Universal Pictures reveals first titles for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and digital release

By Stephanie Topacio Long April 19, 2016

universal pictures home entertainment 4k ultra hd jason bourne run — Universal Pictures

It’s clear that 4K Ultra HD technology has been gaining momentum, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the latest to join the push. After watching other distributors begin releasing titles for home viewing in the cutting-edge format, Universal has announced plans to get on board. The studio’s first titles in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and digital formats will be be available this summer, reports Variety.

Jason Bourne fans will be happy to hear that the latest of the franchise’s films starring Matt Damon will be among Universal’s first in the format. The film seems like a perfect fit: 4K Ultra HD’s incredible resolution (four times that of HD), high dynamic range, and enhanced color will make the inevitable explosions, high-speed chases, and brutal fights scenes all the more life-like. In fact, Universal apparently was all about that action when it chose its early titles: The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Warcraft, Everest, Lucy, and Lone Survivor round out the studio’s initial list.

Universal’s plan is to roll the films out this summer, but it hasn’t yet announced any dates or prices. Presumably, however, the studio’s films in 4K Ultra HD will be more expensive compared to their HD counterparts. Amazon currently sells a number of these Blu-rays for $30, including 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool, Warner Bros’ Mad Max: Fury Road, and Sony’s Salt.

“4K Ultra HD represents a giant leap forward in movie-watching,” said UPHE President Eddie Cunningham. “The format’s stunning resolution and peak luminance, combined with its deep bench of industry support, enables us to deliver to the consumer a truly differentiated viewing experience, one that has the capability to power the future of home entertainment.”

Universal will continue to bolster its 4K Ultra HD selection moving forward. By the time New Year’s comes around, the industry expects to have over 100 films available. You know what they say — or at least should say: the more 4K Ultra HD content, the better.

Updated 4/19/2016 at 3:11 p.m. PST by Ryan Waniata: The 100 films available next year were originally state to be from Universal, but the number is actually for the entire industry.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephanie Topacio Long

Contributor

Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…

Audio / Video

TCL’s giant 115-inch QM89 is the world’s largest 4K mini-LED TV

The 115-inch TCL QM89 television.

If you're going to unveil the world's largest mini-LED TV, CES 2024 in Las Vegas seems like an appropriate venue at which to do it. The honor goes to TCL's new QM89 -- an absolutely massive 115-inch 4K, quantum dot mini-LED TV. TCL announced the QM89 along with the rest of its 2024 TV lineup and its 2024 soundbars.

First Look at TCL’s 115-Inch QM89 TV | The World’s Largest Mini-LED TV at CES

Audio / Video

What is 4K? Everything you need to know about 4K Ultra HD

A Roku 75-inch Class Plus Series QLED 4K Smart Roku TV hanging on the wall.

High-definition content has been a TV mainstay for more than two decades now. From broadcasted cable stations to streamable movies and shows from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, 1080p HD is no longer the golden standard for modern TV models. It kind of feels like a no-brainer at this point, but what you want to invest in these days is a 4K TV, as most of the best TVs available are.

4K media is also not as rare as it once was either. In fact, most new films, shows, and even video games are now engineered from the ground up with a 4K screen in mind. And not to worry if you don’t currently watch any 4K content, because most 4K TV sets do an excellent job at upscaling lower-res sources. So is it worth it to step away from your HD past in favor of a higher pixel count present and future? Let’s explore the world of 4K a little further to find the answers we seek.
What is 4K Ultra HD?
In a nutshell, 4K Ultra HD is the name assigned to a screen with a resolution that's four times that of a Full HD (1080p) TV. That translates to 8 million pixels being crammed into the same space in which a Full HD TV fits just 2 million -- achieved by making each pixel four times smaller. The result for the average viewer? A clearer image, more accurate color, and with most new TV sets, High Dynamic Range, or HDR (more on that in a bit).

Audio / Video

The hidden costs of buying a 4K TV are way higher than you think

Toshiba 55-inch-class C350 series 4K smart Fire TV on a gray shelf and light gray background.

There’s never been a better time to buy a 4K TV. Prices have continued to drop even as screen sizes and smart TV features have continued to grow. But now that 4K TVs are priced within reach of almost anyone who wants one, are you actually going to be able to enjoy all of the extra detail and picture quality that 4K promises? The answer is, sadly, not as often as you expect, and not without some considerable extra investment over and above the cost of the TV.

Modern 4K TVs are packed with a lot of impressive technologies that can make picture quality look amazing, no matter what you’re watching. With upscaling driven by complex algorithms and often aided by AI, even watching an old DVD on a 4K TV will look way better than it did on an HDTV from 10 years ago. But to truly get the best possible results, you need access to native 4K content, preferably with some flavor of HDR, like Dolby Vision, HDR10, or HDR10+.