DVDs have been around for decades, and if you’re an early adopter, you might have thousands of them in your library. There have been a few more physical media formats since DVD, and the newest one is 4K Blu-ray. Since the release of 4K Blu-ray, I’ve pretty much stopped collecting DVDs entirely, and the advancements are far too great for me to ever consider picking up a new DVD again. I couldn’t imagine watching 2026’s The Odyssey on a DVD, and I’ll be grabbing that 4K as soon as I can.
Just because 4K Blu-ray is a massive jump in quality doesn’t mean you should rush out and upgrade your DVDs. That’s an expensive endeavor, and I’d say it’s only worth it if it’s a movie you keep coming back to. Your favorites really should be in the best format available, and it’s something I always think of when I pop in the Blu-ray of John Carpenter’s The Fog, but I still haven’t picked up the 4K of that. Perhaps it’s because the leap from Blu-ray to 4K Blu-ray isn’t as great as it is from DVD to 4K Blu-ray. We’re talking about a jump from 480p to 2160p, and that’s not even mentioning the sound upgrade. This is just a handful of stuff you should upgrade from DVD to 4K Blu-ray, and I could go on and on about even more that don’t make this list.
Blu-ray and DVD technology
Trivia challenge
From spinning discs to high-definition glory — how much do you really know about Blu-ray and DVD?
HistoryHardwareFormatsCapacityStandards
In what year was the DVD format officially launched for consumer use?
That’s right! DVD was officially launched in Japan in November 1996, before rolling out to North America in 1997. The format was developed by a consortium of major electronics companies including Sony, Panasonic, and Philips.
Not quite — DVD launched in Japan in November 1996. It then made its way to North American markets in 1997, quickly displacing VHS as the dominant home video format over the following years.
What colour laser does a standard Blu-ray player use to read discs?
Correct! Blu-ray players use a blue-violet laser with a wavelength of 405nm. This shorter wavelength compared to the red laser used in DVDs allows data to be packed much more densely on the disc surface.
The answer is blue-violet, with a wavelength of 405nm. This is actually what gives Blu-ray its name. The shorter wavelength compared to the red laser in DVDs is what enables the significantly higher storage capacity.
What is the storage capacity of a standard single-layer Blu-ray disc?
Spot on! A single-layer Blu-ray disc holds 25GB of data. Dual-layer discs double that to 50GB, while newer BDXL triple-layer discs can hold up to 100GB, making them ideal for 4K Ultra HD content.
The correct answer is 25GB for a single-layer Blu-ray disc. Dual-layer discs hold 50GB, which is why most feature films are released on dual-layer media to accommodate high-bitrate video and lossless audio tracks.
Which format did Blu-ray defeat in the high-definition disc format war of the mid-2000s?
Exactly right! Blu-ray defeated HD DVD in a format war that concluded in early 2008. The turning point came when Warner Bros. announced it would exclusively support Blu-ray, prompting Toshiba to discontinue HD DVD shortly after.
The correct answer is HD DVD, backed primarily by Toshiba and Microsoft. The format war ended in February 2008 when Toshiba officially discontinued HD DVD after Warner Bros. threw its exclusive support behind Blu-ray.
What is the maximum video resolution supported by a standard Blu-ray disc (not Ultra HD)?
That’s correct! Standard Blu-ray supports up to 1080p (Full HD) resolution at up to 60 frames per second. It was a massive leap over DVD’s 480p standard definition, and helped drive widespread adoption of HD televisions.
Standard Blu-ray tops out at 1080p Full HD resolution. This was a significant upgrade over DVD’s 480p and helped establish the format as the premium home video choice — until 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray arrived to raise the bar again.
Which company originally developed the DVD format alongside JVC, Sony, and others?
Correct! Philips was one of the founding members of the DVD Consortium alongside Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, JVC, and others. Philips had already co-developed the CD format with Sony, so its involvement in DVD was a natural progression.
The answer is Philips, which co-developed the DVD standard alongside Sony, Panasonic, JVC, and Hitachi among others. Philips had significant experience in optical disc technology, having previously co-invented the CD with Sony back in the early 1980s.
What laser wavelength does a standard DVD player use to read discs?
Well done! DVD players use a red laser with a wavelength of 650nm. This is shorter than the 780nm infrared laser used in CD players, allowing DVDs to store more data, but longer than Blu-ray’s 405nm laser which enables even denser storage.
DVD players use a 650nm red laser. For comparison, CD players use a 780nm infrared laser, while Blu-ray uses a 405nm blue-violet laser. The progression to shorter wavelengths is what has driven increases in optical disc storage capacity over the decades.
What does the acronym ‘BD-ROM’ stand for in Blu-ray terminology?
Correct! BD-ROM stands for Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory. It is the standard format used for commercially pressed Blu-ray movies and games, as opposed to BD-R (recordable) or BD-RE (rewritable) formats used for home recording.
BD-ROM stands for Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory. This is the pre-pressed, non-recordable format you find on commercial movie and game releases. The Blu-ray family also includes BD-R for write-once recording and BD-RE for rewritable discs.
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The Dark Knight soars on 4K Blu-ray, and it’s a worthy upgrade
One of the best
When The Dark Knight arrived in 2008, it was a transitional period from DVD to Blu-ray, and I would imagine a lot of people ended up picking up the movie on DVD. At the time, there was nothing wrong with that, but now that the 4K version of the film is available, and often for cheap, there’s no reason not to make that leap.
Not only is The Dark Knight an endlessly rewatchable film, but it’s one that really comes to life in the 4K format. The IMAX scenes look fantastic, and the image is as sharp as ever. The only downside I can think of, and it’s a trend among all Nolan releases, is that there’s no Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I’m not saying the sound is bad by any means, but I have a Dolby Atmos sound system that I’d like to get use out of whenever I can.
2001: A Space Odyssey reaches its full potential
Free from the limitations
I could use any old movie here as a shining example of a 4K upgrade, but I’ll just take a second to highlight 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of the things that flies under the radar when watching a 4K conversation is how modern some of the films feel. I can’t quite explain it because you know you’re still watching an old movie, but the clarity makes it almost feel like it could’ve been filmed yesterday. 2001 is an example of that.
This movie already had an impressive showing on regular Blu-ray, but I’d say it’s worth the upgrade from even Blu-ray to 4K. This is another one of those films that’s relatively easy to find for cheap, and if you’re interested in one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time, look no further than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Pretty much any classic fits this bill, however. The Sound of Music, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, and the list goes on, all look great in 4K.
Titanic is a spectacle that deserves the best format possible
This one’s a little controversial
Titanic is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I first saw it late at night on cable television. It wasn’t long after that that I picked up the DVD, then the Blu-ray, and then the 4K Blu-ray. I also have an unopened copy on VHS, and it’ll stay that way because the 4K is the only thing I’ll be watching going forward. When it was released, Titanic was on the cutting edge for effects, and it still holds up wonderfully today. It’s also the best it’s ever looked on 4K.
There’s been a stigma around James Cameron releases on 4K, buoyed by the abysmal Terminator 2 scan. His releases tend to have a lot of noise reduction, and it’s something you should be aware of if you don’t like the grain being scrubbed out of everything. I don’t think Titanic has been hit as hard as True Lies, and I don’t have any problems with the way Titanic looks. I don’t plan on watching my Blu-ray or DVD version again now that I have the 4K, and I imagine you’d do the same once you pick it up.
The original Top Gun gets a huge boost in audio quality
Sound is important too
As somebody who has a copy of Top Gun on VHS, I can personally let you know that the 4K is a massive jump in quality. Of course, that’s the case with any VHS to 4K jump, but I’d argue that the picture quality, as large as the jump is, pales in comparison to the audio upgrade. Top Gun is a movie, and a franchise now, I suppose, that pushes sound quality to its limits. Both Top Gun and Maverick have superb Dolby Atmos soundtracks, and that’s something you’re not going to find on the DVD.
Even older movies that came out before Atmos even existed benefit mightily from a soundtrack. If there’s ever been a movie to really take advantage of Atmos, it’s Top Gun. If you don’t have an Atmos setup, it’s still well worth the upgrade, but it really shines with its audio quality.
