THE HOBBIT TRILOGY 4K ULTRAHD BLU-RAY REVIEW | AS GOOD AS LORD OF THE RINGS?

[@mddifilippo89]

those who have not watched the Battle of the Five Armies Extended is seriously missing out. The extra scenes are insane.

[@leohaddad9225]

I will make sure to check it out

[@andymontanez56]

Good looking out!

[@elliottw4948]

Haven’t watched it since I saw it in theaters. Might check out the extended edition sometime soon

[@TomlinsonHolman52583]

Do we get all of Gollum's riddles in the Extended An Unexpected Journey?

[@MrKYT-gb8gs]

You mean it's better in 4k? Cause I the movie in the theatre and it was not good... The originals were great though.

[@Sactown15]

Im glad to hear that they touched up the CGI. The thing i liked the least in these prequels was the CGI Orcs and Goblins. I missed the prosthetics they used in LOTR.

[@dws6x292]

Prosthetics were used in the films but not for the main orcs. They went with prosthetics for the main orcs at first (more specifically Azog) but while filming the design wasn't working and they went with motion capture which I thought was fine personally. You still got a actor performing the part and the design was cool.

[@friedpickle8332]

@@dws6x292 This. Hadn't rewatched the Hobbits in a while and it honestly surprised me how many of the orcs and goblins were practical for how much whining and moaning some people do over how "everything is CGI! Waaahhhh!!!". Azog and Bolg look fantastic imo, especially in 4k.

[@breadroll3967]

Got my copy of LOTR and Hobbit yesterday. I know a lot of people hate The Hobbit but I really enjoy it. As an adaptation of the book, it's very stretched despite featuring a selection of source material from the extended works of Tolkien but as a middle earth based, high fantasy adventure movie, it's still superb in it's own right. Looking forward to watching both trilogies on 4K over Christmas. Great video as always.

[@wolfgangpuff7030]

It was my understanding that only the 3D theater showings were 48fps. The regular showings were 24fos. The reason for doubling the frame rate for the 3D showings was to cut down on additional motion blur that fast action scenes inherently suffered from when viewed in 3D. My personal experience from what I remember was that the heavily CGI scenes looked more fake due to the frame rate in 3D.

[@xXrapidkillerXx]

I’ve been a massive LOTR fan since seeing them in theatres as a kid and I must say I really enjoy the hobbit movies as well,strangely I found I watch them more as they are more relaxing to watch , massive thanks for the review Jeff 👍

[@scottyee707]

agreed, at first I couldn't accept Bilbo but as time when on I did, and now those movies just give me fun happy vibes, Fellowship does too

[@melissalayson7275]

Same here but the extended versions are way better. Especially Battle of the Five Armies.

[@alicejane7595]

Ang Lee actually shot Gemini Man at 120fps. Only a handful of cinemas could show it at that frame rate but it meant that it could be halved for 60fps or divided by five for standard 24fps and retain even frame pacing.

[@michaelgriffin3537]

Same with Billy Lynn

[@alicejane7595]

@@michaelgriffin3537 I thought so. Didn't want to say though because I wasn't a hundred percent sure.

[@mrbobo86]

The second movie is definitely native 4K. It's very sharp picture quality. Even more so that the first movie. Especially the dragon and gold scenes

[@davidseleznova3199]

These are AI upscaled Warner releases, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is also the same. Yet you sold your viewers such monstrosities as near perfect remasters. One must have a little empathy for consumers when recommending such products.

[@willthorson4543]

I enjoyed them. They are what they are. Maybe too long, but fun just the same.

[@LtCdrRoyFokker]

I wonder which portions will be deemed inappropriate in the years to come and "cancelled" right off of the streaming versions.

[@darrenblizzard3851]

@@LtCdrRoyFokker won't matter if you own the physical discs. You can just give the big finger to the woke SJW types and watch your uncensored physical media in the comfort of your woke-free home 😉

[@Jake-nd4gx]

@@darrenblizzard3851 Seriously that’s another reason to own physical media, a shitload of platforms have removed “problematic” content from their libraries or put stupid warnings in front of them.

[@orgasmatronbeddows9242]

@@Jake-nd4gx I'm glad I'm not alone, when I upgraded my young ones VHS years ago...one of the songs was removed due to some copy right issues. I personally don't like any digital downloads, unless it is the only format it can be purchased on (certain games on switch). I much prefer the physical copy.

[@EpicB787Animations]

Wonderful: Highest quality blunting of knives, and bending of forks- smashing of bottles, burning of corks. HDR quality of chipping glasses and cracking plates... This is a 4K transfer Bilbo Baggins hates!

[@shannoncurry2037]

can you a lord of the rings version of this comment that was badass

[@thehunter7422]

Love both of the Trilogies. Can't wait to get the bigger version of this . Kind of wished Peter Jackson would've done this re extended rumour that we have been hearing about and release the bigger version of the extra fighting and talking scenes that we've never seen yet cause they couldn't put every scene in the Theatrical nor extended version . I want the Helms Deep battle to last for more than an hour lol . Also I wish other people would've known this too but Tolkien did not plan the Lord of the rings to be a sequel . They had 2 different vibes to them . The Hobbit was meant to be a kid's book whilst Lord of the rings is a little more serious. And of course Silmarillion is even darker lol. The fact the CGI could've made it goofy or weird looking made it have that child experience but also felt like Lord of the rings vibes for what I felt in some scenes like the three trolls scene or The Spiders scene . Smaug and Sauron scenes were just beautiful in the Hobbit Trilogy. Can't wait to see these beautiful movies in 4k . I'm excited.

[@dws6x292]

The Hobbit was always my least favorite of all Tolkien's works and honestly loved how the films were done for the most part. I got into Tolkien through the lore and not necessarily the books at first. After reading the lore and the rest of the books I can't look at the Hobbit as a simple children's tale anymore. Every time I read the Hobbit I think about what is going on in the background and I can only appreciate the Hobbit in the context of the larger lore and I love what was added to the story in the films. I thought visually it looks great and while it has faults I am very happy with the Hobbit trilogy overall.

[@thehunter7422]

@@dws6x292 that's exactly what I was doing too . Once I watched the extended Trilogy I bought the book and when I heard names of charecters , places , items I just see the film's in my head and it helped alot . Haven't finished it yet but I'll eventually go back into reading it once I have more time. But yeah Lord of the rings and Hobbit extended Trilogy , can't get enough of. Hopefully Peter Jackson can get involved with a couple episodes with the Amazon series . I hope. I want him to get involved with the second age stuff . Since he did show some of that in the prologue of the fellowship of the ring and the armour and stuff looked amazing .

[@TimofejNenarokov]

Was on fence, but after your review will get Hobbit 4k set. Thanks for great job!

[@dreyn7780]

It wasn't a great review. The world has changed since these movies. They're not even relevant anymore.

[@windfire5380]

LOTR is easily the best set of movies ever in my personal list. Hobbit isn't quite there, but I love JRR Tolkien, middle-earth and really appreciate Peter Jackson. Must buy for me.

[@arianrahman5886]

I never understood the hate for the Hobbit trilogy

[@xXrapidkillerXx]

Same I enjoy both trilogies for different reasons

[@dws6x292]

I love it very much but I do understand some of the complaints. They ain't perfect but still very good.

[@Carfilliot]

We all like different things, I loved the LOTR trilogy and only watched the first Hobbit and hated it. I felt the action scenes were very silly compared to LOTR, hard to explain I guess but it was just too over the top. The scene with the barrels in the water comes to mind, and another where I think they were in a cave and falling, looked like they fell about 1000 feet, tumbling and rolling and getting up without a scratch, i’m going by memory and it’s rusty lol but I just recall my wife and I both finding it overly silly so we didn’t even bother with the rest. This is not ‘hating’ its answering a question as to why I personally didn’t like it, comparing it to the scene in the fellowship where there was an air of danger to the end, Aragorn and baromir fighting for their lives and it showed, where as in the hobbit I felt like the hobbits were fighting like marvel superheroes. My comment is harsh, I ask that you read it subjectively, I’m not saying the film is ‘trash’ im just trying to explain how it felt so different to the original trilogy and maybe that’s why it wasn’t so well received. It wasn’t the cast, they were great, so were the locations, music, and overall polish, it was the action.

[@lisajay7099]

Because it's lazy, bloated and doesn't respect the book at all.

[@originalbadboy32]

The problem is that LOTR is pretty much perfection, The Hobbit was as never going to match that. Personally I don't mind them, all three films have issues but they are not bad films not even close. And way better than the Starwars prequels regardless. Also given the production issues we are lucky we got them at all.

[@DonJoeBob]

Can't wait to get these sets. This is not directed at you, just a general statement on the series... but.. LOTR is a favorite all time series and because of that high bar, The Hobbit films get unfairly judged. If LOTR is 9 or 10/10, and The Hobbit is 7 or 8/10 - that's a great legacy for the franchise and Jackson. Of all 6 films, I'd give them all 8 or higher, they are wonderfully epic films we very rarely get anymore. Reminds of of The Godfather 3, fans were upset it wasn't another 10/10 masterpiece, crazy, I was just excited to get a final chapter and that it was as good as it was pleased me just fine. BTW, I'm excited for that new edit coming soon too. Congrats on the booming success of your channel, you deserve it!

[@scottyee707]

Also because there so different to me it shows a good contrast in time and how things are changing

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

The Hobbit Trilogy is never going to be viewed as good as the LOTR Trilogy. But it has a fond place for me nonetheless. I am glad they were made. As new as the Hobbit films are, I can’t believe we need restoration....

[@keyboardking777]

I don't think these films were "restored" necessarily. Just remastered for 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

[@yestoES355]

The real remastered versions will come out next spring in the complete set.

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

@@yestoES355 well, then O will wait. To see which version ultimately ends up being better. It is hard to justify when I already have all versions on DVD, Blu Ray and Digital. Of both trilogies. Besides this 4K. I need to really see some incredible difference.

[@ArtamicViolet]

I think it's a fallacy to say they'll "never" be viewed as good as LOTR. My family much prefers the Hobbit trilogy due to the fact there's a lot less war scenes and it's a family fun adventure trilogy. Of course, we are a small family with a different outlook on life, so we were drawn to the Hobbit more. It centers less around a prodigal son meant to save the world and bring upon a new era. It's just a hobbit that joins a band of dwarves to restore their cultural heritage. We watched all the Lord of the Rings, and it doesn't fill us with a sense of wonder or magic in the same way. It's shows more real world issues, and that's fine. It's darker and heavier. Our family does feel the Hobbit is better than LOTR, but that's just our opinion! I hope this help sheds light on that absolute "never" you used.

[@DangerousDevilOfficial]

@@ArtamicViolet everyone is entitled to their opinions.

[@davidshead1323]

I'm glad you've said about the grading in conjunction with the VFX, Im rewatching the Hobbit extended trilogy atm and an unexpected journey looks great but the conflict is structured really strangely in the movie whereas the desolation of smaug I thought was really bloody great until the end where loads of shots just look unfinished with composited shots that don't look graded and not blended in well with each other and if not for that it would have been great all the way through. Excited for five armies again as the extended cut improves that a lot imo, even though these films were rushed I think they still have their heart in the right place and they look gorgeous and I'm glad they're now getting some more time to be refined as they deserve to be fully immersive.

[@dreyn7780]

Soon they'll seem like the wiggles running around. I feel sorry for you sitting through all these historic documents. They look like a bunch of kids to me. Peter Jackson has got old. I'm old now. These characters seem like stupid kids to us now.

[@omarrivera0108]

Jeff! Great work man. Please keep it going. BTW: Feedback on your new intro. This one doesn’t resonate with me as much as your prior into. The new intro feels like I’m being into a Music Lover channel. The prior into made me feel and settle in as if I’m going into an amazing Home theater!

[@JeffRauseo]

Fair point. I think I may change the intro again. thanks for your support!

[@GhoulishGwyn]

Watching all six extended editions in one marathon really makes it all feel like one coherent saga. These trilogies are just so long, the transition across trilogies is a big arc.

[@dreyn7780]

1997 is over buddy! It's 2020 and Star Wars rules again. You're historic.

[@pietroscarpa2384]

@@dreyn7780 lol, Star Wars is dead at this point. Such a disappointing trilogy.

[@JJTeam-yr6tb]

Dang, I really enjoyed HFR was hoping to see it like that again. I was blown away when I saw it in theater in 3D. Wasn't too impressed with Billy Lyn though, I was hoping to see it again again after almost 8 yrs to see how I feel about it now.

[@bighands69]

48fps would look amazing in an animated film like Avatar 2. The problem with the Hobbit is that it can be hit or miss. Some scenes it looked amazing and others not so.

[@timmigrant6597]

I've done a visual comparison between the Blu-ray and the 4K. Using both The Hobbit and Lord of the rings. I can't say that the 4K is worth it. I have two screens, a 32 inch 1080 and a 42 inch 2160. I watch from a distance of 9 feet. While the color saturation is much better on the 4K, the apparent noise is much higher. When I compare the products to BBC world nature, neither movie measures up on the 4K screen. There isn't a whole lot of difference between the two movies on the 32-in screen, minor improvements of crispness. So the 4Ks will be gifts, and I'll keep watching my Blu-ray 1080p.

[@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker]

Those of us who despise the artless pantomime banality of HFR are retrospectively delighted that Jackson shot The Hobbit at 48 fps rather than 60 fps because, although he wouldn't have known the future disc release ramifications at the time, it meant the 4K release had to be in good old 24 fps. Thanks for this video. As much as I like these films in 3D, I'm suitably hyped for this and LOTR in 4K. Cheers.

[@garyharper2943]

Lurking in the bushes?

[@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker]

@@garyharper2943 Ha ha! Hi Gary, good to see you like old Jeff's videos too!

[@garyharper2943]

@@3D_Blu-ray_Bunker like to hang out on 4K sights and sing the praise of 3D.

[@smokinjoe32927]

Awesome, AWESOME transfer. I LOVE these disc. Earlier this year it was announced this set was delayed until 2021 so I bought the digital version on VUDU but I had to have this 4K version and couldn’t be happier.

[@findJLF]

I went to my local JB Hi Fi and pre-ordered the 4K of LoTR. Thanks for your great reviews Jeff.

[@WayStedYou]

It's a shame they couldnt do 48 frames I really liked it in cinema. My dad couldn't tell the difference

[@brucecarter6205]

I agree. I enjoyed the 48 frame myself. The action scenes were incredible at the higher frame rate.

[@bighands69]

The 48 frames per second looked amazing in certain scenes like the outdoors but for many other scenes it really took away from the fantasy feeling other times it added to it.

[@brucecarter6205]

@@bighands69, I agree. I really only enjoyed it during the action scenes.

[@almaudo3]

Overlooked movies in my opinion. Cant wait for my copy!

[@dws6x292]

They have their faults but I think they are pretty underrated and in a way misunderstood.

[@anonymous_909]

Did you announce the giveaway winners?

[@reggiemurphy7028]

You had to watch it in 3D to take advantage of that type frame rate.

[@MovieCrazeYT]

It was almost certainly a new 4K DI. Even if they used the original 2K DI as a base, it's very simple to swap it out with a new 4K debayer of the camera footage. So I bet you they re-debayered the RED raw footage in 4K, then relinked the 2K project files with the new 4K debayer, using timecode, and then built the HDR grade on top of that new 4K debayered footage. The CGI elements are probably still 2K though, upscaled to 4K.

[@nickbiales]

I know this is a silly thing, but does anyone know if it includes the behind the scenes that was in the original extended edition?

[@MichaelGreco]

I picked up both sets. Haven't watched them in years but used to watch them all the time back in the day. Looking forward to watching them chronologically again!

[@LtCdrRoyFokker]

Noob question here... are 4k UltraHD blu-rays automatically HDR by default or do you have to inspect the technical details to ensure that they are? I understand there are different standards (HDR, HDR10, Dolby Vision) that they may have but I'm just asking generally if ALL 4k ultrahd discs are HDR to some degree. Thanks in advance!

[@kappy0405]

I've never seen one without HDR, but I would guess some of the early 4K releases didn't have it.

[@LtCdrRoyFokker]

@@kappy0405 Thanks!

[@travisspazz1624]

I actually think Desolation of Smaug is great, but in retrospect it definitely shouldn't have been a trilogy. Two 3 hour movies would've cut some fat and streamlined the story. Jackson definitely still has it as a director, the action and staging during the last hour of BOTFA is really impressive!!

[@producerevan88]

My thoughts exactly! I honestly thought it was going to be a two movie set when it was first being talked about. When I heard it was going to be three, my eyes definitely rolled a bit haha

[@dws6x292]

Personally I was fine with three movies but not every addition was good. I think they are very good but flawed works.

[@WhiteDove73-888]

You can read the entire book in an hour????

[@Lighthouse3D]

Aw man it would've been cool to see this in 48fps, Gemini Man looks great in 60fps on the 4K disc, I think 4K could handle 50fps they could've up sampled the 48 fps but alas, I wonder if it's possible to do so with the digital version 🤔🤔🤔

[@MovieCrazeYT]

Yes, it's possible to put 48fps footage into a 60fps container; however, it wouldn't be quite as smooth as watching it natively in 48fps because it would have a bit of a cadence to it (about every fourth frame or so would have to be doubled). Either that, or they'd have to interpolate frames, which could cause artifacting. The 24fps 4K Blu-ray makes more sense to me because it's a much simpler conversion -- you just remove every second frame. You get a smoother viewing experience when you don't have odd framerate conversions going on.

[@pietroscarpa2384]

Wasn't the 48 fps just for the 3D, wasn't this the purpose of the higher frames, for better image quality in 3D? Because I remember seeing the first film in regular 2D without the 48 fps.

[@willemdebruyne188]

Can you do a comparison video where we get a better understanding between the differences between the newly rendered special effects?

[@tuckercline5477]

The Hobbit movies are good on their own but when made as a prequel to the greatest movie trilogy ever they may seem worse

[@ianw.5047]

mm not really, as prequel movies I think it does a fantastic job of setting up a lot of stuff in the Lord of the Rings. It's just not faithful at all to Tolkien's story.

[@dreyn7780]

@@ianw.5047 nobody in 2020 can be. You want the impossible.

[@joshuastoll6808]

Awesome review again. I have hobbit and lotr extended blu ray but probably won’t be upgrading the hobbit just yet. But I did purchase lotr 4K and a whole bunch of other 4K movies that you’ve recommended including Jurassic park and a bunch of other trilogies. Excited to watch them all. Have any recommendations on a sound system? I just got a Samsung soundbar s40t to intro away from tv speakers and browsing around for something more serious soon.

[@michaelfoster3441]

I have literally watch lord of the rings rings trilogy over 50 times cant wait to watch them 4k and atmos.

[@dreyn7780]

But what brand of TV are you going to experience? They're all unique. Sure You saw something But nobody else knows what you saw cause each brand of TV makes a unique version of the films. Then there's OLED and QLED versions of the films.

[@michaelfoster3441]

@@dreyn7780 I watched them on cx oled this the best the films have ever looked and the atmos track is the best i have ever heard .

[@dreyn7780]

@@michaelfoster3441 I'm sure they're fantastic. But we don't live in a bubble. They're terribly dated. The books were terribly dated when Peter was making the movies. There's So Many films that were great back in the day that are unwatchable today.

[@michaelfoster3441]

@@dreyn7780 I agree with you after watching them , the picture quality isn't that great there old , but what i can tell is the Dolby atmos is the best i have ever heard , over heads rain above .

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

Maybe you can enjoy watching it 50 times cause your memory isn't that good and you can't remember most of what you saw.?

[@jmchez]

It's funny that I tend to repeat-watch the Smaug scenes from "The Desolation of Smaug" and "The Battle of the Five Armies". I also go back and forth between the original English track and the Spanish track. Love how Cumberbatch played out the sarcasm and whinniness of Smaug and the Castilian voice actor followed suit, even exaggerating words the same way, as in the light / luz combo.

[@sonigokuu]

I saw the first Hobbit in theaters, but I only perceived 24 FPS when I did. Might've depended on the theater and the kind of projector they used.

[@Olliegatr]

Suprisingly, I’m getting the Hobbit trilogy set first before LotR trilogy. I somehow enjoy the hobbit a little more, but I’m assuming since it’s a bit more action heavy and we would watch this as a family constantly

[@bighands69]

Depending on what age your children are LOTR is far better to start with. If you give them the Hobbit it will take away from the ring later in LOTR. One of the cool things about the Fellowship is the mystery of the ring.

[@jimcameron1234]

Same here in Germany this Friday is LOTR trilogy coming in 4K HOBBIT trilogy two weeks ago in 4K

[@kippshinabarger8110]

In the theater I went to see the Hobbit movies, they had Atmos AND 48 fps. So, I think Hobbit was done with Atmos.

[@paulnieder4236]

I don't believe Atmos was around back then.

[@kippshinabarger8110]

This theater was one of the first 25 theaters that installed Atmos when it released in 2012. They had big signs at the door of the theater. It was the only theater in our area that had the ability to show it in 48fps.

[@jim54329]

Hi recently found and subscribed to your channel great content, was wondering what 4k player/surround sound would you recommend

[@JayTor2112]

I'm disappointed they didn't give us the IMAX presentations, with the vertical opened up more. I guess the IMAX was only in 3D though, so I'm not sure if they could even produce a non-3D version of that or not. If 3D for home viewing wasn't considered "dead" now, we might have gotten those too. But they would have had to be 1080p. What really bugs me about this and the LotR 4k releases is the fact that they will have us double dipping again for these, which will make it a...quadruple, quintuple, or even a sextuple-dip possibly, since they first came out on DVD. They will release them again next year with new extras, probably in an all-encompassing box-set.

[@noeldillabough]

they dipped me lol dvds, blu-rays, 3d blu-rays, 4k....eek! I'll probably buy the set next summer too lol

[@dandaigle007]

Great review! Thank you. Little audio issue? Sounds like your mic cut off at 1:04 and the camera picked up your audio😉. No big deal. Can't wait to get these next week!

[@JeffRauseo]

Hmm that’s odd. Maybe it disconnected?

[@dandaigle007]

@@JeffRauseo possible... Again no big deal. Wanted to give you a heads up that's all. 🙂👍

[@Trojan0304]

Nice review, wait for Middle Earth edition summer 2021

[@paulj5336]

I like HFR movies, especially in 3d. Shame they can't combine the two on uhd.

[@CrashCarson14]

Yeah kind of sad we will miss out on some of the original way it was presented.

[@tommy.32221]

Torn on if I want this or not. Love LOTR and will binge it in a minute. Only reason I’ll prob end up buying this is my OCD to have the complete middle earth saga.

[@joetilocca1233]

Another great video Jeff. Well done bro. It’s sounds like u have COVID-19. If that’s the case get well soon buddy. Getting these on Tuesday can’t wait to check them out.

[@cinesal15]

Decided to buy the original trilogy in 4K over this one just because well its the original! However, the extended editions of the Hobbit are pretty good and worth a watch.

[@MrMarsFargo]

2:25 regarding the worse CGI, this film suffered behind the scenes from a lot of last minute studio interference before filming. Originally PJ wanted to shoot these ones with mostly practical effects as well, but due to the studio screwing him over was forced to shoot the movie without any storyboards or shots planned. As a result of having to come up with ALL the shots on the day of filming them, the team couldn't have any practical effects ready in advance and were forced to go with CGI (to better accommodate having to create shots on the fly). This is also why PJ was forced to shoot the films digitally instead of on film, because digital was more economic for coming up with shots on the fly.

[@TheDanGore]

Will next year's 4k collection releases include the special features? As someone who doesn't own any LOTR dvds or blurays I would love that to be included in the next collection.

[@dreyn7780]

The main characters aren't getting old with you.

[@ManosPairis]

I don't care what people think about the hobbit. I loved it as well as LOTR. I don't separate the two trilogys. Is one story for me.

[@dws6x292]

That is how I see them too.

[@alexroyster182]

I was just looking at my DVDs and I have the original Lord of the rings extended edition trilogy and those are still so cool with the nice big box with maps and booklets. Great artwork and just real cool figurines for each movie. I gave away the figurines to a friend years ago for a cool Danbury mint figure of Walter Payton so that was a nice trade. A ceramic figure signed by sweetness with a letter of certification and only 5,000 made. I looked at how much those figurines are worth now and damn they each are quadruple worth more than the Payton figure but I don't care I love Walter Payton and he's the reason why I watched football and love the Bears. I got to meet him back in 1997 and he was the coolest person I'd ever met. Just a down to earth good human being and I was so starstruck I forgot to ask him for his autograph 😆

[@dws6x292]

I love these movies warts and all. Even if there was a push to do three movies instead of two Jackson still got to direct them his way and he maintains that he is proud of them even if the circumstances weren't the greatest. They may not be Lord of the Rings quality but still very good.

[@WhiteDove73-888]

Unwatchable

[@MarkTallen]

In my opinion, it looks the most appealing and cinematic at 24fps. Thank god they did the new 4K editions using 24fps. 48fps isn't in the 4KUHD standard anyway. I like films to look like films and not television soap operas or video games. Long live 24fps.

[@adriannn3720]

It's because you aren't used to it. Most movies in the past century have been shot in 24 fps, so anything lower looks stuttery, and anything above looks "uncinematic". But it's only because you are used to that. I've just finished rewatching LOTR in 4K for the 3rd time, and while the movies look great, 24 FPS is distracting and causes visible blur in fast scenes. Take the scene in the FotR where Gandalf and Saruman are walking around Isengard, and the camera pans from Orthanc on to them. There is a HUGE motion blur there.

[@MarkTallen]

@@adriannn3720 -- I see your point but I don't like the soap opera effect. I'll rewatch the scene that you mentioned and take a look. To be honest I can't see 48fps or higher will be adapted as the norm for film. The 24fps does have limitations, but it does have that look that most people like for film viewing.

[@andyk7967]

Anyone know why the UHD runtime for An Unexpected Journey is 7 minutes longer than the previous extended cut when the other 2 movies are the same?

[@jarrodkingsley6242]

I’m not sure if you have ever made a video on speakers but could you in the future make a video on the best speakers out there for 4K TVs and Home theater set ups? I have been interested in looking into speakers/ sound bars but have no idea where to start and what kind to look for in terms of the best quality at a low to mid scale budget!

[@TheAsuraeva]

People hate on Hobbit way too much, great review!

[@colbyspitz8699]

Video idea I’m interested in, not sure if others people are too; How do the 4K players on the PS5/Xbox Series X compare to players you purchase separately? Is it worth buying a dedicated 4K player for movies or will it work just as well using a console for both? Just an idea and something I’d be very interested in

[@veronicareitherreese6671]

Curious about the Ultimate Collector Middle Earth set currently available. Is the same as what will be coming out in the summer? The set looks awesome. I am wondering if I should wait till summer or get it now. I want the 4K version. Thanks.

[@dalmo8340]

Fantastic review. Thanks 🙏

[@joetilocca1233]

Great video Jeff. Well done. Sounds like u have COVID-19. Hope u feel better real soon. I’m getting both sets on Tuesday. I’m sure I’ll love them. Be well bro. 🌈

[@dragje]

Great review, very to the point! I got the blu-ray version, and it's tempting to buy these as well. But... I'm not that much of a pixel-peeping purist, I think the movie itself, the acting, are absolutely more important than the image quality. I've several HDR UHD discs, and my projector is able to project 4K and HDR, but I never found it that important. Same with sound. Of course, good sound is crucial, but I never thought of re-arrange my audio set-up to enable Dolby Atmos. This also has to do that I live in Amsterdam the Netherlands where neighbours are easily triggered by to noise.... :) By the way, I totally agree with your reading about Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, I've read the books 7 times when I was younger, the movies are great but the books are a whole another ballgame to be honest

[@keithtrickey3482]

Im in Australia got them pre ordered at JBHiFI coming out on 2nd December & i sooo can not wait 😋 great video 👍

[@dreyn7780]

It's not a great video. You're 20 years older. You're seeing the product from a much older perspective.

[@artmanjohn2]

I'd take the 3D Blu-Ray version over the 4K ULTRAHD any day! I love well done 3D!

[@linusfotograf]

These looked over sharpened to me and some close-ups looked low res with some artifacts in hair and eyes etc.

[@30minorlessshortfilms4]

Yeah I heard a ton of praise about this, then popped them in and was horribly disappointed. I thought they looked very good in about half of the shots, the rest looked a little off. Like it was over sharpened and had edge enhancements.

[@dreyn7780]

User Error. Seriously, you're not going to be blaming manufacturers When you haven't bought matching brand equipment AND There's 50 settings to try on the smart TV, DVD, what ever. If you've got 'problems', look in the mirror.

[@dreyn7780]

@@30minorlessshortfilms4 take responsibility for the brands you bought.

[@30minorlessshortfilms4]

@@dreyn7780 damn, I didn’t think I was going to get bashed over this. I have had my set for a little over a year and a half now, and I haven’t had any issues with other movies being over-sharpened because I have it set to 0. Have been very happy with the pq of it, I only said I was disappointed with this release. I felt that it didn’t live up to the standard that many people set for it. I am obviously not alone on this seeing as DoBlu.com and Linus Wärn also saw the same things I mentioned.

[@30minorlessshortfilms4]

@@dreyn7780 I do think these 4ks are better than the blu-ray versions, however I do not think they are perfect 10/10s like a lot of people are saying.

[@dineshrashid2766]

Here in Australia lotr in 4K actually cannot be purchased at the moment because the demand is so high (which never happens). So I guess I’ll be waiting for the 6 film middle earth set coming out mid next year. When it comes to buying big franchises like this one I do have regrets about missing out on buying the superior sets for said movies. So this is probably the right decision for me. This also gives me a good excuse to punch anyone who says physical media is dying.

[@hdeditor]

The Atmos mix should be different. The Hobbit was ATMOS in theaters. I remember seeing Desolation of Smaug in Peter Jackson's flagship "Embassy" theater in Wellington, New Zealand.

[@stevemuzak8526]

Which CGI effects they fixed? I can't find any information about that.

[@terminatorpalm237]

Hey. I was wandering if you could do a video about disc rot. Found out that this was a thing today, and I’m wondering if you have a worry about it or if it’s not common. Don’t think there is to many videos out there covering this topic, so would be interesting to see you’re take on the problem.

[@badreality2]

Correction: Gemini Man was shot in 120 fps, not 60 fps.

[@JeffRauseo]

Right, but it’s a 60 fps 4K presentation.

[@badreality2]

@@JeffRauseo Exactly. Half of its frames are skipped, due to the mandatory 60/24 fps cap of discs. ...just like The Hobbit, with its 48 fps.

[@43bigsteve]

You’ve talked about the Dolby atmos a lot on this and the LOTR review. Would you recommend a 5.1.2 atmos setup over a 7.1 surround? Think I might ask for some height speakers for Christmas and do that instead of 7.1

[@rauland]

5.1.2 Atmos is the better audio format. If you can do 7.1.2 or even 5.1.4 even better. 7.1 is a processor upmix of 5.1. I don’t believe anything was ever recorded in Dolby 7.1, 9.1 or even 11.1.... it was all 5.1 up mixed in the receiver.

[@43bigsteve]

Craig Foster thanks for the advice. Ya, the receiver I have now can only do 5.1.2 or 7.1. So looks like new speakers are going on my Christmas list!

[@wallylimwicks4534]

Hobbit let's go!!

[@dreyn7780]

I'm older than them now. It's just a story about kids making silly mistakes.

[@ryanp.3578]

Thanks for the good content on your channel. I noticed, however, that your eyes are out of focus in several of your videos. I've subscribed and will look forward to your next videos.

[@r8ders2k]

FWIW, on Blu-ray.com, it indicates that the 4K LotR Trilogy is "Native 4K (2160p)" with Dolby Vision or HDR10, and Dolby Atmos or TrueHD 7.1.

[@kappy0405]

How about the Hobbit?

[@r8ders2k]

@@kappy0405 It’s the same for The Hobbit.

[@CameronKiesser]

I preordered on Amazon. Bought LotR via Walmart. Only seen the 1st Hobbit when it came out, nothing else. Only once. I can tell the difference between fps with fps comparisons but it's not a thing I look for as it's not important whatsoever in quality when you view an fps on its own. IMO. Needed to watch these. Thank God I heard about the 4K before getting the BluRay. Phew.

[@ealanosborne]

I might snag Battle of the Five Armies by itself if and when they decide to release them individually. Otherwise, I’ll skip this. LOTR trilogy in 4K is a must for me, tho. Can’t wait until I own it!

[@warrenbeer2737]

Already ordered the lord of the rings trilogy so I think I’ll wait a bit to get this, maybe when there’s a drop in price but thanks for the review Jeff!

[@Tealcjohnston]

Sadly we don't get the digital codes in Australia, which is really annoying as it feels like the version we get has less in it.

[@noeldillabough]

I have noticed this lately in Canada too, for example John Wick 3 no codes (codes in previous 2 movies) and Westworld Season 3 no codes (but in last 2 versions). They're making a big mistake pushing people away from physical media.

[@nationalcoasternews5798]

For both trilogies is their any difference in quality between the theatrical and extended cuts?

[@daweedpotrawa3042]

Yes the extended give more indepth information about the world and the characters, especially the lord of the rings. Also it is in its most scenes more true to the books. For me the extended versions are the only versions

[@FilmGamerHUN]

I saw Hobbit 3 in 48fps and it was great on actions but not so good on conversations.

[@4kmoviesdownload2]

The second entry in the Hobbit franchise improves on everything he first film got wrong. It doesn't waste any time and gets right into the action packed sequences. My only problem was the setting change at the end of the film. I felt like it didn't suit the climax. Overall, The Hobbit the Desalation of Smaug is a solid follow up to the first film building on the ideas the first film started. 4kmovies co

[@chadsumner9492]

Is there any word on a whole middle earth collector set being released yet with all the 4k editions?

[@JeffRauseo]

Yes - the middle earth collection is coming summer 2021.

[@Chronos867]

@@JeffRauseo So this middle earth collection will be extended release plus theatrical discs?and the hobbit collection right now is only theatrical release?

[@SharkWithFreakinLaserBeam]

@@Chronos867 They specifically said with new bonus content, but that's as far as it's detailed. As for the Hobbit set just Google that.

[@paulnieder4236]

@@Chronos867 The Hobbit set that releases this Tuesday will include both the extended and theatrical versions. The same goes for the Lord of the Rings set. The massive set that's releasing summer 2021 will have the same discs but will contain extra bonus features not included in the sets that come out next week. I believe the sets that come out next week will have some bonus content but it seems they're holding back even more of it for the summer 2021 release to get people to double-dip. I've waited long enough for these to come out in 4K so I don't feel like waiting until next summer.

[@jasonspears9512]

Anyone get audio cutout/glitch at 1:15 mark in Desolation of Smaug in the extended version?

[@BigDeez05]

So VUDU just put out 6 LOTR Extended UHD set thus weekend. Is VUDUs streaming legit 4K or better to wait for disk?

[@jameshorton7496]

I have both LOTR and The Hobbit coming in 4K Steelbook. One if coming by mail, the other I pick up at a Best Buy.

[@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.

[@MyFireVideos]

You post about anything Middle earth and 4k, you get more subscribers. Seems right. Thanks for the review.

[@stuart84632]

It sounds like he doesn't like the Steel books. Does anyone know why?

[@joejoyce8031]

A spineless disclaimer at the beginning about liking the movies.

[@sergiouggiano3899]

Hello! I don’t believe I have Dolby vision...will it still impress with just HDR?

[@grahamoliver3306]

Happy Thanksgiving from down under 🇦🇺

[@moomcmoosson1992]

Does no special features mean that they dont even include the audio commentaries?

[@justinhess2462]

Hi Jeff. I have a question. I have samsung 4k tv 2018. Should I upgrade lg 2020 model will I see a difference??

[@tienenaar2295]

Is there already some info on what the "Middle Earth boxset" will contain as too extra's? In dubio about getting these version or wait a few extra months to get the boxset.

[@flim-flammington]

When rewatching a movie series with prequels, do you watch it in the stories chronological order or do you watch them in the order they are released? Just curious what people think about this, I tend to watch the prequel first. like i'll probably watch hobbit first, and i'll probably watch star wars in its chronological order. I dont think theres a wrong answer here it's just preference. Just wondering how people tend to lean.

[@kappy0405]

The story's chronoligical order.

[@shanerollins3736]

All this talk of special features reminds me of The Maltese Falcon, where after all the wait and all the struggle, they basically realized they were had. The two hours of new stuff are cool I guess, but they’re nothing compared to the hours of endless features on the various previous releases of the Middle Earth movies. I literally waited to get all the movies until the Middle Earth set came out, and WB basically screwed us. Perhaps they’re waiting for the next anniversary?

[@JohnDuraSSB]

Are they ever going to release the high frame rate editions??

[@spiritus3390]

Does anyone know if the Hobbit 4K has Dutch subtitles? The Lord of the Rings 4K should have them. Thx in advance!

[@djbutt88]

Can you do a video on GODZILLA 2014 on 4K Disc? Is it ever going to be released?

[@JeffRauseo]

It hasn’t been released yet. With the new movie on the horizon I would expect it to be released in 2021.