Eli is a journalist who lives in Detroit, MI. He got his start in journalism covering video games and sports for Heavy before branching out into greater esports coverage at Dexerto. He also has bylines at SlashGear, Sports Illustrated, and more.
He added technology coverage to his plate over his years of writing, and it's something he continues to cover at Pocket-lint. He's interviewed numerous game developers and covered several live events, such as the launch of Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in Los Angeles.
He has written more than 5,000 articles and looks to continue adding to that number in the years to come. For Pocket-lint, he specializes in home theater audio/video formats, and he loves streaming devices like the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K. He is also a lifelong collector of physical media, and he's a huge fan of 4K UHD Blu-ray, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.
He has a degree in Journalism from Central Michigan University.
The 4K UHD format is still in its relative infancy compared to other forms of physical media. DVDs have been around for decades, and Blu-ray is also in the same boat. 4K UHD Blu-ray has to earn a piece of that pie, because all three of these formats can still be found in stores today. Of the three, the 4K Blu-ray format is the least popular, but not in this household.
When I can, I pick up anything I'm interested in on a 4K Blu-ray disc. I value having the best sound and picture quality available, and that's where you find it. Some people look for the lowest price, and that's typically not going to be a 4K disc. However, there are still many movies out there where I don't think it's worth looking at a DVD over a 4K Blu-ray. The limitations are just too great in those scenarios, and if you have a 4K TV, it's a disservice to not watch some of those reference-quality 4K discs on it. I'm not saying you have to upgrade all of your DVDs to 4K, but I would start with these four.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
UHD Blu-ray technology
Trivia challenge
4K discs, Dolby Vision, and beyond — how much do you really know about UHD Blu-ray?
4K VideoAudioHardwareFormatsStandards
01 / 8
Standards
What is the maximum video resolution supported by the UHD Blu-ray format?
Correct! UHD Blu-ray supports a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160, commonly known as 4K UHD. This is four times the pixel count of standard 1080p Full HD Blu-ray, delivering stunning on-screen detail.
Not quite. The answer is 3840 x 2160, which is standard 4K UHD resolution. While 8K (7680 x 4320) exists as a consumer format, UHD Blu-ray tops out at 4K — still a massive leap over traditional Full HD discs.
02 / 8
Formats
What is the typical maximum data capacity of a dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc?
Correct! A dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc can hold up to 100GB of data. This extra capacity over standard Blu-ray's 50GB ceiling allows studios to pack in high-bitrate 4K video alongside lossless audio tracks and bonus features.
Not quite. The correct answer is 100GB for a dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc. Standard Blu-ray maxes out at 50GB on a dual-layer disc, but UHD Blu-ray needed more headroom to accommodate the much larger 4K video files and premium audio formats.
03 / 8
Audio
Which of the following lossless audio formats is natively supported on UHD Blu-ray discs?
Correct! DTS-HD Master Audio is one of the lossless audio formats officially supported by the UHD Blu-ray specification. It delivers bit-for-bit identical audio to the studio master, making it a favourite among home cinema enthusiasts.
Not quite. DTS-HD Master Audio is the correct answer. Dolby Digital Plus is actually a lossy compressed format, not lossless, while MP3 Surround and AAC 5.1 are not part of the UHD Blu-ray audio specification at all.
04 / 8
4K Video
Which High Dynamic Range (HDR) format was mandatory in the original UHD Blu-ray specification?
Correct! HDR10 is the mandatory baseline HDR format for all UHD Blu-ray discs. It uses static metadata and supports up to 10-bit colour depth with a peak brightness of 10,000 nits, significantly improving contrast and colour range over SDR content.
Not quite. HDR10 is the mandatory HDR format in the UHD Blu-ray spec. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are optional enhancements that some studios add on top, but every UHD Blu-ray player and disc must support HDR10 as the baseline standard.
05 / 8
Hardware
What laser colour is used in UHD Blu-ray players to read discs?
Correct! UHD Blu-ray players use a violet (blue-violet) laser with a wavelength of 405nm, the same as standard Blu-ray. This shorter wavelength compared to the red laser used in DVDs allows data to be packed much more densely on the disc surface.
Not quite. The answer is violet — specifically a blue-violet laser at 405nm. DVDs use a red laser at 650nm, and CDs use an infrared laser at 780nm. The shorter the wavelength, the more data can be stored, which is why Blu-ray outpaces its predecessors.
06 / 8
Standards
What maximum video bitrate does the UHD Blu-ray specification allow for video content?
Correct! The UHD Blu-ray specification allows a maximum video bitrate of 82 Mbps. This is substantially higher than standard Blu-ray's 40 Mbps ceiling, enabling richer detail, smoother gradients, and less compression artefacts in 4K content.
Not quite. The correct maximum video bitrate is 82 Mbps. Standard Blu-ray tops out at 40 Mbps, and while streaming services like Netflix offer 4K, they typically deliver it at just 15–25 Mbps — making physical UHD Blu-ray the highest quality option available to consumers.
07 / 8
Formats
Which video codec is most commonly used to encode 4K content on UHD Blu-ray discs?
Correct! H.265, also known as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), is the dominant codec used on UHD Blu-ray. It offers roughly twice the compression efficiency of H.264, meaning studios can deliver 4K footage at high quality without exhausting the disc's storage capacity.
Not quite. H.265 (HEVC) is the correct answer. While H.264 was the workhorse of standard Blu-ray, it simply isn't efficient enough to handle 4K video at acceptable quality levels within the disc's bitrate limits. AV1 is a newer codec but isn't part of the UHD Blu-ray spec.
08 / 8
Hardware
Which of the following connection types is required to pass a UHD Blu-ray signal at full 4K HDR quality from a player to a TV?
Correct! HDMI 2.0 or higher is required to carry a 4K HDR signal from a UHD Blu-ray player to a display. HDMI 2.0 supports the 18 Gbps bandwidth needed for 4K at 60fps with HDR, whereas HDMI 1.4 maxes out at 4K/30fps without HDR support.
Not quite. HDMI 2.0 or higher is the correct answer. HDMI 1.4 can technically carry a 4K signal but only at 30fps and without HDR, making it insufficient for the full UHD Blu-ray experience. Component video is an analogue connection and cannot carry 4K signals at all.
Challenge Complete
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/ 8
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Batman Returns is Keaton's Batman looking his best
Gotham City is never a bad pick
Tim Burton's Batman films are often looked back upon fondly, and that's because they're some of the best depictions of the caped crusader we've seen. I grew up watching both of these movies on a VHS tape, and I've never seen what they look like on DVD or Blu-ray. What I can say is that they look phenomenal on 4K, and I'd say the Returns 4K is a better-looking image than what we see from the 1989 original.
I wouldn't say Returns is better than its predecessor, but there's something a bit moodier about its depiction of Gotham City, and that could be down to Burton feeling a bit more comfortable. I love seeing it pop off the screen with a great HDR10 implementation, and the Dolby Atmos track is great. What's cool about this movie is that it's dark in many scenes, but there are also opportunities to show off how bright it can get. It's the best of both worlds, and it's a great showcase of the 4K UHD format.
The Wolf Man is a must for classic horror fans
It's old, but it doesn't look it
The Wolf Man is just one of many Universal Monsters that has been brought to the 4K UHD format. This is a movie from 1941, but this 4K transfer is so clean that you can't even tell it's that old. That's what I love the most about these old black-and-white movies being brought to 4K because it makes them feel as modern as they can. You know right from the first logo that you're in for a treat when the title card pops off the screen. That alone proves the HDR10 implementation is worth it over any other format of The Wolf Man to date.
Old movies like this clean up very nicely if the grain isn't scrubbed out completely. I can confidently tell you that it's a great-looking image, but don't go into this expecting a bombastic Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This, like many of the Universal Monster films, boasts a mono soundtrack. I don't think that's a huge flaw at all, and there are other Wolf Man movies fit for an Atmos track.
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is worth the splurge
Revenge never looked better
A lot of Sci-Fi just looks better in the 4K UHD format because it lets you experience all of these fantastic creatures and sets in the best format available. You might be worried that the increased resolution makes the poor effects stand out, but I don't think that is the case with The Wrath of Khan. It also helps that this is one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies of all time.
This is a great looking movie, and the Dolby Vision scan is a nice inclusion here over the regular HDR10 implementation. I'm always excited to see a Dolby Vision disc, and these Star Trek ones deliver. It's tough to go wrong with any of these, so if you're somebody who prefers The Voyage Home, you can opt for that one instead -- or you can just get them all like I did.
The Shining is one of the best 4K UHD discs around
You can't go wrong with this one
The Shining cleans up very nicely, and it's one of the best-looking 4K UHD discs in my collection. All the film grain is visible here, and if you're like me and love the look of grain, this is one of the best. I don't have much at all to complain about here, and I think this is one of the best-looking movies I've seen. It helps that the 4K upgrade is based on the 35mm original camera negative, so nothing's lost in translation here.
I love that so much of the older Warners catalog has been released in 4K, and I hope it continues under Paramount's leadership. There's nothing set in stone, but it would be a real bummer to see a studio with a catalog as deep as Warners just stop releasing its older movies.