U.K. rentals still HD only

[Donfor39]

Resisted temptation to purchase Tomb Raider 2018 as I know today is rental release day.
Are movies from iTunes still HD only in u.k. -though I might rent 1st anyway and decide if 4k purchase is required.
I'ts been ages since I rented as I purchase some 4k titles.

 

[400]

There is a discrepancy in UHD titles between the states and the UK, more available in the US. However there are 4k titles available in the UK, they are listed as such in the appropriate section.

 

[Donfor39]

There is a discrepancy in UHD titles between the states and the UK, more available in the US. However there are 4k titles available in the UK, they are listed as such in the appropriate section.

Thanks I've opted to rent.
1st time I've seen 4k hd tag after renting though only viewed a few secs via iPad Pro.
Maybe I'll get to view via 4k t.v. Tonight

 

[400]

Not sure what you get from an iPad on 4k, depends on how good the Mk1's are I suppose.
Pretty sure previews of 4k are not in 4k though? Running through the main title will be. I think.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

If it's a 4K DV/HDR iTunes film to buy, then it'll also be a 4K DV/HDR to rent. That's always been the case for the ATV 4K.
I rented 'The Post' in 4K HDR the other week. It's sound quality was outstanding. Great film BUT a film that you'd only want to watch the once was all of our verdicts!!!

We saw 'Cries from Syria' the documentary and it was beautiful and full of integrity and empathy.
It brought a tear to all of our eyes.
When you see what those beautiful people live through, it kind of makes moaning about Apple stuff or bugs seem rather shallow and pathetic.

 

[570934]

View attachment 770893

Thanks I've opted to rent.
1st time I've seen 4k hd tag after renting though only viewed a few secs via iPad Pro.
Maybe I'll get to view via 4k t.v. Tonight

I'm guessing you don't have a 4K television itself. It needs to detect the device you are viewing the film in iTunes can display the 4K/HDR content.

 

[Donfor39]

I'm guessing you don't have a 4K television itself. It needs to detect the device you are viewing the film in iTunes can display the 4K/HDR content.

Refer to my sig-Sony 4k non hdr set.
The 4k tag whilst viewing some times drops from Tomb raider.
I might purchase it anyway in a few weeks to add to my collection.
At least purchasing guarantees 4K at least in UK I suspect USA are ahead in 4k film rights.

 

[400]

Careful of assuming it will remain 4K.
Some can get downgraded by the studios though I know not what the ramifications are if you purchased 4k for 4k sake. One or two of mine were bumped to 4k then dumped back down to HD.

Personally, if I want to keep an eye popping good film for the glory it is on the TV then it is Bluray everyday. e.g. I have the Aliens box set in Bluray. If I wanted that 4K (as I like them so much) I would get the 4k disk, if they ever get released in 4K rather than buy 4k on iTunes. (Aliens 1-4 that is). Here is hoping they do get made up.

I have the Jurassic dino stuff in 4k on iTunes but can take it or leave it, not worried if they get dumped back to HD.

It is a personal preference.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Careful of assuming it will remain 4K.
Some can get downgraded by the studios though I know not what the ramifications are if you purchased 4k for 4k sake. One or two of mine were bumped to 4k then dumped back down to HD.

Personally, if I want to keep an eye popping good film for the glory it is on the TV then it is Bluray everyday. e.g. I have the Aliens box set in Bluray. If I wanted that 4K (as I like them so much) I would get the 4k disk, if they ever get released in 4K rather than buy 4k on iTunes. (Aliens 1-4 that is). Here is hoping they do get made up.

I have the Jurassic dino stuff in 4k on iTunes but can take it or leave it, not worried if they get dumped back to HD.

It is a personal preference.

Having worked in media for many years and knowing people in the industry, I seriously would not bank on 4K BluRay staying around! When you see the huge brands - SONY, LG, Samsung showing no interest with incredibly cheap & nasty players to the market, it's pretty clear that the format has zero future and belongs in the last century. I'm giving it 2 years max!

What I find incredible is people ranting over 4K BluRay disc and then playing them on a horribly built, cheap component player that resembles some basic low entry level CD player of the very early 1990s. From a professional point of view, I can't see the logic.

As I made VERY CLEAR to DonFor even though he does not seem to appreciate my advice - IF it's available to buy in 4K DV/HDR from iTunes THEN it will ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE IN THAT FORMAT when it becomes available to rent.

 

[400]

Erm, I have a player. Whether it is around in 5 or 10 years is another thing. Whilst I have that option, it is by far the best for any 4k unless you have streaming rates end to end and codecs (software/chips) to compare with the pros but then even backhaul is compressed. I will deal with any transitions when they happen.

The version that gets from my disk to the screen through my cheap player and cheap HDMI lead blows anything streamed (commercially available that I, me, myself have access to) at the moment, out the water.

I will believe formats going when they go.



Edit. There is also the issue with 2k masters going 4k and then they are streamed, they are close to disk on apple but a full fat 4k+ or higher master, disk every time.

 

[570934]

Refer to my sig-Sony 4k non hdr set.
The 4k tag whilst viewing some times drops from Tomb raider.
I might purchase it anyway in a few weeks to add to my collection.
At least purchasing guarantees 4K at least in UK I suspect USA are ahead in 4k film rights.

I never look at peoples signatures lol. But, with all 4K content being streamed, and as other have mentioned too that this can disappear through either the studio pulling the free upgrade, or technical issues with the ATV can also ping them out of 4K. What I have noticed is sometimes when you use the TV app it refreshes your content and shows the 4K upgrades. Did it the other day and 5 new films popped up.
I'm still waiting for The Great Wall to appear back in 4K HDR after the studio apparently pulled it, even though it was one of the "launch" ATV titles showing HDR content off.....

 

[400]

I was looking forward to the great wall as well, in 4k, then it dropped to HD. I understand this is the studios doing not Apple. Probably something in the T+C on the subject.

 

[570934]

I was looking forward to the great wall as well, in 4k, then it dropped to HD. I understand this is the studios doing not Apple. Probably something in the T+C on the subject.

Indeed. I spoke with Apple when it first dropped back to HD. They confirmed it was indeed under the studios control. It's on Sky in HDR but not buying it on yet another platform. There's a bit of bidding going on to show films on a certain platform so until that dries up the studios will be dipping their bread.

Just as a note on the previous reply and using the TV app to refresh your 4k/HDR content. I just did it an hour or so ago for the first time in 4 weeks, 6 new films upgraded

 

[400]

How do you refresh then? I have been using Cheap Charts and most of my films are the sale items, seem to have acquired quite a few 4k now.

Sorry OP, got side tracked. Tomb Raider is on my want list as well. Hope it is good.

 

[570934]

How do you refresh then? I have been using Cheap Charts and most of my films are the sale items, seem to have acquired quite a few 4k now.

Sorry OP, got side tracked. Tomb Raider is on my want list as well. Hope it is good.

Just refresh as in load the app up. Should raw down your purchases with the HDR listing shown as the separate section.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I never look at peoples signatures lol. But, with all 4K content being streamed, and as other have mentioned too that this can disappear through either the studio pulling the free upgrade, or technical issues with the ATV can also ping them out of 4K.

This is why 4k streaming is currently a mixed bag and I wouldn't recommend the ATV to every movie buff.

Currently there three movies I'm keen to casually watch but all three are purchase only with no rentals available. Do I want to spend £30-40 on them when I'll likely only watch them once? No.

In some cases movies are only available in HD. So you are neither getting the awesome eye candy of 4k, nor the fidelity of lossless sound from a Bluray disc.

I bought the ATV shortly after after LoveFilm closed down. Since I've rented a few films but watched a lot more when I subscribed to love film. Cinema Paradiso have a huge and growing library of 4K titles and at £7.38/month for movies per month it's a lot better value than iTunes or Amazon.

The benefit of all-you-can-eat subscriptions is that they encourage you to watch movies you would otherwise not consider paying for or watching in the cinema. If you start watching a film and get bored 30min in, you can simply stop and send it back, unlike an iTunes rental where you will watch every movie until the end because you paid for it.

I don't have an UHD bluray player but used ones have now fallen under £100 on eBay and in 6 months I'll be able to buy one for £50. That's the point at which I'll sign up to Cinema Paradiso and enjoy the luxury of being able to choose movies unrestricted and affordably.

Will 4K movie streaming improve?

Not in the short term as Walt Disney, Fox, Netflix and Amazon are on the brink of a content war.

 

[400]

Not sure about the US but some speeds in the UK can allow for a higher rate however into the home is not the whole picture. If there was fibre to the home then bit rate can surpass disk but the whole back haul and distribution needs to be up to it for multiple users.

Will 4K movie streaming improve?

Not in the short term as Walt Disney, Fox, Netflix and Amazon are on the brink of a content war.

Streaming will and does have the ability improve, but the studios will probably have a say in the pricing i reckon. Imagine a video bit rate (not download rate, coders and decoders improve) that is better than disk. I expect a premium from the studios that will match the disk price. Hope to be wrong but at the moment £20 for a disk is steep so they are not often bought.

Say in a few years BT/Virgin, A.N.Other says fibre to the home with half a gig download available, if they (Apple etc) are going to sell a service still pegged at todays rate, then why do I want fibre? Disk will still be superior. Then add in the price, it needs to be joined up thinking or it will muddle along for a decade. The ISP could be onto a loser, fibre to the home can still be pegged at slow rates.

I expect the muddle along.

I hope I am wrong.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Streaming will and does have the ability improve, but the studios will probably have a say in the pricing i reckon.

Our saviour could be original programming. Amazon, Netflix and Apple have seen the writings on the wall and are now pumping money into own movies to circumvent begging universal and Disney for the rights to sell or let blockbusters at acceptable prices.

I agree that streamed movies could match prices of discs and then gradually fall with the shelf life of a movie. Although distribution and packaging adds costs, there is nothing more corporate likes than removing the middleman and enjoying bigger margins.

Kudos to Apple for trying to fight our corner by pushing for standardised prices.

 

[400]

Original programming is an odd term. I suppose when the Two Ronnie's first aired it was original programming. It is just a marketing gimmick.

Problem is, and no fault of their own, when punters will walk out of high street retailers with £50+ HDMI leads I think it will be a mess driven by cheap deals and smoke and mirrors. You know, tie into our service for £x a year and get all films a fiver but it will be hobbled and more expensive.

Time will tell.

 

[Macalicious2011]

You know, tie into our service for £x a year and get all films a fiver but it will be hobbled and more expensive.

Even 4K video gaming isn't here yet. I was intent on buying an Xbox One X but spent two months reading about and comparing it against the PS4 PRO. In the end I want for the latter. Hardly any games on the One X runs in native 4k and for those that do, the difference between it an the checkerboarded PS4PRO version, is only noticeable if I sit right up the nose to the TV.

The comparison was done by downloading 6-15GB comparison videos in 4k by Digital Foundry.

However, it took full HD a long timer to become a mainstream format. Even now, many programs aired live are still only 720p or even SD. Thankfully, YouTube and Netflix are pushing the envelop when cable networks and the likes of BBC are dragging their heels.

If it wasn't for Netflix countless 4K TV Shows, 4k would at this point have been a waste of money for me.

 

[400]

HD came around in 2006 with Sky, UK went 1080i min. for main stream but SD feeds did keep going for ages (and still do). But yep, BBC 2 Wales only just went HD (last few months?) but that is the pipe in the back haul, kit bolted on etc. and the cost. HD was also seen as a revenue stream by some providers. 4K will get the same and indeed it has with disk.

4K seems to be shifting TV's faster than HD did back in the day and a bigger driver. Reading various industry docs. Also you get full 4k capable sets compared to the "HD Ready" fudge.

PAL was there for 50 years. HD 2006 (UK 1080i), 4k last several years, 4? 8K on the horizon, things are moving quicker and I think the industry is slow to capitalise on it but they will mess it up.

I am dropping 4k on Netflix as the quality is down on what it can be, HD is far better for me personally (I can see the issues and once you have your eye in, it drives you bonkers), Apple TV and BT sport are superb at this. (not having Amazon or Sky to compare).

Gaming is something I have missed, for some ungodly reason I stuck with the iMac and Mac does not do gaming. Playstation Pro for me soon.

 

[Macalicious2011]

HD came around in 2006 with Sky, UK went 1080i min. for main stream but SD feeds did keep going for ages (and still do). But yep, BBC 2 Wales only just went HD (last few months?) but that is the pipe in the back haul, kit bolted on etc. and the cost. HD was also seen as a revenue stream by some providers. 4K will get the same and indeed it has with disk.

4K seems to be shifting TV's faster than HD did back in the day and a bigger driver. Reading various industry docs. Also you get full 4k capable sets compared to the "HD Ready" fudge.

PAL was there for 50 years. HD 2006 (UK 1080i), 4k last several years, 4? 8K on the horizon, things are moving quicker and I think the industry is slow to capitalise on it but they will mess it up.

I am dropping 4k on Netflix as the quality is down on what it can be, HD is far better for me personally (I can see the issues and once you have your eye in, it drives you bonkers), Apple TV and BT sport are superb at this. (not having Amazon or Sky to compare).

Gaming is something I have missed, for some ungodly reason I stuck with the iMac and Mac does not do gaming. Playstation Pro for me soon.

What issues have you experienced with netflix 4k? Do you use the TV or apple tv as source?

The biggest hurdle for 4k to climb is distribution. There are no satellites dishes for receiving 4k so BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have little incentive to upgrade hardware. Yes people watch on demand but live TV is what matters.

On demand via broadband is viable for the majority of the population as speed, reliability or even access to 30mpbs lines isn't where it should be.

Last week an article mentioned that Netflix has more subscribers than Sky. This level of competition didn't exist when HD was introduced. I believe the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV are currently knocking heads about launching a joint competing service.

 

[400]

OLED TV app and other apps across the various products including Apple TV. Other people may be happy with it, I am not.

There are 4k satellite transmissions, both test and distribution and transmission from events to the broadcaster. The list is growing as channels buy into it. However you need the appropriate receivers to get them.
https://www.lyngsat.com/uhd/index.html

Lyngsat is a sort of a spotters guide and not definitive, there will be some difference between this and the other such sites. e.g. https://www.flysat.com/satlist-uhd.php I am also reading in the industry orientated press. It there if you look.

We would be looking at 30w to 30e for the UK give or take due to elevation (yes you can go further east or west but there is a limit with the orbital location vs your place on the earth). Off the shelf stuff exists, there are a lot of people that have their own steerable platforms, Sky is not the only provider, just the biggest name in the UK.

I think on demand broadband will be the bulk of the way though, it has the bandwidth capability that satellite does not, satellite can get to the hard to reach places but transponder space is expensive and that limits video bit rate at the decoder.