Good morning! I hope the world is being good to you and you’re being good to it.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and share a thought with me.

This is one for the movie collectors and fans. As a collector myself, I’ve picked up my share of 4K blu-rays for both new releases and upgrades of old titles re-released in 4K. Perhaps stupidly, I continue buying 4K because I want to maximize my viewing experience, ensuring I’m getting the best picture with optimized sound, yet I really could not tell you I’m getting a superior enough experience over regular blu-ray to justify the extra expense. Without the two formats playing side-by-side, I don’t know that I could tell a pixel difference or if HDR matters. Given how most consumed media today is not in 4K, and definitely not true 4K, I have to lean toward admitting the 4K format is overrated.

I’ve read a number of opinion articles recently about the inconsistent quality of 4K blu-rays stemming from variances in the physical media itself and mastering source quality. This reinforces that most movies are not going to give you a 100% 4K experience. If you can’t trust the $40 disc you put into your (at a minimum)$300 4K blu-ray player, are we really only buying into 4K media because we’re told it’s better? What good is the technical proof if the human eye can’t tell the difference during casual viewing? You think that movie being projected onto the big screen is giving you a 4K picture? It’s unlikely, but we can still find a way to enjoy the movie. Old movie shot on film being re-released in 4K? Nope, even with 4K scan master, it’s still only an upscale. We’re not watching TV in 4K since most live TV maxes out at 720p. 4K streaming content is compressed to high heaven, and even though it may look good, it’s still playing pretend.

There was a massive leap in picture quality from DVD to blu-ray. The top of the current technical spectrum, however, is feeling more compressed. While I’m sure the advances to video technology are profound, it feels like they do not necessarily translate to the consumer experience. And do people even care? There’s likely good reason 4K’s share retailers’ shelves with new blu-rays and DVDs. I care, but probably not as much as I used to. Despite the evidence I present to myself, there will still be movies I want to make sure I’m seeing in the best possible quality, even if it’s more placebo effect than actual experience. Overall, however, the 4K experience feels more and more underwhelming compared to its pocketbook impact.