Skip to main content

Warner names first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases, including Mad Max and San Andreas

warner home video 4k ultra hd blu ray releases mad max fury road
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Joining Sony Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Home Video has announced the first four titles it will release on the new Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc format: Mad Max: Fury Road, San Andreas, The Lego Movie, and Pan. The news comes in the anticipation of the release of what is expected to be the first available Ultra HD Blu-ray player coming stateside from Samsung, likely to be shown at CES next week.

Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, expected to deliver the best picture quality available to consumers yet, will support a wider color gamut, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and higher bitrates than current 4K Ultra HD streaming services, designed to work with the latest enhancements for 2016 4K Ultra HD TVs. In addition, the content will be less compressed than today’s 4K streams, which should assure less compression noise and fewer gradients in darker scenes.

“With the anticipated proliferation of Ultra HD televisions in the coming years, our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray product offerings will truly complement the stunning capabilities of this new generation of home entertainment hardware,” said Warner Bros. exec Ron Sanders in a statement (via Variety).

While a release date has yet to be set, Warner told Variety that, soon after the release of these first four titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, the studio will issue new releases for the format alongside regular Blu-ray Disc and DVD releases. Warner also plans on releasing catalog titles on the format throughout 2016, including Man of Steel and Pacific Rim, and expects to have over 35 titles available on the format by the end of 2016. Dolby Atmos surround and, presumably, DTS:X will also be included on select titles.

Twentieth Century Fox, the first studio to announce Ultra HD Blu-ray disc releases, will also release new films on the format the same day as standard Blu-ray and Digital HD. In addition, the studio plans to reissue recent hit films including Kingsman: The Secret Service and X-Men: Days of Future Past on the format.

Sony Pictures’ initial slate will include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Smurfs 2, and Pineapple Express; Lionsgate plans to remaster “its top 100 movies” in the format, according to Variety. That said, the proliferation of  Ultra HD Blu-rays will likely be a slow and steady one, so those raring to go on a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player for 2016 may want to give the content some time to catch up.

Editors' Recommendations

Chris Leo Palermino
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chris Leo Palermino is a music, tech, business, and culture journalist based between New York and Boston. He also contributes…
These are the best 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays to show off your home theater
Bask in the glory of your home theater with these 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray movies
ready player one review reaching

When 4K initially burst on the home theater scene, there was little 4K content for early adopters to enjoy. Fast-forward a couple of years and not only are 4K TVs the new normal, but High Dynamic Range (HDR) is everywhere, providing stunning contrast and color shading via a rushing river of new content.

To help you build a respectable 4K Ultra HD library, we're constantly sifting through the Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog to find the best of the bunch. The list continues to grow every month and we're on the case. So pop some corn, slap a disc in the Blu-ray player, and prepare to be blown away by an ultra-sharp picture, brilliant colors, and surround sound so real you'll swear you're inside the movie.
John Wick: Chapter 3

Read more
Watch Kentucky Oaks 2024 live stream: Can you watch for free?
Let it ride with these tasty Kentucky Derby drinks

The 2024 Kentucky Oaks is set to run today at Churchill Downs. Though it may not be quite as popular as Saturday's main event, the Oaks is a Grade-1 race and undoubtedly one of the biggest races of the year for the top three-year-old fillies.

You're just in time, as coverage of all the Oaks Day races is about to start, at 1:00 p.m. ET, and in the United States it will be televised on USA Network. The Kentucky Oaks is set to post at 5:51 p.m. ET.

Read more
The best movies on Amazon Prime Video (May 2024)
Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You.

Amazon Prime Video is starting off strong in May with several new additions to its library of movies, including the premiere of the original romantic drama The Idea of You. Last year's underrated Christmas drama The Holdovers is also now streaming on Prime Video. And as far as we're concerned, a good drama is never out of season.

Prime Video lost a handful of movies at the end of April, and Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza is only sticking around through the end of the weekend. But everything else on our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now is still available. Just keep reading, and you can make plans to watch any of the films that you want to see this month.

Read more