I remember when DVD first came out—upgrading my old VHS tapes was a no-brainer. For the first time, movies were available in widescreen, and once 16×9 TVs became standard, VHS quickly became hopelessly outdated. The same thing happened with the shift to HD: high-definition versions of our favorite movies looked infinitely better than their DVD counterparts, and as TVs evolved—and became cheaper—old DVDs started to look terrible on 1080p screens.
Now, of course, we’re in the middle of the 4K revolution. 4K TVs are standard and affordable, yet there seems to be a reluctance among consumers to fully embrace 4K physical media. It’s a lot more niche than Blu-rays or DVDs ever were. Part of that might be because Blu-rays still look pretty great on 4K TVs. Many people stream 4K content constantly, but the disc format itself seems to have become more of a home-theater-enthusiast thing than a mainstream one.
Here at JoBlo, though, a lot of us are 4K fiends. I love seeing a favorite movie in a fresh 4K grading—Jaws and David Fincher’s Se7en were absolute revelations. Even more modestly shot films can look stunning: First Blood in 4K blew me away recently.
But let’s be honest—money is tight for everyone. Personally, I buy a lot of movies on iTunes because when a new 4K edition comes out, they often upgrade you for free. Still, that comes with the risk we all know too well: when you own a movie digitally, you don’t really own it, do you?
So when it comes to 4K discs, what’s your strategy? Are you a completist, upgrading everything? Do you just re-purchase your favorites? Or are you perfectly happy sticking with your old Blu-rays? Let us know by taking the poll below!
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