New to Blu: February 26 – March 3

Ford v Ferrari

➢ “Unfortunately this 4K Blu-ray release doesn’t carry a Dolby Vision (or HDR10+) master. That’s where the bad news ends, though … looks gorgeously detailed and sharp; markedly more so than the HD Blu-ray … the stunning Dolby Atmos mix is exclusive to the 4K Blu-ray. The HD Blu-ray only gets a markedly less satisfying, less dynamic and flatter 7.1 DTS:HD Master Audio mix.” — Forbes.

➢ “With a discernible increase in detail and emboldened chromatic highlights the image appears sharper and vibrant when compared to the 1080p version. Primary colours are pleasingly rich while whites appear gradational and punchy. The spectrum of secondary colors is vividly reproduced as well.” — AVS Forum.

➢ “A stunning, reference-quality 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode. Directly off the digital assembly line, the freshly-minted transfer boasts razor-sharp definition in every scene. Even during the many action-packed racing sequences, the tiniest blemish in the interior and exterior of every vehicle is easy to make out.” — High-Def Digest.

● Note the NZ 4K-UHD release is single-disc only. It excludes the Blu-ray copy of the movie and its making-of hour.

Parasite

➢ “Parasite was captured at 6.5K resolution on Arri Alexa 65 cameras and completed as a 4K digital intermediate with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 … This 1080p AVC-encoded transfer benefits greatly from the higher resolution master. Details are exquisite.” — Home Theater Forum.

➢ “The film looks fantastic on disc — not as good as actual 4K with HDR might, but the fine detail, colour fidelity, and contrast here are all very pleasing. Visually, the colour palette is rich and nuanced. As Blu-rays go, this image is impressive.” — The Digital Bits.

➢ “Parasite‘s 1080p transfer excels in all areas of concern. The digitally lensed motion picture reveals extremely fine detail with impressive command. Character close-ups reveal intricate skin complexities — pores, ridges, hairs — with striking clarity. Environments are beautifully rendered.” — Blu-ray.com.

● Note the NZ Blu-ray release omits the US disc’s Q&A film festival session with director Bong Joon-Ho.

☞ Also new on Blu-ray are Charlie’s Angels and Scary Stories (“a solid 2.39:1 transfer that offers up some unique colouring and stylistic choices”). If you want to see the 4K-UHD releases, you’ll need to import from the US.