Showdown: 4K vs. Blu-ray movies

So far, we have seen enough 4K demonstration clips from the various TV makers to know that they looked absolutely breathtaking on all ultra high-definition (UHD) TVs. But can the same level of clarity be expected for actual 4K movies, which are not shot to deliberately show off the panels' higher resolution? Not to mention, many movies are also shot to retain a softer "film look" unlike these crisp and highly sanitized promotional materials.

While we didn't manage to secure a Sony FMP-X1 UHD player loaded with 4K Hollywood films, we were able to loan a signal generator from the company instead. Preloaded in the machine are snippets of two native 4K movies, After Earth and Total Recall. Granted, these sample clips are not the actual full-length films and may not accurately represent most 4K movies, but they do offer a glimpse of what we can expect.

After Earth

This is how After Earth looks like on a Sony Bravia KD-65X9004 UHD TV. All screenshots were taken via a Canon EOS 600D dSLR fitted with an EF 23-105mm F4 L lens at ISO100. Note that these images have been cropped and resized from the original pictures. No additional sharpening were applied.

There are plenty of fine details to feast your eyes in this particular scene, especially with the dense vegetation.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

You should be able to differentiate various facial features, such as the eyes, nose and mouth, in this close-up.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Check out the see-through display on the arm, which was rendered with clearly discernable text and graphics.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

No sign of jagged edges, also commonly known as jaggies, despite lots of diagonal and curvy lines in this shot.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Total Recall

For Total Recall, we were also able to compare between the 4K and Blu-ray versions using an LG 65LA9700 and 55LM9600, respectively. Both sets feature similar LED-backlighting, which should minimize any variation in terms of screen contrast.

This scene depicts an expansive cityscape, which is an excellent test of clarity between the 4K and Blu-ray formats.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Besides a clear difference in pixel size and density, the signboard and tray-like object are also clearer in 4K.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Pretty much the same observation with the earlier close-up, except that the 4K appears a tad sharper, too.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

We continue with the pixel peeping, but switched to this particular night scene with many high contrast portions.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Both signboards rendered in 4K are generally more defined. Can you also see a brown line touching the letter A, too?
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

4K offers slightly better clarity again, while jaggies can be observed on the lower part of the 1080p version.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

Good, but can be better

Having compared these footages extensively, the differences between native 4K and Blu-ray films are surprisingly subtle. Putting aside a marginal improvement in sharpness and clarity, you are unlikely to tell both video formats apart at a glance. Bear in mind that 4K is only four times better than Blu-ray in terms of resolution, while Blu-ray is a six-fold improvement over the DVD format.

Still, future 4K movies, whether they are available in 4K Blu-ray discs or broadcasted, can probably offer more than better image clarity. There is also the possibility of a smoother 60fps motion supported by HDMI 2.0 and richer hues proposed by the Rec. 2020 standard.

Here's another article illustrating the impressive video-upscaling performance of many UHD TVs, which are touted to offer comparable picture quality to full-HD TVs for Blu-rays and DVDs. However, with UHD panels priced at a premium, you’re probably better off with a standard full-HD TV to display these non-4K content, for now