Universl Pictures Home Entertainment Announces 4K Releases

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) has announced plans to release a broad selection of films in 4K Ultra HD, the home entertainment industry's next-generation physical viewing format making its move in the video market. UPHE will begin a rollout of its growing roster of movie titles around the world beginning this summer, showcasing a mix of new releases, including some of this year's most-anticipated blockbusters The Huntsman: Winter's War, Warcraft and Jason Bourne as well as recent hits, such as Everest, Lucy and Lone Survivor, among others. Other 4K Ultra HD offerings in the pipeline will include a selection of IMAX spectacular cinematic films.

With roughly 100 titles across the industry expected to be available on store shelves to consumers by the end of 2016, UPHE plans to make its titles available in both 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD digital formats. All of the designated offerings will feature a combination of 4K resolution and the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range, with many additionally including multi-dimensional sound for the ultimate immersive audio experience.

Warner Bros Home Entertainment Announces Ultra HD Blu-ray Release Plans

To coincide with the availability of Ultra HD Blu-ray players in the marketplace in early 2016, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will be offering four titles on Ultra HD Blu-ray at initial launch showcasing 4K Ultra HD resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR), offering consumers a sharper, brighter and more colorful home entertainment viewing experience than ever before.

The first available titles will be Mad Max: Fury Road, San Andreas, The Lego Movie and Pan. Actully  release date has yet to be announced.  Following the initial titles, WB plans to make new release titles available day and date with their initial home DVD & BD entertainment release. They  have also committed to releasing a selection of catalog titles throughout the year including Man of Steel and Pacific Rim. By the end of 2016, Warner Bros plans to have over 35 titles available on Ultra HD Blu-ray.  Dolby Atmos will also be included on select titles for a truly immersive home theater experience.

"We are excited to take this next technological leap which will allow us to bring our audiences the best possible home viewing experience with crystal clear images and immersive audio," said Ron Sanders, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution. "Ultra HD with HDR is the next, and most exciting, advancement in home entertainment, and with the anticipated proliferation of Ultra HD televisions in the coming years, our Ultra HD Blu-ray product offerings will truly complement the stunning capabilities of this new generation of home entertainment hardware. Warner Bros. is fully committed to releasing a wide range of Ultra HD Blu-ray titles, including both new release titles and offerings from our vast catalog."

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Unveils First 4K Ultra HD Discs

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) this week announced its first releases in the next-generation 4K Ultra HD Disc format, which will arrive in early 2016.  "By some estimates, consumers will own over 100 million Ultra HD television sets by 2019.  Sony Pictures' 4K Ultra HD Discs will deliver consumers the ultimate home theater experience, with stunning picture and sound quality," said SPHE president, Man Jit Singh.  Singh continued, "Ten years ago this month, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment authored the world's first feature film on Blu-ray Disc™, and we continue to bring consumers the most innovative, immersive home entertainment experiences available."

SPHE's first 4K Ultra HD releases will include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2, followed by a growing roster of titles including new release film and television content.

SPHE's 4K Ultra HD Discs feature four times the resolution of HD and include high dynamic range (HDR), which produces brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays. Many titles will also support next-generation immersive audio formats.

Sony Pictures has a  large library of 4K content, including newer films and television shows, as well as classic catalog films restored from original film elements, including Fury, Captain Phillips, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Men In Black, Ghostbusters, The Fifth Element, Bad Boys, The Da Vinci Code, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Leon: The Professional, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, Taxi Driver, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and many others.