For the second year in a row the Consumer Electronics Show of Las Vegas was dominated by talk and showcases of 4K technology, and if last year was all about the reveal then this year’s show was all about 4K’s implementation in the tech world.
Tech manufacturers big and small all showed off their 4K technology at this year’s show and streaming service Netflix even revealed its plans to offer a selection of 4K TV series on its streaming platform in the coming year.
However, one thing that has always been a bit sparse on information is physical 4K content ownership. The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has put an end to any questions today by announcing that it will release 4K Blu-ray discs in the near future.
The move should help with those who will struggle with the current 4K viewing method which is primarily via streaming, as the tech is still in its infance. What this means is that a selection of movies will start to go on sale – akin to when 3D was launched to consumers – and we can expect to start seeing new ‘super special edition’ Blu-ray discs of some classic films, rendered for the new generation of 4K screens.
Victor Matsuda, the BDA’s global promotions committee chairman, announced: “[It’s] not just looking at delivering the requisite number of pixels, but at the range of features that contribute to the overall consumer experience – factors such as high dynamic range, bit depth, colour gamut, content protection and mobility and digital bridge opportunities that encourage content ownership and collection and enable flexible enjoyment of that content in mobile environments.”
This is great news for 4K fans and people looking to take the next step with home entertainment as so far only a limited amount of content has been available in 4K and most of that has to be downloaded or streamed in order to be viewed.
It will still be some time until 4K Blu-ray discs are released, but the announcement means that film and TV studios will be able to start thinking about some big name releases to suit the new tech in the future.