Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, UHD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital multimedia optical disc format that is an enhanced variant and successor of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progressive frames per second, encoded using High-Efficiency Video Coding. These discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players.

The discs support both high dynamic range (HDR10) by increasing the color depth to 10-bit per color and a greater color gamut than supported by conventional Blu-ray video by using the Rec. 2020 color space. Optionally, Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs also support a 12-bit per color container via Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision content on UHD Blu-Ray can also be mastered for 10,000 nits peak brightness, whereas standard HDR10 can only achieve a maximum of 4,000 nits of brightness. Moreover, Dolby Vision makes use of dynamic metadata, which adjusts the brightness and tone mapping per scene. In contrast, standard HDR10 only makes use of static metadata, which sets the same brightness and tone mapping for the entirety of the content

The first Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs were officially released in the United States on February 14, 2016. To differentiate retail Ultra HD Blu-ray releases, the format usually uses a black opaque keep case packaging format (as opposed to blue), but with the same case size as standard Blu-ray.

 

BDMV Application Format (UHD)

UHD-BDs uses a slightly different version of the BDMV Application format for it's 4K movies and video games. It is the same programming platform from standard Blu-ray but with some changes:

• Supports two video codecs, HEVC for 4K video and AVC for HD video.
• Video and graphics support HDR (some players might not display graphics in HDR)
• Video and BD-J graphics support the Rec.2020 color space by default, 1,073,741,824 colors (10-bit).
  
• The Index file's magic number is INDX0300.
• The Movie Object and BDJ Object's magic numbers are MOBJ0300 and BDJO0300.
• The Movie Playlist's magic number is MPLS0300.
• The Clip Information file's magic number is HDMV0300.
• Sound.bdmv and interactive audio file's magic number is BCLK0300.
• It is not intended for high fidelity pure audio and does not provide support for Audio-only BD-ROM Players.
• It does not support Secondary Audio.
• It does not support user changeable text subtitles. 
• This format does not provide support for Browsable Slideshow, but it is replaced with Timebased Slideshow that uses HEVC and AVC IDR I-frames.
• Does not provide support for Picture-in-Picture framework.
• Does not provide support for Stereo 3D.
• It contains more GPRs, PSRs, and NaviCommands that are exclusive to UHD-BD.
• Graphics are in 1920x1080 resolution but the UHD BD-ROM player can upscale the 1920x1080 Graphics planes to 3840x2160 before the overlaying process. It is possible create native 4K graphics if it fits in the graphics buffer.
• It does not support Region Lock, meaning all discs are region free!
• Uses a different and more cryptic version of AACS called AACS 2.0.

 

Audio

Audio capabilities are the same as standard Blu-ray.

Networking 

Networking capabilities are the same as standard Blu-ray.

 

Burning discs and computer playback

Unfortunately, there's some drawback when it comes to making your own hombrewed 4K disc or just want to test your UHD BDMV application. UHD-BD players do not support reading burnt discs with the UHD BDMV application, even if it's burnt on a BDXL. This is most likely to prevent piracy. However, you can still create an ISO file and play it on your computer using PowerDVD to test your discs.

Another problem is only computers with activated Software Guard Extensions (SGX) support Ultra HD Blu-ray disc playback. Intel introduced SGX in the Skylake generation Core processors in 2016, enabling PCs to play protected Blu-ray discs for the first time. In January 2022, Intel deprecated support for SGX for the Rocket Lake and Alder Lake generation desktop processors, leading to Ultra HD Blu-ray discs being unplayable on those systems, even with licensed software such as PowerDVD. However, on systems without SGX support, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs can be ripped using a drive with patched firmware (LibreDrive) and compatible software such as MakeMKV, DVDFab, or AnyDVD HD.

 

Backwards Compatibility

Ultra HD Blu-ray players are backwards compatible with all standard Blu-ray discs as well as DVD-Video and Audio CDs. Some players are backwards compatible with 3D Blu-ray discs and Super Audio CDs.

Players

Most Ultra HD Blu-ray players are now manufactured by Sony and Panasonic. Oppo, LG, and Samsung originally made their own players but left the market.

 

Studio Adoption

Studio adoption (big and small) is slow because UHD-BD players and discs are more expensive than standard BDs.

The first Ultra HD Blu-ray launch titles were officially released in the United States on February 14, 2016:

• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment made six releases: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2.
• Lionsgate Home Entertainment made four releases: Sicario, The Last Witch Hunter, The Expendables 3, and Ender's Game.
• Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released four titles, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Lego Movie, Pan, and San Andreas.
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment made seven releases: The Martian, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Wild, Hitman: Agent 47, and the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot.

The following labels released their first Ultra HD Blu-rays in the United States after the format's introduction:

• Paramount Home Entertainment made two releases: Star Trek (2009) and its sequel Into Darkness on June 14, 2016.
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment made three releases: Lucy, Oblivion, and Lone Survivor on August 9, 2016.
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment made its first release: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on August 22, 2017.
• Magnolia Home Entertainment made its first release: Marrowbone on August 7, 2018.
• Kino Lorber made its first release: Hannibal on May 7, 2019.
• Synapse Films made its first release: Suspiria on November 19, 2019.
• Vinegar Syndrome made its first release: Tammy and the T-Rex on November 29, 2019.
• Shout! Factory made its first release: The Deer Hunter on May 26, 2020.
  • It also released many IMAX documentaries from 2016 to 2020.
• Blue Underground made its first two releases: Maniac and Zombie on May 26, 2020.
• Arrow Video made its first release: Flash Gordon on August 18, 2020.
• Severin Films made its first two releases: The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango on March 30, 2021.
• The Criterion Collection made its first UHD release: Mulholland Drive, on November 16, 2021. Three other films, Citizen Kane, Menace II Society, and Uncut Gems, were released the following week.

These were released by non-American companies.

• Warner Music Group on May 22, 2017, released Sammi Cheng's Touch Mi 2 World Tour, which is officially the world's first live concert released in UHD Blu-ray format in Hong Kong. This is the first live show production recorded in 4K format, and the field production and pre-production work began in November 2016.
• StudioCanal UK made its first release: Terminator 2: Judgment Day on December 4, 2017.
• Second Sight Films made its first release: Dawn of the Dead on November 16, 2020.
• BFI Video made its first release: The Seventh Seal on October 18, 2021.
• 88 Films made its first release: Drive on August 29, 2022.
• Eureka Entertainment made its first release: Police Story Trilogy on September 26, 2022.

 

Video Games

Ultra HD Blu-ray can be a great platform for video games with 4K resolution and HDR. As mentioned before, BD-J graphics are 1080x1920 but the player can upscale them to 3840x2160 resolution. With clever techniques it's theoretically possible to create native 4K graphics if it fits in the graphics buffer.

UHD-BD games are suitable for hidden-object games (Mystery Case files), adventure games (Myst Remastered), puzzle games, FMV games (Dragon's Lair), turn-based FPS (Doom RPG), fighting games, etc. A hidden-object game can have a 4K video for the scene with BD-J graphics and sprites for the objects to find.

Author(s) : Æ Firestone