The 4k release of Blade Runner--is anyone as disappointed as I am??


Being a huge fan, I decided to buy the 4k version of Blade Runner, making it only the second disc I own in the format.
Boy, am I disappointed.

First, the colors are extremely muted, NOT more saturated as I’ve read on some impressions online. (Yes, I know about the somewhat noisy picture as well) The colors are so bad in fact, it makes the movie less involving, drab, and depressing. It looks more like the DVD version! Flesh tones are muted. I noticed it right away, but I made sure by A/B-ing with my Bluray version, which looks beautiful, and color saturated.

Second, the sound is more aggressive, bright, and MUCH MUCH louder in the surrounds....to the point where dialog in the center channel greatly suffers. Its terrible. For whatever reason, some dialog is also audible in the surrounds..what a disgrace. The sense of space and echo is much more pronounced in some scenes, which might be a matter of taste, but for me it was distracting. In the scene at the club where Deckard approaches the thug about the origin of the snake scale, I can barely hear what he says because the surrounds are so loud and echoey. Again, on the Bluray it sounds correct. Is this a new mix??

So, my question is, does everyone notice the change, approve of it, and find it better than the bluray?? I for one, do not. This is NOT an improvement.

Impressions anyone? Thanks in advance.
jonasandezekiel
I have both discs, but I’ve never done the comparison.

I have to ask, or sort of ask via the proxy of just sayin’....

This is an HDR encoded 4k disc. (High Dynamic Range)

It will only look correct when decoded by a properly functioning HDR capable TV or projector.

Otherwise it will look exactly like you say it does. Or, the consensus is..when one plays HDR encoded 4k discs on a non-HDR TV, the image is too dark...and washed out.

Additionally, HDR has fast become the norm for 4k discs, and few are not encoded that way, so it makes HDR capable 4k display devices inescapable, re the need to have and use one. Even some Netflix 4k streaming is now transmitted with HDR encoding.

Nothing on the surround, though. I had 6.2 or 7.2 in 1986 (the original Yamaha DSP-1) and went so overboard...that I went around the bend on it... and now... I have not used surround at all, for the past 20 years. Just stereo.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blade-Runner-4K-Blu-ray/181637/ 
 
It’s a problem on your end. Many people in home theater forums use the UHD disc are their demo and I have not heard any of these complaints.
I thought the same thing: possibly that the problem was on my end. But, I have an LG OLED, and a my disc player is a Sony ES1000. Where can I improve? Not being sarcastic, it's an honest question. I can't sugarcoat it...it looks and sounds like crap.
Mzkmxcv,
I understand that 4k is the gold standard right now, but something is just not right. I agree it must be on my end...but what?? Unfortunately, I really have no other disc to compare it to. The only other disc I have is Schindler's list, which is obviously in black and white, so no good there.
My Sony 4K has an option that enables UHD. I tried using it once but it made the picture freaky bright and unnatural looking so I’m not sure my duck are in a row and I stopped using it. It’s right there in the "Picture Adjustments" list of the settings menu (way down the list past "Vivid", "Standard", etc.).
Dweller,
Thanks, I will most definitely check that out. I thought I went over all the settings, but I could have missed that.
Just checked, it’s called "HDR Video" (High Dynamic Range). BTW, when I play my Reference Recordings SACDs (high dynamic range music), they sound muted compared to other discs. I have to crank the volume just to hear the low-level content. Then, when they start whacking the kettle drums, etc., the full-force comes through!
I read a review of one of the newer Pioneer 4K players and with the UHD (or was it HDR10?) set to auto, it kicks the nits up to unacceptable levels. One needs to fine tune it down to where you like it and if necessary, make it an across the board setting for all inputs. I believe it’s in the white level settings where you can adjust it.

All the best,
Nonoise
Hey nonoise...
I checked all my settings and they were proper. I'm scratching my head, as i have very little hair to pull out.
A quick look at your player shows it doesn't handle HDR10+ so, like teo_auido pointed out, that may be the problem. There's also no compatibility with Dolby Vision, just regular HDR. Here's some pertinent info:

The player interpolates UHD with 4:4:4 subsampling. By default, the UBP-X1000ES sends the maximum data from disc to screen, based on the capability of the connected receiving device. For example, when playing a 4K 60p disc, if the sink (receiver) permits, then the player will send resolution at 4K 60p, Deep Colour at 12 bit and chroma at 4:4:4.

If this isn’t possible, then the amount of information is reduced in the following priority order: resolution, frame rate, HDR, Deep Colour and Colour Space. Use a high-speed 18 Gbps HDMI cable for the best possible picture quality. If you use a lesser 10.2 Gbps HDMI cable, the player could output 4K at SDR, and 8bit with 4: 2: 0 colour subsampling.

So it may very well be the cabling that's holding things back.

All the best,
Nonoise
Not sure of that, but possibly! I have high quality hdmi, but I'll check the boxes that I saved. Thanks. Otherwise, it's not the processor, because I'm using two hdmi cables, as my marantz processor doesn't do 4k. Thanks again.
Just thinking of HDR10 and Dolby vision, neither my tv (LG OLED) nor my player has either, but that doesn’t preclude me from experiencing SOME version of high-dynamic-something-or-another, RIGHT??? I mean, for goodness sake, this picture looks like poop on a bagel.....not HDR or 4k in any shape or form! I paid pretty good money to enjoy a little guilty pleasure once in a while, and i get this???

I’m venting, but this is truly unacceptable. It CAN’T be what 4k looks like!