that upcoming release has me really looking forward to seein-OH MY GOD THAT SHIRT! Where can I get a beautiful Helm of Dor-lomin shirt like that?

[@NerdoftheRings]

I always like when people comment on that particular shirt - shows who is familiar with one my absolute favorite Tolkien books - Children of Hurin! I actually made it myself with a family memeber's cricut. lol.

[@RB3Author]

The extended Hobbit movies actually make the story clearer and it all flows better than the theatrical versions. Desolation of Smaug and Battle of the Five Armies especially benefit from the changes and there are elements that significantly change the flow of the story.

[@goji3755]

@@NerdoftheRings It's one of my favorites, too. Very much a Greek tragedy in the world on Middle-Earth. And you have a lot of talent for shirt graphics! I'd suggest making merch out of it if you could work out a deal with the Tolkien estate. Or perhaps posting a tutorial?

[@thebag-lt6wv]

Will the ultimate edition released next year have all the appendicies included or is it just the 6 movies??

[@NerdoftheRings]

They haven’t said yet. Just that there will be a collection of all 6 films and new bonus content

[@thebag-lt6wv]

@@NerdoftheRings awe ok thats cool, cheers for the reply 😁👌

[@noelhernandez2589]

I've watched The Hobbit for the first time (watched extended edition) after picking it up on 4K UHD, and even though it might not be as good as TLOTR trilogy, I actually liked it for what it is. Me and my step-dad watched together as he hasn't watched the movies since they first came out, but he liked the extended editions a lot better than the theatrical. I'm planning to get the collector's set possibly for my 20th birthday

[@colinbooth531]

I have an LG 65" OLED and a Dolby Atmos system, I'm not here to brag, I just wanted to say that having really good hardware really makes a massive difference to the 'experience' of watching something mastered to a high standard with spacial audio. Go for it, you'll never look back.

[@anduinbrothar5708]

The barrel scene did feature go pro footage

[@robcharette1915]

Love the Hobbit trilogy. Sure it’s not perfect and some liberties were taken but it’s still a very enjoyable series that i have watched many times. I think most of the casting was really excellent and it’s just so great to see Gandalf again.

[@mudbeast21]

I'm still pissed with Warner Bros Studio meddling forcing a Twilight love triangle with elves and dwarfs' that wasn't in the book taking away focus from Bilbo's story trying to make it feel like Lord of the rings over 3 movies and leaving out one of the most interesting characters Beorn a wear bear and not using him in the story . The general over use of cartoon CGI and the lack of practical effects !

[@jjlnguess7354]

I recommend a Denon X4700H with a good 2 channel amp to add 2 extra Atmos speakers. Research and go with a 7.2.4 Atmos system. And get 2 HSU VTF-2 MK5 subwoofers with a Polk or Klipsch 9 channel setup having front, left, right, center speakers and 4 surround speakers and 4 Atmos speakers. Calibrate according to the built in Audyssey mic/software in the Denon and you will not regret it. I promise.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve been in the research phase on home audio, as it’s not my area of expertise. I will definitely look all of this up! Sounds like a good setup!

[@jjlnguess7354]

Yes sir. That’s what I have and I love it. LOTR and Hobbit were amazing on my system in BluRay. All the building cracking and crumbling scenes sounded and felt like I was actually there. So yeah it’s worth it. I recommend this group on Facebook to you for Home Theater research. They’re great and helped me max out my setup as good as professionals would do. They’re called “Home Theater Enthusiasts”. m.facebook.com/groups/hometheaterenthusiasts/

[@YoshiCookie]

I have a Denon receiver. Why would I need an amp on top of that?

[@jjlnguess7354]

@@YoshiCookie for instance on my Denon X4500H it can process up to 11 channels/speakers. But in order to get the 10th and 11th channels/speakers (which would be a 2nd set of Atmos speakers) you have to go from the Audio Out ports for channels 10 and 11 on the Denon AVR into the Audio In ports on a 2 channel amp, then speaker wires out from the amp to your 2nd set of Atmos speakers. Essentially the Denon can process the signal for 4 Atmos speakers but can only power 2 of those Atmos speakers, you have to power the other two Atmos speakers with an external 2 channel amp. If you’re going to go for Dolby Atmos, I highly recommend using 4 Atmos speakers. Hope that helps.

[@YoshiCookie]

@@jjlnguess7354 That kind of makes sense. That said, I don’t have Atmos and likely don’t plan on getting Atmos any time soon.

[@elffanatic2000]

Dude, I love your shirt! Has anyone else noticed what it was, or is it just me?

[@NerdoftheRings]

There's been a few that have mentioned it, but it's definitely a deep-cut reference. :) Good catch!

[@elffanatic2000]

@@NerdoftheRings that's a welcome surprise for sure! I knew immediately when I saw it and just had to mention it! Good stuff, brother :)

[@erikaamerica2636]

Where did you get that small Smaug

[@yungdon1934]

I actually had no idea that a lot of people didn’t like the hobbit trilogy, I just remember watching all 3 and loving them.

[@goldenultra]

Same here, too scared to say anything for this reason. Also loved the get back sessions, and his eighties horror flick when I was a kid.

[@starrynight6268]

Well, in my opinion. I'll give lotr 10/10, the hobbit 8/10. Both have great casting, visuals, storylines and pacing. Even though the hobbit is affected by overuse of cgi and less grandeur than lotr, I think PJ already managed to fulfil a great piece of work through just one child fantasy novel. I still think the new characters are not bad. Tauriel and Kili has a beautiful chemistry and tell us the potential of any kind of platonic and romantic love between elves, men and dwarfs. Another good thing about the hobbit is that it gives us an inner depth of all characters, not just being completely perfect or bad. Eg. Thranduil's pride and indifference comparing with Elrond and Galadriel, Thorin succumbing to madness and redemption arc etc. That's why watching the hobbit and lotr are a wonderful experience to me.

[@ofantastycekameralnie1600]

LOTR and Hobbit... in one day

[@TheBeird]

Seeing as I never wanted more Middle Earth films after Rings, even when Del Toro was gonna do em, I can’t ever see myself not watching all six in the internal chronology from here on out. I can’t tell people what their subjective view of any film should be, nor would I want to, but with all the craft that went into making the Hobbit trilogy, against the back breaking schedule they had, and with all the care that went into tying it up with Rings without contradicting it and giving more context as best as could possibly be, and given the quality of the performances . . . If you think these belong in the same breath as the Star Wars prequels, or sequels . . . Then you cray cray

[@Bauglir100]

The Hobbit was written first, so it's only right that you should watch it first. Even Peter Jackson once said he hopes newcomers to the series will start with The Hobbit before getting into The Lord of the Rings. I actually showed The Hobbit to my grandma before The Lord of the Rings. In fact, I showed them to her when they were each in theaters and I patiently waited three years for all of them to come out before showing her LOTR. She ended up enjoying all six, and she usually doesn't like movies that are too violent or scary. She once said that she wouldn't have enjoyed the movies the same way if we had started with LOTR.

[@tabansteintv]

Is there a big differencce between the disc version and the Apple digital 4k dobly vision version currently available?

[@thomaspalsson395]

Yes. Avarage video bitrate on disc is well above 60 MB/s. Even if you had that kind of bandwidth (500 mbit/s at minimum) Apple cannot match that output, not even close. And no existing compression algorithm can make up for it.

[@tabansteintv]

@@thomaspalsson395 Thank you!

[@TheAndersDanilet]

Would love to see a side by side comparison.

[@annaroselarsen4218]

Lotr is the best but the hobbit is good too!

[@PleaseNThankYou]

I'm a HOBBIT type of fan but the Silmarillion improved my perspective on LOTR so now I'm just conflicted. No, still Thorin's girl!

[@annaroselarsen4218]

@@PleaseNThankYou yes! Same the hobbit the first one is my favorite and music is awesome the silmarillom is good to and the unfinished tales

[@TeenageMutantZuckerTurtle]

@@annaroselarsen4218 You should read the more recent trilogy of stories from the First Age. (I don’t think it has an official name). Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthian, and The Fall of Gondolin. They’re relatively new (Hurin came out in 2007 I think, Gondolin came out a couple years ago). They were Christopher Tolkien’s final contribution to his father’s legacy, one last gift to fans from Tolkien’s previously-unpublished drafts. They take those three stories, which were slimmed down to form chapters in the Silmarillion, and extend them into their full glory as Tolkien originally wrote and intended them to be. The plots and characters receive a lot more development, given more room to breath in their own book. There are multiple versions of the story, or parts of the story, aside from the “main” one in Beren and Luthien and Fall of Gondolin, as well as (skippable, but interesting) commentary on the differences and how the stories changed over time as Tolkien revised them. If you read the Silmarillion, they will each be pretty familiar (especially Hurin) but there’s enough new depth and context to make them the definitive versions of those stories. It’s basically like the Extended Editions did for the movies, but for three chunks of the Silmarillion instead. To my knowledge, like all of Tolkien’s scattered miscellaneous writings, some things WERE altered or cut to fit them into the Silmarillion and not have any contradictions, so these full versions don’t *perfectly* fit into the Silmarillion’s timeline. But any differences or contradictions are pretty minor and you might not even notice them unless you have the Silmarillion memorized page-for-page and know where to look. They’re definitely worth reading, and in their full forms each story sort of has its own genre and identity. Children of Hurin is an almost-Shakespearean tragedy. Beren and Luthien is like an epic myth. The Fall of Gondolin is actually the first thing that Tolkien wrote in what would later become his Middle Earth legendarium, written when he was recovering in a hospital from an injury during WW1, so its imagery evokes the recent experience of a WW1 soldier. Beren and Luthien (and maybe Fall of Gondolin, I can’t remember) even have alternate versions of the story/parts of the story which Tolkien rewrote in the form of poems. They’re just so interesting to read, and IMO in their full forms the stories are now their own distinct books as they always deserved to be, with fleshed-out characters more similar to those in the LoTR and the Hobbit. I appreciate those stories more and find them more memorable now than I did when they were just chapters in the Silmarillion. I’m so glad Christopher Tolkien put together and released the trilogy in the decade before his death, as one final gift to us from the last living person to know the full extent and depth of all the unreleased Tolkien writings, the last person truly qualified to keep the writing and themes intact while editing them into publishable, book-worthy forms.

[@nintendokings]

You didn’t include any 4K screengrabs?Also no mention of the oversaturated bloom of the original and if they turned it down or not? I want my 11minutes back lol

[@timn6484]

I got this and I just finished watching all three extended editions and I will say I didn't notice the added scenes too much but I also didn't think it was too long. I really don't get why this trilogy gets so much hate. I really like it.

[@timmyboy7465]

Are these the extended editions?

[@ThreeKhalilVideo]

im waiting for you to put video about the blue wizards thank you

[@NerdoftheRings]

I can confirm - this will be coming VERY soon. :)

[@ThreeKhalilVideo]

@@NerdoftheRings thank you

[@Sactown15]

If the super duper collectors set has new commentaries im gonna be jealous.

[@v4tv]

They really toned down the saturation in some scenes. For example in Bilbo's house in the beginning.

[@Bauglir100]

You should make a video about your recommended viewing order of the Middle-earth movies.

[@pho3nix-]

Even if Rivendell looks "cleaner" and more crisp in The Hobbit - LotR had over a year of pre-production prep which really shows. I wish Peter had more time to finish these movies.

[@aaronsmith6167]

I'm pretty sure the appendices on the Hobbit blu ray editions are in HD and not SD like the lord of the rings Appendices.

[@FilmGamerHUN]

Yes they are

[@experiencedwitness2575]

Please do a video where you put VHS side-by-side with 4K

[@rebelembassy7527]

I was going to 100% buy this until you said there’s a collectors edition coming out next year. Also, how the hell have I only just found this channel?!

[@NerdoftheRings]

Haha. Idk! I’m glad you found the channel though! Hope you enjoy!

[@Hervinbalfour]

Damn! Now I wish I had waited.

[@meteorman6167]

I hope it gets rid of the stupid glossy look. It’s horrible. During the battle of the five armies, everyone was glossy and really cgi looking. Ruined it.

[@roddo1955]

That movie gave me a headache. Like a long videogame