Does (a) 4K (transfer) matter?

[Emanuel A.]

Should we be interested to discuss it?

Here is a BD example from a 4K transfer now for the new Gladiator's BD version available these days in Europe.

Roll your cursor over it to check the same shot (6 samples) out -- the old BD vs. new BD (from a 4K transfer):

http://comparescreenshots.slicx.com/...8257/picture:0

[Austin Glass]

link doesn't work...

[Emanuel A.]

Fixed. It works now.

[Austin Glass]

Thanks.

Wow, that is interesting. I mean, we all knew it, right? I do find the differing color corrections a bit distracting, but looking at the actual image quality, it's miles better.

[Jeff Coatney]

Huge Difference. Thanks for the link.

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

My theory would be that the original transfer was done with a dvd outcome in mind and the new one simply had a lot more care put into it.

[Alexander Ibrahim]

I don't think we are looking at the difference in a 4K scan versus a 2k scan.

That's may be part of the picture. (sic)

The truth is that you are looking at a more advanced film scanner. It may have better optics, or maybe just better processing hardware... I don't follow film scanners.

I think we are also looking at a better grade.

I think you may also be looking at better quality source material. The original scan may have been from a release print... this may be from earlier in the film chain, an IP or possibly even a reconformed camera negative. Heck its possible the original version may have been from the offline edit.

I don't know.

My point is that there are a lot of places to improve results before we go looking at 4k versus 2k

Not that I don't understand the benefits of 4K for 2k delivery mind you... its just that you are looking at something more complex than just a higher resolution scan.

[Graeme Nattress]

The old version has a very different grade, clipped highlights and aggressive edge sharpening. AFAIK aggressive edge sharpening is not something a scanner does, so I don't think this is showing the difference between a 2k scan and a 4k scan but the difference between an old mastering and a new mastering.

Graeme

[Emanuel A.]

Apart everything you say is fairly accurate, this has been presented as what a 4K transfer brings to a BD release. I agree with Craig.

[Subhadip Sen]

The original seems to use aggressive noise reduction and edge sharpening to compensate. The results are odd. Why don't they just embrace grain - it is part of the image. There's a big difference in resolution, but it is not all due to a 4K scan as has been noted. The original is also cropped slightly.