It might not seem like it, but the Blu-ray format has been around for a few decades now. While 4K Blu-ray is the next iteration of the format, it hasn’t stopped Blu-ray or even DVD from still being big sellers. In fact, those formats are more popular than 4K, but it doesn’t mean they’re better. DVDs are by far the lowest quality of the three, which is ironic because they’re also the best-selling. Money talks, I suppose.
Anyways, early adopters of Blu-ray have a bit of a mixed bag when they look back on their collections. While some of those discs hold up, many of them leave a lot to be desired. I’m talking about disc rot, although it’s a fair concern, but I’m talking about the quality of the transfer itself. Some movies looked very good for their time, but 20 years later, there are better options, especially for some of the most popular movies.
Many movies have received multiple releases over the years, and some of those older Blu-ray discs just don’t hold up very well anymore. With 4K TVs being the norm, now’s a great time to look back at your collection and make some changes.
UHD Blu-ray technology
Trivia challenge
4K discs, Dolby Vision, and beyond — how much do you really know about UHD
Blu-ray?
4K VideoAudioHardwareFormatsStandards
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Some of those old Blu-ray discs don’t hold up anymore
Time for some upgrades
While something might’ve been the best for its time, that’s not the case anymore. I can think of quite a few discs that have better versions available, but I’m just going to highlight a few of them. One glaring example is Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. This movie entered the Criterion Collection in 2025 with an updated Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray version, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anybody who says this is anything but an upgrade over the prior Blu-ray. It’s still not a perfect release, but it’s much better than the 2007 release.
One of my favorite movies of all time, Predator, was a mixed bag on its original Blu-ray. Yes, it was the best option available for its time, but the 4K release is just a much better experience. Funnily enough, the 4K Predator comes with that old Ultimate Hunter Edition 2010 Blu-ray release, so you can compare them for yourself and get a look at what I’m talking about here. Predator is one of those movies where I’m happy to have the best format available, especially since it’s easy enough to pick up as part of a Predator box set.
If you’re a horror movie fan, you might have the Halloween collection from Anchor Bay Entertainment. For a while, this was the best way to own the franchise on Blu-ray, but now you can look at the superior Shout Factory collection for your Halloween needs. These Anchor Bay transfers feel all over the place, and the middle entries of the series are so up and down that it’s hard to recommend hanging on to them now that far superior versions are available.
It feels like there are so many early Blu-ray releases that fall under this category. A lot of it comes down to new printings based on different film negatives, and that results in varying quality. You don’t even always have to upgrade to 4K Blu-ray either. In a lot of cases, like Eyes Wide Shut, a straight Blu-ray to Blu-ray upgrade still results in a better experience. Obviously, that feels a little weird to do since the format stays the same, but it’s not unheard of. I’m heavily considering upgrading my Lionsgate Halloween 4K to the Scream Factory version for the sole purpose of having a matching case to go along with my other Halloween movies.
You don’t need to upgrade everything
Just pick and choose
Not every old Blu-ray needs an upgrade, and if you’re happy with how things look and perform, then there’s no reason to rush out to upgrade it all. I’ve just tried to single out some of the worst-aging Blu-ray discs that have far superior versions on the market now. Physical media isn’t a cheap hobby, and a lot of the upgrades are locked behind boutique sellers. Boutique sellers are interesting because you can usually count on them to put out good products, but you also have to pay premium prices for them.
Arrow, Criterion, and Shout Factory come out with new releases all the time, but I find that it’s usually best to wait for sales to come around. Fortunately, they’re not as rare as you may think, and they run a few times a year. It’s starting to feel like boutique stores are the future of physical media, as those are the companies you can count on to dig up older films for preservation. You’re not going to find me complaining about that, but my wallet is certainly yelling at me every time I open up one of these websites. That’s why I don’t upgrade everything in my collection. I mostly focus on older discs I’ve watched a few times. I’m okay with watching the odd mediocre Blu-ray here and there.
