I’m a huge fan of the 4K Blu-ray format, and while not everybody is a true believer, I am. The vast majority of my physical media pickups are in the 4K format, and the only time they’re not is when I see a price that’s too good to pass up. The issue is that this is becoming more and more common over time. I don’t find movies on sale as much as I used to, mainly because I picked up most of the titles I’m interested in when they were on sale, but also because prices for everything feel like they’re going up.
I’ve had to be more picky with the things I add to my collection, and I think the days of me blind buying movies like 1930’s Hell’s Angels are over. I still want to watch a lot of things, but I don’t know if the 4K format is the most cost-effective way for me to do that, especially when there are vastly cheaper ways to do so.
I use it as an example a lot, but for a long time, the only way to get Lawrence of Arabia in 4K was to pick up the very rare steelbook. This meant you had to pay an inflated price on eBay, possibly over $100, or get lucky and snag a copy at MSRP. Even at MSRP, a steelbook is more expensive than a regular 4K, let alone a Blu-ray or DVD.
What’s even worse is that people might spend this high price on a movie they keep hearing about, only to find out they don’t even like it all that much. I try to add movies to my collection that I’ll watch at least twice, but I definitely break that rule more often than I’d like. I can tell you from experience that it’s a bummer to spend $50 on something and not like it in the end. I would’ve been better off buying a Blu-ray copy of the same movie for far cheaper, or just streaming it.
Quiz
4K Streaming vs. DVD
Trivia Challenge
Think higher resolution always means better picture? — think again, and test your knowledge of the tech behind your screen.
StreamingDVDsCompressionResolutionVideo Tech
What video compression format is most commonly used by major 4K streaming services like Netflix and Disney+?
Correct! H.265, also known as HEVC, is the dominant codec for 4K streaming because it compresses video more efficiently than older formats. However, even HEVC has to make significant sacrifices in quality to fit 4K content into manageable bitrates for internet delivery.
Not quite. The answer is H.265 (HEVC). While H.264 is still widely used for HD streaming, 4K content requires the superior compression efficiency of H.265 to keep file sizes practical — though that compression still comes at a visual cost.
What is the maximum bitrate of a standard DVD’s video stream?
Correct! A standard DVD tops out at around 9.8 Mbps for its video stream. While that sounds modest compared to 4K resolutions, the key is that this bitrate is delivering 480p content — meaning far less data is being squeezed, and compression artefacts are far less visible.
Not quite. A standard DVD’s maximum video bitrate is approximately 9.8 Mbps. That figure might seem low, but because it’s only encoding 480p resolution, the compression is far less aggressive and the picture can look surprisingly clean and film-like.
Approximately what bitrate does Netflix typically use to stream 4K HDR content?
Correct! Netflix streams 4K HDR at roughly 15–25 Mbps, which sounds decent but is actually quite compressed for content at that resolution. A 4K Blu-ray disc, by comparison, can deliver bitrates of 80–100 Mbps, which is why physical media still wins on raw picture quality.
Not quite. Netflix typically streams 4K HDR at around 15–25 Mbps. This is dramatically lower than a 4K Blu-ray disc’s potential 80–100 Mbps, meaning the streaming version must discard a significant amount of visual information to fit through your internet connection.
What visual artefact is most commonly caused by heavy video compression in 4K streaming?
Correct! Banding — where smooth colour gradients appear as stepped blocks — and blocking artefacts are the telltale signs of aggressive compression. You’ll often notice banding in dark skies or shadowy scenes in 4K streams, something far less common on physical media.
Not quite. The answer is banding and blocking artefacts. These appear when a codec discards too much colour and detail data to save space. Smooth gradients like dark skies can show visible ‘steps’ of colour, and fast motion can break into blocky patches — both common in heavily compressed 4K streams.
What is the native resolution of a standard DVD?
Correct! DVDs store video at 720×480 pixels for NTSC regions (like the US) or 720×576 for PAL regions (like Europe). Despite this relatively low resolution, the efficient use of bitrate and lack of heavy compression can make DVDs appear remarkably sharp and film-like on a modest screen.
Not quite. The answer is 720×480 for NTSC or 720×576 for PAL. These resolutions are a fraction of 4K’s 3840×2160, yet a well-mastered DVD can still look impressive because the compression is far less severe relative to the amount of picture detail being encoded.
In what year was the DVD format officially launched for consumers in the United States?
Correct! DVDs launched in the US in 1997, following an earlier debut in Japan in late 1996. The format was a massive leap over VHS, offering cleaner picture, chapter selection, and surround sound — and it dominated home video for over a decade before streaming began to take hold.
Not quite. The DVD launched in the United States in 1997. It had debuted in Japan a year earlier in 1996, and its combination of better picture, digital audio, and durability over VHS quickly made it the dominant home video format well into the 2000s.
What does ‘HDR’ stand for in the context of modern 4K streaming and display technology?
Correct! HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it refers to a wider range of brightness levels and colours that a display can show. When properly implemented, HDR can make a bigger perceptual difference than the jump to 4K resolution alone — but poor streaming compression can undermine its impact.
Not quite. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It allows displays to show brighter highlights and deeper shadows simultaneously, with a wider colour gamut. Ironically, the heavy compression used in 4K streaming can introduce artefacts that make HDR content look worse than well-mastered SDR video on disc.
What is the term for the process where a video codec selectively discards information deemed less visible to the human eye in order to reduce file size?
Correct! Lossy compression is the technique at the heart of all major streaming video codecs. By discarding data the human eye supposedly won’t notice — fine textures, subtle colour differences — codecs dramatically reduce file sizes. But at low bitrates, those shortcuts become very noticeable indeed.
Not quite. The answer is lossy compression. Unlike lossless encoding, which preserves every bit of data, lossy compression permanently discards information to shrink file sizes. At the low bitrates used by streaming services, this can strip away fine detail, crush shadow gradients, and introduce the artefacts that make 4K streams look worse than a DVD.
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4K Blu-ray is the best, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best for you
Don’t waste your money
Physical media is an expensive hobby, so you should be looking to cut costs where you can. I have a Dolby Atmos sound system in my living room, and that’s naturally a big part of what drew me to the 4K format in the first place. I usually want my first time watching something to be the best one possible, and if I skip a movie in theaters, that’s often on a 4K disc. The problem with that is price, and in the case of Lawrence of Arabia, that was far before my time, and a 4K disc is the best way for me to watch it. I was lucky enough to pay MSRP for the steelbook, but in hindsight, I don’t know if that was the best decision.
Lawrence of Arabia is a long movie, and it spans two 4K Blu-ray discs. It’s not really something you can just sit down and watch at any given time, so I only ended up watching it once a few years ago. While that cost has come and gone, I was probably better off snagging the regular Blu-ray for about $15 instead of spending more than double that. One-off scenarios aren’t all that bad, but if you’re doing this often, that cost is going to add up fast. I’ve been burned by many blind buys that I haven’t enjoyed, and now I’m stuck with a $20 movie that I didn’t like very much. In comparison, I could’ve been stuck with a $10 Blu-ray or a $5 DVD instead.
I don’t want to call it a trap, but it feels a little bit like 4K Blu-ray discs can be one. The point of movies, for me at least, is enjoyment. I’ve never watched a regular Blu-ray and wished I had done it on 4K Blu-ray immediately after finishing. I always talk about the movie itself, and sure, I could’ve seen it with HDR and a higher resolution, but that’s not the most important thing.
Buy movies because you like them, not because they look great
Tailor your collection to your taste
4K Blu-ray discs give you the best home version of a movie, but if a movie is just bad, there’s no point in bringing that disc home. No offense to fans of the movie, but Ang Lee’s Gemini Man isn’t what I’d call a good movie, but it’s one of the best-looking 4K discs you can find. I’m sure there are a lot of movies that fit that bill, but I wouldn’t recommend that you go out there and just buy everything.
Movies like Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia are excellent showcases of the 4K format, but if you don’t like long, slower-paced movies that are decades old, you shouldn’t go out and buy them just to see them pop off your screen. If you have the money to do it, don’t let me stop you, but I can think of much better ways to spend my money.
