A new generation of Blu-ray movies is on its way. Victor Matsuda, Chairman of the Blu-ray Disk Association Global Promotions Committee, has confirmed that the group is currently planning to have the specifications of the 4K Blu-ray format completed by the third quarter of 2015. He also stated that the first movies in 4K Blu-ray will be available for purchase by the 2015 Christmas season, and of course, the necessary new players will also arrive at that time. You will need a 4K TV as well, in order to get the most out of this new format, and so far, there are no budget sets with this capability.
4K resolution is a fairly big jump from the present day 1080p normally seen in Blu-ray discs. 4K is 3840 × 2160 pixels, compared to the 1920 x 1080 resolution we have now. The 4K format will also offer an expanded color gamut, higher frame rates (up to 60fps), high dynamic range (HDR), and will use the H265 video codec for the most efficient compression on the discs. Those developing the new format are also exploring the possibility of using greater capacity discs, moving from the 50gb possible now, to as large as 100gb per disc.
There is no word yet on pricing for the new discs. You can be certain that they will be at least the same price as current Blu-ray movies, and probably much higher. How this format will succeed is the big question, as there has been resistance to 1080p Blu-ray, and that format has never gained the popularity of DVD's. The very high cost of 4K video equipment is a real barrier to a quick acceptance by the public.
You can read more on the story at Tech Radar.
