This is Getting Frustrating for 4K Movie Collectors…

[@JeffRauseo]

We need 5,000 more subscribers to hit 100k! SMASH THAT BUTTON and never miss a video!

[@stugtodd2778]

You'll get there

[@action571000]

4900

[@action571000]

Rooting for ya Jeff.

[@saint6563]

Thought 100K goal earlier this year was a pipe dream, though by Spring became a potential reality. Now it's a done deal! Congrats.

[@alexanderfriel7160]

Their movies their rules this is much can i say 👍👍😁😁

[@ajzeg01]

How the industry works is studios look at what titles are selling well to determine what to give the 4K treatment. Big releases like Dune and The Batman are pretty safe bets. Smaller films like X and Malignant are not as safe so the studios put out DVDs and Blu-Rays first to see how well they sell. If they sell well, they consider putting out a 4K version. Movies getting the 4K treatment after the Blu-Ray is a good thing. It means people are buying enough physical media for the studios to release smaller movies on 4K, the most niche and expensive format. This is a sign of a healthy industry. It may sting, but you can just sell your Blu-Rays and upgrade. I’ll take that over not getting 4Ks for these movies at all.

[@Seriously140]

I think you are right. The bad thing here is I ONLY buy 4K unless it is something old that I doubt will ever see 4K.

[@michaelreid1271]

@@Seriously140 Im a big 4k buyer as well but I have to say you're really limiting your options.There's still some great bluray releases.Also, Ive found some excellent bluray tranfers for 2 to 3 bucks while the new release 4k might be 20 to 30 bucks.But, out of 900 or so blurays, I have over 200 4ks.Im right there with you, I only want 4k too.But I would say don't forget regular blus just yet.Something like Game of thrones I only wanted see in 4k.My Friday the 13th boxset is bluray but a lot of em have 4k scans an are jus amazing. Anyway, have a good one..

[@actualnotanewbie]

Literally what I was going to post. This isn't an inheritly bad thing.

[@michaelreid1271]

@@actualnotanewbie another thing is if you've already purchased say The Black Phone, Malignant, or X or something how much better is the 4k realistically.My tv can make those bluray discs look sick.But it aint nothin but a good thing all around especially if ya dont own it..

[@beefy1916]

Given the amount of backlash and people now not buying the Blu ray is not a good thing lol

[@cliffhanger639]

Even if they release the Blu-Ray first but they let everyone know that they plan to release the 4K edition would make me happy that way I at least have the option to buy or wait.

[@JeffRauseo]

YES! At least tell us it’s coming. Instead they wait on the news for 4 weeks after the initial release. And I’m sure they tell the boutique labels to wait to announce.

[@chrisjfox8715]

Great solution for the consumer obviously but it would cut into their profits

[@jeanp.5929]

If it's a new movie, there should be no doubt that a 4K release is coming.

[@m.dorado6966]

If you really want a peticuliar movie in 4K then wait. It's not complicated. I don't have Ben Hur or The Abyss in my collection so I'm willing to wait it out. The biggest potential risk is the quality of the transfer.

[@chrisjfox8715]

@@m.dorado6966 that ignores one of the points he made in this video

[@SirReptitious]

After I stumbled across an article that showed the breakdown of physical optical media sales, I was stunned that we get as many 4K titles as we do. The vast majority of disc sales are still DVD!!! Yes, while the vast majority of people have 4K TVs by now because they are so cheap, they are buying DVDs to watch on their 4K TVs. My biggest complaint is that there are older and less popular movies that came out on DVD but have not been released on BR or 4K. And don't even get me started on TV series on disc! I have all 10 seasons of Friends on DVD, which has all the scenes from every episode added back in that had to be cut to fit in the 22m runtime of an episode. Then they release the series on BR but it's the original versions w/o the cut scenes! WTF??? At least I was lucky to run across a 1080p release of both seasons of Dead Like Me online that I downloaded. I have it on DVD, and looked for a BR release but found none. Apparently it was made for streaming only. While I'd rather have it on BR, I'm very happy to have copies of the streamed 1080p version. :-D

[@dravenlee4473]

I definitely get irked on the double dipping but I understand it from a business point of view. I think as a physical media collector, you just have to choose wisely when buying Blu-rays. My preferred format is 4K/UHD and I try to avoid buying Blu-rays unless I'm almost certain that it will never get a UHD release. Even then, I've been burned several times. I never thought something like Death Wish II would get a 4K release but here I am buying it and selling my Blu-ray copy...

[@keeponplaying]

A real frustrating thing I am finding is so many 4K titles are not getting released internationally. So I end up paying almost three times what I would pay if it was released in my country just to have it imported.

[@bradavon]

Do you mean 4Ks by big studios that own international rights, in which case that's not on or smaller boutique labels who don't own inrrri rights? In which case it was this day with dvd and blu-ray too.

[@TheRealMikeVan]

Along with the double-edged sword you mentioned, Jeff, there can be another impact as well. When they put out a 4K version only because the 1080p blu-ray sells well, a lot of people will pass on it (whether they’re annoyed like you said, because the 4K isn’t a big enough upgrade, or they’re just unwilling to double dip on a film) but then the studio looks at that and goes “the 4K didn’t sell well, there wasn’t a market for it”. Even though they could have easily sold a lot more copies if they had just released it initially and it creates a non-reflective deflated return. Then they don’t find it justifiable to put all of the effort and money in for future releases and as a result, sales are even worse. It feels almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy of physical media doom from them.

[@Theomite]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if they just tell us WHAT they're planning--Blu-ray only or Blu-ray first, then 4K TBA this/next year--it'll smooth over a lot of problems. Yes, you risk splitting the consumer base, but it also means they can manage loss by producing more/fewer units and avoid pissing off said consumers by not trying to make them double-dip. We need a schedule, even tentative, so we can budget accordingly. Hell, they can even TELL US that "We won't make a 4K if the Blu-ray doesn't sell well" and we won't get mad. We're NOT STREAMERS. WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY. But you gotta give us a fucking map so we know HOW we're gonna spend it.

[@Eohtar]

Totally agree with everything you said in this video. There is also another new pet peeve of mine that started recently: bring out a movie in 4K with regular HDR and then again a year or so later but now with Dolby Vision added. Looking at titles like Bram Stokers Dracula, Starship Troopers or Bridge on the River Kwai. I buy 4K to have the ultimate version of a movie, not to double dip on an already expensive format for incremental technical upgrades.

[@moomcmoosson1992]

Those titles you mentioned were release several years ago, all of them in 2017 in fact. Those really aren't the best examples.

[@ddc2957]

A problem for LG owners but not Samsung.

[@kondorr]

Just wanted to weigh in on the issue of german releases. These are often the unenhanced files from the lower format. Bought a few fiilms on german bluray, cause noone else had it, and often it turned out to be dvd quality burned on a bluray. It would not surprise me if they continue this scam on 4k so be cautious. If there is only one 4k or bluray edition on the market and it originates from Germany, u better hold ur wallet.

[@ddc2957]

Yes I’ve only had two German releases on Blu (A Simple Plan & The Ghost & the Darkness) & have been fairly disappointed by both. The Princess Bride & The Never-Ending Story are on 4K exclusive to Germany & I’d be interested to hear peoples’ opinion on those if they’ve seen them. Interestingly enough I have the only Blu of the 80s film Funny Farm which is from Denmark, & that looks quite good.

[@Eohtar]

@@moomcmoosson1992 Fair point about when they were released. Hard to believe it's already been 5 years - the last couple of years certainly messed with my perception of time. But then again, I still think that any music that came out in the 2000s is 'new' :)

[@robsavage3217]

The studios and some of the boutiques have forced me to become something of a 4K snob. These days, I will almost never buy a Blu-ray of a mainstream title or a boutique title from the likes of Criterion, Arrow and others if I think there's a chance the film will be upgraded to 4K at some point. It's not the cost of a potential double dip that bothers me, it's the principle. I don't want to unnecessarily waste my money, regardless of whether or not I can afford it.

[@suddify666]

Really happy you're bringing light to this issue. I almost pulled the trigger on Malignant blu-ray but was holding off. Not necessarily because I was waiting for the 4k version, but instead i'm less interested in picking up a 1080p blu-ray when I can potentially get better quality through streaming. Needless to say... I was really irritated to see that Warner Brothers out of the blue decided to do the 4k release anyways. This has also happened to me for a few A24 titles. Midsommer is one of my favorite movies recent and immediately expected to be on 4k. They release it on Blu-ray, which I buy, and then do a A24 limited release a few months later on 4k? What the fuck! Also same thing but even more egregious with Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse. Been out on blu-ray for quite some time now and now there's rumors that there's going to be a limited 4k release for that movie also. It's really frustrating as a consumer to deal with this.

[@dominicarroyo6269]

That's why I always wait and honestly it's pretty easy to tell when a movie is going to be getting a physical 4k soon especially if you can get it digitally. Cause they'll release it on blu-ray and digitally you can get it on 4k which means sometime soon they'll be putting it out in 4k blu-ray.

[@GoldenMean743]

Yup. The only time I buy a blu ray right away anymore is when it is a special or limited ed of a movie I really love. I'm not a die hard collector, though. I only purchase my favorite films, old and new.

[@dominicarroyo6269]

@@GoldenMean743 the only ones I'd get on blu-ray is movies I know that just got a blu-ray release or don't even have a 4k HDR version digitally,which is alot of movies and not sure if majority of them will be available in 4k in the next five to ten years

[@vb8428]

Didn't happen for Licorice Pizza and The Black Phone

[@dominicarroyo6269]

@@vb8428 it will soon enough. It took crawl almost a whole year I believe to get a 4k blu-ray

[@UnitedRedDevil13]

@@vb8428 i really don’t think any PT Anderson flicks are 4k or think he’s personally a huge fan of the format. So he might not be personally behind any 4k release of/when they drop?

[@my3dviews]

I had the same issue with 3d movies. If a movie was in 3d at the theatre and the release was only in regular blu-ray, I would have to wait to get the 3d release. Sometimes it looked like there never was going to be one, then you end up with having to buy it again when/if they finally released it in 3d.

[@jonathansabinvarietyfilms]

Personally as soon as they started pulling that about a decade ago, I made my standard: No 3D, No Sale. If they don't want to sell me the proper version of a movie, there are 'other' ways, and that's their choice.

[@DeanBarryStuff]

What confuses me even more is that most 4K releases comes with the bonus blu ray version of the movie in the same packaging. Hell, most blu rays movies come with a DVD version. I don’t know why this isn’t just the norm. People could pick up the 4K, even if they don’t have a player or TV yet, at least they’re future proofed and ready to upgrade. The whole thing is just making us double dip. It’s a cash grab pure and simple.

[@leighmonty13]

As a collector I figured out long ago just wait for the 4k or the special edition or the boxset unless I'm just happy with the bluray release, to many times I've bought the bluray to find out a special release is coming or extended ect

[@AzraelIgnis]

I started waiting on 4k releases with digital codes. I live in Florida and my family lives up north. They have access to my library of digital movies. I have many duplicates now because of this, I got tired of it. Now I just sell the dups to 2nd hand stores to recoup what I can. And of course if it supports HDR I will rebuy films I love.

[@briannacluck5494]

I'm just barely starting to get into this medium after a family member bought me a 4k blu ray player off my wedding registry. I immediately started looking for 4k films for the player and was astounded that it's easier to find a 4k version of the original Frankenstein than it is to find a physical 4K release of, say, Zola

[@oliversmith797]

If anything they should release the 4K first, as a way to encourage the wider transition to UHD. There's a collectors edition bluray of Catch Me If You Can out on October 4th from Paramount and I have no idea why it isn't in 4K or if it will soon be released in 4K. Being a collectors edition it makes it even harder to take the 'wait and see' approach. If you can find out anything about that transfer (4K intermediary?) I'd appreciate it!

[@frankthetank5445]

Both X and Malignant in Australia only got a dvd release, not even a Blu ray. Talk about pathetic.

[@prentissweston5998]

I couldn't agree more about just put the movie out on 4k and not just Blu-ray only, or just put them both out on 4k and Blu-ray and let the collector of movies buy which format they one to buy 👍

[@miket8497]

I only buy 4K & always wait for price drops anyway. The phenomenon you describe D/N really make sense b/c 4K is the only physical media segment that has seen an increase in sales. You would think the studios would go 4K from the beginning.

[@PugLifeJM]

Studios should just be more transparent about their intentions on releases and re-releases. Something along the lines of a PR department between the physical media section at studios and the customers would really go a long way.

[@dwaynesager1864]

I am only buying movies now on 4k format if it sits in my top 10 list. When we went from DVD to blu ray the improved quality was very noticeable, but I can't say the same going from blu ray to 4k. Yes the picture is almost always sharper, but the way they play around with HDR can honestly ruin the experience. I think it comes down to your pocket book. Spend wisely.

[@ddc2957]

Well said. It’s not a format that needs applying to every single film (unlike BD which improves everything it touches).

[@lexyoutube5146]

Yes Dwayne, I know other film collectors that have said the difference from dvd to blu-ray is more noticeable on screen than from blu-ray to 4k.

[@dwaynesager1864]

Looking it up the difference between HD and 4k is 1366 x 768 pixels of revolution for HD to 3840 x 2160 pixels of revolution for 4k. Now I am watching my movies on a 60". If I upgrade to a 75" or 80" will I begin to see the difference?

[@lexyoutube5146]

@@dwaynesager1864 Hi, my knowledge may be similar to yours, many film watches seem to have large 40"-60" screens, which blu-ray and 4k both look good on (dvd less so). The larger you go the more blu-ray will 'pass it's sweet spot', while 4k should still look great as you point out it has the extra pixels (a higher resolution). This is why 8k films probably won't get many if any physical releases, because to notice a significant upgrade on 4k, the screen would have to be cinema size, which most people wouldn't be able to fit in their home. The bigger you go with the screen for your 4k films the more you should notice a difference over blu-ray, but then it also depends on the individual blu-ray and 4k film transfers, HDR etc. Some may say seeing a minor increase is worth the cost of upgrading, some may say it isn't, it's personal preference.

[@marklindsey1995]

I stopped buying movies years and years ago after I would buy a movie, then the collector's edition came out, then the director's cut came out, then the extended-cut box set came out, then the blu-ray standard movie came out, then the blu-ray limited edition..... Such garbage. To this day I cannot buy a movie because I don't know which version is the "best"

[@Monsux]

First pirate the 4k stream version... Later buy the 4k blu-ray release. Never buy it twice.

[@jakeparker9416]

Dude, you hit the nail on the head. Good to know I am not alone on this. I actually have all those movies you talked about ordered or on my shelf and I had to do the switch from bluray to the 4Ks. This particular batch of movies being Men, Crimes of the Future and X are kind of the reason that I am going to have to wait until announcements now. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!

[@Chrisicola]

I have a 1080 Benq projector that Im more than happy with. The new 4k projectors are still a little to out of my range and Im waiting for the market to chill some. That being said, Im more than happy with blu ray and even dvd in some cases. Not in a rush for 4k- eventually Ill swap the titles I really love out organically. Not all films need the higher resolution. Just a cost issue and being happy with what you got.

[@Seriously140]

Something that majorly pisses me off is when a studio does a new 4K DI remaster, but only puts it on bluray. Why in hell do a 4K remaster and not put it on 4K bluray? Arrow seems to do this on most every movie of theirs I want to purchase. The first that come to mind are The Thing and Waterworld.

[@bened22]

Both have 4K Blu Ray releases, at least internationally.

[@ShadowLucario64]

@@bened22 some arrow movie aren't like that for example, tremors has a standard bluray and a 4k version but the both are still from a 4k scan, The gamera heisei films come out from arrow which the films are 4k remasters but they aren't 4k blurays they're only regular blurays

[@Markimark151]

I went to Target today to find 4K Blu Rays, I couldn’t find any new ones on their shelf, they said we’re not selling new 4K Blu Rays yet, because it’s not out yet! Also why is Disney still releasing DVD only movies, when they can just include the DVD with the Blu Ray combo!

[@acdc09]

I'm probably in a small camp in that this hasn't bothered me since I have not jumped into 4k with the exception of a few I have but they are bundled with the blu-ray version. Blu-ray for me is perfectly fine with my standards in quality, then again I've always been a step behind in transitioning to the next format. Heck, I don't mind dvds many times as the picture quality is serviceable to good to me plus price and availability can play a part in my decisions. Different standards for different folks but I totally get what the issue is for those it matters to.

[@iNeverHadMercy]

I feel your pain.....especially in my wallet!! I have moved BACK to focusing on buying Blu-Rays for new releases. On my setup, they look just as vivid and live as 4Ks

[@TheMarine316]

What makes this even more perplexing is every 4K release comes with a blu ray

[@danieldalton6544]

Not every. Friday The 13th, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dressed To Kill, to name a recent few.

[@TheMarine316]

@@danieldalton6544 most do is the point, by the way my copy of raiders came with both in the steelbook.

[@lorenzo_smit]

I actually really like that. I don’t have a 4K player or oled tv yet. So can still watch the blu-rays until I eventually buy an oled tv

[@yol_n]

@@TheMarine316 Why they do that? Isn't it more expensive to include 2 discs?

[@TheMarine316]

@@yol_n yes

[@satanwest2923]

I totally agree with everything you said in this video. And you mentioned 2 movies as great examples that were newly released on blu-ray but not 4k that I wanted which was X and Black Phone. I didn't buy them cuz I knew they were gonna come out on 4k. I pretty much never buy movies right away anymore cuz they are too overpriced at the beginning, and if there is a movie I really love or want to see, I would have already seen it in theaters anyway. I always wait for the price to go down, or for it to go on sale (unless its a limited item). Keep up the good work!

[@JimAllder11]

LOL I love the way Freddy is looking at you.

[@paulj5336]

A pet peeve of mine is the constant inclusion of a 1080p disc with the 4k. I purchased the uhd for a reason. Seems like wasting resources to me.

[@fallingawake5706]

And charge you more for it when you dont even want it.

[@yourstrulyjohnnydollar8775]

I just started in the last year really trying to colleect 4k after sitting out on blu rays for years becuase of lack of money. I have not experienced this yet since I am mostly buying older films from boutique labels like Criterion and Arrow. But this is a very useful warning for newer cinema I may want to own. Thanks!

[@SmoochyOF]

I understand the frustration. If it was even 6 months later I would understand looking at Blu-ray sales numbers and making the decision on 4k or not but a month or two later is nonsense. On the flip side we are getting more catalog 4k releases than ever before so there's a positive there.

[@flyingrobotduck]

I usually wait for 4k, some movies I might not care as much, but for new movies that I want to own I will look for the 4k and if I can't find it I'll wait.

[@captainspaulding8868]

Let’s also be a bit more clear - this is predominantly happening to horror collectors who are consistent collectors of horror. They know many will buy the Blu Ray on release date and this is nothing more than scummy business practices

[@detroitsound9364]

What's your opinion on 4k should horror fans just stick with blue ray?

[@ntmetroid]

I just started refusing to buy standard blu rays in most cases. I got burned with Midsommar and Parasite and had to double dip. After that I said no more Black Phone and X are 2 recent examples where im waiting for a 4K release

[@kozmicflush980]

4K is the only physical movie media you should be buying. Anyone that does Blu Ray still is a fool and also is the problem for 4K being pushed further. i still don't understand companies who sell DVDs and the people who are still buying that trash. 4K is the future.

[@davefilms345]

It always pays to wait, always. This is the reason why I held off from buying the Indiana Jones boxset, I had this gut feeling that they will release them separately in original artwork as well. I don't bother with blu anymore now I wait for 4k. Same with 48hrs..comes out on 4k in Dec and ppl bought the remastered blu. I said give it a few months and it will come to 4k..no no ppl would say. Oh how I laughed . Same with the black phone it's not out on 4k but It will be..So I'm waiting. So it pays to wait and not double dip.

[@NYC_Goody]

EXACTLY. It's like these collectors are rushing to buy day 1 to flex or brag to their friends I dunno what it is. Just wait. I personally don't mind boxsets for movies. Even if they're not the original art. I'm a fan of a lot of the alternative art covers studios have been putting out. I bought the Indiana Jones set because I got it for a good deal when I purchased.

[@damagedcatdad]

You are absolutely correct. Physical media in general is almost exclusively a collector’s market. Collectors are going to prefer the best picture quality (4K) and so companies should automatically release in 4K on release day. Even if they only want to release on one format 4K should be prioritized. With gaming consoles and tvs coming with 4K compatibility as base, there is no real reason to even release standard Blu-ray anymore. The only releases, in my opinion, that should be on Blu-ray are TV shows. Other than that, standard Blu-ray and DVD should be entirely cycled out.

[@ScottGrammer]

Businesses make half their money from people's predictability. The studios know you're going to buy the Blu-Ray, even though you'd prefer the 4K. So they do this staggered roll-out to get you to buy twice. Just WAIT. Don't buy the first release. Wait a while. Don't spend your money until you can get exactly what you want.

[@JeffRauseo]

Right, but if you wait, then you didn’t buy and they won’t predict more sales, so you won’t get a 4K. It’s a lose-lose situation.

[@ScottGrammer]

@@JeffRauseo True, but they're too greedy. I think they'll release the 4K's because somebody in a suit will figure out that people are waiting for the 4K release. They may even stop making Blu-Rays and then go straight to 4K!

[@joshk9317]

That's what I thought about "Greenland". But how long has it been since that came out? Still no 4K bluray in the US. I'm about to just order a European one

[@ScottGrammer]

@@joshk9317 I suppose the answer is that we must face the fact that studios are going to get rid of physical media entirely. They want streaming to be the only way to watch *their* movies in *your* home. Enjoy your media while you can, I guess.

[@HORSEBITE]

I love 4K movies but I don't want a Blu-ray Disc with my purchase. They say it's free but that's a joke. If I want to upgrade some of my Library to 4k I will end up with 2 blu-rays of the same movie. I can't even give them away since almost all of my friends stream. In general I don't keep the cases because I live in a studio so storage is a problem. To me they are greedy and just driving up the cost of DVDs especially the new releases which forces me to wait a year or so for the price to come down. Also, even more frustrating is when it comes to TV shows that are initially released as Blu-ray and then later seasons are released as standard DVD. Why?

[@OledBurnInKing]

I usually just wait for a 4k version nowadays of the movies that I buy since I bought a blu ray version than out of nowhere the 4k would be released later on even though I wanted a 4k version from the get go. I thought the movies that I purchased were only gonna be on blu ray only and than they get released in 4k. This had happened multiple times. I usually like to window shop and see what's available on sale since I like to buy 4k movies on black Friday to get the best bargain I can get in 4k so I can buy a bunch of movies that I want in batches for whatever is available. When it comes to buying cds, blu rays and 4k , I shop at vintage stores or sometimes places like a thrift store since they have them available if I get lucky.

[@atranfanatic]

Many reasons why I still buy DVDs and Laserdiscs. Besides all that, my newest TV is a Samsung 2010 46" model for $25.00 at a local Goodwill. lol I see zero reasons to buy a newer TV when mine work just fine. Also the fact that when a Blu-Ray fails, you are screwed due to not being able to resurface it like a DVD. I have had a few Blu-Ray games become paperweights due to discs failing and not being able to load the game anymore due to errors. Hence I had to get another copy of the game so I could load it on my game console and play it. Also the Blu-Rays are packaged in flimsy, crappy plastic cases. Which causes the disc to come loose and flop around inside.

[@CybershamanX]

Thanks for talking about this. I love physical media, specifically 4k, and it's just so frustrating trying to get copies of my favorite films/shows, especially steelbook/special versions. I go through periods where I kind of almost give up since it becomes almost like a job. Then I miss out on releases and I'm so loath to feed the scalper scene. I then end up crossing my fingers that prices will fall and, well, yadda yadda. You know the drill. At any rate, thanks for shedding some light on the situation. Guess we're just going to have to bitch and moan, like we always have to. 😎🤟☮️

[@hi-fihaven2257]

Great video Jeff! I noticed the titles that get blu-ray releases get 4K digital releases. It’s like the studios are watching which releases sell better 2K or 4K digital before they decide on a 4K hard copy. I love purchasing 4K discs. First I own the movie, second I get better sound than digital. Atmos/DTHD, DTS:X, DTS-HD instead of Atmos/DD+ and DD+. I want to feed my system the best picture and sound.

[@WPorta1969]

With inflation and having to budget more over the last couple of years, I’ve learned to be more patient with my 4K purchases. I just got tired of buying a new release on 4K day one at $30 and then seeing it for $15 two months later. So, I’m not buying new releases right away. Especially, since I can still watch most on streaming. Movies coming out on blu-ray first aren’t as frustrating for me, because although I really want to pick up “Black Phone” on 4K, I was going to wait on it anyway. What’s frustrating for me is when recent movies like “Ready or Not” that have already been out a couple of years still don’t have a 4K release. I just have a used blu-ray copy I bought off Redbox just in the Redbox case for $3.99 and the 4K digital copy. There are very few 4Ks I’ll buy day one nowadays. Now, if it’s under $25 and a catalog title I want I may pick it up. The only upcoming 4K release I foresee picking up day one is “Top Gun: Maverick”. Yes, there are some catalog titles I want on 4K that I’ll pick up shortly after release (Lost Boys, Poltergeist), but those are in that $25 range.

[@PrisonMike117]

This happened to me a few times. Most recently with Wayne’s world and planes trains and automobiles.

[@V3ntilator]

I solved this problem years ago, because i stopped buying Blu-Ray nearly 100%. I waited for 4K releases instead.

[@MamaToldMeNoToWatch]

Interesting point. I remember Capelight announced th 4k-release of "X" in April or May, prior to its limited theatrical release, so we German customers knew early that there will be a 4-release. Same with Plaion Pictures and "Men". The single Blu Ray-release of "X" ist announced for October 28th.

[@JoeGrizz1y]

It honestly shocked me when The Black Phone wasn’t on 4K and the blu ray was sold out at my local target. Certain films are huge and have great word of mouth, just give them the 4K. Films like X did great box office wise and fits so easily into physical media niche. Why the hell not release a 4K at launch. It’s annoying. And people saying to sell the Blu-ray’s and upgrade. It takes a while to do that and mostly cause more pain to do so.

[@MrEdWeirdoShow]

Since blu-rays were invented, there was always this "understanding" that if a blu came out on a film, there was little to no chance it would soon be reborn as a 4K. The point was that certain films (usually older ones) went sorta high def, which was at least better than a dusty old DVD. What would solve this recent mess is companies always coming out with a blu-ray and 4K the same week. Average people would vote with their pocket books and save some dough, while super-serious collectors would always get their 4K. Win-win!

[@raisedonfiction]

Paramount is the most vicious with this stuff. I'm going to make a video about it... The Dolby Vision double dip will become a major issue in the next year or two and Paramount has a long history of doing this stuff with every release they possibly can. Indy, Godfather and Star Trek releases are perfect examples of immediate double dips due to packaging as well as transfer additions.

[@2011Antidote]

They should just scrap selling stand alone blu-ray editions and just release the 4k+Blu-ray packaging. Consumers might need only one of the discs but we use to buy blu-ray+DVD packaged together in the past. Maybe they also need a stand alone DVD release if consumers are still buying DVDs.

[@thatoneguy7709]

This is the reason why I haven't bought Licorice Pizza yet. I'm very certain that they're going to release a 4k sometime in the near future, mainly because of this new trend of releasing 4ks months after the initial blu-ray release.

[@Lozin80]

My rule of thumb is that if a new title I want doesn’t have a 4K I will skip the Blu-Ray and get the 4K digital iTunes when less than $10 and if the 4K Disc is announced by then great if not I’ll wait. I’ve also skipped all the Paramount Presents BD’s and now they are starting to come out on 4K so it was another good call. I don’t mind waiting it out

[@willianaleman6114]

Thank you for the info. I just don't buy HD Blu_ray - SDR alone. It doesn't matter how good they are when compared to streaming playback. I go to the theater, stream, and wait for UHD to be released.

[@aussieexpat]

honestly.... 4k just isn't worthwhile. Blu Ray is like 95% of the quality in most cases. the 4k discs that are truly transitional in experience is so limited it's nor worth the effort.

[@Mistah47]

Malignant, X, and Black Phone were all movies I wanted in 4K only to be disappointed when only the Blu-Ray dropped. Thanks for drawing attention to this. Cause it sucks.

[@skycracksopen]

Yeah I stopped buying blu-rays about a year ago because of this... unless it seems like something that is very unlikely to get a 4k release, like a blu-ray that has already been out for 2+ years and kind of obscure.

[@steffylovesmedia7735]

great advice im havent got a bluray lately put havent miss a movie i can wait and see what they gone do i know the game double they money but not on my wallet if sales go down and they lose money may be they will wise up its about the money they want to keep that coming

[@jerlg]

In general agreed. I remember even a few years back when Avengers Infinity War came out I wanted to buy in 4K and it was out. But Target sold out on first day or release in my area. So I got the BR. Now it is not as much of an issue. I can usually find the 4K if it exits. But having BR only and not disclosing g that it may be in 4K in less than 6 months is pretty rude.

[@AutismFamilyChannel]

I’ll just wait until it comes to 4K. I don’t need it right away.

[@MagicJulienBertone]

How about pre-orders of the 4K disc and for those collectors who already bought the bluray, offer a significant discount (with proof of purchase). Then those preorders receive the 4K movie with an empty slot inside for their already owned bluray. Thanks for the great content as always!

[@datashadow]

At this point, I assume any new movie (from major studios) will have a 4k release and that's what I wait for. Sucks, but I'm willing to wait and hope.

[@briantaylor6030]

I agree with you totally Jeff. Occasionally they also release a steelbook later which ruffles my feathers

[@dominicarroyo6269]

Or pull a Sony and do some re-releases of their 4k steelbooks like once upon a time in Hollywood and etc which sucks because nobody knew they'd be doing that

[@TheEasterFerret]

Maybe it'd be best for them to start doing pre-order campaigns, kinda like Kickstarter. If the 4K version reaches a certain amount of pre-orders, then they make it, but if it falls short, they don't. Could even have a checkbox that allows the customer to opt-in to receive a blu-ray at a lower price if the 4K doesn't happen. At least it would be a more transparent way to handle things.

[@wiiplaya25]

I’m still mad about the lack of IMAX conversion on physical release. This adds to the anger now

[@tubinonyou]

Waited a while to purchase Licorice Pizza on Blu because I was holding out for a 4K release. To my knowledge there is still no physical 4K for that film. The digital code in the Blu-ray was iTunes only (1080p) so I had to double dip for a digital copy in 4K on Vudu. I'd probably still buy a physical 4K disc for it if it were released but it's definitely not an ideal circumstance for a collector. Feels like I'm getting fleeced.

[@scotttild]

Kind of reminds me of the transition from LP to CDs. LP would come out and then five or six months latter the CD would. Then of course they did away with LPs when they stopped selling and people just would sit for the CD. They should just transition to 4k for newer movies. I have bought Starship Troopers three times LOL, original DVD, Blu Ray and 4k.

[@lawyer1165]

I’ve been upgrading many of my films from DVD to blu ray. So far, I’ve only upgraded two films from blu ray to 4K-Singin’ in the Rain and Double Indemnity. I might add To Kill a Mockingbird to that list. When a film that I don’t own is available in 4K, I will buy that version. However, for me, upgrading from blu ray to 4K generally a waste of money because properly remastered films (e.g., Warner Archive) look great on my Sony 4K TV.

[@MikeSmith-rh5gc]

Double Indemnity is so good. Got the 4k Criterion

[@scotttild]

It depends on what type of movie. Science fiction with lots of darkness and color almost always looks better than the blu ray. Other movies not a lot of difference.

[@TheTonyahawk]

It honestly depends on how much you like a particular movie on weather to upgrade formats. For my favorite films I upgrade for instance Poltergeist comes to 4K in about 2 weeks and I have preordered it but would never get parts 2 or 3 it's all up to your taste.

[@brianlasker5697]

Very frustratig. Had this problem myself a few times

[@easyz6654]

My feeling on this issue is that given the studios are setting up their own streaming services (Disney+, Paramount+, etc) that they want to drive the customer base to this mode for delivery. They get a guaranteed revenue stream and more importantly, the ownership and control of the content comes back to the studio. Selling me a disk allows me to own it on a shelf forever without their tinkering with the content to suit whatever woke cause may be in the news at the time (exhibit one - Gone with the Wind and the racial stereotypes being called out). They know the real holdouts to their streaming platforms, people like ourselves, want the 4K releases. Our situation in Australia is that whilst there are some awesome labels (Via Vision & Imprint) that produce great content, the studios provide no value add, labels with ugly classification labels obscuring the cover art, the list goes on. Do I want to be subject to the whim of the studios that pull content from the streaming services at will? No, I'd rather have the movie sitting on a shelf that I can view at any time. I've been caught out on streaming platforms (Prime) where I've been going through a particular TV series and it gets pulled before I have had a chance to finish watching. I think we will see a future where the boutique platforms take over physical media. There is a market for it amongst us (look at Arrow and the great job they do). Just my 2 cents worth.

[@bloodcarver913]

I do not want to pay more than BD atm. for a movie. Inflated costs is whats keeping me away from UHD films. Also unfortunately, the slow market development of UHD films is starting to make me think UHD will die out if it does not improve a lot from the current status. I'm sticking with BD for now ^^.

[@NRH_Wx]

Are usually only see like four or five copies at a local Walmart of 4K and plenty of Blu-ray and DVD versions on the shelf. Best Buy section has shrinked so much I try to go every other day to look at their selection to see if something new came in on the truck. Yes I’m aware I can go to Amazon or eBay to find these movies. But I’m also trying to support my local stores.

[@thedocholiday3]

hd blu ray is good enough for me, as long as it has a digital copy too. I dont buy 4k unless its a rerelease of an old title that now includes a digital copy.

[@NicVegas]

I really want the Black Phone in 4K... haven't bought the bluray yet for the exact reason you're talking about here. They're just going to release the 4K in a few months. I already bought Crimes of the Future on bluray

[@GrayWolf5000]

That's why I always say just wait. If it's released on Blu, you know it will come to 4k. Also if you want something in a collection just wait. Studios will release individual films to see how well they sell then bam, they release a nice 4k box set.

[@donsimpsonshead8809]

I do the same. This is a non-issue for me. Well…except for TV shows, I’ve been waiting at least a year for the rumored 4K release of The Expanse series.

[@GrayWolf5000]

@@donsimpsonshead8809 yeah TV shows rarely get 4k unless it's something like got . People just preorder like crazy and then get mad because they didn't wait.

[@ShadowLucario64]

@@GrayWolf5000 I feel like we should have to wait but at the same time I get it

[@guitareveryone]

Unlike the giant leap from the old VHS format to DVD and DVD to blu-Ray, 4K blu-ray releases in my opinion has not yet been a huge market for the average viewer. Considering how long the 4K format has been in the market now the 4K discs should have been considered the standard format for the home consumer. However it appears that streaming sites apparently have really killed the 4K disc. Although collectors like myself would much prefer physical media and especially 4K the convenience of streaming and picture quality appears to have been the choice for the general viewing public. I believe that’s also evident in the fact that big box stores are still stocking tons of titles in the older DVD format as well as blu-ray. I for one have been pretty frustrated with lack of 4K titles versus blu-ray. So for myself unless 4K titles make a giant leap in availability soon I will continue to buy blu-ray. The quality is still very good even projected on my 10 ft screen. Of course if 4K titles of my favourite films hit the market with great quality and pricing I will grab them. Enjoyed this episode and enjoy your channel!

[@tomthurston9069]

I loved "Black Phone" but refuse to buy it on BluRay, because I know it will be available on 4K

[@zoneclipper]

Same, I don't trust getting it on Amazon only for a 4K release to be announced shortly after. SMH

[@Lanosrep]

4K costs more to produce. It's understandable that they would put the Blu Ray out first to test demand

[@vincentcadena7651]

I agree, I just picked up Get Carter and it would make a great Criterion release but I had to get the BFI edition for the 4K. The transfer looks great but the messed up thing is I can’t watch the special features because they are only on a Region B disc. I honestly don’t think it will come to America(much like Dawn of the Dead).

[@tompoynton]

Now imagine being a UK consumer and seeing all those US-only Criterion releases, multiply your frustration by 1000 and you’ll understand

[@billbozeman]

This was the norm in the early 90s with VHS and LASERDISC. I would often purchase a movie on VHS (as the LASERDISC wasn’t guaranteed/announced) then weeks later it would suddenly be released on LD. Extremely frustrating. More $$$ for the big studios. smh

[@ducky25410]

I totally agree with you 100% I collect physical media myself and I just buy it on blu ray on release day and I will wait until the 4k goes on sale for a good price then I double dip but I'm good either way in my humble opinion.

[@tharveytucker1]

Same in the vinyl community. A special pressing that claims to be a limited amount. Then a month or two later, a bunch more are pressed and in a dozen new variants.

[@JohnathanNoechelShunn]

I did this with Belle. I didn't know a UHD copy was coming later.

[@larrykramer2761]

I no longer buy the major studio movies on release day. They almost always drop in price within a month or 2 plus it makes sense to wait to see if they folllow up with a 4K. I only preorder boutique label limited editions that I really want and don't want to risk missing out on. Also, the days of the mass market dvd/blu rays are over. At my parents house I found a Gone with the Wind "limited edition". It was "limited" to 50,000 copies! You'll never see that again. Nowadays its more like 5,000 max and a lot of times more like 1,000 or 1,500.

[@grandpallama]

I far prefer physical media, but I've also accepted that studios don't consider physical media a priority anymore; their focus is on digital release. Hardcore enthusiasts are still driving the physical media market, as you say, but the physical media market isn't the main profit driver anymore, so they aren't going to worry about the reaction of a rapidly dwindling customer base.

[@kvid64]

This is a problem for older movies as well. I really want the Das Boot bluray but I know if I buy it they'll announce it's coming to 4k. Happened to me with Ten Commandments

[@SamLovesMovies25]

Another thing (separate from the Paramount Presents issue) that Paramount is doing that is REALLY pissing me off is this: They released Wayne's World in a BLU RAY ONLY steelbook, which made me think that that was what we were going to get and a 4K was not happening. But THEN mere MONTHS later, they announce a 4K, including the EXACT SAME steelbook with 4K! It makes me feel cheated/ripped off that I was tricked into wasting money on the Blu Ray steelbook instead of waiting for the 4K version! And is just one example, things like this have now happened with multiple Paramount movies.

[@PaulLBerriman]

Very interesting double-edged sword situation! In Australia, if there is a 4K release (from the major studios) it comes out on the same-day as the blu-ray (and DVD, we still have a BIG DVD market here). But sadly there's a lot of studio titles which don't do as well in the box office here, which the studios then do DVD only of, sometimes lucky to get a blu-ray. We missed out on Last Night in Soho, and Malignant on 4K.

[@grrnoise]

Prioritizing popular releases on 4K is backwards from my POV. Older and smaller-budget films often benefit more from the upgrade. But I don't see anything changing any time soon as more big box retailers lose interest in physical media.

[@j.m.4858]

It's definitely frustrating.

[@NessNayii]

Yep, this has been hapening for some time now...very annoying, and ultimately not good for anyone, including companies, or for physical media more generally.

[@lold6130]

Easy - just wait for 4k release. Be patient.

[@_alex_willis]

Do you think Disney/Marvel is going to make a 4 movie 4K box set for Thor? They have the 3 movie collection that's been out for years but I haven't seen any new box sets that include Love and Thunder. Maybe it's too early since Love and Thunder just came to home media. I hope they're going to make the 4 movie collection but I feel they're straying away from physical media box set collections sadly

[@trejosam00]

Criterion put out Paths of Glory on BR and I picked it up. I just saw that a 4K will be out soon. For an older movie it's fine on BR but I probably would have gone with the 4K if it was out at the same time.

[@MuckMan_Movies]

You just need to be patient. I sometimes wait over 12 months for a release If I don't want to spend full price. Patience is a virtue.

[@0hffs]

Right, lots of people spent decades doing just fine accepting the VHS copies they had, or kept hanging on to their cable recordings of films that were recorded on to VHS before ever thinking that DVDs were around.

[@KitsyX]

The question is, if everyone does that, do they still even release it physically? If no one is buying the Blu-Ray, why release in 4K? This may not be an issue immediately, but given that fewer and fewer people are buying physical these days, it could be an issue for those that like having the physical product in the near future if this continues... It is a smart thing for a consumer to wait in general, but without those that don't wait, it'll seem like there is no demand, So yeah... They might choose to go fully digital because that's probably a lot cheaper for them in terms of distribution... It's potentially damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[@0hffs]

@@KitsyX as a proxy collector for my mother, who loves and collects Shirley Temple films, I've managed to collect whatever I could find on VHS as well as the DVD versions. I AM NOT AND I WILL NOT PURCHASE NEITHER BLU RAY NOR 4K renditions of these films. I have PATIENTLY WAITED AND WAITED AND WAITED for years for these studios to do what is necessary to find the best versions of their films in their vault and restore them. Have they? No. They are hoping the demographic for these older films just dies before they do it. I'm so done with them. Had you asked me 20 or even 10 years ago I'd be willing to just hand over every penny I have to get my hands on the best quality versions from them but playing this waiting game is absurd. There's tons of films they're still sitting on.