Blu-ray turned 20 this year, and although streaming is now the way most people watch films, physical media is dead is far from dead. Collectors are still buying Blu-rays for their new restorations, special features or limited-edition packages — and younger audiences are discovering the value of owning their films rather than dealing with your favorites disappearing on your all the time.

So if people still want to watch movies on discs at home, is there a Blu-ray successor on the horizon to offer something new?

Every major home video format before it has eventually been replaced. VHS gave way to DVD, then DVD gave way to Blu-ray. As someone who appreciates the quality of Blu-ray films but isn't an expert in the technology behind them, I assumed there would be a straightforward plan for something to come supplant them. Maybe an 8K Blu-ray? Maybe another physical format I've never heard of because home cinema is an interest of mine rather than my specialism?

But after speaking to analysts, hardware manufacturers and the organization behind Blu-ray itself, I discovered that most of them don't think another disc is coming. In fact, there’s no obvious "next format" about to be unveiled, and I wanted to find out why.

Why Blu-ray still has loyal fans

To understand why the future of Blu-ray is such an interesting topic, it's worth first getting to grips with why people still buy it. And the top reason came up in every conversation I had: ownership.

"Ownership matters more now than it did in 2005. When you buy a disc, you own that film. It’s yours, permanently, in its best possible form, sitting on your shelf whenever you want it,” says Victor Matsuda, Chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, the group behind the development of Blu-ray.

He tells me that people are switching on to the fact that most of what we “buy” digitally today is really a license that can change or disappear. His comments come shortly after Sony removed over 500 purchased movies from people's accounts without compensation, and right at the same time as Disney+ was forced to remove 4K and HDR support in many countries.

“We frequently hear complaints about people losing access to content they thought they’d purchased, and there have even been lawsuits brought on exactly this issue,” Matsuda says. “A disc doesn’t have that problem. Nobody can reach into your home and take it back.”

I've spoken to many physical media collectors over the years, and ownership is almost always the first thing they mention. But the second reason is quality. Ultra HD Blu-ray is still widely considered to be the best technology for watching films at home.

"20 years ago, Blu-ray set the standard for what a movie should look and sound like in the home, and it’s a standard both consumers and the industry recognized,” Matsuda tells me. “Ultra HD Blu-ray remains unsurpassed as the best overall experience for consumers.”

He explains that this has been the case even as streaming services have rolled out 4K and HDR. “The respective Blu-ray formats became the benchmark they chased, and in my opinion they still haven’t caught it. Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray remain the reference,” Matsuda says. “A stream can approximate it, but the disc carries the full, uncompressed picture and sound with nothing thrown away to fit a data cap.”

Olivier Semenoux, Europe head of GTM and Product Management at TCL Electronics, explains that much of that comes down to bitrate. "Blu-ray can be coded up to 128Mbps because that's the disc's technical limit,” he explains. “Streaming is a different story, most popular platforms cap out natively around 25Mbps, with some going up to 40 or 80Mbps.”

Unfortunately, the latter is very rare — when it comes to the big streamers, 16 to 18Mbps is the maximum you can expect.

This means that Ultra HD Blu-rays carry significantly more data per frame than a typical stream, meaning less compression and what you see at home is more of the original picture and sound being preserved. It's one of the reasons discs continue to set the standard for anyone who really loves home theater.

Variations of the same argument came up repeatedly in conversations with manufacturers too. I spoke with Rob Jones, President of Magnetar, a manufacturer of high-end 4K UHD Blu-ray and universal disc players. “When consumers invest in physical media, they get ownership, content preservation, and quality control,” he says. “While streaming is incredibly convenient, it cannot match physical media when it comes to that combination.” Jones says that’s what continues to drive Magnetar’s investment and development in this space.

But that doesn't necessarily mean streaming and Blu-ray are in competition. One of the more surprising things I heard was that several companies see them as complementary rather than competing technologies.

"We see many customers choosing both formats," Kenichi Ikenoue, Head of Strategic Planning at Panasonic Consumer Europe, tells me. "They enjoy the convenience of streaming for everyday viewing while turning to physical media when they want the highest picture and sound quality or want to own their favorite films."

Why 8K isn’t the answer

If Blu-ray still has loyal fans, isn’t the next step an 8K successor? That's what I expected to find, as someone who isn't deep on movie production. Instead, almost every expert I spoke to questioned whether there was any need for a successor at all.

"Honestly, I don't think so, at least not right now," says Victor Matsuda. "From a BDA [Blu-ray Disc Association] perspective, we don't see anything from content creators or consumers to indicate a need for a new format. They’re both extremely satisfied.”

There are signs elsewhere that the industry isn't preparing for another optical disc format either. In 2025, Sony announced that it was ending the production of recordable Blu-ray discs, MiniDiscs and MiniDV cassettes, saying that there would be "no successor models". Now, while that decision applies to blank recording discs rather than pre-recorded movie discs, it seems to reflect a broader shift away from consumer physical media formats.

One obvious reason for a new format would be 8K support, which is a format that would theoretically offer four times the resolution of today's 4K discs. But that wasn't what the experts I spoke to had in mind.

"The resolution race is interesting, but I don't see 8K finding a place with consumers anytime soon," Matsuda says. "The content community, meaning the Hollywood studios, produces its content in 4K and has stated their intent to continue doing so. Additionally, a number of manufacturers have dropped 8K from their lineups."

Jones agreed that 8K isn't ready for the mainstream, but says the challenge goes beyond content. It's also about the wider home theater ecosystem. "8K is a distraction until it's mainstream and the ecosystem simply does not justify it," he says.

He points out that an 8K player wouldn't just require 8K discs, but would also depend on compatible TVs, projectors, AV receivers and processors. "In order to sit down and experience 8K content, a viewer's entire home entertainment chain needs to support 8K," he says. "A consumer would need to replace every single link in their entertainment chain with a component capable of supporting 8K, which is impractical at best."

And it seems as if lack of demand isn't the only reason experts are sceptical. Some argue we've reached the point where higher resolutions matter much less than other improvements we can make to picture quality. "HDR and wide colour gamut make a far bigger difference to perceived picture quality than resolution does," Semenoux tells me.

Which means the challenge facing an 8K Blu-ray isn't just about a lack of content or compatible hardware; it's that the improvement itself may not feel significant enough to justify an entirely new format.

That's exactly how Mark Vena, CEO and Principal Analyst at SmartTech Research, sees it. "Frankly, an 8K Blu-ray would be a technical feat in search of a commercial problem to solve,” he says. “There's still little native 8K content, 8K TV adoption is modest and streaming platforms will almost certainly meet mainstream demand before another optical format ever reaches critical mass."

In other words, it’s not as if we’re all sitting around waiting for a new format to happen, it’s more that it doesn’t really have a reason to exist.

What creates a new format?

Vena’s point made me realize I'd been thinking about this the wrong way. Every major home video format solved an obvious problem. DVD improved on VHS by offering non-degrading video and the capacity for extra features. Blu-ray improved on DVD with the space for higher-quality video. And now we have Ultra HD Blu-ray, which improved on Blu-ray's quality further.

Crucially, each of those steps solved a real technical problem. But right now, there isn’t a real problem that a successor to Ultra HD Blu-ray could actually solve.

Matsuda explained this to me using a framework from his time as a product planner that he calls "needs" and "seeds". A "need" is a problem consumers or the industry want solving. A "seed" is a new technology that has the potential to create that demand in the future.

"I don't see a compelling driver for a new format at the moment," Matsuda says. "I think it's unlikely that a new format would arise out of consumer demand as there doesn't appear to be an expressed need. Similarly, Ultra HD Blu-ray continues to deliver content that takes full advantage of display technologies so I don't see a need arising from the industry side."

Matsuda says that could change. "From a seed standpoint, companies may have some technologies in development that could plant those seeds,” he explains. “But in my view, if a driving factor ever prompts a new physical format, it will most likely be the emergence of content the internet infrastructure simply can't deliver at scale without compromising quality. As long as streaming can handle what people want to watch, I don't see any real pressure for a new disc."

So a technological breakthrough on its own wouldn't be enough, a new format would also need the entire industry to then build around it.

Panasonic’s Ikenoue makes the same point from a more commercial perspective. "A successor format would also depend on significant investment from film studios and content providers. New hardware alone would not be enough. The content ecosystem would also need to support a new format. For the moment it is difficult to see the requirement for a successor."

A successor wouldn't just need a better disc, there’d have to be a need to even build that better disc in the first place. Only then would studios create the content, manufacturers would build the players, TV makers would support it and consumers would decide if it was worth upgrading. But right now none of the experts could identify a good enough reason.

What if the successor isn’t a disc at all?

That doesn't necessarily mean Blu-ray is the end of the story. Optical storage technology is still evolving. Companies are developing discs capable of storing far more data than today's Blu-rays, but the key thing is that they're aimed at archiving data on an enterprise scale rather than at home entertainment. Which means they aren’t about to become the next movie format that you’ll buy.

Instead, several people I spoke with pointed towards a future where the successor to Blu-ray isn't about discs. "If Blu-ray has a successor, it may not be something you can hold in your hand," says Mark Vena. Rather than another physical format, he believes the future lies in premium digital delivery through high-quality, studio-certified, lossless downloads stored locally on home servers or network-attached storage.

"This is why the real successor to Blu-ray, for most consumers, is not another disc at all," he says. "It's the combination of ultra high bitrate streaming, cloud libraries and AI-powered video optimization that's closing the quality gap."

So maybe the future isn't about replacing Blu-ray with another physical format but instead preserving the quality of audio and visuals that enthusiasts value about Blu-ray without even needing a disc in the first place.

One possible future is already beginning to emerge. Kaleidescape, a company specializing in premium digital movie delivery, offers downloads with bitrates to match what Blu-ray is capable of, preserving much more picture and audio quality than traditional streaming services while still providing the convenience of instant access.

Kaleidescape even recently launched a new 'Cinematic 4K' format for movies, which it says will offer even higher-quality bitrates for video, promising over 100Mbps of average bitrate (not maximum), which it compared to 60Mbps of average bitrate for 4K Blu-ray in its own marketing materials.

"In 10 years, the highest-quality movies at home will be delivered digitally, not on disc," Tayloe Stansbury, chairman and CEO of Kaleidescape, tells me. "Consumers will expect instant access, reference-quality presentation, and technology that evolves with each generation of content. That's the future Kaleidescape is building today."

However, for many fans of Blu-ray, the biggest hurdle here is still ownership and Kaleidescape's technical proficiency doesn't address that. It's a digital storefront, and the same concerns of losing access to things you've bought still applies.

Kaleidescape told me that its priority is delivering the best possible digital collecting experience rather than addressing licensing, and it declined to comment on people's increasing concerns about this side of buying movies.

Digital purchases may be able to close the gap on quality, but until they can offer the same promise of permanence as a disc, then physical media will continue to offer something digital can't.

Blu-ray remains resilient

When I first started researching this story, I thought I'd be talking to experts about the technology that’s waiting to replace Blu-ray. But instead, I learned the future is a little more complicated than that.

Every home video format in the past has reached a point where its limitations became too impossible to ignore. But Ultra HD Blu-ray appears to be in a different position. According to the people building and supporting the format, there isn't an obvious problem left for another new type of disc to solve. It still delivers the highest quality experience available to most consumers and continues to attract collectors who are willing to invest in physical media.

Looking at recent sales numbers, the Blu-ray market is much healthier than I expected. Mark Frampton, Senior Commercial Marketing Manager at Elevation Sales, a film sales and distribution company, says the format has remained remarkably resilient.

"We’re forecasting 2026 to be another year where the market stabilizes. Catalogue [older releases] has been very strong and only 2% down year-on-year. This is driven by collector’s editions and steelbooks, particularly on 4K Ultra HD which remains a format in growth."

In other words, older film releases are continuing to sell well, with premium collector editions helping to keep the market strong — and it's not just older enthusiasts buying discs today.

“Although the core buying audience is still people over 35, we’re increasingly seeing younger audiences entering the market,” Frampton tells me. “People aged between 25 and 34 are the second biggest buyers of Blu-ray. But Gen Z and Younger Millennials (aged between 14 and 30) who are experiencing ‘digital fatigue’ are becoming highly engaged in the format as well."

The wider industry paints a similar picture. Kath Summersgill, Group Joint Head of Sales at Key Production Group, a music manufacturer that specializes in producing physical media, points to figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association showing continued growth. "The current state of the physical movie market is incredibly encouraging, with ERA’s 2025 figures showing Blu-ray sales increased by 19.5%,” she says.

Now, these surprisingly healthy numbers don’t mean Blu-ray discs will be around forever. Streaming will continue to improve, premium digital libraries will become more sophisticated and companies like Kaleidescape are already demonstrating that top-quality movies don't necessarily need to be on a disc.

All of this means another physical format may never arrive. Instead, the next chapter for home theater could be digital — but there's a long way before collectors would be ready to trust digital libraries.

For now, at least you know you won't have to worry about buying your favorite movies yet again on another new disc format in the future.

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Dolby Atmos gets plaudits as the more popular immersive 3D sound format, but a lot of its love from home theater enthusiasts isn't about the spatial audio, but is more about the lossless audio quality you get on 4K Blu-ray. It's not the only game in town for this, however: there's also DTS-HD Master Audio (MA).

I’ve been testing new 4K Blu-rays as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, my monthly feature where I review the best new 4K releases for sound and visual quality, and tons of them use DTS-HD MA — especially older titles.

While DTS isn’t supported as widely in hardware as Dolby Atmos (new-release LG and Samsung TVs don't support DTS, for example), it’s an excellent sound format that can still deliver an immersive surround sound experience, especially in 5.1 surround systems.

While DTS-HD MA may not utilize height channels like Dolby Atmos does, there are a few 4K Blu-rays I’ve tested whose DTS-HD MA soundtracks sound so good, they had me asking who needs Dolby Atmos height effects anyway.

Below, I’ve picked seven of my favorite 4K discs that feature brilliant DTS soundtracks — most are 5.1 surround sound, but one is actually stereo (as the creator intended).

What do you think of Dolby Atmos vs DTS? Any other DTS 4K discs you think people should check out? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Chungking Express

Chungking Express follows the separate stories of two policemen in Hong Kong, both of whom are going through breakups and meet new strangers.

Where the DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack shines here is capturing the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. During one scene where Ah Wu (Cop 223) enters a night market, the sound of raised voices, goods being exchanged and the general chaos of a busy market sounds realistic and detailed.

The surround channels are used to full effect and sound is accurately mapped to them. The movement of sound had me double-checking the room, the sounds of the market are so convincing and tactile.

A later scene where Cop 663 visits a restaurant, the conversation of the patrons, clinking glasses and cutlery being used are given ample room to breathe, and the sound placement is precise. Again, the scene had that immersive feel that I’d found during the aforementioned night market scene. Throughout, the jazzy score is well balanced with other elements in the mix.

Tombstone

Tombstone follows the story of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), a retired lawman who moves to the titular town with his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton), and along with Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) they must defend the town from a group of outlaws.

As you’d expect from a Western, there’s plenty of gunfights that demonstrate excellent surround sound and dynamic range. The DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack here accurately maps ricocheting bullets to rear channels, while also following their trajectory. There’s good impact from said bullets too, showing some nice power from the front channels.

Elsewhere, other effects such as the clinking of spurs have a bright, clear sound and again sound realistic, with a clear connection between the sound and the action. Whenever horses gallop, there’s some meaty bass that delivers a solid rumble. The subwoofer of the system I use delivered plenty of oomph that even made our testing lab shake. Crucially though, despite bass volume, it’s well controlled and balanced within the mix.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, follows the events of the Dunkirk evacuation in WWII, told from three different perspectives of people in the land, sea and air. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.

Christopher Nolan notably never uses Dolby Atmos with his movies, and Dunkirk is no different. While any Nolan movie could make this list (and this isn’t the only one), Dunkirk is easily one of the most impressive.

In the opening scenes, as the British soldiers attempt to outrun the gunfire, the mapping and directionality of the bullets was pinpoint accurate, coming from behind my head and ramping up the anxiety. These bullets also had plenty of impact and punch, delivering some serious power with every hit.

This is another DTS mix that despite a lack of height channels, delivers enough immersion that it feels like there’s height. Anytime a plane flies overhead, there’s absolutely perceived height, and the drone of the plane's engines has a clear sense of direction. Throughout the movie, bass levels are powerful but well controlled and dynamic, really giving a subwoofer a workout.

Interstellar

Interstellar is the story of Coop (Matthew McConaughey), a NASA pilot who joins an expedition to find a new home for humans, as Earth succumbs to famine and crisis. The movie also stars Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine among its cast list.

Christopher Nolan’s second movie on the list, Interstellar delivers an impressive showcase for DTS-HD 5.1 MA. As the Endurance navigates the Gargantua wormhole, bass levels are strong, but there’s an added (intentional) sense of direction to the low frequencies as well, as the sound moves from the front to the rear speakers to create a fully immersive and engaging sense of reality bending around you. The roar of the ship’s engines delivers a seriously powerful rumble too, showing what your subwoofer can do.

There’s some fantastic detail within the sound mix too. During Coop’s daring docking sequence with the out-of-control Endurance, the sound of debris crunching into the ship and the directionality of the spinning ships are all intricate, audible and precise. There’s an excellent balance between every element, even with the powerful, organ-led score over the top of it — this is a really tough scene for speakers to drive, and is a great showcase for why Blu-ray is superior to streaming: it sounds so much weaker from any streaming source, but is brilliantly overwhelming here.

As Coop encouncters the black hole, the rattling sound of the dust again scrapes along the outside of the ship convincingly and sharply, really putting me inside the Ranger ship myself.

Minority Report

Minority Report, loosely based on Philip K Dick’s novella The Minority Report, stars Tom Cruise as John Anderton, the chief of the Precrime unit, which uses clairvoyant people to predict homicides before they happen. When the clairvoyant ‘precogs’ predict that Anderton will commit a homicide, he must go on the run.

Despite the lack of height channels in the DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack featured on the Minority Report 4K Blu-ray, there are plenty of scenes where a sense of height is created. During the jetpack fight scene, the movement of sound and the spatial elements within the scene are enough to create the feeling of height to the mix.

The same is true in another scene where John escapes along a magnetic car freeway. Cars over John’s head, as he scales up the automated lanes of traffic, sound like they’re coming overhead, even with the missing height channels in the mix.

The detail in this disc’s soundtrack is just excellent. Other elements such as punches during fight scenes deliver solid impact and heft, with some meaty bass as well.

Fight Club

Fight Club is the story of an unnamed narrator (Edward Norton), who's an insurance agent who meets a mysterious soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and starts an underground fight club for disillusioned people.

As you’d hope from a movie as gritty as this, there’s plenty to like about the 4K disc’s DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack. During fight scenes, punches and collisions have real impact, feeling every bit as gruelling as the scenes themselves. More visceral sounds, such as the bag of fat splitting open, are gruesome and realistic, sounding worryingly detailed. The narrator’s speech is crystal clear throughout most of the movie too, balancing well with the score and other effects.

Again, this is another mix with a real immersive feel in some scenes, delivering perceived height effects. During the opening, as the camera drops down through the building where the narrator is held at gunpoint, to the parking garage below, the sound of the breeze accurately follows the trajectory of the camera, creating that sense of height despite the lack of height channels.

Blow Out

Blow Out follows Jack Terry (John Travolta), a sound technician who is embroiled in a murder/assassination plot when he inadvertently captures evidence of the assassination while recording audio for a low-budget slasher film he’s involved in.

What makes this disc’s soundtrack so interesting is that rather than DTS-HD 5.1 MA surround, which the other entries in this list have been, this uses a DTS-HD 2.0 surround mix, preserving the original presentation, but in the best-quality mix we can deliver today.

While stereo may sound limited, some excellent sound design means the movie absolutely feels immersive. This is best demonstrated during a scene where Jack records audio in the park near the opening of the movie.

As he aims his microphone to capture audio, the sound of the wind and distant traffic fills the space with subtlety. When louder audio comes in, such as the hooting of an owl, the other effects don’t go away. As the car swerves off the bridge, the sound of the screeching tyres moves from side to side, again utilizing the surround channels well. There’s still some good impact as the car crashes through the fence into the river, too.

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• SyLC 3D Player supports everything from 3D Blu-ray to Apple spatial videos, and it can convert 3D video to display it on Apple Vision Pro headsets
• It's backwards and forwards compatible — and the creator says it can get dual-HDMI output for dual projection, for future-proofing
• The app runs on Windows, and is free via Github 'because this format deserves better than a slow death'

One of the great tech disappointments of the last few decades was 3D TV. Like many movie fans I was excited by the possibilities, invested in a 3D TV, and watched the entertainment industry ensure that yet again, 3D movies were a short-lived trend. By 2013, it was already generally agreed that 3D TV was dead and that smart TVs and 4K were the way ahead.

Not everyone got the memo [I had mine until 2020… -Ed]. Over on the r/audiovisual subreddit, Jarod-The_Centre is determined to ensure 3D never dies — so they have been making a free player that now "plays EVERYTHING in 3D" from Blu-ray to Apple spatial videos.

And that's just the beginning of its talents. If you're a fan of things pointing out of the screen for no good reason, Jarod's player is fascinating.

I refused to let 3D die ! So I spent months building a free player that plays EVERYTHING in 3D: Blu-ray MVC, 4K HDR side-by-side, even Apple spatial videos. And it converts your 3D Blu-rays to Vision Pro format... from r/audiovisual

What does the 3D player do?

What doesn't it do? The player, called SyLC 3D Player, is a Windows app that's now in its fifth release. It's designed to play three different generations of 3D content: Blu-ray 3D/ISO/MVC MKV; HEVC/H.265 3D up to 4K 10-bit HDR; and Apple's MV-HEVC spatial videos. "The MVC of the 2020s, playing on your 2010s 3D TV," Jarod writes. "There's something poetic about that."

The app outputs in frame-packed 3D for compatible 3D TVs and projectors, and it can do something else that's really impressive: it can export 3D content as MV-HEVC, so you can take a 3D Blu-ray and turn it into a spatial video for Vision Pro.

I love Jarod's explanation for making the app. "It exists because this format deserves better than a slow death, and because apparently I don't know when to stop."

Jarod's in good company. Reddit's response to the latest announcement has been really positive and packed with good ideas, so for example Acceptable-Rise8783 suggests that for future-proofing, the app should be able to "send the two fields separately but in sync through two HDMI outputs."

With 3D TVs and projectors becoming increasingly hard to find — as they point out, "projectors are dropping support left and right because the chips that do 3D are becoming hard to come by" — the choice of viewing platforms will be reduced to dual-projector 3D or VR headsets.

The creator says this is something likely to appear in the player in a future version as the player already drives two windows simultaneously — and it means that dual projectors is the most 'future-proof' option for 3D, and the app supports it as best it can.

The whole discussion is fascinating, and I think Jarod sums it up beautifully. "Keep the faith. The format's not dead while we're still building for it 🔥".

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As a Batman fan, I was disappointed to learn last week that The Batman Part 2 has been delayed until February 18, 2028, another four-month wait to add to add to its last (delayed) intended release date of October 1, 2027. This latest holdup is actually the fourth time the long-awaited sequel to The Batman has been delayed, with its initial release originally set to be October 2025.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Batman content at home while we eagerly await The Batman: Part 2’s 2028 release. From Christopher Nolan’s iconic Dark Knight Trilogy to the awesome Batman: The Animated Series, there are tons of choices. And there’s no better way to enjoy Batman’s many adventures than with a 4K Blu-ray. I’m a 4K Blu-ray fan and collector, so I’m always testing the latest releases for the Blu-ray Bounty and finding new discs to test the best TVs and best soundbars.

Below, I’ve picked three of my favorite Batman-related 4K Blu-rays, not just because they’re my personal picks, but because they’re also great examples to show what 4K can do, especially for your home theater.

The Batman

Where else to better prepare for The Batman: Part 2 than with its predecessor, The Batman. Matt Reeve’s The Batman follows Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattison) in his second year as Batman, where he must face The Riddler (Paul Dano), a revolutionary who uses a series of riddles and puzzles to test Batman, as Riddler plans to expose Gotham’s corrupt government and elite.

The Batman has become one of my main 4K Blu-rays for testing TVs. Due to its low brightness, some TVs can really struggle to accurately display the movie, compromising its dark tones. But, there’s also plenty of excellent-looking scenes with powerful contrast, balancing light and dark tones, that can really show off a TV.

The opening 20 minutes of the movie itself is all a big demo-reel for contrast. From the dark subway platform illuminated by overhead lamps as Batman fights a gang of thugs, to where we first see Bruce decoding Riddler’s clues in the Batcave, The Batman delivers truly dynamic and strong contrast, which I've found look superb on the best OLED TVs in particular.

There’s also a chance to show a display’s shadow detail, with plenty of scenes making use of shadows to create a captivating image. The aforementioned subway scene is one of these, with truly dark shadows creating a foreboding atmosphere that fits the gloomy tone of the movie.

There’s excellent detail throughout, with crisp textures that look refined and lifelike. Close-up shots show scars, wrinkles and stubble on people’s faces with impressive clarity, and texture in environments, like Mayor Mitchell’s house or the Batcave, are given a near-3D level of detail.

The Batman is an audio showcase as well as a visual one. The Batmobile chase has become a reference scene I use for showing off a sound system. The ignition of the Batmobile’s engines deliver room-rattling, powerful bass that through a subwoofer can create some serious roar. The 4K disc uses a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that creates an immersive and detailed sound.

As the Batmobile chases Penguin across a busy freeway, serving traffic and blaring horns are accurately mapped to the action. As Penguin fires a spray of bullets at the Batmobile, the sound glides around a surround system, as I found when using soundbars such as the talented Samsung HW-Q990H. There are plenty of Atmos effects too, as rain regularly falls throughout the movie, effectively using the height channels of any sound system.

The Dark Knight

Arguably the most popular Batman movie ever made, The Dark Knight is the second movie in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. It’s one that’s stuck with me ever since I saw it as a teenager in theaters in 2008. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a couple of years into his time as Batman and he faces his biggest challenge yet, when he squares off with the unpredictable and chaotic Joker (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger).

Unsurprisingly, where this disc shines is in its IMAX sequences. These IMAX scenes show impeccable detail and crisp, 3D-like textures. In the opening bank heist scene, every detail is refined, from the creases in the robbers’ masks, to the texture in buildings of the densely packed city. Oh, and don’t be surprised when the ratio changes from widescreen to fullscreen: that’s normal for IMAX on home media.

Black tones and shadow detail are excellent during the film's night scenes too (of which there are plenty), and they look superb on an OLED TV. Contrast is also strong, particularly during the prison escort scene. As trucks move under the freeway, the overhead lights balance well with the dark, shadowed areas of the tunnel to create dynamic contrast.

This disc is also an audio powerhouse. With a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack, there’s some fantastic detail. During the tunnel escort scene, the whir of Batman’s bike riding through the tunnel is mapped perfectly to every channel. As perspective changes, so does the sound. Bullets are precise, flying from the front to rear channels when the movie is from Batman’s point-of-view, and every individual effect is audible, such as flying debris and swerving tyres.

Bass throughout the movie is truly powerful. Bullets have serious impact and the roar of the Batmobile’s engines delivers tightly controlled, but hefty low-end that reverberated through our testing room when I watched.

The score is a showcase in and of itself, with superb separation across different channels of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using. In the opening scene, the scratching strings came from the left rear, the ticking sound from the right, and the heavy bass exploded from the subwoofer. Crucially though, every element was perfectly balanced, within the score itself and with all the action.

Batman Forever

This pick will raise eyebrows, I’m sure. But, honestly, Batman Forever is the Batman movie I grew up with and despite its very corny nature, I enjoy it. It scratches the exact part of my brain that occasionally craves a nostalgic Batman fix. The movie follows Batman (played by Val Kilmer) as he does battle with the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) as they attempt to take over Gotham.

While this may be a surprising choice for a lot of people, this is a seriously good-looking 4K presentation. Batman Forever uses a lot of bold and vibrant colors, and in 4K, they really pop on screen. The green of the Riddler’s gaudy outfit and the purple of Two-Face’s injured side compliment each other well. There’s also a lot of neon-esuqe lighting used in the movie, with light tubes, red detail on Two-Face’s minion’s guns and the shimmering greens of Riddler’s hideout and event space. All these colors have a gorgeous punch that looks sharp and dynamic throughout the movie.

Shadows are used a lot, with characters often standing over lamps or in shaded rooms to create strong contrast in images. The LG G6 OLED on which I watched this movie in our testing room celebrates these rich and inky dark tones, with the leather of Batman’s armor showing nice depth, but also balancing well as the light reflects off it. Shadow detail is excellent too, with textures in dark areas on screen legible (yes, even the strange texture of Batman’s armor). Skin looks realistic in the many close-up shots used, too.

This 4K disc also supports Dolby Atmos. There’s some excellent use of height channels throughout, with the sound of helicopter Two-Face uses to escape in the intro coming from overhead as I watched. Explosions have plenty of meat to them, producing some lovely low-end rumble during the movie’s more action-packed scenes. The sound of the Batmobile’s engines firing is another great demo for the powerful bass in the mix.

More subtle details are also fully audible. The sound of Batman’s batarang as he throws it is precisely mapped, with the sound eagerly following its trajectory. Bullets have great punch to them, and again these are accurately posited within the surround channels. Speech is consistently clear throughout too, even during the most chaotic scenes. You might not necessarily expect this movie to be such an audio showcase, but it really is.

• Nearly 400 4K Blu-ray users shared info about player problems
• There's a huge gap between the best and worst in the poll
• Panasonic will be happy; Sony not so much

One of the things I like best about Reddit is the way people share their experiences of particular products: whether it's a kitchen knife, a portable AC or a Gibson guitar I know I'll be able to find sage advice on what to buy and what to watch out for. And now the good people of r/hometheater have come together to talk about the best 4K Blu-ray players and their reliability.

The poll was carried out by r/hometheater poster "requieminadream" and generated nearly 400 responses — almost double the number of previous poll respondents — from r/4KBluray, r/Bluray, r/PhysicalMediaMatters, the AVS Forums, and the Blu-ray.com forums. And there are some very clear differences between different firms' Blu-ray devices.

Requieminadream very kindly summarized the results in a sentence: "The Sony UBP-X700 is still the problem child, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is still champ, and the pricey UB-9000 posted the cleanest numbers (small sample though)."

But there were some interesting discoveries in the detail too, so it's definitely worth looking at if you're considering a pre-owned 4K Blu-ray player purchase, or just which one seems to make people the happiest long-term.

The 4K Blu-ray Standalone Player Reliability Poll numbers ARE IN! from r/hometheater

Which 4K Blu-ray players are the best?

One of the reasons I like Reddit wisdom is because with few exceptions, reviewers can't spend years with the products they test — so the reviews of my car don't know about the software issues that drive me wild and sometimes require a reboot at traffic lights, and the reviews of my router don't know about its tendency to misbehave every few weeks.

It's the same with Blu-ray players: even the most in-depth review won't be able to tell you if a player's likely to pack up in year two or three. (Though one exception is our Panasonic DP-UB820 review, written by our TV Hardware senior writer James Davidson, because he wrote us a fresh review based on combining using it in our test room and having used it daily for several years beforehand.)

But in general, polls like this are a brilliant resource.

By a large margin, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is the community's favored player: 43.4% of respondents have one, and its problem rate was around half that of the Sony UBP-X700. The rate of serious issues was very low, at just 8% — backing up what James had said, when he called it "the workhorse of the 4K Blu-ray player world".

The "problem child" that emerged from this latest poll is the Sony UBP-X700. Of the 103 Sony users, some 77.7% reported some issues over time; recurring and/or serious issues were 23%. The number one complaint is freezing during triple-layer transitions, which is something that has long been discussed on Blu-ray forums.

The poll shows another interesting pattern, which is problems over time. For the Sony, issues became more common over time — but for the Panasonic the pattern was of any failures showing up early, but better long-term reliability.

The other players in the survey came in between the two extremes, but some of the best results were from "other" players including games consoles and more niche Blu-ray products.

Satisfaction with those products was exceptionally high, with the PS5 getting a significantly higher rating than the Xbox. That's all the more striking given the Sony X700's performance: the PS5 is a more premium product and that seems to be reflected in its reliability — alas, we shouldn't expect any more PlayStations to arrive with a disc player.

I should make clear, as the original Redditor did, that in some cases the sample sizes for ownership in these polls is pretty low, so we should take the results with a pinch of salt. However, the Panasonic UB820 and the Sony X700 were the best-represented, and are the two most popular players, so their data is arguably the most useful anyway.

Great news for 4K Blu-ray fans: the huge half-price sale on Criterion Collections discs is still running at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon has some of the same discounts running too. Slightly more concerning news: the sale ends on July 26, so you only have a few days left to pick up some new discs!

• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble
• View the Criterion sale at Amazon

At Barnes & Noble, absolutely everything is a flat half-price, which makes things easy (and a stone-cold bargain). At Amazon, quite a few discs are half-price, but some have smaller discounts than B&N (or no discount at all). But I've included that sale too, because a lot of people like to start with Amazon for the convenience.

Obviously, there's a huge range of stuff to choose from, so your best bet is to browse the full sale directly, but I've picked out 12 options that I think are particularly tempting. And if you don't have a 4K Blu-ray player yet, don't forget to check our guide to the best 4K Blu-ray players, all tested by us!

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale — quick links

• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble
• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale: 12 titles I'd recommend

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

As TechRadar’s AV tester, I’m always on the lookout for new 4K Blu-rays to test the best TVs and best soundbars with. While I have a pretty healthy catalog, with some top-notch discs, as a 4K Blu-ray fan, it’s exciting to check out new discs to keep testing fresh.

Last month, I tested the Speed Racer 4K Blu-ray and it was a powerhouse. Not only did it deliver staggeringly vibrant colors, but it also had a superb Dolby Atmos soundtrack that demonstrated power and precision, particularly during race sequences. It was one of my top discs of the June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, and it’s easily one of the most impressive I’ve tested.

This month, a new disc has caught my eye: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The second entry in the new Mario Bros set of films, first started in 2023 with The Super Mario Bros., I’m anticipating that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will have bright, crisp visuals and, hopefully, a great Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

While this was one of my most anticipated discs of July 2026, a first impressions Reddit thread on r/4K Blu-ray from user u/nacthenud got me even more hyped. Not only did they rate the movie’s HDR performance, but also mentioned it in the same breath as Speed Racer. So, I decided to check out how the disc fared on our reference LG G6 OLED TV, one of the best OLED TVs I’ve tested this year.

Phenomenal colors

From the moment The Super Mario Galaxy Movie starts, it’s clear just how stunning the 4K disc’s color reproduction is. As Princess Rosalina reads a bedtime story to the Lumas, the small creatures dazzle on screen. Every color, including yellow, green, red and so on, look natural and punchy in equal measure. Thanks to the high HDR highlight brightness, coupled with Dolby Vision support, the Lumas really popped on the LG G6’s screen. If your TV has high brightness with good highlights, you’ll be rewarded in this scene alone.

Soon after, as Rosalina battles Bowser Jr. in his giant robot, the sparkle from her magic, which comes out in vibrant blues, pinks and purples, shimmers on screen. This is also true later as the yellow Luma turns into a star, with the glittery stardust jumping on screen. Again, it’s another showcase of how impactful HDR highlights can look.

Later, as we see Mario and Luigi meet Yoshi for the first time, the 4K presentation gets to show the authenticity of its colors. Yes, Mario’s red jumpsuit and the green of Luigi’s overalls and Yoshi’s skin are striking, but the colors look realistic too. While I expected the colors in this movie to explode on screen as I’d seen in animated flicks like Elemental, these particular colors reminded me more of the lifelike colors I’d seen in The Wild Robot, exhibiting the wonderful depth and realism I liked in the latter.

In complete opposition to that, the neon signs of the games in the casino Peach and Toad arrive at really burst with color. This is where the G6’s highlights and peak brightness were really tested, and it did a great job. If you have a TV with high peak brightness, then again you’ll be rewarded. The same is true with the gold detail on the furnishings around Peach’s castle, as they sparkle as well.

Peach and Rosalina’s dresses are highlights in themselves, really delivering that candy-colored pop alongside the shimmer they both seem to produce. While they’re colors aren’t as natural as the Mario Bros and Yoshi, they’re accurate for the movie and really deliver a nice impact.

Dolby Atmos power

While I anticipated this disc to be a showcase for color, I didn’t expect it to be such a perfect audio powerhouse. Bass is frequently hefty, pushing the limits of the subwoofer of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using. As Bowser Jr’s robot stomps towards Rosalina, the rumble from the Q990C’s subwoofer rattled the room and reverberated through the floor. Later, as Fox ignites the engines of the Arwing, this produces some meaty bass, akin to the igniting of the Batmobile’s engine from The Batman, my go-to audio testing scene.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack here is also very precise. As Luigi launches fire in a panic in a cave, the flames’ trajectory was accurately mapped to the front channels, travelling from right to left across the soundbar. In another scene, as Peach and Toad first fly into space, the sound of the twinkling flight path of the trail behind them is not only mapped accurately, but clearly audible among the rousing, horn-led score, showing the soundtrack’s excellent balance.

Surround and height channels are also fully utilized. During the climactic space battle, as Fox pilots the Arwing towards Bowser Jr’s ship, the Arwing travels around the whole ship. This was mapped with real precision first to the front channels, then the rear right, to the rear left and back again, creating a fully immersive feel. It reminded me of the time-bending music sequence in Sinners, which also moved around each channel.

Throughout, there are numerous scenes where characters fly through space, using the star to move from galaxy to galaxy. These are a great demonstration for Atmos, with overhead flight paths actually coming from overhead. The same was true with Fox’s Arwing. As it avoided Bowser’s minions in the space battle, anytime the Arwing moved to the top of the screen, Atmos rendered accurate overhead flight.

Another reference disc

After watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s definitely entering my testing rotation. Not only does it deliver on color and sound, but animation is crisp throughout, with clean-looking animation. Contrast is also powerful, with the dark blues of space contrasting well with the stars, Lumas and even the bright outfits of the main characters.

There are also plenty of bright scenes that will show off a TV’s HDR highlights and brightness, plus there’s some lovely shadow detail. Any scenes with strong light, such as Mario and Luigi with their flames in the cave, or at sunset as Peach gets frustrated, there’s strong shadows cast that look realistic.

This really is a superb 4K disc, and if you’re looking for a bold, colorful and dynamic movie to show off your home theater system, this is one to consider.

If you're looking to add more 4K Blu-rays to your collection, then Disney's Summer Days, Movie Nights 4K Blu-ray sale has arrived at the perfect time, where it's 2 for £30 on discs including titles from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and 20th Century Studios. The same 2 for £30 sale is also live at HMV.

I regularly test 4K Blu-ray as part of our monthly Blu-ray Bounty feature, where we test the best new 4K releases. I've picked six discs from the sale that all featured as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, so I know just how good they look and sound.

First up is Alien: Romulus, one of my reference discs for testing contrast and black tones on the best TVs. Its also excellent Dolby Atmos soundtrack is immersive and spine-chilling too.

The Sound of Music is one of the best restorations I've seen, with spectacular colours and detail. Edward Scissorhands is another disc that delivers superb colour reproduction, surpassing my expectations completely.

If you want action-packed titles with brilliant Dolby Atmos soundtracks, Master and Commander delivers pinpoint-accurate sound, while Fantastic Four: First Steps delivers the power you'd want from a superhero flick. Finally, Tombstone looks crisp and offers a fantastic DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack that will show off your surround setup.

For my thoughts on each disc, scroll further down the page.

My picks from Amazon's 2 for £30 4K Blu-ray sale

Alien: Romulus

Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, Alien: Romulus follows a crew of scavengers who come across a derelict space station called Renaissance, where they encounter hostile aliens.

Alien: Romulus delivers a truly stunning picture in 4K. Its inky black levels and high-contrast scenes look superb on the best OLED TVs, and it's a real showcase for 4K detail. Textures are crisp, with impressive intricate detail in objects and environments that show just how good modern movies can look in 4K. When I want to test a TV's backlight and contrast, this is one of the first discs I reach for.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack featured is incredible. While the more powerful moments, such as gunfire or the sound of engines igniting, have real impact, it's the detail that impresses. The sound of face-hugger feet is so precisely mapped, it had me looking around our testing lab when I first tested it, as their path came from the rear channels with astonishing accuracy. The movie's more visceral moments, as characters meet their demise, can be particularly realistic.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

The Sound of Music

One of cinema's most iconic musicals, The Sound of Music follows Maria (Julie Andrews), a nun who is sent to take over as the nanny of the Von Trapp family children, set in pre-WWII Austria.

The Sound of Music is one of the best examples of a 4K restoration I've seen. Textures have been cleaned up beautifully, and the breathtaking cinematography of the Austrian landscape has never looked more detailed. Really though, it's the colours that stand out the most here. Green fields and blue skies have serious pop, and other colours such as red, yellow and orange are delivered with real vibrancy. One of my reference discs, the market scene, in particular, is brilliant.

Never has the movie's legendary soundtrack sounded better than here. The Dolby Atmos mixes are all perfectly balanced between the score and vocals, and speech is crystal clear throughout. Songs like 'Do Re Mi' and 'My Favourite Things' sound clean, with superb depth and clarity.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands follows the story of Edward (Johnny Depp), an artificial humanoid with scissors for hands, who is taken in by a suburban family, where he falls for the family's daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder).

When I first tested Edward Scissorhands on 4K, I didn't expect to be wowed by the disc's colours as much as I was. The gothic nature of the movie is juxtaposed with the vibrant, often garish, colour scheme of the neighbourhood, and these colours are superb in 4K. The bright, multi-coloured houses are vivid, and if your TV has good colour reproduction, you'll be rewarded. Textures have also been refined here to give everything a lifelike look.

The disc's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is excellent. It shows real depth by accurately capturing subtle effects like the clicking of Edward's scissors. Danny Elfman's unmistakable score, with big horns balanced with delicate bells, is delivered with plenty of gusto and detail.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is the tale of the HMS Surprise, a British ship during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805, as they pursue the French ship Acheron. It stars Russel Crowe as Surprise's Captain Aubrey and Paul Bettany as Maturin, the ship's surgeon.

Where Master and Commander's 4K disc shines is with its Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Naval battles deliver room-shaking power as cannons fire, with intricate details such as splintering wood coming through clear in the mix. In several scenes, as cannonballs flew through the ship, I found myself looking around the room, following its trajectory as it was mapped with incredible accuracy.

The 4K presentation looks amazing, too. Night scenes deliver deep black tones with some strong contrast, as lamps balance with said dark tones. The crew looks lifelike, and the vast ocean looks stunning in 4K. Colour, while sparing, has some nice pop, whether it's the red of blood or the gold details on ships.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Set in a 1960's, futuristic world and based on the Marvel superhero family, The Fantastic Four: First Steps follows the Fantastic Four as they must protect Earth from Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Starring Pedro Pascal (Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).

The 4K disc of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has brilliant picture quality, accurately delivering the alt-1960s aesthetic. The bright blues and whites of the team's uniforms pop on screen, but the oranges and yellows of decor and civilian clothing look great too. A big-budget Marvel movie, textures are refined and 3D-like and look top-notch on 4K.

As you'd expect from a Marvel movie with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, this disc sounds fantastic. There are plenty of room-rattling explosions that deliver punchy bass and impact. Anytime the Human Torch flies overhead, height channels are utilised perfectly and will sound great through an Atmos system.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

Tombstone

Tombstone follows Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russel), a retired lawman who moves to the town of Tombstone and ends up as its de facto sheriff after a gang of outlaws wreaks havoc. The movie also stars Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, and Bill Paxton.

Tombstone looks stunning in 4K. A fantastic restoration means textures are clean and crisp, demonstrating almost 3D-like levels of depth and detail. Colours are bold and punchy throughout, and black tones are rich, whether it's the night sky or the Earp group's clothes.

The disc's DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack is excellent too. Gunfights deliver precise sound mapping, as bullets fly around and ricochet off buildings. Galloping horses offer plenty of rumble that will let your subwoofer flex its muscles, and even subtle sound effects like spurs on boots as people walk have nice detail.

• Check out the full Amazon 2 for £30 sale

If you'd missed that the big half-price Criterion Collection 4K Blu-ray sale is back on, then don't worry — you still have a bit of time left to catch it! The official sale runs until July 26. As always, the complete Criterion range is discounted at Barnes & Noble, while a more limited set of discounts is available at Amazon.

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

The Amazon sale also has some options that are on sale, but not at the full half price. I'm mainly included Amazon links because some people just lean towards it for convenience, but the B&N sale is where you can fully indulge in building your collection, and to a dangerous degree — my biggest problem with a Criterion sale is always deciding what to limit myself to if I don't want to hit bankruptcy.

I've highlighted 12 discs below that I think are worth checking out from the sale options, but I imagine most collectors will just want to browse everything, which you can do via the links above.

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale — quick links

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale: 12 titles I'd recommend

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

Here at TechRadar, I test some of the best 4K Blu-rays each month as part of the Blu-ray Bounty. This is where we look at the latest 4K releases from that month and judge whether they’d be a worthy addition to your collection, focusing solely on the video and audio quality of each disc.

Every so often, a disc wows me so much that I add it to my rotation for testing the best TVs and best soundbars. 4K Blu-ray is my go-to source for AV testing, as it delivers a higher video bit rate, resulting in better picture quality than streaming, and uncompressed soundtracks for the best audio.

Some of the discs from the near-100 discs I’ve tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty that have joined over the years include Wicked, The Mask, The Sound of Music and Dark City, to name just a few.

As part of the most recent June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, there’s another disc that will definitely be joining the testing rotation, as it performs at a reference-quality level. And that disc is Speed Racer.

Breathtaking color

My go-to 4K Blu-rays for color testing have been Wicked and The Sound of Music. Wicked features an oversaturated, candy-color style that really generates a lot of pop on the right screen, while The Sound of Music delivers still-vibrant but more authentic and realistic colors.

Speed Racer falls in Wicked’s camp, but takes it to another level. Throughout the movie, there are some seriously vivid colors. Red is a prominent feature throughout the movie, as it's the color of Speed Racer’s ‘M’ logo and the interior of his car, both of which are often front and center on screen. It’s also the color of the Racer garage at home and Papa Racer’s shirt, which he wears throughout the movie.

When I tested the Samsung S95H/S99H and LG G6 side-by-side, both TVs interpreted the red differently: the G6 gave it a much deeper red hue, while the S95H/S99H made it look paler, almost orange in some places. Both of these TVs, likely to be two of the best OLED TVs I’ll test in 2026, captured the visual punch of this red, but it was useful to see how each TV interpreted the color.

There are plenty of scenes where a single color dominates. As the Racer family arrived at Royalton Industries, there were a lot of bold purples, including the airship's color, the walls, and even the transport. On the OLEDs I tested the disc on, these purples had a beautiful richness to them that again was displayed in different ways by the S95H/S99H and the G6, with the latter again adding that bit more depth.

This trend continued throughout the movie, whether it was the neon greens of a grass field in a flashback, the fantastic pink/purple/orange gradients in the sky during sunset or the lush blues of the sky during daytime race sequences (or Speed’s iconic blue and white shirt.) Even the white of the Mach 5 / 6 and Speed’s helmet had a glorious clarity to them, really dazzling on the S95H/S99H and G6.

The use of color is fantastic in Speed Racer, and if you have a TV with Dolby Vision, you’ll be rewarded with the most breathtaking colors, some of the best I’ve ever seen on a 4K Blu-ray. But it’s not just color reproduction where this disc is useful.

A Dolby Atmos showcase

When it comes to testing soundbars and TV audio, my go-to 4K Blu-rays have been The Batman, namely the Batmobile/Penguin car chase scene for its detail and bass, and Top Gun: Maverick, for its all-around expansive Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Speed Racer has proved to be a far more compelling disc, audibly, than I ever thought. While I anticipated some hefty bass from the car’s engines, I didn’t anticipate the level of detail and sound mapping I would hear.

During the opening race, there are plenty of demonstrations of pinpoint accuracy as cars swerve wildly through the corners of the winding track. The sound of squealing tires demonstrates excellent directionality and is fully connected with the action on screen. As a car moves from side to side on screen, you can be sure to hear it in the front channels.

One moment in this scene, in particular, really grabbed my attention, though. As Speed makes his way around the track, he has to grind the rear axle of the Mach 5 against the edge of the track and as I was watching, I heard the sound of a grind come through crystal clear in the left rear speaker of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using (an 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos system comprising of a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers). This was the moment that made me realize just how precise and detailed the Dolby Atmos mix of this disc is.

There’s good use of Atmos effects and height channels too. As Speed uses his spring-loaded chassis to jump over a rival racer, a cut to said rival’s cockpit reveals a burst of not only bass but also the sound of the wind from the Mach 5 as Speed flips over. This sounded immersive, clean, and incredibly precise. There are plenty of helicopter sequences too, which are great for showing what Atmos can do.

There were plenty of highlight moments throughout the movie, but it is the race sequences that showcase the clarity and depth of this Dolby Atmos soundtrack. But there’s one final area where this disc is a perfect testing disc.

Always in motion

Motion handling is a key component of any TV. If a TV can’t accurately handle fast-moving images, then action movies and sports won’t look good. While motion interpolation settings, such as judder and blur reduction, can reduce these, they can introduce unwanted side effects, such as the ‘ghosting’ of a ball in a soccer game (where a trail of the ball appears as it travels across the screen).

I anticipate that Speed Racer is going to act as somewhat of a ‘torture test’ for some TVs (like The Batman can be due to its low brightness), as there are not only plenty of fast-paced driving sequences with plenty of quick shifts in direction, but one other real challenge: slow panning shots.

Frequently throughout the movie, commentators from various countries slowly track across the screen from side to side, and even on the S95H/S99H and G6, which have proven to have great motion handling with the right settings, these shots still struggled at times. The commentators sometimes showed judder as the TV’s tried to interpolate the motion, meaning this is something I’ll be using in future tests. With these panning shots, however, there is sometimes natural judder.

Again, though, it’s the fast-paced race sequences that can make or break a TV’s motion. Chaotic driving as cars swerve to avoid debris, smash into one another, or pull a tight turn can look unnatural if a TV’s motion isn’t right. Too much blur and judder reduction, and it’ll look artificial; not enough, and it’ll look like a juddery mess.

Speed Racer really is one of the best Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos 4K Blu-rays I’ve ever tested and is a triple threat disc for color, motion and sound, so if you’re a regular reader of our TV and soundbar reviews and comparisons here at TechRadar, expect to see Speed Racer appear very soon.

• Buffalo reverses Blu-ray exit decision after securing more components
• Customers face 33-51% price hikes for remaining portable drive stock
• Manufacturing will eventually cease once current component supply runs out

Japanese firm Buffalo has reversed its decision to stop selling Blu-ray drives (via PC Watch), announcing it will continue selling several portable models after securing additional supply of components that were previously unavailable.

This comes after an earlier February 2026 announcement that it would suspend the sale of Blu-ray drives in July 2026 due to component shortages – not a lack of demand.

However, customers are set to pay a premium for Buffalo’s renewed sales due to ongoing global semiconductor shortages, rising material costs and higher overall manufacturing costs.

Limited supply leads to hefty price hikes

For example, the BRXL-PTV6U3 model bundled with writing software sees the biggest increase of 51%, from ¥16,940 ($104) to ¥25,630 ($158). Buffalo’s BRXL-PT6U3 model also sees a 44% price hike, and the BRXL-PTWOU3 increases in cost by 33%.

Additionally, even though the company continues to sell Blu-ray drives at a higher cost to maintain supply for customer demand, production will only continue while newly sourced components last, implying that Buffalo itself is facing major supply struggles.

No final end date has been shared due to the unpredictability of production volumes, shipping volumes and retail inventory levels, but once the parts are no longer available, manufacturing will stop and sales will likely end permanently.

More broadly, it marks ongoing challenges in the industry, with Pioneer confirming it would be withdrawing from the optical disc drive business in 2025. LG also stopped manufacturing new drives, and Sony shipped its final consumer Blu-ray recorders in Japan implying a relatively strong market as other regions dwindled.

Some manufacturers are still clinging on

However, earlier this year Verbatim Japan and I-O Data publicly committed to continuing Blu-ray drive development (via Tom’s Hardware) even after major players exited, arguing that demand remains strong for customers who need long-term offline storage, like photographers and videographers, governments, businesses and archives.

“We have once again recognized that the need to ‘record data I want to keep onto a disc I have on hand [sic]’ continues to genuinely exist,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

However, optical storage does face competition from the generally pricier, but far more convenient rival that is cloud storage. Local storage via SSDs and HDDs is also often favored by many.

Ultimately, despite continued demand for some markets in Japan, likely driven by anime consumption and a relatively strong but declining movie rental business, the Blu-ray market is no longer big enough to guarantee a stable supply of components. With news that Buffalo, too, could soon exit the market after a second wind, it could mark the end of the Blu-ray era.

Attention 4K Blu-ray fans! Arrow Films has a huge sale on its 4K Blu-rays, with up to 50% off some discs. You can check out the sale at Arrow Films' site, and there are tons of participating retailers, including Amazon in the US and HMV and Amazon UK in the UK. While stock is slim of some discs, between the different retailers, you should be covered.

• Arrow Films US: Browse the full sale
• Arrow Films UK: Browse the full sale
• Amazon US: See all discounted Arrow discs
• Amazon UK: See all discounted Arrow discs
• HMV: See all discounted Arrow discs

While there are loads of options in the sale, I've picked my top discs, all of which I've either personally tested as part of our monthly Blu-ray Bounty column, or some that we even own ourselves at TechRadar.

One of my favorites is Dark City, a disc that looks superb on the best TVs, with rich contrast and black tones. Next is Arrow's version of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which is the best the iconic Western has ever looked, with impressive textures and bold colors.

Speaking of bold colors, Heathers is great for showing off your display's color reproduction, as is The Mask, one of my reference discs for testing color and for testing the best soundbars.

For our full thoughts on these discs, check out below. These are just our top picks of discs we've tested ourselves, but there are tons of discs in the sale to check out.

Our top picks from Arrow Video's 4K Blu-ray sale - US

Our top picks from Arrow Video's 4K Blu-ray sale - UK

Why I've picked these discs

Dark City

Dark City follows the story of John (Rufus Sewell), a man who wakes up with amnesia to find himself under investigation for murder and being hunted by a group of strange beings known as the Strangers.

Dark City looks superb in 4K. Arrow's restoration delivers crisp, realistic textures and inky black levels, plus, there are plenty of high-contrast scenes that really shine on the best OLED TVs. There's a reason this disc has entered my testing rotation.

The disc has both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks. Speech is clear throughout, and while there aren't any scenes that will really test your home theater, the score's deep, rumbling bass will at times get your subwoofer working.

Heathers

Heathers follows the story of Veronica (Wynona Ryder), a high-schooler part of a popular clique of girls called Heather. Veronica begins to date a rebellious, new student called J.D (Christian Slater), who eventually starts to kill students he doesn't like.

The Arrow restoration of Heathers does an excellent job capturing the oft-gaudy aesthetic of the 1980s. Colors are bold and vivid (especially the Heathers' outfits), and there's plenty of refined detail in people's clothing. Textures have been cleaned up nicely, making everything, including people's hair and skin, look lifelike.

This disc comes with three soundtrack options: DTS: HD 5.1 MA; Stereo 2.0 and mono. I used the DTS: HD 5.1 MA in my testing, and it was clean and clear throughout. There aren't many showcase moments, but still, speech is clear, sound is mapped well and there is some impact to effects like gunshots.

Westworld (1973)

Westworld is about an interactive theme park inhabited by androids, where patrons can live out the fantasy of life in the Wild West. Eventually, the androids turn on both the staff and visitors of the park. The movie stars Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin and James Brolin.

Westworld looks excellent in this restoration from Arrow. Intricate details, such as the parts of a gun, are defined and realistic, while skin looks true-to-life. Colors are also big and bold in places, such as the red of the brothel's walls. Cinephiles will be happy with the level of film grain retained, too.

There are multiple soundtrack options available, including 4.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 5.1. Using the 5.1 for testing, there's some nice detail, demonstrated by the ricocheting bullets which are well mapped to the surround channels. There's a nice, wide soundstage to give different sounds room to breathe, and speech is clear too.

The Mask

The Mask tells the story of Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), a bank-worker who discovers a supernatural mask that turns him into a super-powered being. The movie helped launch Carrey's movie career, and was the big-screen debut for Cameron Diaz.

While this 4K disc does have fantastic picture quality, (more on that in a sec), really it's the Dolby Atmos and DTS: HD 5.1 MA soundtracks that shine. As the Mask tornadoes around Stanley's bedroom, through the right sound system, the ensuing chaos is precise and accurately mapped, with refined detail. This is true throughout, whether the Mask jumps around or uses cartoon-ish violence. A seriously-impressive sounding disc.

Visually, The Mask looks great too. Color reproduction is this Arrow disc's main strength, with the Mask's yellow suit looking bright and vivid throughout. Textures have a 3D-like level of detail and there's plenty of scenes with strong contrast and deep black tones.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

One of the most iconic Westerns ever made, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly follows the Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood), as he, a bandit named Tuco (Eli Wallach), and a mercenary 'Angel Eyes' (Lee Van Cleef) all try to find buried Confederate gold through uneasy alliances and betrayals.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly looks sensational in Arrow's 4K restoration. Detail is organic and lifelike, particularly in close-up shots, that show every scar, bit of stubble and dirt in full clarity. Color really pops on screen when used, and the movie's darker scenes show rich, inky black tones and powerful contrast.

There are DTS: HD 5.1 MA and DTS: HD Mono MA soundtracks on offer. The 5.1 soundtrack is immersive, with precise effects, such as ricocheting bullets, and there's a good hit of bass during scenes with explosions and the rumble of horse's hooves. Speech is clean throughout and the movie's legendary score is balanced and beautiful.

The Warriors

The Warriors, an adaptation of Sol Yurik's novel of the same name, follows the story of a gang in 1970s New York named The Warriors. They find themselves framed for murder, and must make their way back across New York and home to Coney Island, while being hunted by thousands of members from rival gangs.

The Arrow version of The Warriors is excellent. Textures have been uplifted and given a much crisper look, but there's still plenty of film grain, to capture the movie's gritty tone. Colors have plenty of punch, shown best in the opening scene by the different gang's colorful uniforms. Contrast is also strong, and there's plenty of scenes to show this, especially in the gloomy subway platforms.

This Arrow disc contains a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (unlike the Paramount release which only has a 5.1 mix) and it's all the better for it. The soundstage is wide and immersive, effects are clear and there's good impact and accurate sound mapping throughout. The best scene to showcase this is as the Warriors fight the Punks in a subway station bathroom.

Thief

Thief follows the story of Frank (James Caan), a professional safecracker trying to escape his life of crime. It was Michael Mann's (Heat, Collateral) feature film directorial debut.

Another fantastic restoration from Arrow, Thief looks brilliant in 4K. There's plenty of scenes with rich, powerful contrast, and a good amount of film grain present for cinephiles. Detail, such as skin, hair and clothing, all look refined and lifelike.

There are DTS: HD 5.1 MA and stereo 2.0 soundtrack options on offer. I used the DTS: HD 5.1 MA for my testing and there was plenty of nuanced detail, such as the whirring of the sale drill, that were delivered clearly. Tangerine Dream's excellent score is balanced, with big, bold synths and fantastic clarity.

Tremors

Tremors is about a tiny Nevada town being terrorized by a mysterious underground menace, and it's the definition of a cult classic. It's got a really tight script, and ekes all of its production value from being filmed out in beautiful mountains, mixed with some fantastic practical visual effects.

It's a beautiful transfer that uses HDR to deliver nuanced skies, bright highlights in the sun, and the most ridiculously orange blood and monster bits you've ever seen.

The latter is also delivered in gloriously strong detail and texture, as is the dirt of the countryside as it slides around when a Graboid shifts underneath it. There's a nice grainy softness, but this really makes the most of its 4K upgrade. It sounds great too, but it's the visuals I appreciated most, especially when it comes to admiring the monster effects.

Last month in June 2026 proved to be yet another packed month for 4K Blu-ray releases and July is looking just as busy. Despite the long list of discs on my radar, I’ve narrowed it down to my top four I’m most looking forward to, hopefully, testing.

I’ll be looking to test these discs as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, our monthly column where we test the latest 4K releases on their picture and sound quality, to see whether they’re worth adding to the bursting shelves of a 4K blu-ray collection.

4K Blu-ray is my bread-and-butter source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars, as it offers the best bitrate for picture and uncompressed audio for sound. I’m also a collector myself, so I’m always looking for new discs I can add to my collection!

In my June 2026 most anticipated article, my picks were Speed Racer, Bullet In The Head, EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert and Hoppers. Three out of the four featured in the June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty (Hoppers sadly didn’t arrive, but I’ll hopefully feature that another time) and while they were all great, the real highlight was Speed Racer, which was an audio showcase and an outstanding looking disc (check out the Blu-ray Bounty for my full thoughts).

Hard Boiled (Arrow Video)

Hard Boiled stars Chow Yun-fat as Inspector “Tequila” Yeun, a detective in pursuit of a Triad syndicate who gets involved in an operation involving an undercover officer. This is arguably director John Woo’s (Bullet In The Head, The Killer, Mission Impossible 2) most iconic movie.

Having recently reviewed Arrow’s recent restoration of Bullet In The Head, I’m excited to see what it can do with Hard Boiled. Where I’m hoping this disc’s strengths will lie is in its Dolby Atmos mix. Hard Boiled is a gritty, action-thriller with plenty of gunfights and a good Atmos mix should deliver plenty of impact, bass and a real sense of immersion, with ricocheting bullets covering the latter.

The Bullet In The Head restoration had rich colors, crisp textures and strong contrast, so I’m hoping for more of the same here. While I’m expecting it to have the haze that I’ve now clocked in a few early-90s Hong Kong cinema movies, I still think Hard Boiled has the potential to look great, especially as it supports Dolby Vision, which should work wonders for textures, detail and contrast.

• US release date - N/A: (Hong Kong Cinema Classics version released November 4, 2025)
• UK release date - 27th July

Alice in Wonderland (1951) (Disney)

Alice in Wonderland, based on Lewis Carroll’s novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, tells the story of a young girl called Alice who ends up in a strange, fantastical world where meets odd characters such as the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and the evil Queen of Hearts. (This is a cheeky addition as this disc was actually released on 29th June, but I’m going to hopefully test it as part of the July Blu-ray Bounty!)

4K can do wonders for animation, especially when it comes to detail and colors. Alice in Wonderland has plenty of seriously bright colors and I expect Wonderland to look truly brilliant in 4K. The disc comes with Dolby Vision HDR support, which is only going to make colors pop even more. The 4K restoration will hopefully add more depth and texture to the picture as well.

As for audio, there’s no support for Dolby Atmos which is a bit of a shame as it would’ve been nice to get the full immersive experience as Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Thankfully, there is a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack included and in recent discs I’ve tested this has proved to be just as good. There’s plenty of moments throughout the weird and wonderful Wonderland that should sound fantastic on 4K.

• US release date - May 6, 2025
• UK release date - 29th June, 2026

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows Mario and his crew — Luigi, Yoshi, Peach and Toad — head to space to save Princess Rosalina from the clutches of Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr.

I’m expecting crisp, slick animation and of course boat-loads of fantastical colors from this disc on 4K. With Dolby Vision support included, I’m anticipating some seriously impressive color reproduction, whether it’s the red of Mario’s iconic suit or the green skin of Bowser and Yoshi, this disc could be a new reference disc for TV testing. As the movie takes the gang to space, there’s also a chance for some strong contrast between the deep blackness of space and any bright stars along the way.

Equipped with a Dolby Atmos track, I’m expecting an immersive soundtrack that will provide some excellent detail during the movie’s more action-packed sequences. Plus, with several flight sequences, as the character’s fly through space, I’m hoping for some real utilization of the height channels to give a wide, full sound. I can imagine this disc is going to deliver an impressive audio experience that I’m looking forward to trying out through our Samsung Dolby Atmos soundbar.

• US release date - June 16, 2026
• UK release date - 20th July, 2026

Hairspray (1988) (Criterion Collection)

Directed by John Waters, Hairspray (the original, 1988 movie) tells the story of teenager Tracy Turnbald, as she aims for fame as a dancer on a local TV show. Set in the 1960s, Tracy also rallies against racial segregation, which gets in her trouble with adults and authority figures.

As this is a release from Criterion, I’m expecting an excellent restoration job. I’ve tested a ton of Criterion’s 4K releases and all of them have looked fantastic. As Hairspray is set in the 1960s, there’s a potential here for some truly bold visuals, especially with color. Decor and outfits should really pop on screen, capturing the sometimes-garish, saturated aesthetic of the time period.

There are two soundtrack options on the 4K disc of Hairspray: DTS-HD 2.0 and 5.1 MA. This isn’t the remake from 2007, which is based on the 2002 stage musical, so I’m not anticipating many showcase audio moments. However, as the movie does involve music and dancing, there could be some nice, clean sound mixes, especially with DTS-HD 5.1 MA supported.

• US release date - June 23, 2026
• UK release date - July 20, 2026

July 2026 highlighted releases

Below, I’ve picked some highlight releases for July 2026. Both US and UK releases are featured here, with release dates noted. These release dates may vary by region, with some titles already available or yet to be released until later this year depending on where you are. 4K Blu-ray is region-free, so you should be able to order from wherever.

July 6/7

• To Live and Die in LA
• The Protector
• Double Impact
• The Magic Faraway Tree (2026)
• The Drama (US - UK July 13)

July 13/14

• Obsession
• Hud
• The Usual Suspects
• Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (US - UK July 27)
• Michael
• The Mummy (2026)
• Red Sun
• The Crying Game
• Full Contact

July 20/21

• Falling Down
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
• Pleasantville
• Anyone But You
• Hairspray (UK)
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (UK)
• Excalibur (UK)
• Mortal Kombat II (UK - US July 28)

July 27/28

• Hard Boiled (UK)
• Strictly Ballroom (UK)
• Soylent Green
• Stranger Things: Complete Series
• X: The Unknown (UK)
• Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

You've bought one of the best TVs or best projectors. You've invested in one of the best soundbars, or a stunning home theater speaker system. Life is good. So what should you watch to make the most of your system? What are the best Blu-rays to show off your setup?

Our resident disc enthusiast, Senior TV Hardware Writer James Davidson, tests out new Blu-ray releases every month in his Blu-ray Bounty column, to see which ones really impress when it comes to visuals and immersive sound. Now that we're halfway through the year, he's picked out his six favorite discs released in 2026 that most impressed him — and that's against some hot competition.

We're not judging the movies themselves, that's obviously subjective. What we're interested in is how well they'll show off your TV or home theater setup, and how happy these particular presentations make you as a result.

• Criterion has a 50% off sale in the US right now! See the range here

Speed Racer

The Wachowski sisters' dazzling sci-fi adventure Speed Racer is undergoing something of a revival right now, fuelled by positive posts on social media praising its visual extravagance; at the time of release there was disappointment that the sisters had made a sci-fi sports action comedy based on a 1960s manga.

But Speed Racer comes from the same incredibly inventive brains that birthed The Matrix and it's mind-blowing in its first-ever 4K HDR presentation. This has instantly entered our library for testing TVs as a new reference disc for colors and motion handling.

"Speed Racer looks astounding on 4K Blu-ray," James says. "Where it really shines is in its color reproduction. Colors are bold, vibrant and punchy throughout, taking on an almost neon-like level of saturation, which perfectly suits the movie. Whether it’s the pulsing lights of the racetrack or the 1960s-inspired clothing and decor of the neighborhood, the colors seriously pop on screen."

It's particularly good for showing off your OLED TV if you have one thanks to its deep blacks and neon brights, while its Dolby Atmos soundtrack is "ridiculously detailed."

Fight Club

The 4K edition of Fight Club had a short theater release before arriving on Blu-ray, and it's had a bit of a mixed reception: while as James says it's excellent on 4K — "Textures have been upscaled well, and appear extra crisp. Close-up shots of characters' faces show fine details such as skin marks and hair with real clarity. While colors don’t play a major role in the movie, any that do have nice pop while still looking realistic" — there's been some disappointment that the audio isn't in Atmos, and that there was some fudging to elements in the movie itself.

The soundtrack is a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix. It's a great presentation that sounds fantastic, and while it's a shame it doesn't have the extra native height you'd get with Atmos, it doesn't stop this from being one of the showstoppers of 2026.

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia is one of cinema's most iconic epics, and the 4K Blu-ray version is simply stunning. "Presented in Dolby Vision, the sheer majesty and scope of the movie’s cinematography is accurately delivered with breathtaking detail," James says. "Epic landscape shots reveal intricate textures, while close-ups of characters show weather-beaten skin and Lawrence’s sand-coated hair down to the finest margin."

The soundtrack is great too, with choices including Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD MA 5.1. We particularly liked the Atmos version, which is spacious and detailed with plenty of gusto. "Ricocheting bullets, the trotting of camel’s feet and even the wind are pinpoint and accurately mapped to the action on screen," James says, praising the "incredibly hefty" bass that delivers "huge rumble from the explosions and machine gun fire."

Ben-Hur

Here's another iconic epic, and like Lawrence of Arabia the 4K version of Ben-Hur is a "staggering 4K Blu-ray," James says. At the time it was the largest-scale movie ever released, and the restoration "upscales textures to an almost modern-day look, with accurate, lifelike skin tones and refined details such as rocks, grass, and buildings throughout. Colors are rich and vibrant: from the reds of the Roman soldiers' capes to the glorious blue sky, every color pops on screen."

He continues: "Soldiers' gold uniforms gleam in the sunlight, and the sand-colored buildings of Jerusalem dazzle without ever over-exerting the brightness. Even the movie’s darker scenes display rich blacks with powerful contrast. As the slaves row the ship, the dark tones of the walls contrast with the light from the torches beautifully."

The audio restoration is as ambitious and impressive as the visuals. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is clean, refined and powerful, with excellent use of the surround channels in the busy market scenes and the famous chariot races. The hooves in the latter are a great workout for your subwoofer, James says.

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 to Yuma was released in 1957 and is today considered a classic Western, following rancher Dan Evans as he escorts an outlaw to his trial in Arizona. Criterion's restoration of the original movie is absolutely superb, James says. "Textures have been beautifully cleaned up — every weather-beaten wrinkle on people’s faces is fully restored — and looking almost modern. The movie is in black and white, and dark tones are deep while white tones are bright, with a full range of gray tones in between. Cinephiles will be happy with the amount of film grain retained, though it’s more obvious in the movie's exterior scenes."

You have two audio choices here: monoaural, as originally released, and DTS-HD MA 5.1. The original mono soundtrack has been cleaned up beautifully, but the real fun is in the 5.1 version. "There’s solid bass from the rumble of galloping horses, good surround details during gunfights with ricocheting bullets, and even a wide soundstage, letting the soundtrack breathe," James says. "Speech is also crystal clear."

Dead Man

Dead Man may look like it's from the same era as 3:10 to Yuma, but it's from 1995: director Jim Jarmusch chose to shoot entirely in monochrome, and the Criterion restoration delivers "dazzling whites, such as highlights in the sun, and inky blacks, such as Blake’s hair and shadowed areas within forests. Contrast is strong, with a perfect balance between light and dark tones." Detail is excellent, especially in close-up scenes, delivering "an exceptional looking disc."

There's no surround sound with this release; the audio is DTS-HD 2.0. However, what it lacks in channels it makes up for in the form of Neil Young's superb score, played solo on electric guitar and delivering "plenty of chugging and twangy Western-sounding riffs that are detailed and clear." Dialog is perfectly clear and effects such as gunfire are accurately positioned.

Welcome to the June 2026 edition of the Blu-ray Bounty. This is where we review the latest 4K Blu-ray releases each month, judging each disc on its video and audio quality, to see if they’ll make a worthy addition to your collection. If you’re new to Blu-ray Bounty, you can check out previous editions here.

We’re big fans of 4K Blu-ray here at TechRadar, and some of us are even collectors ourselves. As TechRadar’s TV tester, I use 4K Blu-ray to test the best TVs and the best soundbars, as it offers uncompressed video and audio for the best picture and sound you can get at home.

In last month’s May 2026 edition of the Blu-ray Bounty we looked at five discs, including the highly anticipated Fight Club, as well as Some Like It Hot, Wuthering Heights, Leaving Las Vegas and Point Blank.

This month, we’re looking at seven discs, including one that’s getting a lot of buzz as 'reference-level'. As always on the Blu-ray Bounty, we’re not talking about the movies themselves, just the disc's picture and audio quality.

We’ll be using our usual setup consisting of the LG G5, one of the best OLED TVs of 2025, the Panasonic DP-UB820, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market, and the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar system.

As I'm based in the UK, these releases are based on UK release dates, so don't be surprised if any of these titles are already out where you are, or if one of your picks isn't listed — it might just be coming to where you are later.

Speed Racer (Warner Bros.)

Speed Racer tells the story of Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), a young man who becomes a racecar driver, following in his older brother’s footsteps, in order to save his family's business. Based on the manga series of the same name, the movie also stars Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman.

Speed Racer looks astounding on 4K Blu-ray. Where it really shines is in its color reproduction. Colors are bold, vibrant and punchy throughout, taking on an almost neon-like level of saturation, which perfectly suits the movie. Whether it’s the pulsing lights of the racetrack or the 1960s-inspired clothing and decor of the neighborhood, the colors seriously pop on screen. On the LG G5 I used, there was a gorgeous depth and richness to said colors.

Black tones during night races are inky, textures are incredibly crisp, especially in people's skin and hair, and even the cartoon-ish CGI of the crowd and cars on the track is slick and sharp. The disc also really pushes the boundaries on motion, with the swerving cars and constantly changing camera angles serving as a showcase for your display’s motion handling.

Sound-wise, this is a seriously impressive disc. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is lively, engaging and ridiculously detailed. During the opening race, the bass of the Mach 5’s was powerful but tightly controlled, and the hum of passing engines through the wind was crystal clear through the HW-Q990C’s rear speakers.

There’s ample room in the Atmos mix too, giving every element a chance to breathe. The mapping of sound is impressive too. As Speed grinds his car on the edge of the track in the opening race, I heard the movement of this through the left rear channel clear as day, despite all the bass from the subwoofer, and the speech and other effects through the front channels.

EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Universal Pictures)

From Baz Luhrmann (director of the 2022 Elvis biopic) comes EPiC Elvis Presley In Concert, which features never-before-seen archival footage of Elvis’ early performances as part of his legendary Las Vegas residency, as well as archive interviews with Elivs telling his own story.

The disc has a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack that sounds superb. While Elvis’ narration, made of clips from interviews, is clear, as is the audio of the behind-the-scenes studio sessions, it’s the live performances on stage that sound most impressive. The drums are punchy but beautifully intricate, giving the subwoofer a real workout. Elvis’ vocals are powerful, detailed, and delivered with real clarity. The bass is refined and clearly audible, and guitars are bright and clean. This is a perfectly balanced mix that sounds excellent, regardless of the track. Highlights include Polk Salad Annie and Burning Love.

While visuals aren’t the main feature of this disc, the restored footage looks brilliant. Textures are smooth and crisp, with close-up shots of Elvis’ face even picking out his stubble. Colors are bold and bright, perfectly capturing Elvis’ flashy on-stage costumes and his often colorful offstage outfits . There’s a nice punchy brightness to the picture as well, with highlights on bejeweled, sequin-encrusted costumes really glinting on screen. Naturally, there’s some film grain present from the cameras used at the time, but most shots have been cleanly restored.

Bullet In The Head (1991) (Arrow Video)

Bullet In The Head, directed by John Woo, follows Ben, Paul and Frank, three friends who flee Hong Kong after murdering a member of a rival gang. They become smugglers in Saigon, Vietnam, at the height of the Vietnam War in 1967. The movie stars Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung and Waise Lee.

Visually, this is a solid restoration from Arrow. While the movie still has the grainy, sometimes hazy look you’d expect of early-90s Hong Kong Cinema, textures have been cleaned up well, especially in skin and faces, with more intricate detail such as hair looking refined. Colors can appear bold, whether it's the red of Ben’s T-shirt or the brightly colored buildings in Saigon. Black levels are deep during night-time scenes, and there's some nice contrast during scenes in the market, or when the trio are at the Bolero club in Saigon.

There are three soundtrack options with this disc: Cantonese Mono and Dolby Atmos, and English Mono. The Atmos soundtrack is a more spacious extension of the mono, but it does add more volume and depth to the audio. Speech is clearer in the Atmos mix, and other sounds, such as punches and crashes during fight scenes, have more impact. Gunshots in shootouts have good clarity, and while they don’t quite utilize the rear channels as well as other movies I’ve watched, there’s still some nice power on display. Bass from explosions is also tightly controlled.

Body Heat (Criterion Collection)

Starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, Body Heat follows lawyer Ned (Hurt) and Matty (Turner), the wife of a businessman named Edmund (Richard Crenna) as Ned and Matty begin an affair and plot to murder Edmund in order to get his fortune and run away together. The movie was inspired by the 1944 movie Double Indemnity (which I reviewed for the November 2024 Blu-ray Bounty).

Visually, this is another top-notch restoration job from Criterion. Textures look realistic, particularly in skin and in finer details such as hair. As the movie has such a sweltering setting, sweat features regularly and really shows off the level of detail present. Colors are punchy, with more intricate objects such as a red matchbook on Ned’s desk really popping. There are a number of night scenes showing rich black tones, as well as strong shadows cast by bright lights across the character's bodies and faces.

The disc comes with both DTS-HD Stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround soundtrack options. Opting for the 5.1 surround, speech is clear throughout the movie and there are some nice details present, such as the chirping of crickets, which come through the rear channels during some night sequences. The other main component of the soundtrack is the dramatic, string-led score which does a good job utilizing the full surround channels.

Avatar: Fire & Ash (20th Century Studios)

The third movie in the Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire & Ash continues to follow Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) on Pandora, who must now face challenges from an aggressive, new Na’vi tribe. The movie also stars Sigourney Weaver, Steven Lang and Kate Winslet, with the former two appearing in all three of the current Avatar movies.

Avatar: Fire & Ash is visually impressive. The animation is slick, with crisp textures and detail such as the Na’vi’s braids and skin looking 3D-like. Colors are bold and vibrant, whether it’s the blue of the Na’vi themselves or the seas of Pandora and the rich reds of the warpaint of the Mangkwan. Environments are striking, with lush, green trees and fields, with textures in cliffs and rocks showing intricate detail. Night-time scenes show inky blacks and when fire is added to the mix, it shows the discs' strong contrast.

The Dolby Atmos mix included here is excellent for showing off a home theater system. Any sequences where creatures such as the Nightwraiths fly overhead delivers impressive height, with their flight paths accurately mapped. Gunshots have real weight to them, especially with automatic weapons, creating a real thud through both the soundbar and the subwoofer. Speech is clear throughout, even in the most chaotic battle scenes. During these battle scenes, whenever an arrow is fired, it’s extremely detailed, coming through the rear channels crystal clear. Like some other modern blockbusters I’ve tested, this is a great Atmos soundtrack.

Five Easy Pieces (Criterion Collection)

Five Easy Pieces tells the story of Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson), a piano prodigy turned oil rig worker who returns home to his rich, estranged family and attempts to reconnect upon hearing about his father’s ailing health. The movie also stars Karen Black as Rayette, Robert’s girlfriend.

Criterion delivers another great restoration here. Colors really pop on screen, shown in people’s brightly-colored clothing. A scene at the bowling alley near the opening of the movie shows this, with almost every patron’s clothing looking vivid. Textures, such as the grime on the oil rigger’s faces and frown lines in Robert’s forehead, look lifelike and detailed. There’s plenty of film grain present and it’s more pronounced in some scenes than others (namely outdoor, daytime scenes), so cinephiles will be happy.

For audio, there’s only a mono soundtrack present. This won’t be an audio showcase for your home theater system, but speech is clear and other effects, such as Robert slamming himself against his car-seat, have some impact. The best part of this audio mix is whenever someone plays the piano, namely the scene where Robert plays Chopin’s ‘Prelude, Op. 28, No.4’, as it sounds bright, clean and detailed. This is a well-restored audio mix.

36 Hours (AKA Terror Street) (Hammer)

36 Hours (released in the US as Terror Street) tells the story of Major Bill Rogers (Dan Duryea), a US pilot who is framed for the murder of his estranged wife Katherine (Elsie Albiin) while he tries to visit her in London. He then has 36 hours to solve her murder so he can return back to the States.

This is a great restoration from Hammer. Textures have been cleaned-up well, making people and their clothing look incredibly lifelike. Contrast is strong throughout, with deep blacks, punchy whites and a full range of gray tones to create a dynamic image. There is the occasional shot where textures can appear fuzzy, but it's rare and considering the age of the movie, it’s surprisingly good-looking throughout. There is grain present, which will please cinephiles, but again there’s been a surprisingly thorough clean-up job here.

There are two options for soundtracks here: mono and DTS-HD 5.1 MA. The mono mix is louder and more direct, but the 5.1 mix has a warmer, cleaner sound that fits the tone of the movie. Dialogue is controlled and clean in all parts of the movie and the melodramatic score is bright and bold, using the rear channels to great effect. Other effects such as gunshots and punches have some solid impact to them as well.

• A new 4K restoration of Hammer's Dracula is coming to theaters and Blu-ray in October 2026
• Uncensored and with new footage believed to have been lost forever
• Pieced together from 'the best original archival materials sourced from around the world'

Here's a tale to really sink your teeth into: Hammer Films has "painstakingly restored" (pun intended, I assume) the original 1958 Dracula, adding "long-lost" footage and delivering an uncensored cut in full 4K. It'll be coming to movie theaters and home entertainment in October 2026.

This isn't a remaster. It's a resurrection. It features footage that was believed to be lost for over six decades, and which was only ever seen by Japanese cinemagoers in the 1950s. The recovered material is "from the best original archival materials sourced from around the world" and has never been released in the US or UK, nor available for home viewing in either country.

Dracula was the second on-screen pairing of Peter Cushing, who plays Dr Van Helsing, and Christopher Lee, who plays… I'm just checking my notes here… Dracula.

Fangs for the memories

There have been many Dracula movies, but the 1958 one delivered the definitive Drac: as Hammer Films says, Lee's portrayal introduced "the bloodshot eyes, predatory fangs and visceral physicality that became the blueprint for modern vampire mythology and whose influence can still be seen across horror cinema today."

It's hard to overstate Dracula's influence. Everything you'd expect from a Dracula movie — the fangs, the heaving bosoms, the wooden stakes, the suggestion that some women might actually enjoy having their necks bitten by a charismatic count — features here, and the film has frequently been included in rankings of the best films and horror films of all time.

As director Terence Fisher explained to our friends at SFX Magazine, this was the movie that made vampires sexy. "My greatest contribution to the Dracula myth was to bring out the underlying sexual element in the story… At the moment he bites it is the culmination of a sexual experience."

As you can see from the still images above, the restored version looks absolutely spectacular. And the film itself is a masterpiece. As Empire wrote in its retrospective review, "It was garish, it was sexy and it was never afraid to be gory. And with its spectacular ending — in which The Count's flesh peels away and crumbles to dust when caught in the first rays of the morning sun — Dracula created one of the classic images of horror cinema."

According to the wonderfully named John Gore, CEO of Hammer Films and executive chairman of John Gore Studios, “Bringing Dracula back to audiences in 4K goes far beyond a piece of film restoration work. This is the recovery of a piece of British film history that audiences believed had been lost forever. Seeing Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing together again in such extraordinary detail is a reminder of just how powerful this film remains nearly seventy years after its original release.”

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• Hundreds of TV episodes and movies will be removed from PlayStation Store accounts on 1 September
• People had bought the movies and shows
• No apologies, let alone compensation, from Sony

One of the best things about Blu-ray discs is that you don't need to worry that Sony will sneak into your home in the middle of the night and take them away.

Unfortunately you can't say the same about digital purchases: Sony is scrubbing hundreds of movies and TV show episodes purchased on the PlayStation Store from people's collections with no compensation. Come September, they're gone.

The list of affected movies and shows is on the Sony website and includes the remastered Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Gomorrah, the Rambo movies and many more. The problem is the end of a licensing agreement between Sony and StudioCanal, a major producer and distributor of movies and shows.

As Sony explains, from September 1, 2026, "you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from StudioCanal, and it will be removed from your video library."

To add insult to injury, the notification ends with the PlayStation slogan: "Play has no limits".

As you can imagine, this has gone down very well with movie fans.

Why is Sony removing people's purchases?

Sony's arrangement with the film production company StudioCanal has ended, and that means Sony no longer has the rights to sell those TV shows and movies. The fact that people have bought them is irrelevant to Sony, because in the terms and conditions that absolutely nobody reads it says that you're buying a license to view a show or movie, not to own it.

Since the news broke, my social media has been full of people saying the same thing: Sony's move is a pretty great advert for digital piracy. And it's definitely upset a lot of movie fans, such as Quelonious on r/movies who vowed: "I will never buy streaming movies again", although that poster is sticking with Blu-ray rather than flying a pirate flag.

"If I were you I wouldn't make digital purchases for movies," Rewdyroo writes on the same subreddit, noting that "you aren't buying the movie. It functions more like a lease and if the license for the movie that whatever service you bought it from runs out your digital movie also goes away, no refund. I've had it happen on Amazon and will never purchase a digital movie again."

Mildmichigan spoke for many: "This should be illegal. If I buy something digitally, and the platform loses distribution rights or whatever then I should be grandfathered in."

We've discussed this before, because it's a key reason to keep buying Blu-rays: Blu-rays are yours forever. But it's an issue with all kinds of digital media, going back to the days of Microsoft's PlaysForSure digital music, which sold audio files that died when Microsoft shut down the servers. Whether it's a streaming catalog or GTA 6, if it's not on physical media you can't ever be sure that it's yours forever.

(Is now a good time to mentioned the Criterion's 4K Blu-rays are 50% off at the moment in the US?)

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There's 50% off a ton of The Criterion Collection's 4K Blu-rays at Barnes & Noble, so I thought I would pick my six favorite discs, all of which I've tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty. This is our monthly feature where I try the latest 4K releases, judging whether they make a worth addition to your collection.

Criterion is a regular feature in the Blu-ray Bounty because it's superb at 4K restorations. Double Indemnity is still one of my top examples of what 4K can do for a classic movie, while Breakfast Club and Chunking Express are much more colorful, bolder movies that show off Criterion's 4K prowess.

Dead Man is another black and white, contrast-rich move that looks staggering in 4K, and 3:10 To Yuma (1957) is another Western classic that shines in this image quality. Yi Yi is a quietly brilliant 4K restoration that has its moments where it will know you out, but looks great throughout.

My 6 picks from Criterion's 50% off sale

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity tells the story an insurance agent (Fred MacMurray) who conspires with the wife (Barbara Stanwyck) of a wealthy man to capitalize on his life insurance using a particular clause.

Double Indemnity is an excellent-looking 4K disc. The restoration is fantastic, and has not only given textures a 3D-like effect, but contrast looks superb as well. Black tones are inky, whites have a nice, punchy brightness to them, and there's a great range of gray tones to give the picture more depth. There's still film grain present for cinephiles, but new life has been breathed into this movie. If you have one of the best TVs, this contrast-rich disc will look superb.

Despite only having a monaural soundtrack, dialog is clear throughout and sound effects are accurately mapped to the action on screen. The score is delivered with real clarity too.

Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is John Hughes' classic '80s coming-of-age story about five high school kids from different backgrounds serving a Saturday detention at the same time.

Where The Breakfast Club really thrives in 4K is in its color reproduction. Reds in particular pop on screen, shown in the reds of Bender's plaid shirt and the glossy Coca-Cola cans as the gang eats their lunch. Textures have been upscaled nicely, giving skin a realistic look but there's still film grain retained to keep the movie's iconic look.

The disc's DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack sounds great. While not an audio showcase, it delivers the smaller details with precision, such as the scratching of a pencil, the squeaking of Bender's leather boots or the incessant ticking clock in some scenes.

Dead Man

Dead Man tells the story of William Blake (Johnny Depp), a banker on the run who meets a Native American named Nobody (Gary Farmer) who believes he is the reincarnation of William Blake the poet.

Dead Man looks awesome in 4K. With some of the richest contrast I've seen on a 4K Blu-ray before. Presented in black and white, white tones are stunning and black tones are deep and bold. This is balanced with a big range of gray tones to give the picture real depth. Textures are crisp and and look incredibly lifelike, especially in the marks on people's faces. Those with one of the best OLED TVs will be rewarded here.

Equipped with a DTS-HD 2.0 MA soundtrack, speech is clear throughout and the chugging guitars of Neil Young's excellent soundtrack is refined, powerful and balanced. Other effects such as gunfire are clear too.

Chungking Express

Chungking Express follows the story of two different policemen in Hong Kong, both of whom fall in love. One falls for a mysterious woman, while the other falls for a server at a restaurant he regularly visits.

Chungking Express is a visually engaging movie that's given another dimension on 4K. While there's no HDR included, colors are still punchy and vibrant, whether it's the neon of the Hong Kong markets or Faye's bright yellow top. Textures have been upscaled here too, with details in the wrinkled shirt of the cop or in people's hair, it's a great-looking restoration.

Throughout the movie, the DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack does a great job of capturing the immersive feel of Hong Kong's busy streets. Clinking plates, raised conversations and horns of passing traffic are all accurately placed and well-balanced, allowing each element to come through loud and clear. Through a great surround system, this will sound totally immersive.

3:10 To Yuma (1954)

3:10 To Yuma tells the story of rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) who is tasked with guarding and escorting an outlaw named Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) until the train to the town where his trial takes place arrives.

3:10 To Yuma (1957) is another superb Criterion restoration of a classic movie. Contrast is strong, again with punchy white tones, rich black tones and a full range of grays in between. Textures look detailed and realistic, with the deep frown lines on Dan Evans' head or the stubble and sweat on various character's faces showing the brilliance of this 4K disc.

There are two soundtrack options but really it's the DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix that shines. There's deep, rumbling bass from the gallop of horses, precise placement of gunfire and clear speech throughout. The soundstage is wide enough that all these elements are given ample room, delivering an immersive sound overall.

Yi-Yi

Yi Yi follows the story of the Jian family, who are based in Taiwan, focusing on the perspectives of three family members in particular: N.J, the father; Ting-Ting, his teenage daughter and Yang-Yang, his young son.

Yi Yi is a detailed and sometimes visually striking 4K disc. Textures such as hair and skin look realistic and the disc does a great job of showing off the more intricate details in environments. Every so often, the disc then hits you with a reference-level scene, namely the wedding at the start. The bold, punchy of the reds really pop on screen, and yet still manage to look natural. There's still a good amount of film grain retained, too.

While there aren't many sound system-testing scenes, dialog is consistently clear and there is a good sense of space to the mix. One karaoke scene does a great job of utilizing every channel in a sound system, with the singer's voice from the center and the applause of audience from the reae speakers.

Great news, 4K Blu-ray fans and physical media collectors — the huge Criterion Collection half-price sale is back again. This is the month-long sale, which will run until late July — but given how many tempting buys Criterion has, you're going to need that whole month to make your list and then whittle it down.

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

As usual for Criterion, Barnes & Noble is the main host of the sale, but Amazon has discs at half price too. The sale at Amazon is a lot more limited than at Barnes & Noble — several titles are half price, but some are most like 35% off when they're fully 50% off at B&N. And Amazon's range is more limited than B&N's. But I've included Amazon since many people are already buying things there for Amazon Prime Day (while it lasts — it ends tonight), so I thought maybe you just want to slip that disc you've been eyeing up into your basket…

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Below, I've picked out 12 discs I think are especially tempting from the sale, but obviously there are no duds in the Criterion Closet, so you'll probably want to have a look through the whole sale using these links.

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale — quick links

• View the full Criterion sale at Amazon
• View the full Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

Criterion 4K Blu-ray sale: 12 titles I'd recommend

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

• The Sopranos: The Complete Series is a limited edition 4K Blu-ray release
• 86 episodes over 28 discs including 2 bonus Blu-rays
• December 2026 (US), $149.99

One of the greatest TV dramas of all time is coming to 4K Blu-ray. The Sopranos: The Complete Series box set is available for pre-order in the US and Canada, and will be released at the end of 2026.

This far from the first Sopranos box set: in addition to the DVD box set I've got on the shelf, there was a Blu-ray box in 2014, plus a 25th anniversary Blu-ray box set in 2024, which included The Many Saints of Newark as well. So this is the first time it's all available in 4K.

This edition delivers a brand new and currently untitled featurette with Sopranos creator and writer David Chase. That featurette is on one of the two bonus discs that also include hours of extra material including a two-part documentary, seven behind-the-scenes featurettes, and all of the bonus content previously released on The Sopranos: Complete Series Blu-ray release. And it's all delivered in hardcover lay-flat book packaging.

For fans of the show, this looks like the ultimate release: the best-looking, most pristine way to see one of the most influential TV shows ever.

Why The Sopranos in 4K is a must-have mafia drama

The Sopranos tells the story of depressed mob boss Tony Soprano, who's going to therapy in secret because he knows that if word gets out about his "weakness", he's a dead man walking. It's as much about family as it is about mafia families, and it features stellar performances throughout.

During its run the show amassed multiple well-deserved awards including 111 Primetime Emmy nominations and 21 wins, 5 Golden Globe awards, and Emmys for cast members James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, and Joe Pantoliano.

I'm not being hyperbolic when I tell you that The Sopranos began a golden age of TV drama. Without The Sopranos, there would be no Breaking Bad, Mad Men or any of the other premium shows we love so much.

It was pivotal in shifting the view that TV was inferior to cinema, and that our relatable protagonists couldn't be awful people. And it was really, really, really good: the writing, the performances and the cinematography were all superb.

While much of the praise for The Sopranos centers on the cast, and rightly so, the work of cinematographer Alik Sakharov was crucial too. The cinematography was groundbreaking in how it contributed to the story, and there's a fascinating article about it on No Film School. And if that's the kind of thing you find interesting, then this new 4K box set was made for you.

The Sopranos 4K Blu-ray box set has a release date of 8 December 2026 in the US and a recommended price of $149.99.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

Been on the lookout over Prime Day for some 4K Blu-ray deals? I've been searching through them and have picked offers on discs I've tested as part of our Blu-ray Bounty feature, so I know these discs are worth your time.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Amazon Prime Day can be a great time for 4K Blu-ray sales and this time is no different. Some highlight discs I've found include Sinners, which is both a picture and audio showcase, especially for Dolby Atmos. There's also Se7en, a fantastic-looking movie with plenty of richly detailed scenes that show off 4K's clarity, which look great on the best OLED TVs.

Sunset Boulevard looks excellent on 4K and shows what new life it can bring to older movies. My final highlight here is F1. If you're looking for a disc to show off your sound system, be that one of the best soundbars or a full surround setup, this is an awesome disc.

Prime Day deals for 6 4K Blu-rays I've tested - US

Prime Day deals for 6 4K Blu-rays I've tested - UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Fans: from £20
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

It's Amazon Prime Day (well, week), and it's great news for physical media fans: there are tons of great deals on 4K Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays and DVDs. It includes big box sets and individual movies — there's way more there than I could hope to summarize here.

• Amazon US: See all 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Prime Day deals
• Amazon UK: See all 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Prime Day deals

So on this page, I've specifically picked out movies that I know to be excellent home theater showcases, either through spectacular visuals, super-immersive soundtracks, or both.

And I've limited the price to options under $15 in the US, and £17 in the UK, since that seems to be the sweet spot right now, though there are some excellent movies cheaper than that. You'll find the US options just below, or click here to jump to the UK options.

Options include modern showpieces such as Sinners, beautifully restored classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, and not reference-quality discs including Blade Runner 2049.

If you want more Prime Day options beyond movies, you can look at our on-going Prime Day live blogs, constantly updated with new deals and price changes — here's our US Prime Day live round-up, and here's our UK Prime Day UK live round-up.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Amazon's 4K Blu-ray sale — see all options

• Amazon US: See all 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Prime Day deals
• Amazon UK: See all 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Prime Day deals

US 4K Blu-ray deals

UK 4K Blu-ray deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Fans: from £20
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

It's 'Global Beatles Day' today, June 25th, which is the perfect excuse to go on a magical mystery tour of the Fab Four's finest output. Consider it a gift from me to you: I've collected essential vinyl albums, great turntables to play them on, fun accessories, the ultimate version of their best movie, and some other great gifts from across the universe (well, Amazon).

There's obviously the option of getting the whole Beatles Anthology vinyl collection, but that's a lot of money to spend — though I want to tell you that it's also excellent value overall. There are also smaller collections, so you can pick up the LPs that look especially great when displayed, such as Abbey Road, Revolver and The White Album.

I've got a feeling you'll also love the special Criterion Collection Blu-ray of A Hard Day's Night, because it's easily the best way to watch the film, with a beautiful visual presentation and hours of features and documentaries from the era.

I've also highlighted a Sony turntable that's basically the best beginner option on the market right now if you're just getting into vinyl, plus some Beatles playing cards and a couple of other cool desktop gifts. Don't wait on these — because tomorrow never knows if they'll still be available.

UK Beatles picks

US Beatles picks

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Fans: from £20
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

• 'The Closet' is a faithful recreation of the famous Criterion Closet
• Browse in full 3D (the correct option) or in list view (boo)
• Connects to the Criterion Channel for easy streaming

If you've always wanted to browse the Criterion Closet but haven't been able to because (a) it's in New York and (b) you're not a famous actor, then Redditor olievans has just the thing for you: the entire Criterion Closet in virtual 3D form, explorable right in your web browser.

You can can take a look at The Closet right in that link. It features 1,327 Criterion editions, all shelved in the order of their spine numbers, and you can pull each disc box out from the shelf to inspect the design more closely. You can also filter the collection by decade, director, country, language and more — the physical version can't do that.

If you're not familiar with the Criterion Closet, it's a library of the special-edition disc sets released the film distributor Criterion, which been releasing much-coveted discs with beautiful art, great extra features, and often unique high-quality restorations since the age of Laserdisc.

Since 2010, the real Closet has been a place where directors, actors and other well-known faces — from Martin Scorcese to Charli XCX — are filmed picking their must-see movies from the range.

Why it's fun to be in the Closet

The Closet is available in two flavors: a full 3D reproduction of the iconic closet, and in list form. The list is more functional but a lot less fun because you don't get the surprise of finding This Is Spinal Tap immediately next to The Seventh Seal.

The website is a really fun way to browse one of the world's best movie collections, and while there are a few issues — it's not really obvious how to get your mouse cursor back, so on my Mac I had to press Esc twice to return to the home page and escape the closet — it's beautifully done and the closest thing you'll get to the real thing without first getting some IMDb credits under your belt.

What I really like about this is the discovery element. The Criterion Collection is very wide-ranging, and that means you never know what's going to be next on the shelf: Paris, Texas (number 501) is followed by the Australian thriller Revanche (502) and the historical German romance Lola Montès (503).

That makes it feel very much like the Blu-Ray equivalent of crate digging for exotic vinyl records: the Criterion Closet is full of surprises.

A note from the Editor

Hello! Matt Bolton, Managing Editor for TechRadar's home theater coverage here. As a Blu-ray collector, I've decided to take the opportunity I'll never have in real life and give you my Criterion picks — as in, these are ones I actually own. I'm not going to give you a whole spiel about each one, don't worry — but I'll highlight why

• Anora — a chunky collector's edition, and the best way get a 4K version
• Blow Out — essential for the DTS-HD Master sound, and the 4K restoration
• I Know Where I'm Going — the first 4K restoration of a B&W cinematography classic
• In The Mood For Love — one of my favorite movies, in the highest quality
• Lost Highway — the only way to get it in 4K Dolby Vision with a new DTS-HD sound restoration
• Moonage Daydream — the only way to get this in both Dolby Atmos and uncompressed sound, shockingly
• The Power of the Dog — the only way to get it in the higher bit rate of Blu-ray
• The Red Shoes — one of the most incredible-looking movies of all time, in its best-ever restoration
• Thief — the best-looking version of Michael Mann's grittiest movie

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

I test 4K Blu-ray for a living, and while I test and recommend brand new discs each month as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, I thought I'd offer some recommendations from my own personal collection, covering a wide range of genres.

Starting off with The Batman, I use this disc for testing the best TVs because it's visually striking and sounds fantastic (especially the Batmobile scene). Next up is The Lord Of The Rings, which almost needs no introduction. Epic in every sense, 4K is the best these iconic movies have ever looked and sounded.

In a similar gloomy vein to The Batman, The Crow (1994) is crisp, refined and super impressive on 4K, with gorgeous black levels.

Switching up genres, La La Land is a brilliant musical with vibrant colors that will pop on the best TVs, plus a catchy soundtrack that sounds excellent through a surround system. For another colorful, but action-packed movie, Ready Player One is another 4K disc that looks and sounds superb.

To see what 4K Blu-ray can do for classic movies, Double Indemnity is a prime example. With revitalized textures and strong contrast, this movie gets a new life on 4K.

These are just six discs from my growing collection that I recommend if you want to see what 4K can do. There are plenty of other choices out there, but hopefully this can get you started or fill some gaps in your collection!

6 discs from my personal 4K Blu-ray collection

• Kaleidescape launches the first 8K movie player certified by the 8K Association
• But the new 4K Cinematic format for higher-quality 4K is the exciting bit
• $4,995 (about £3,777 / AU$7,180)

Kaleidescape makes some truly spectacular 4K video players, and now there's an 8K version. It's "the world's highest-fidelity movie player," says chairman and CEO Tayloe Stansbury. "It brings movie lovers closer to the filmmaker's intent, with cleaner detail, true-to-life color, and a more natural presentation that dramatically improves the viewing experience of any display."

It's also a world first. The Kaleidescape Strato K is the first 8K movie player that's been certified for 8K by the 8K Association.

That's good, but the fact that it's the first such accreditation points to the problem with 8K. Buying 8K hardware right now is a bit like being the first person in the world to buy a fax machine: who are you going to send faxes to? Similarly, with 8K movie players and 8K TVs, what 8K movies are actually there for you to watch?

That means the Strato K, while impressive, is a bit of a gamble: you're buying hardware in the hope that the 8K movie trickle will become a flood, and I'm just not sure that rain is ever coming.

So the most important new feature might not be the 8K support, but instead a new format that Kaleidescape calls "4K Cinematic".

Kaleidescape Strato K: key features and price

Kaleidescape's 4K Cinematic is a format designed to deliver even better 4K picture quality, and it does that by using less compression. Movies are encoded at around 110Mbps using the HEVC codec. Kaleidescape says that's compared to around 60Mbps for 4K Blu-Ray, and around 17Mbps for standard 4K streaming services.

It's worth noting that those figures aren't the maximum bitrates for the formats — for example Blu-Ray can go up to 144Mbps, though 80Mbps is a more standard ceiling — but are the bitrates typically used in commercial releases.

In addition to the higher bitrate, 4K Cinematic uses 4:4:4 chroma sampling rather than the 4:2:0 of most commercial movie releases, meaning more accurate colors and less 'banding' or other color artefacts.

The downside of those higher bitrates is that you'll need a lot of storage: as FlatpanelsHD notes, the player only has 1TB of storage – equivalent to around seven 4K Cinematic titles, as those are 1.5x the size of normal 4K movies. Like other Strato players it's really intended to be teamed up with the firm's Terra servers.

Kaleidescape will label the higher-quality movies as 4K Cinematic in its movie store and on the Stratos K interface to differentiate them from standard 4K versions. Prices will be from around $10 to $30, and the initial raft of titles includes Top Gun: Maverick, F1: The Movie, Superman, Project Hail Mary, Dune: Part Two; Sinners, Predator: Badlands, Mortal Kombat II, Avatar, Tron: Ares, Thunderbolts, and others.

4K Cinematic supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X — but Dolby Vision isn't supported by the Stratos K player in 8K movies, which are SDR or HDR10. The maximum frame rate for 8K is 30 fps via HDMI 2.1.

The Strato K has a recommended retail price of $4,995, which is $1,000 more than the five-star 4K Strato V. We are really looking forward to seeing what the new movie format looks like…

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If you're looking for the very best Dolby Atmos movies to show off what your that home system you've lovingly researched and chosen can do, then there's a smart list of the 'top 100' options available on a site called Hello Atmos.

This top 100 was curated by the creator of Hello Atmos in order to find the 'consensus' list of the movies that get recommended the most often. It's based on published reviews and lists of great Atmos movies (including ours), plus community recommendations from platforms like Reddit, in the many many threads where people ask for recommendations.

It's all pulled into an algorithm designed by the app's creator, Adrian Wrona, to rank the movies based on how strongly they're recommended, and resulting in the top 100 list.

You can read the full list just below, or see it on the Hello Atmos site, which also includes where you can stream the movies in your country (though it's TechRadar's stance that uncompressed audio from the best 4K Blu-ray players is the only way to really show off your system).

While like any best-of lists there's plenty of opportunity for an argument — is Blade Runner 2049 still a better showcase than Dune? Why isn't Dredd higher up the rankings? — it's a great and eclectic guide to some of the best sounding spatial audio soundtracks, with details of who did the mixing, which is a nice touch.

We've written about Adrian before; another tool on Hello Atmos scans your Apple Music or Spotify playlists to identify which ones are available in Atmos, which is great if you want to really explore spatial audio for music.

The 100 best Dolby Atmos movies, as rated by Hello Atmos

1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Dune
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Ready Player One
5. The Batman
6. Top Gun: Maverick
7. Dune: Part Two
8. Gravity
9. Ford v Ferrari
10. A Quiet Place
11. The Matrix
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
13. Pacific Rim
14. 1917
15. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
16. Edge of Tomorrow
17. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
18. Fury
19. Midway
20. Saving Private Ryan
21. Deepwater Horizon
22. Bohemian Rhapsody
23. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
24. A Quiet Place Part II
25. Civil War
26. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
27. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
28. Twister
29. Godzilla vs. Kong
30. Roma
31. No Time to Die
32. Transformers
33. Hacksaw Ridge
34. Oblivion
35. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
36. Prey
37. Alita: Battle Angel
38. TRON: Legacy
39. Baby Driver
40. Warfare
41. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
42. Godzilla Minus One
43. Gran Turismo
44. John Wick: Chapter 4
45. Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague
46. Kong: Skull Island
47. Ambulance
48. Twisters
49. Unbroken
50. John Wick

51. Avengers: Endgame
52. Jurassic Park
53. Apocalypse Now
54. Blade Runner
55. First Man
56. Man of Steel
57. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
58. The Fifth Element
59. Soul
60. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
61. Black Hawk Down
62. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
63. John Wick: Chapter 2
64. Dredd
65. Star Trek Into Darkness
66. Deadpool
67. Nope
68. Sinners
69. Brave
70. Doctor Sleep
71. WALL·E
72. F1
73. War of the Worlds
74. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
75. Us
76. Alien: Romulus
77. Everest
78. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
79. Avatar: The Way of Water
80. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
81. 6 Underground
82. Avengers: Infinity War
83. Ballerina
84. Aquaman
85. Titanic
86. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
87. The Guns of Navarone
88. Aliens
89. Nosferatu
90. Uncut Gems
91. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
92. Back to the Future
93. Suspiria
94. Overlord
95. Top Gun
96. Sicario
97. 300
98. Evil Dead Rise
99. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
100. A Quiet Place: Day One

Welcome to a bonus edition of my Blu-ray Bounty column, where I test the latest physical media film releases to see which make great showcases for your setup.

Normally, the Bounty arrives at the end of the month, but in celebration of Blu-ray’s 20th anniversary (on 20th June), I thought I’d check out a few discs released in 2026 that didn’t make it into the Blu-ray Bounty the first time. If you're thinking it just sounds like I wanted to find an excuse to watch some cool movies while at work… well, no comment.

As usual, I’ll be using a setup consisting of one of the best OLED TVs of 2025 the LG G5, along with the Panasonic DP-UB820 that we rate as the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market, plus Samsung HW-Q990C Dolby Atmos soundbar surround system.

As usual, I don’t review the movies themselves here, just the audio and video quality of the disc.

One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

One Battle After Another tells the story of Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), a washed-up revolutionary who lives off grid with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). He must face his past when his nemesis Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) resurfaces and his daughter goes missing.

Visually, One Battle After Another is a striking movie. Textures are crisp throughout, looking both 3D-like and true to life. There are plenty of high-contrast scenes that showcase rich black tones with punchy highlights, especially during night scenes where strong shadows are cast. Colors are natural, with the green grass of fields and the bright, blue sky all looking natural throughout the movie.

With a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, this disc sounds fantastic. Explosions and gunfire have plenty of impact and power, demonstrating well controlled bass tones. This balances nicely with the movie’s more intricate sound effects, such as the clicking of a gun’s chamber and lightly treading footsteps. There’s a good use of height channels too, as army helicopters fly overhead, creating an immersive atmosphere.

Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics)

Becoming Led Zeppelin is a documentary that explores the origins of the iconic rock band, from the members’ youth to the height of the band, including never-before-seen footage and modern-day interviews with the band.

Where else to start than with audio? There are two soundtrack options: DTS-HD 5.1 MA and DTS-HD 2.0 MA. Played through our soundbar, the 5.1 mix sounded fantastic. When Good Times, Bad Times kicks in, John Bonham’s thumping drums sound superb through the subwoofer: tightly controlled, detailed and meaty. Jimmy Page and John-Paul Jones’ guitars are refined, dynamic and intricate. Finally, Plant’s vocals are clear, punchy and as powerful as you could hope for.

Other highlights include Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You as the band recounts their first US tour in 1968, where Page’s delicate playing sounds crisp and clean and Plant’s haunting vocals are gorgeous and shortly after a live version of Communication Breakdown sounds raw, punchy and perfectly balanced, with every instrument given room to breathe.

Visually, the disc is 4K SDR. While there’s not a great deal to show off here, as most of the documentary is made up of old footage and talking-heads with the band, what is present is clean and shows great detail. Some of the footage has been upscaled nicely and some left intentionally grainy, but it’s still an excellent presentation overall.

This Is Spinal Tap (Sony Pictures)

This Is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary about the fictional rock band Spinal Tap on their 1982 US tour. The movie stars Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, Michel McKean as David St Hubbins and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls. Rob Reiner directs and stars as the filmmaker Marty Di Bergi.

The movie comes with two DTS-HD MA soundtracks 5.1 and 2.0. The 5.1 mix sounds superb, particularly during the live concert sequences. Guitars are crunchy and detailed, drums and bass are meaty and provide a nice workout for your subwoofer. The mix is extremely well balanced with a wide soundstage, giving each instrument ample room. Vocals are clean during live sections and speech is clear during dialogue scenes. The infamous ‘Stonehenge’ scene in particular sounds fantastic.

Visually, the movie supports Dolby Vision and looks very good. Colors have plenty of punch, from the band’s loud, bright costumes on stage to the more natural environments with bushes and trees, there’s a really nice balance of color. Dark tones are deep and rich and textures look lifelike. While it doesn’t have the level of upscaling I’ve seen in some movies, skin, hair and clothing have been sharpened up. Cinephiles will be happy with the level of film grain retained here and while some scenes have more grain than others, it suits the mockumentary style of the movie.

All The President’s Men (Warner Bros.)

All The President's Men follows the story of two reporters from The Washington Post, Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), who investigate the Watergate scandal. The movie is based on the non-fiction book of the same name.

All The President’s Men looks great in 4K. Watching in Dolby Vision, the picture is bright and detailed, with crisp textures throughout. Clothing and hair are refined and colors are bold and vibrant, shown on the brightly colored off chairs and desks in The Washington Post office. The green trees and grass surrounding the courthouse look natural and punchy. Night scenes showing deep blacks with strong contrast, shown as cars drive through the city. There’s plenty of grain retained which cinephiles will be happy with, but there’s some nice upscaling too.

The disc has a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack and throughout the movie, speech is clear with good detail. Subtle effects such as radios and voices on a telephone and the scratching of a reporter’s pencil have a good amount of detail. While there’s nothing to really show off your sound system like you’d get from an action-packed blockbuster, it’s a great overall soundtrack.

Over the past few years, I’ve often written about the state of 4K Blu-ray (and the state of physical media in general), and while sales numbers are often very doom and gloom, I’ve remained hopeful over its potential and popularity.

We’re big 4K Blu-ray fans here at TechRadar. Some of us (myself included) are collectors, and as TechRadar’s TV tester, they’re my primary source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars. In November 2024, I started the Blu-ray Bounty, a monthly column in which I review the best 4K Blu-rays each month, judging their picture and audio quality.

Since then, I’ve tested over 90 4K Blu-rays, and while most have proven to be real winners, some totally stood out from the pack. Some have even been good enough to become reference discs for when I’m testing TVs. So, as a celebration of Blu-ray's 20th anniversary(!), I've decided to whittle down those 90-plus titles to my all-time top 10.

Just to be clear: this isn’t an all-time best 4K Blu-ray article, just the best ones I’ve tested for Blu-ray Bounty. So, if your favorite is missing, don’t be surprised! The list is also in alphabetical order as I didn’t have the heart to rank them!

Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios)

First on the list is Alien: Romulus. First featured in the December 2024 Blu-ray Bounty, Alien: Romulus delivers plenty of high-contrast scenes with powerful dynamic range, rich dark tones and punchy highlights. On the best OLED TVs, this disc looks staggeringly good, especially any exterior shots of space. There’s also plenty of awesome detail, with close-up shots of the character's faces showing every mark and facial feature with real clarity.

The disc’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also spine-chillingly realistic. The movie’s dramatic moments have plenty of impact, complete with hefty bass. The movement of face huggers is scarily well-mapped too. As they moved around the floor, their scuttling sounds had me looking nervously around our testing lab a few times when playing through our Samsung HW-Q990C Dolby Atmos soundbar. A perfect disc for a scary movie night with your home theater system.

Dark City (Arrow Video)

Dark City first featured in the July 2025 Blu-ray Bounty and has become an excellent reference disc for testing contrast. Inky blacks are featured throughout, and there are plenty of scenes with strong contrast as characters stand in front of desk lamps to cast detailed shadows, creating a nice noir vibe. Once again, the 4K remaster means people’s skin and object detail is refined, really showing off what 4K can do.

The disc features both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks, and while this disc isn’t the audio showcase some of the other entrants on this list are, it’s still detailed and powerful, with a tense score and foreboding bass.

Double Indemnity (Criterion Collection)

Double Indemnity featured in the debut November 2024 Blu-ray Bounty, and it’s stuck with me ever since. It was my first experience of what 4K Blu-ray could do for an older, black-and-white movie. And it’s still one of the best examples of this that I’ve tested to this day. Contrast is fantastic, with a great range of black, white and gray tones, and textures have been restored to give them a true-to-life look that’s downright impressive — especially with Dolby Vision supported. While there may be some better restorations of black-and-white movies out there, this is a personal pick, as it really does showcase 4K’s capabilities.

Audibly, the movie only supports a monaural soundtrack, but again, it remains faithful to the original and still sounds great. Speech is clear throughout, and there’s a nice balance between the movie’s more dialogue-heavy and more action-packed scenes.

Fight Club (20th Century Studios)

Featured in the May 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, Fight Club finally came to 4K Blu-ray for the first time, and while there were some controversial changes made by director David Fincher, it’s still the best this movie has ever looked. Textures and detail have been refined beautifully, giving everything a fresh, crisp look. Contrast is striking, delivering deep blacks in the movie’s darker scenes, and whenever colors are featured they look punchy and accurate. Whenever there’s a close-up, it really shows off the disc’s clarity. This is another personal favorite, as I’ve waited a long time for this one to arrive — and it was worth the wait.

The disc features a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack, and while Dolby Atmos would have been nice, the 5.1 MA is still excellent. There are plenty of crushing, realistic impacts during fight scenes, with sometimes gruesome-sounding detail. But it’s the sense of direction and accuracy that really impresses — in the opening scene where the camera moves around the parking garage, the sound was mapped accurately to our testing soundbar.

Lawrence of Arabia (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Lawrence of Arabia is another fantastic example of what 4K Blu-ray can do for classic movies. Featured in the February 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, Lawrence of Arabia is breathtaking on 4K Blu-ray. The level of detail and sheer scope of Freddie A. Young’s outstanding cinematography is truly brilliant, and balances some wonderful upscaling with plenty of film grain for purists. Detail is refined and textures are realistic, especially people’s skin and features in close-ups. Colors are also extremely rich, whether it’s the blue sky over the desert, the red sashes of the Arab fighters or the dazzling white of Lawrence’s robes. A truly magnificent disc.

For audio, both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA are featured. The Atmos soundtrack delivers plenty of scale and scope that perfectly suits Maurice Jarre’s grand score, as well as the movie’s action scenes. Explosions offer plenty of meaty bass, gunfights feel spacious and accurate, and speech comes through cleanly.

The Mask (Arrow Video)

While I anticipated that The Mask would be a good disc for its colors (more on that below), I was pleasantly surprised by how effective a disc it was for audio testing. Featured in the November 2025 Blu-ray Bounty, The Mask supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks. Using the Atmos soundtrack, this disc whips up an impressively accurate soundstage, capturing the cartoonish, chaotic nature of the titular character. As he tears around a room in a tornado, the Atmos soundtrack is perfectly placed, with plenty of superb detail.

Visually, The Mask is at its best when The Mask himself is on screen. His gaudy yellow suit takes on an almost neon-like effect that really pops on screen, and works well if you’ve got a display that’s all about color. Elsewhere, textures have been upscaled nicely, giving skin, hair and even clothing a realistic look. There are even a few darker scenes at the Coco Bongo club that can really show off contrast.

Sinners (Warner Bros.)

Sinners first featured in the July 2025 Blu-ray Bounty, and while it’s a good-looking 4K disc, it features here for its audio — and for one scene in particular. During a time-bending musical sequence in a barn, the mix demonstrates pinpoint accuracy in capturing the hip-hop beats blending with blues music as the camera moves around the room. Any scenes involving blues tracks sound excellent, but really, it’s the barn scene that serves as an audio showcase. Elsewhere, action scenes have plenty of nice detail.

Sinners looks brilliant on 4K, accurately conveying the bright summer of Mississippi during its daytime scenes, and balancing these nicely with the rich contrast of its night scenes. Again, detail is really strong here, with textures in the 1930s clothing looking refined and lifelike, and with Dolby Vision supports, colors are deep and vibrant throughout.

The Sound of Music (Disney)

Featured in the October 2025 Blu-ray Bounty, The Sound of Music looks stunning in 4K. Where it really shines is in its color reproduction. The market scene in particular delivers bold oranges, reds and yellows from the fruits and vegetables on display that really pop on the right TV. The greenery of the surrounding hills looks lush too. Upscaling is also fantastic, and textures have been cleaned up nicely, giving everything a 3D-like appearance, especially people.

Equipped with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, The Sound of Music sounds great too. Julie Andrew’s iconic vocals are detailed and powerful throughout, and there’s a wonderful balance between the musical score and the vocals. This is the best way to hear legendary tracks like Do Re Mi at home. This one really does tick all the boxes, both audibly and visually.

Wicked (Universal Pictures)

Wicked’s picture impressed me so much when I first tested it as part of the March 2025 Blu-ray Bounty that it’s become a reference disc I use for testing TVs. It delivers bold, vibrant colors throughout that have plenty of dazzle. Whether it’s the pink of flowers in trees or Glinda’s wardrobe, the green of trees and Elphaba’s skin, or even the white of a clifftop in the ‘Wizard & I’ scene, colors strike the balance between vivid and lifelike expertly. Details are crisp and intricate in every facet, from people’s clothing to the environments of Oz. There are even some high-contrast scenes that look great too. This really is one of my go-to testing discs.

Unsurprisingly, a Dolby Atmos musical sounds truly fantastic as well. The vocals and score balance well with one another, and come through with excellent clarity. There are some real showcase scenes for Atmos, notably the ‘Defying Gravity’ scene. Cynthia Erivo’s vocals are powerful and expertly rendered, even through the fast-paced movement as Elphaba whips around the skies on her broom — and with the right system the effect is truly immersive.

The Wild Robot

The final entry on this list is The Wild Robot, which first featured in the January 2025 Blu-ray Bounty. It’s a gorgeous animation that has fantastic detail, along with phenomenal colors that look both vibrant and natural. The environments have a painted effect that looks lifelike, and this blends really well with the crisp animation of the creatures of the forest and Roz. Both bright and dark scenes look brilliant too, looking both suitably punchy and rich respectively. This is another disc that has entered my testing rotation.

The disc’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack is great for accurately delivering the sounds of nature. Snapping twigs, calling animals and weather effects all combine to create a rich soundscape. Atmos is well utilized too, with birds flying overhead and heavy rain creating an immersive listening experience. There’s also some seriously hefty bass on display during a thunderstorm at the start of the movie.

What are some of your favorite 4K Blu-rays? Let us know in the comments!

Physical home media has gone through a turbulent time the last few years. With the rise of streaming services, demand for physical media over the past few years has steadily declined, with people choosing the convenience of streaming over physical discs.

There's still a dedicated fanbase of physical media collectors, though, and more recently streaming price rises and splintering means people have more interest just owning the stuff they want to watch. I’ve been writing about my hope for the resurgence of 4K Blu-ray, and physical media in general, since 2023. Now in 2026, I’m actually more hopeful than ever. It couldn’t come at a better time either, with the 20th anniversary of Blu-ray’s debut on June 20th, 2026.

I recently spoke to Kath Summersgill, Joint Group Head of Sales at Key Production Group, an agency specializing primarily in physical music and packaging manufacturing with vinyl, cassette and CD. However, the group also works with Blu-ray, both video and audio varieties, and DVD. We discussed the state of Blu-ray production, and physical media in general, and she had some encouraging things to say.

Promising numbers

“We’ve seen an increase in Blu-ray sales of over 10,000%, particularly in Blu-ray Audio” Kath tells me. “That’s over the span of the past eight to 10 years.” For a format that’s been on the decline, that’s an incredibly encouraging number.

Kath then mentions the ERA (Entertainment Retailer’s Association) report from December 2025, which reveals sales revenue for Music, Video and Gaming sales. “Although there was an overall decrease in the physical video format, Blu-ray actually increased by 3%”. While that may not sound like a lot, it’s a positive after some particularly bad numbers.

If you read more into the 2025 ERA report, 4K Blu-ray sales increased 19.5%, which is an extremely encouraging number. The strongest selling disc of the year was Wicked, a disc I regularly use for testing AV equipment and one of the main highlights of our Blu-ray Bounty feature (more on that later).

So, why have 4K Blu-ray sales turned around? For that answer, we’ll have to look to streaming services.

You can't rely on streaming

One of the most frustrating things people have with streaming services is the availability of movies. At one time or another, most people will have experienced a movie leaving a streaming service, only for it to either go to a rival service (that typically you won’t subscribe to) or for it just to disappear.

I’ve even seen horror stories of people buying movies on a streaming service that then also disappear. A Reddit thread in the r/AmazonPrime subreddit is a great example of this, where user u/Electrical_Paper6286 has had it happen “4 times between 2 movies”. Although the movies eventually returned, it’s a sign of how tentative the ‘ownership’ of movies on streaming platforms can be.

It’s one of the key issues affecting people’s trust in streaming services and something that’s driving people to physical media. Kath relates it to vinyl. “We know that vinyl is never ever going to replace streaming, but it exists very happily alongside it. I think that Blu-ray is the same, it offers different things that streaming doesn't. It's very much something that you can have and hold and you can keep and you can play over and over again.”

Kath also points out another issue with online-based movie and music streaming. “[With physical] you're not at the whim of your internet connection speed, or whether or not certain libraries drop certain titles, licence changes”.

This is another frustration. Numerous times I’ve gone to watch a movie on streaming and due to connection issues , it’s either streamed in reduced quality, buffered or just not streamed at all. This isn’t a problem with physical media.

A passionate fanbase

As I mentioned above, I’m a budding collector of 4K Blu-ray. While I don’t have fully stacked shelves (yet), I do have a collector’s edition or two and more than a few steelbooks.

In FilmStories’ article about the ERA 2025 report, they mention that steelbooks and special editions helped the growth in 4K Blu-ray in the UK, with every one in 10 4K Blu-rays released having some sort of steelbook or special edition, and due to their higher prices, they made up £2 of every £10 spent on 4K Blu-ray in 2025.

I tell Kath I’m a sucker for nice packaging and she agrees and she relates it to a recent vinyl release that Key Production Group handled. “We find people are doing this. We did a vinyl release recently with 72 variants and even though the packaging was the same, the color of the vinyl was different.”

(I’m also a sucker for colored vinyl, with a rust-effect Jack White/Dead Weather release from a Third Man Records Vault collection being a particular highlight in my stack.)

While special editions are great, it’s also the work of independent distributors and manufacturers, delivering more excellent 4K restorations than ever, that gets more people to invest in 4K Blu-ray.

The Criterion Collection and Arrow Video are two of the big names, but other organizations such as Kino Lorber, Shout Factory, Boutique Home Video and the BFI are crucial. These companies are producing more sought-after titles and giving them excellent restorations that mean people want to own them in the best possible quality.

In November 2024, I started the Blu-ray Bounty. This is an ongoing monthly column where I test the latest 4K Blu-rays from each month — and since its debut, the column has been growing.

We’re covering more discs than ever, covering a wider range of genres, and I have a feeling it’s only going to get bigger. I’ve produced tons of lists of excellent 4K titles that are perfect for showing off home theater systems, such as this 6 action movies list and 6 classic movies that show what 4K can do. and a good chunk of my reference discs for AV testing came from the Blu-ray Bounty.

I’m also an active user of the r/4kbluray subreddit and this is again one of the most passionate subreddits I’ve come across. Users update each other on releases, give their thoughts and reviews on the latest titles and always showing off their collections in the best possible way.

While it may well have been doom-and-gloom for 4K and Blu-ray in the last couple of years, I for one am hopeful for its future. What better way to celebrate Blu-ray’s 20th anniversary than with some good news.

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I recently visited the Japanese factory where Denon and Marantz make the hi-fi and home theater gear, and the best part of the seeing the facility was getting a demo of the reference home theater listening there, with its 9.4.6 channels of Dolby Atmos sound delivered via $250k of Bowers & Wilkins speaker.

While snooping around the room, the shelving in the corner that houses their disc library naturally caught my eye. Marantz's engineers had already told me that they consider Gravity to be one of the ultimate stress tests for AVRs (you can read why in the piece I linked above), but what else do they keep on hand for testing AV receivers and other gear?

I wanted to make a list to share with the many 4K Blu-ray and home theater enthusiasts out there, looking for fresh demo disc ideas — but given that we had limited time in the room and a major portion of the movies are in Japanese, I took a few photos of the shelves, and came back home to analyze them.

The list is below, and it's in two sections: movies, and concert discs. I excluded anything that isn't a Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray — the shelves were obviously also full of CDs and SACDs (and a few DVDs).

It's not an exhaustive list: I used Google Gemini to help me translate Japanese titles that I couldn't discern myself anyway (I did not need help identifying which disc was Mad Max: Fury Road, naturally), and sometimes its translations were either vague or otherwise uncertain, so I didn't include those titles unless I could verify them another way. And also, I probably missed some because this whole exercise made me go a little stir-crazy.

So if you want to see the shelves and comb through yourself, here they are — but my written-out list is just below.

The list is inevitable in places — Blade Runner 2049 and 1917 are obvious inclusions, and two versions of Interstellar is the normal number of versions of Interstellar to own, in my opinion — but it was also really interesting and surprising in places.

I loved seeing Bridge of Spies in there; I didn't expect Hairspray (2007), but it makes a ton of sense; I'm very curious what makes Taxi 3 specifically a good disc to have; it absolutely rocks that they have RRR, and I can't recommend it enough for your own library; and in contrast to Interstellar, I really don't think anyone needs two copies of Pixels…

The music side includes a fun mix of jazz sets, classical music, movie music and huge stadium events — and with a very healthy dose of metal.

Movies

• 1917
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 28 Years Later
• 9 (Nine)
• A Clockwork Orange
• A Complete Unknown
• A Star is Born (2018)
• Akira
• Alien Romulus
• American Made
• American Sniper
• Apocalypse Now
• Apollo 13
• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
• Argo
• Avatar
• Back to the Future Trilogy
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Battleship
• Birdman
• Black Rain
• Blade Runner
• Blade Runner 2049
• Blue Giant
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Bridge of Spies
• Burlesque
• Casino Royale
• Chicago
• Civil War
• Crimson Peak
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Donnie Brasco
• Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
• Dune (2021)
• Dune: Part Two
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Ford v Ferrari
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Get On Up
• Ghost in the Shell
• Ghostbusters (2016)
• Gladiator II
• Godzilla vs. Kong
• Gran Turismo
• Gravity
• Green Book
• Hairspray (2007)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
• Hidden Figures
• The Huntsman: Winter's War
• I, Frankenstein
• Inception
• Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures [Doesn't include Dial of Destiny]
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Interstellar
• It: Chapter One
• Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
• Jason Bourne
• John Wick
• Joker: Folie á Deux
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• Lucy
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Man of Steel
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
• Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
• Mission: Impossible – III
• Moana 2
• No Country for Old Men
• No Time to Die
• Nope
• Oblivion
• Oppenheimer
• Pacific Rim
• Pacific Rim: Uprising
• Paris, Texas
• Pixels
• Pokémon: The Movie
• Quantum of Solace
• Red Tails
• Rocketman
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• RRR
• Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
• Seven (Se7en)
• Sherlock Holmes
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• Sinners
• Sisu
• Skyfall
• Solo: A Star Wars Story
• Spectre
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Spider-Man: Far From Home
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Star Trek Beyond
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Superman (2025)
• The Legend of Tarzan
• Taxi 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Tenet
• The Batman (2022)
• The Cell
• The Creator
• The Expendables 3
• The First Slam Dunk
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Greatest Showman
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
• The Phantom of the Opera
• The Shallows
• The Sky Crawlers
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Top Gun
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Transcendence
• Transformers: Age of Extinction
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
• Twisters
• Unbroken
• Venom: The Last Dance
• West Side Story (2021)
• Wonder Woman
• X-Men: First Class
• Yowamushi Pedal

Music and concerts

• Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
• Ado Special Live
• Babymetal: Live at Tokyo Dome
• Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7: Wiener Philharmoniker
• Berliner Philhamoniker: The Asia Tour
• Billy Joel Live at Shea Statdium
• Black Sabbath: The End
• Bob James Trio: Feel Like Making Live
• Bob Marley and the Walers Legend
• Bon Jovi Live at Madison Square Garden
• Chihiro Yamanaka: Somethin' Blue Quintet – Live at Blue Note Tokyo
• Chris Botti: Live in Boston
• David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii
• George Mccrae - Love
• Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague
• Harvie S Trio: Too Late Now
• Hit Man David Foster & Friends
• Joe Bonasmassa Live at the Greek Theatre
• John Mayer: Any Given Thursday
• John Mayer: Where the Light Is
• John Williams in Tokyo
• KISS Rocks Vegas
• Lady Gaga Presents The Monster Ball Tour
• Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same
• Megadeth: Countdown to Extinction
• Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
• Michael Jackson: This Is It
• Misia: Soul Quest World Tour
• MR. BIG – The Big Finish Live
• MTV Unplugged ayaka
• Norah Jones: Live at Ronnie Scott's
• Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up - Live
• Pat Metheny: The Orchestrion Project
• Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
• Prince Sign o' the Times
• Queen: Rock Montreal & Live Aid
• Quincy Jones: The 75th Birthday Celebration
• Roger Waters: The Wall
• Rolling Stones: Shine a Light
• Scorpions: Live in 3D
• Shogo Hamada: On The Road 2015-2016
• Steve Vai: Live at the Astoria
• Sting: Live at the Olympia Paris
• Take Me to the River
• The Beatles: 1
• The Beatles: Get Back
• The Great Jazz Trio Hank Jones – The Legend of Jazz: Live at Blue Note Tokyo
• The Last Waltz
• The Rolling Stones: Hyde Park Live 1969
• Tony Bennett: An American Classic
• Toto: Live in Poland
• Vienna Philharmonic: New Year's Concerts – 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021

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For the launch of Denon's new X3900H and X2900H AV receivers, I visited the company's headquarters in Japan to give the new models a try in the custom listening room developed for the company's Sound Masters to tune products to perfection — but I also visited Denon and Marantz's combined factory, where the two companies produce their hi-fi and AVR components.

This is in the city of Shirakawa, about an hour's ride on the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo, where the cherry blossoms still lingered even though Tokyo's parks had largely lost their annual spring decoration.

Seeing the production lines and testing for the various hi-fi models was interesting, but I've visited lots of AV manufacturing facilities in my time, and once you've seen four, you've largely seen them all.

But our tour included an extended session in the factory's home theater listening room, which is one of the most impressive setups I've experienced. The room was first established in 1983, so that the first Marantz AV receiver could be developed and tested in it before its launch in 1985.

There are subtle signs of the room's age — the vault-like door has a distinctly '70s infrastructure look and feel to it — but the Denon receiver at the center of our demo today is unquestionably modern.

The AVC A1H is the company's first model that can handle 9.4.6 speaker channels, with support for basically any spatial audio system you'd care to throw at it.

And 9.4.6 channels is exactly what the room's speaker system offers, in the imposing form of eight Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 speakers with an HTM81 D4 center, plus four ASW Series subwoofers tucked away at the edges — and six speakers mounted in the ceiling. That's about $250k of speakers.

These were paired with a Sony VPL-VW535 4K projector for the visuals, powered by an Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player. Alas, it's a reminder that this model has arguably never been bettered despite being discontinued the better part of a decade ago.

I slid into the sweet spot seats in the middle, which Denon and Marantz engineers said is 12 feet from the center channel, and 10 feet from the two rears — not quite following the equilateral distance guidelines laid out by Dolby for Atmos, but I'm not going to quibble with the people who design the actual setup.

The first demo scene was A Star is Born (2018), when Ally comes out to play on stage at Jackson's concert for the first time. The first thing that struck me was the complete disconnection of the sound from the equipment, in the best way.

The sound is so expansive and expressive that it feels like there's no channel system at all — the platonic ideal of Dolby Atmos' spatial audio.

The sound is so amazingly cohesive from top to bottom, and always has a new gear to find when it needs to step up the resonant bass of an acoustic instrument, or when Gaga’s voice is given extra elevation out of the mix by the soundtrack, or to highlight each guitar string suddenly twanging — and whenever it needs to the extra step, it always feels like a seamless flow.

The system feels like it just has endless power, and yet it feels like it's not exerting itself hard at all — there's no sense of the forceful and forward sound that you're likely to get from soundbars or compact options. It's just naturally explosive.

Next up was the opening scene of Unbroken, which puts you in the middle of an aerial battle in World War II — in particular, locking you in and around the experience of one bomber.

There's excellent specificity in the position and scale of effects, such as propellers vibrating the air, or whirring gunner seats and small rattling brackets and fixtures. But these don't sound like they’re being especially highlighted and punched up; they’re just naturally specific in the mix.

Anti-aircraft fire and explosions are grippingly dynamic, popping out of nowhere and rattling the soundscape forward to back as the cockpit is peppered with shrapnel — it's not one crackly effect, but a clear wave of super-fast movement in 3D.

Machine guns fire audibly just above the screen, and cartridges rattle in a clear downward motion as they fall into our 'seating' area — you're able to understand more about the structure of the vehicle from the sound design, when everything is this precise.

Next on the list is Gravity, which the Denon and Marantz team described as their choice of movie for an “AVR stress test” — the scene where Ryan Stone re-enters the atmosphere really slams all channels at once, including bass, continuously for several minutes — they said it's basically the hardest-to-drive movie scene.

With that in mind, what jumped out to me is how, despite the cacophonous rumbling and rattling filling the space around me, I could also hear that the system was really delicately handling the singing in the score. It's soft and refined, and also brutal and bruising, all in the same moment.

The positional effects in this scene absolutely whip around you, alarms pierce with their own individual level of urgency, and exploding debris is somehow chaotically noisy and yet also moves precisely in the sound field.

It’s audio havoc, but it never clips or crushes the disparate elements, so you’re completely trapped in the tensest part of the movie while it happens — this is unimpeachable immersion.

To give us a gentle recovery, we finish up with A Complete Unknown. When Dylan and Joan Baez play their privately contentious set together at the folk festival, there's such a lovely recreation of the ambient sound, ironically perfectly recreating the audio signature of an imprecise speaker system.

The song showcases lovely, sharp guitar string plucks and total rhythmic control in the gentle track. The system can explode the crowd noise in the back, while maintaining the same gentle and faintly distorted vocals at the front, all in careful balance, without the denser sound overpowering anything more delicate.

My demo run in this listening room was the kind of experience that spoils you for lesser home theater setups, though I'll be saved from myself by not having the disposable income to spend a quarter of a million on speakers, before I even get to the supporting equipment — let alone building a suitably impressive room to house it all in.

But if you should find yourself coming into a large inheritance and you love movies, I can think of far worse ways to spend it.

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• Multiple Sony devices will lose access to streaming services and Google Cast
• AV receivers, Blu-ray players, soundbars, wireless speakers and more
• Effective November 17, 2026

Something we've learnt the hard way over the years is that pretty much any product with an online component will lose it eventually. Server shutdowns have affected everything from multiplayer games to the ill-fated PlaysForSure music platform, and now it's coming to Sony products.

Like Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to maintain as much functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core features as a result.

The changes aren't immediate — they won't come into place until November 7th, 2026 — but they apply to a lot of models including AV receivers, Blu-ray disc players, speakers and soundbars. The full list of affected devices is available on Sony's website, but we've included it at the end of this article too.

What Bose did, and what Sony isn't doing

Earlier this year Bose discontinued online support for its SoundTouch speakers first introduced in 2013. However, the speakers themselves remained fully functional and while Bose's own SoundTouch streaming was switched off, AirPlay and Spotify Connect would continue to work.

Sony's changes are more severe. From November, the following services will be unavailable on affected devices:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Google Cast
• Netflix
• Pandora
• Slacker Radio
• Spotify
• Vudu

As Sony explains, from November "access to supported network services will no longer be available on affected models [and] any downloaded network services may no longer be accessible on affected models… we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding."

While most of the affected models are elderly, there's a lot of them: nine soundbars, 16 AVRs, 17 Blu-Ray players, multiple Blu-Ray home theater systems and five sets of wireless speakers. That means the service shutdown is likely to affect quite a lot of people.

Which Sony products are affected by the 2026 shutdown?

Audio and Micro Component Systems

• CMT-MX700NI
• HAP-S1
• HAP-Z1ES
• MAP-S1
• NAC-SV10

AV Receivers

• STR-DA1800
• STR-DA2800ES
• STR-DA3700ES
• STR-DA5700ES
• STR-DA5800ES
• STR-DN1020
• STR-DN1030
• STR-DN1040
• STR-DN1050
• STR-DN1060
• STR-DN1070
• STR-DN1080
• STR-DN840
• STR-DN850
• STR-DN860
• STR-ZA810ES

Blu-ray Disc Players

• BDP-BX18
• BDP-BX37
• BDP-BX38
• BDP-BX57
• BDP-N460
• BDP-S185
• BDP-S270
• BDP-S280
• BDP-S370
• BDP-S380
• BDP-S390
• BDP-S470
• BDP-S480
• BDP-S570
• BDP-S580
• BDP-S770
• BDP-S780

Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Systems

• BDV-E280
• BDV-E370
• BDV-E470
• BDV-E570
• BDV-E580
• BDV-E770W
• BDV-E780W
• BDV-E870
• BDV-E880
• BDV-F7
• BDV-HZ970
• BDV-IZ1000W
• BDV-L600
• BDV-T28
• BDV-T57
• BDV-T58

Media Players

• FMP-X10
• SMP-N100
• SMP-N200

Soundbars

• HT-CT790
• HT-CT800
• HT-NT3
• HT-NT5
• HT-RT5
• HT-ST5000
• HT-ST9
• HT-XT2
• HT-XT3

Wireless speakers

• SA-NS310
• SA-NS410
• SA-NS500
• SA-NS510
• SRS-X7

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June 2026 looks to be another great month for 4K Blu-rays and as one of TechRadar’s resident 4K Blu-ray testers, I’ve picked the four discs I’m most looking forward to reviewing for Blu-ray Bounty.

Blu-ray Bounty is our monthly column where we review the latest 4K releases from each month to see how their picture and audio will show off your home theater system. In our most recent May 2026 edition, we covered five new discs including the hotly anticipated Fight Club 4K release.

Why do we love 4K Blu-ray at TechRadar? Mainly because it’s our main source for testing the best TVs and the best soundbars. It has a higher bitrate meaning a better-looking picture and uncompressed soundtracks, perfect for testing audio.

In last month’s most anticipated 4K discs list, I picked Fight Club, “Wuthering Heights”, Leaving Las Vegas and Some Like It Hot. I got to test all four as part of the Blu-ray Bounty and they all looked great. Below are my picks for the month of June.

As I’m based in the UK, these are based on UK release dates so don’t be surprised if one of them is already available in your region, or doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet.

Speed Racer (Warner Bros)

Based on the popular Manga series, Speed Racer, directed by The Wachowskis (Lana and Lilly, best known for The Matrix) follows the story of Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), an aspiring racing driver who's trying to become a champion to save his family business.

Speed Racer is a visual feast for the eyes and features tons of bold, vibrant colors throughout. With Dolby Vision HDR supported, the neon-like colors should really pop on screen and with a good 4K restoration, details should look extra crisp, adding even more depth to the movie’s picture.

There’s also plenty of fast-paced action to push a display’s motion-handling skills to the test. If this disc looks as good as the Reddit hype suggests it could be, this reference-quality disc could be a new addition to my testing rotation.

Movies about racing typically make for excellent audio testing discs, especially when they support Dolby Atmos (F1 for example). I’m hoping Speed Racer will fit into this group, as it features plenty of dynamic racing scenes that should be immersive thanks to its supported Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I’m expecting screeching tires, plenty of movement to test precision and detail and some nice bass response from the subwoofer.

Release date

• US: May 19, 2026
• UK: 15th June, 2026

EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Universal Pictures)

From director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Elvis, Moulin Rouge), EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert is a documentary about Elvis Presley. It features archival footage, including past conversations and interviews with Presley, and tons of live performances from the early 1970s.

Where else to go with this one but audio? Elvis has so many iconic hits and is arguably one of music’s best live performers, so iconic tracks from this time period like ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘Always On My Mind‘ and ‘Burning Love’ (all featured on the movie soundtrack) are sure to sound sensational through a fully-fledged surround sound system.

Interestingly, there’s no Dolby Atmos soundtrack featured, so we won’t be getting the full 3D sound. There is, however, a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack included, which should sound fantastic and has often featured on some of the best-sounding movies I’ve tested.

Picture-wise, the footage used in the documentary (consisting of unused footage from two concert movies Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis: Live On Tour (1972) was shot in 35mm and 8mm film, so expect the 35mm shots to look superb in 4K. There's also support for Dolby Vision and as Elvis’ shows were known for their glitz and glamour, there could be some really nice looking shots featured, with plenty of vivid colors.

Release dates

• US: August 11, 2026
• UK: 15th June, 2026

Bullet In The Head (Arrow Video)

From legendary director John Woo (The Killer, Hard Boiled), Bullet In The Head tells the story of three friends Ben (Tony Leung), Frank (Jacky Cheung) and Paul (Waise Lee), who flee Hong Kong after killing a member of a rival gang, ending up in Vietnam during the height of the Vietnam War.

This disc’s real highlight should be on the audio side. Featuring a lossless mono and Dolby Atmos mix of the original Cantonese (as well as an English mono mix), there’ll be plenty of action-packed scenes throughout to show off a sound system. Think ricocheting bullets from the rear speakers, big explosions to rattle a subwoofer and the drone of helicopters in Vietnam to show off Atmos.

Visually, the disc supports Dolby Vision, so I’m expecting strong contrast with deep black tones as well as vibrant colors, particularly during the scenes in Hong Kong. A 4K restoration should do wonders for upscaling textures and details as well, and based on other Hong Kong 4K releases I’ve seen from this time period, there’ll be plenty of film grain retained for cinephiles.

Release dates

• UK: 22nd June, 2026
• US: N/A (Shout Factory version released January 6, 2026)

Hoppers (Disney/Pixar)

Pixar’s latest entry, Hoppers, follows the story of Mabel (Piper Curada) a college student who transfers her mind into a robotic beaver in order to communicate with local wildlife, unintentionally starting a revolution among said wildlife. The movie also features Jon Hamm, David Franco and Meryl Streep among the voice cast.

Pixar’s animation is often visually gorgeous, so much so that Elemental is still a regular feature in my choice of reference scenes for testing TVs, thanks to its dazzling colors. While Hoppers doesn’t have the same vibrant colors throughout, I’m still expecting some nice colors and crisp animation that will really show off the right displays. With Dolby Vision supported, the animation should look sublime.

Movies in nature are another fantastic way of showing off a sound system, capturing the sounds of wildlife such as chirping birds, rustling trees and cracking twigs. The Wild Robot was a great example of this. With a Dolby Atmos soundtrack supported, I’m anticipating the same from Hoppers and looking forward to testing it out on our Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar.

Release date

• US: June 2, 2026
• UK: 8th June, 2026

Highlighted releases: June 2026

Below is a list of highlight releases for June 2026. Both US and UK release dates are featured here (these are indicated). Release dates may vary by region, with some coming later in the year or already released. Titles featured in my list above are in bold.

June 1/2

• Hoppers (8th June, 2026 UK)
• Five Easy Pieces (8th June UK)
• Charade (22nd June UK)
• The Flintstones (1994)
• Trainspotting (UK)
• Avatar: Fire & Ash (UK, May 19, 2026 US)
• Body Heat (UK, May 19, 2026 US)

June 8/9

• The Burbs
• Notting Hill
• The Chronicles of Riddick
• Steven Spielberg: The Spotlight Collection
• 36 Hours (UK)
• Scream 7 (UK, June 16 US)

June 15/16

• Speed Racer (UK, May 19 US)
• EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (UK, August 11 US)
• Super Mario Galaxy Movie (US)
• Eraser
• Audition (1999)
• A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

June 22/23

• Bullet In The Head (Arrow, UK)
• Labyrinth (Collector's Edition, UK)
• Dark Crystal (Collector's Edition, UK)
• Hairspray (1988)
• Hang 'Em High
• A Simple Plan
• Rush

June 28/29

• Jackie Chan's Breakout Hits! (1994-1998)
• Rush (UK)
• Highlander (UK)
• Mortal Kombat Kollection
• The Money Pit

Welcome to a slightly delayed edition of the Blu-ray Bounty! In this month’s list, May 2026, we’ll be looking at five new 4K Blu-rays that could make for excellent additions to your growing collection.

If this is your first visit to the Blu-ray Bounty, welcome: you can check out previous editions of the Blu-ray Bounty at the link. In last month’s April 2026 list, we looked at a mammoth 8 discs: Ben-Hur (1959), 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Gilda, Crime Story, The Devil’s Backbone and The Blade.

4K Blu-ray is a big deal for us here at TechRadar, as not only is it our primary source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars (thanks to its superior picture quality and lossless soundtracks), but we’re big collectors ourselves: we’re always on the lookout for more discs to add to our collection!

I’ll be using our reference setup to test this month’s discs, which consists of the LG G5, one of 2025’s best OLED TVs; the Panasonic DP-UB820, one of the best 4K Blu-ray players on the market and the Samsung HW-Q990C, an 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos soundbar system.

I won’t be writing about the movies themselves here: I’ll only be commenting on their picture and audio and how they could be a great way to show off your home theater system.

Fight Club (20th Century Studios)

Based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club tells the story of an unnamed narrator (Edward Norton) who meets a charismatic soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and together they start an underground fight club. Endlessly quotable, it was one of the most controversial movies of the 1990s.

Fight Club looks excellent on 4K. Textures have been upscaled well, and appear extra crisp. Close-up shots of characters' faces show fine details such as skin marks and hair with real clarity. While colors don’t play a major role in the movie, any that do have nice pop while still looking realistic. Tyler’s red jacket shows great color depth, as does the neon sign of Lou’s bar. The 4K disc also delivers strong contrast with deep black tones, accurately depicting the grimy nature of Tyler’s house and the Fight Club basement.

The disc itself doesn’t support Dolby Vision and while this would have potentially added more clarity and stronger contrast, the disc looks great. However, after online discussions of changes made by director David Fincher, I confirmed there have been some alterations. The most notable, which I confirmed from online chatter, is the clean-up of Marla’s face. While some viewers may find this distracting, I still feel the disc looks superb and is the best-looking version of this movie to date.

For audio, there’s no Dolby Atmos soundtrack, as it instead features a DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix. This mix is fantastic. It utilizes surround channels particularly in a very effective way, precisely mapping the sound during moments with fast moving camera shots. One in particular is the opening sequence where the camera drops down through the building, the sound accurately travels with the camera.

Elsewhere, there’s plenty of impact from the front channels during fight sequences, with the low-end providing some added rumble. Speech is clear for the majority of the movie, with the narration nice and clean throughout. I did find some instances where other effects drowned out the narrator’s voice, but this was only a handful of scenes.

Some Like It Hot (Altitude Films/Capelight Pictures)

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curts, Some Like It Hot tells the story of two men Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon), two musicians who flee Chicago after witnessing a mob hit. They disguise themselves as women and join touring singer Sugar’s (Monroe) band. A classic comedy, the movie was nominated for several Academy Awards and earned Golden Globe wins for Lemmon and Monroe.

A quick note: this 4K restoration I’ll be discussing is from Altitude films and is mainly targeted for the UK market. There is a Criterion Collection release available (first launched in April 2025) in the US and other regions.

This 4K disc is another great example of what 4K can do for classic black and white movies. With Dolby Vision support, there’s excellent range between deep black tones and bright white tones, with plenty of gray tones in between to create a dynamic, engaging picture. Textures have been upscaled beautifully, meaning skin is clean and crisp, with some parts looking 3D-like in quality. Objects have some nice refined detail as well, with close-up shots of Jack and Joe’s instruments and the handles of a coffin, both in the opening scenes, showing off the 4K restoration’s detail. Cinephiles will be pleased with the amount of grain retained as well.

There are two main audio options included: a PCM, 2.0 mono mix and a DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix. The 2.0 mix is much more direct and loud, with speech at the forefront. I preferred the 5.1 mix as it added some nice detail throughout. Scenes with gunfire mapped ricocheting bullets to the rear channels accurately and musical sequences had a lot more depth in the 5.1 soundtrack. I did need to bump the volume up for louder speech, but it was worth it to get the balance.

“Wuthering Heights” (Warner Bros)

“Wuthering Heights” is Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn) re-imagining of Emily Brontë’s classic novel of the same name. It follows the story of the Linton and Earnshaw families, both wealthy landowners in the Yorkshire moors. The story in particular centers on the relationship between Catherine (Cathy) (Margot Robbie), the daughter of the Earnshaw family and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi), a boy that the family fosters, as the two fall into a forbidden love.

“Wuthering Heights” looks visually striking in 4K. Where it stands out most is in its color reproduction, where intentionally vibrant colors are used throughout. Dolby Vision really makes these colors vivid with plenty of pop, particularly the bold reds that Cathy often wears and the red floor of one of the Linton estate rooms. Whites and blues are another highlight.

There are plenty of high contrast scenes as well, with rich black tones during night scenes and vibrant whites during the movie’s winter section. The movie has plenty of gorgeous cinematography of the surrounding landscapes, which look phenomenally detailed and strikingly realistic. Close-ups of the various cast members also look incredibly refined and intricate.

The 4K disc supports a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which is punchy and detailed. While you won’t get many action-packed scenes, speech is crystal clear throughout and the movie’s soundtrack, written by Charlie XCX and John Cale, is engaging. Subtle details are accurately delivered too, such as the creaking of the ropes of the swing Isabella pushes Cathy on in one scene.

Leaving Las Vegas (StudioCanal)

Leaving Las Vegas follows the story of Ben (Nicolas Cage), an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who plans to drink himself to death in Las Vegas before striking up a relationship with callgirl Sera (Elisabeth Shue). Cage earned an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ben.

A note that this release is the StudioCanal version released in the UK and Europe. US readers’ most local version is the Shout Factory version released in December 2025.

Leaving Las Vegas was shot in 16mm film as opposed to 35mm — something you’d expect from movies on a lower budget. While this means the overall look of the film is on the softer side, there is definitely some great upscaling in this 4K restoration. Shots of Ben’s face show excellent detail in his pale skin and the dark circles around his tired eyes. Colors also have a nice vibrancy to them, mainly thanks to the neon-clad streets of Las Vegas, which really pop whenever they’re on screen. Ben and Sera’s sometimes brightly colored clothing also looks natural. The movie’s night scenes also present solid black levels too. Overall, a very good restoration.

This disc supports a DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix which is effective. Speech is clearly presented throughout and balances well with other sound effects. The movie’s score, which features a blend of smooth and chaotic jazz, is presented with excellent clarity and is nicely balanced across all channels, evenly spread across the four units of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar system I was using.

Point Blank (Criterion Collection)

Point Blank tells the story of Walker (Lee Marvin), a man who is left for dead by his partner Mal Reese (John Vernon) after a robbery. Upon recovering, Walker seeks revenge on Reese and others who have wronged him.

This is yet another great restoration from Criterion, a common theme that’s been happening on the Blu-ray Bounty for some time now. Textures have been cleaned up well, with object detail and people’s skin showing the benefits of a 4K restoration. Where Point Blank really shines is with its colors. As it was made in the 1960s, there’s plenty of bold colors throughout to fit the aesthetic of the time period, from the yellow-themed apartment Walker and Chris share to the green office the antagonists use. Colors crucially though are also true-to-life throughout, never looking oversaturated. There’s also some high contrast scenes during the night with strong shadows cast across people’s faces that looked fantastic on the G5 OLED I used for viewing.

There’s only a monaural soundtrack option for this disc and while it would have been nice to have some form of surround option to capture the movie’s more action packed driving and shootout sequences, the monaural is solid. Speech is clear throughout the movie and there’s still some good impact from gunshots and car crashes. It’s also accurately mapped, capturing Walker’s frantic driving as he intimidates a crooked car salesman.

I think it’s fair to say that Fight Club has been one of the most anticipated 4K Blu-rays in recent years. Although it seemed like it would never launch, in May 2026, the eagerly awaiting disc finally arrived.

Not only was it one of my picks for my most anticipated 4K Blu-rays for May 2026, but it was one of my most anticipated ever. It’s one of those movies that has stuck with me and until now, it has only been available on standard Blu-ray (which has 1080p resolution) or HD on Disney Plus.

There was no better place to try out the 4K Blu-ray than our TechRadar testing labs, with the reference setup that I use for our monthly Blu-ray Bounty column in which we review the latest 4K releases (Flight Club will feature in the May 2026 edition).

The setup is formidable. It consists of the LG G5 (one of 2025’s best OLED TVs), the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player (one of the best 4K Blu-ray players on the market) and the Samsung HW-Q990C (one of the best soundbars in recent years).

As I fired up the disc, I glanced at the back of the case and noticed immediately that two big features were missing, and for some home theater fans, their absence might just be a dealbreaker.

No Dolby Vision or Atmos: why?

Yes, there is no Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos support for the Fight Club 4K Blu-ray. The disc instead supports HDR10 and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack. Dolby Vision was apparently left off Fight Club at director David Fincher's request (according to a tweet from Feb 2026 from TheHDRoom on X). For some this may come as a surprise, and a potential disappointment, but there is a potential explanation. We need only look to another 4K title from Fincher’s back-catalogue for a clue.

Looking at the Se7en 4K Blu-ray we had in our testing lab, this doesn’t support Dolby Vision or Atmos either. Again, it offers HDR10 and DTS-HD 5.1 MA instead. Why is this? Well, we know Fincher made changes to the Se7en 4K restoration by using AI, according to a Rolling Stone article from January 2025.

As Dolby Vision uses dynamic metadata to analyze a picture shot-by-shot, this may have interfered with Fincher’s vision for the home release, presumably after making said changes. And thanks to some dedicated work from some Reddit users, we know for a fact that Fincher has made some alteration to the Fight Club 4K compared to the standard Blu-ray. And it’s been controversial to say the least.

Going through changes

Although not quite as drastic as George Lucas’ edits to Star Wars in the 1997 DVD release, Fincher has made some subtle (and a couple of not so subtle) changes to the Fight Club 4K Blu-ray. In a Reddit thread boosted to r/4KBluray by u/Kecofo8180, the top comment features a list of changes compiled by u/PhoneixBee32.

These run from added lens flare to a torch and a clean-up of some ceiling tiles, all the way to the a touch of spot-removal on Marla's face. The list was compiled based on a small selection of 4K Blu-ray vs standard Blu-ray comparison screenshots, meaning there are likely a lot more.

I decided to check out Marla’s appearance to see just how different she looked. Switching between the 4K Blu-ray and a HD stream of the movie on Disney Plus, the clean-up treatment was obvious. In the 4K shot, Marla has noticeably smoother skin with fewer spots and pimples, and the dark circles under her eyes have been reduced in comparison to the shot from the HD stream (see images above). It’s an odd choice considering the HD stream, with the more original look, feels more accurate to Marla’s character.

I also compared a brighter scene where the narrator is confronted by his boss. Looking at the two images, I was intrigued to note that the framing of the scene has been changed. In the 4K, the shot seemed to have been zoomed out — the narrator is fully in frame, as is an ashtray beside him. In the HD stream, his hand is partially cut off, his hair is brushing the top of the frame, and the ashtray is only half in shot.

There are some other tweaks I noticed, but a lot of them are so subtle that you wouldn't spot them unless you were studying the 4K Blu-ray and HD stream/Blu-ray versions side-by-side. Still, for those fans who like their 4K discs unaltered, this isn't welcome news.

Needless to say, there have been a number of Reddit threads discussing the 4K Blu-ray, and the response to these changes has been mixed. u/cheeseholidays commented "I do not understand filmmakers who do this", while u/epicmemetime15 wrote 'The editing of Helena's face is very weird" (referring to Helena Bonham Carter who plays Marla).

Other users have been more forgiving, and positive about how good the actual 4K looks. u/OK_Support2444 said, "Eh, I saw the remaster in theaters and it looked gorgeous" and u/requiuminadream commented, "I think this is looking phenomenal. Few minor tweaks here or there, but the image quality looks outstanding."

Still the best

Despite the alterations, as I was switching between the HD stream and the 4K Blu-ray, the 4K’s HDR strengths were obvious. While I’ll be sharing my full thoughts in the May 2026 Blu-ray Bounty column, I have some initial comments below.

Despite Marla’s smoothed skin, other details such as the whites of her eyes in a close-up shot, or the beads of sweat running down the narrator’s face, really pop thanks to those HDR highlights. The red of Tyler’s jacket is bold but realistic and exterior shots of Lou’s bar look excellent thanks to the vibrant neon signs.

The HDR also really helps deliver high-contrast scenes, including the Fight Club fights themselves, balancing the light tones from the overhead lamps with the dark tones of the dingy, grimy walls and floors.

The 4K disc’s DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack also sounds great. There’s plenty of impact during fight scenes, with punches sounding worryingly realistic, with good bass as people tackle each other to the floor. But it’s the use of the rear speakers that’s really fascinating. During the opening, as the camera pans down from the top floor where the narrator and Durden are to the basement, the sound moves too. With the Samsung soundbar system I was using, the sound shifted from the front channels to the rear channels.

While these are only my first impressions, I can safely say the Fight Club 4K is excellent so far. Yes, Dolby Vision would have been welcome for those dark and high contrast scenes, and Dolby Atmos may have added more to the movie’s meaty fight sequences, but based on my first viewing on our reference system, this is a superb-looking and -sounding 4K Blu-ray.

It seems users are torn, so I decided to stop the comparison and just watch the 4K Blu-ray.

• Dolby AC-4 was the preferred codec of multiple audio pros
• Better than existing Atmos audio without high bandwidth requirements
• Peacock is upgrading but other streamers haven't announced any plans

One of the biggest differences between streamed movies and 4K Blu-ray is the sound quality: even the most expensive streaming tiers deliver compressed audio with a clear reduction in dynamic range and clarity compared to disc-based playback.

But that might change thanks to a new version of Dolby's sound technology that audio experts apparently can't tell apart from uncompressed PCM, but that works at streaming bitrates.

The new technology is called Dolby AC-4, and it's a codec: an encoder/decoder for compressing audio. It's designed to deliver much higher audio quality than current streaming soundtracks, and can do so without requiring lots of bandwidth.

With a bit of help from the New York section of the Audio Engineering Society and Engine Room Audio, the audio pros at Immersive Machines in the US set up a double-blind listening test where audio experts heard mixes in multiple formats including the current streaming standard, DD+JOC (using the Dolby Digital+ codec).

Again and again the experts picked AC-4 as having the best sound quality of the compressed audio formats.

How Dolby AC-4 could make your streams sound sweeter

Most streaming apps use DD+JOC for immersive audio. It's a version of the tried and tested Dolby Digital standard, with the JOC bit standing for "Joint Object Coding". It enables Dolby Atmos to deliver positional audio without breaking support for 5.1-channel setups.

Dolby AC-4 is what Dolby calls a Next Generation Audio codec, and it's designed to more efficiently deliver audio for headphone and speaker listening, including 3D object information.

As Dolby explains: "The AC-4 coding system utilizes new aspects of object audio beyond what is already available with Dolby Atmos in other Dolby codecs for features like dialogue enhancement or commentator substitution." And significantly, it "can deliver equivalent channel-based audio quality at roughly half the bitrate of Dolby Digital Plus".

That's impressive, but does it deliver?

Immersive Machines' listening test used three formats: DD+JOC at 768 kbps, uncompressed PCM audio at 13,824 kbps, and AC-4 L4 at 448 kbps. The listeners heard them on a full 7.1.4-channel system, on the same system with specific speakers muted, and to individual speakers soloed. Each format was given the letter A, B or C and their identities weren't revealed until the test was done.

The test wasn't just based on vibes. Listeners were asked to identify compression artefacts such as gating, "swishing", loss of spatial precision and loss of frequency range. And with all the speakers on — ie, the way you'd listen at home — AC-4 was in a dead heat with the reference uncompressed PCM audio.

Compression was more noticeable in AC4 when individual speakers were soloed, but for a full home theater setup, AC-4 delivered sound that apparently matches lossless but while streaming just 3% of the data.

There are some caveats here, notably the sample size: a test with 16 listeners isn't hard science. But at the same time, 16 audio pros told to listen critically are going to be much more picky than you or I are likely to be, so it's still quite the endorsement.

The first TV/movie streaming service delivering AC-4 will be Peacock, although the technology is also being used by Amazon Music and TIDAL (but specifically for binaural headphones-based spatial audio). Other streamers may migrate but so far there haven't been more announcements since Peacock's news at CES 2026.

You can find out more about the Immersive Machines testing here, but while it does suggest that streamers could deliver similar sound quality to 4K Blu-ray in the very near future, it's worth noting that Dolby AC-4 doesn't address one of the other reasons people buy Blu-Ray discs: unlike streaming, bought Blu-Rays don't disappear from your library when streaming rights expire or the streamer decides to slim down its catalog.

Better quality has absolutely been a major driver for why people buy 4K Blu-rays, especially if you have a great home theater setup — but collection and ownership is growing as a reason why people are becoming invested in Blu-ray again, and AC4 won't change that.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

If you're a 4K Blu-ray fan, listen up! Amazon is having a two for £30 offer on all Disney 4K discs, including titles from Star Wars, Marvel, 20th Century Studios and more.

There are tons of options available, but I've picked nine highlights that are worth checking out, all of which I've tested as part of our Blu-ray Bounty column, where we test the latest 4K releases. Some of these discs have even enter my testing rotation of reference discs for testing the best TVs and best soundbars.

If you're looking for a bright, vibrant extravaganza, you can't go wrong with The Sound of Music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: two fantastic musicals that look as great as they sound.

I may be a day late to Star Wars Day (belated May the 4th be with you) but all of the Star Wars movies are in this sale, but I've picked the original below.

Reference Dolby Atmos discs including Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Alien: Romulus are sure to give your home theatre a workout, with their thrillingly detailed and accurate Atmos soundtracks.

Check out the rest of my picks below, as well as what I thought of each one during my testing.

Amazon 2 for £30 4K Blu-ray sale — my picks

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music has become one of my go-to testing discs thanks to its outstanding picture quality. It boasts vibrant, punchy colors and crisp textures, thanks to a superb 4K restoration. The market scene above is a particular standout.

The disc's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also the best way to enjoy the movie's iconic soundtrack at home, with classic tracks like 'Do Re Mi' sounding better than ever before. Vocals are bright and clear and the score itself is delivered with wonderful clarity.

Alien: Romulus

A superb-looking disc with powerful contrast thanks to its deep black tones and punchy bright tones, Alien: Romulus looks amazing on 4K Blu-ray and has again become a reference testing disc for me. Easily one of the best modern discs I've tested.

The 4K disc's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is as spine-chillingly lifelike and detailed as you could hope, capturing every unsettling creek and the pitter patter of face-hugger feet. If you've got a full Dolby Atmos system, don't be surprised if you find yourself looking around the room.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine on 4K delivers seriously impressive colour reproduction, accurately capturing the neon-like saturation of Deadpool and Wolverine's red and yellow costumes respectively. There's also plenty of detail that will look good on any display.

The disc's Dolby Atmos soundtrack does justice to the movie's chaotic nature, capturing every punch with real bass and impact, while mapping every wayward bullet accurately to a full-fledged sound system.

Kingdom of Heaven

Arguably one of the most popular 4K discs in recent years, Kingdom of Heaven looks brilliant in 4K. Textures like weather-beaten skin are presented with lifelike detail, while darker scenes deliver rich, strong contrast perfect for an OLED TV.

Filled with swordfights and large scale battles, Kingdom of Heaven is another action packed blockbuster that will test your sound system thanks to its powerful, detailed Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Master and Commander

Where Master and Commander really shines is with its Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Delivering shockingly realistic naval battles, this disc had me looking around more than a few times as cannonballs flew through the ship's hull. There's also plenty of bass to test your subwoofer.

Master and Commander is also a great 4K presentation, with rich contrast in the movie's night scenes as well as lush colors and refined textures that have been cleaned up nicely.

Tombstone

A seriously great-looking disc, Tombstone benefits from a fantastic 4K restoration. Colors are bold and accurate, but it's the 3D-like textures that really make this disc shine. People's skin tones, marks and all, are seriously detailed, particularly an ailing Doc Holliday (played brilliantly by the late Val Kilmer).

A DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack is included here and it delivers all the Wild West action you need. Gunfights produce ricocheting bullets and plenty of impactful crashes as stuntmen go flying.

Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands may be a gothic film at heart, but this 4K disc really shines in its colours. The gaudy, 1950s-style houses and outfits of the neighbourhood really pop on screen, really capturing the borderline eyesore nature of the area.

The movie's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is immersive and detailed, accurately delivering the spirit of Danny Elfman's score, which is filled with heart-wrenching string and big horns, authentically.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

It may have been Star Wars day yesterday, but any day is a good one to watch a classic. While we're still waiting of the 4K disc of the original, theatrical cut, this disc is the best way to experience the iconic movie at home. Bold colours, refined detail and great upscaling, this is the best Star Wars has looked.

With an uncompressed Dolby Atmos soundtrack included, Star Wars sounds excellent on 4K Blu-ray. from John Williams' legendary score to the Death Star trench run with the whaling sounds of TIE Fighters flying overhead, this disc's soundtrack is immersive and dynamic.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Included with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a treat on 4K Blu-ray. Tracks like 'Time Warp' and 'Dammit, Janet' are delivered with the glitz and gusto you'd want from an Atmos soundtrack, balancing power, detail and accuracy all at once, with crystal clear vocals to boot.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 4K Blu-ray delivers crisp textures with realistic skin textures and tones. Colours are also suitably saturated, but authentic-looking thanks to this excellent restoration which breathes new life into this cult classic musical.

TV

May is looking to be an exciting month for 4K Blu-rays, with major releases including arguably one of my most anticipated discs to date. While the list of May’s releases looks to be extensive, I’ve narrowed it down to four.

We’re big fans of 4K Blu-ray at TechRadar. It’s the best source for testing the best TVs, due to 4K Blu-ray’s higher bitrate for better picture quality, and best soundbars, as soundtracks are uncompressed, meaning you’re getting full-fat Dolby Atmos and DTS.

I’m hoping to get my hands on these discs to feature in our monthly feature, the Blu-ray Bounty, where we test the latest 4K releases from each month that we think will make for a good showcase for your home theater system.

In last month’s most anticipated 4K list (April 2026), I picked Gilda, Hamnet, Marty Supreme and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and all four were featured in the April 2026 Blu-ray Bounty and, spoiler, they all looked great!

As I’m based in the UK, the following picks are based on UK 4K releases, so don’t be surprised if your pick is missing!

Fight Club (20th Century Studios)

Instantly quotable and one of the best movies of the 90s, Fight Club tells the story of an unnamed narrator (Edward Norton) who befriends a soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), and together they start an underground ‘fight club’. The movie also stars Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf. Easily one of my most anticipated discs ever.

Fight Club is a visually striking movie. While a lot of its scenes have a grimy, murky look, these dark scenes make for an excellent contrast test, with plenty of black tones. I use this movie as one of my SDR tests, as on Disney+ it’s only in HD. I’m excited to see what it will look like in all its gruesome detail in 4K, and I’ve got high hopes after how good another of Fincher’s iconic movies, Se7en, looked when it came to 4K for the first time last year. While there’s talk of no Dolby Vision included, that didn’t stop Se7en from looking great.

There are plenty of audio moments in Fight Club that sound realistic and brutal, not limited to the numerous fight scenes in the club itself. With a solid soundtrack, be that Dolby Atmos or DTS, these scenes could be really impactful and be a perfect way to test the meatiness of your chosen sound system.

Release Dates

US: May 12, 2026

UK: 18th May, 2026

Some Like It Hot (Altitude Films)

Some Like It Hot is the legendary comedy featuring Marilyn Monroe as ‘Sugar’ Kane, a traveling musician who is unaware that two of her fellow band members in her all-female band are men (played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) on the run from the mob. A classic comedy, it was nominated for multiple Academy Awards. It’s worth noting this isn’t the 4K Criterion release available in the US, but rather a new version from Altitude.

I’ve been a believer in what 4K can do for classic movies for some time now, and that only seems to grow every month. Black-and-white movies like Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, and 3:10 To Yuma (1957) have looked incredible, and I have high hopes for Some Like It Hot, too. While I’m disappointed it’s not the Criterion release, I’m still hopeful to see this iconic movie revived.

As with a good number of these older releases, I’m not expecting a new, mind-blowing sound mix here, but Some Like It Hot has plenty of musical sections with classic songs like the titular track and ‘I Wanna Be Loved By You’, both elegantly sung by Monroe.

Release Dates

UK: 18th May, 2026

US: N/A, Criterion version released April 8, 2026

Leaving Las Vegas (Studio Canal)

Leaving Las Vegas is the story of Ben Sanderson (Nicholas Cage), a struggling alcoholic who develops a relationship with a prostitute named Sera (Elisabeth Shue). The movie earned Cage the Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for Shue.

Interestingly, Leaving Las Vegas was shot on 16mm film, as opposed to the more mainstream 35mm. While I’m not expecting blockbuster visuals for this modestly-budgeted movie (approx $4 million), there are plenty of scenes showcasing the gaudy neon glow of Las Vegas that should make for some interesting visuals.

I’m not expecting any blockbuster moments from Leaving Las Vegas audibly, but it does have an interesting score and some licensed songs from Sting, including ‘Angel Eyes’, that with the right sound mix will hopefully complement the picture.

Release Dates

UK: 18th May, 2026

US: N/A — Shout Factory released December 16, 2025

“Wuthering Heights” (2026) (Warner Bros.)

A loose adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel, Jacob Elordi stars as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Cathy in Emerald Fennell’s (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman) take on the classic period romance/drama. Fennel intended this version to "recreate the feeling of a teenage girl reading this book for the first time" (quote from a Vogue interview on YouTube).

While the film itself may be incredibly divisive, visually, it has plenty of moments that should look stunning on 4K. There are plenty of vivid, vibrant colors that explode on screen, along with breathtaking shots of the surrounding moors. There’s also plenty of stylized, contrast-rich shots that should make for a real showcase on a home theater system. And with Dolby Vision supported, “Wuthering Heights” should look excellent.

Audio-wise, the main talking point is Charlie XCX’s soundtrack. Thankfully, there’s a Dolby Atmos mix included, so it should deliver this soundtrack with real clarity and immersion. The pulse-pounding, big electronic sound XCX has become known for is a highlight, so it’s sure to sound great on a big sound system.

Release dates

US: May 5, 2026

UK: 11th May, 2026

Highlighted releases May 2026

Below is a list of highlight releases for May 2026. Both US and UK release dates are featured here (these are indicated). Release dates may vary by region, with some coming later in the year or already released. Titles featured in my list above are in bold.

May 4 / 5

• Alice in Wonderland (1951)
• Blue Thunder
• “Wuthering Heights” (2026) (UK release 11th May)
• GOAT
• Point Blank (US release date April 21 2026)

May 11/12

• Fight Club (UK release 18th May)
• Mona Lisa (UK)
• Moneyball (US, UK release TBC)
• Bridesmaids

May 18/19

• Leaving Las Vegas (UK)
• Speed Racer (US, UK release 15th June)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (US, UK release 1st June)
• Boy Heat
• The Walk
• The Bride!
• Some Like It Hot (UK)
• Witness (UK)
• The Dollars Trilogy (UK, Arrow Video)

May 25/26

• Robin Hood: Price of Thieves (US, UK release March 2023)
• Harry and the Hendersons
• The Great Outdoors
• Lenny
• Sirat
• Zulu Dawn
• The Cars That Ate Paris
• Insomnia (1997 original)

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of the Blu-ray Bounty, where we check out the latest 4K Blu-ray releases from each month, assessing their picture and audio to see if they make a worthwhile addition to your 4K Blu-ray collection. This month is our largest list to date, with a whopping 8 discs.

If you want to check out previous editions of the Blu-ray Bounty for some disc recommendations, they can be found at the link. In last month’s March 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I tested 6 discs: Wicked: For Good, The Running Man (2025), 3:10 To Yuma (1957), The Breakfast Club, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and Cutter’s Way.

We’re big fans of 4K Blu-ray here at TechRadar. It’s our go-to source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars, because it has excellent picture quality due to its high bitrate and uncompressed soundtracks. We’re also collectors ourselves!

I’ll be using our reference setup for this month’s edition, consisting of the LG G5, one of 2025’s best OLED TVs; the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market; and the Samsung HW-Q990C, an 11.1.4 channel, Dolby Atmos soundbar system.

I won’t be analyzing the movies of these discs themselves: only their picture and audio to see how much they’ll show off your home theater setup.

Ben-Hur (1959) (Warner Bros.)

One of Hollywood’s most iconic epics, Ben-Hur stars Charlton Heston as the titular Judah Ben-Hur, a former Jewish prince condemned to slavery after he is accused of treason. The story follows his quest for freedom and revenge on those who betrayed him. At the time of production, it was the largest-scale movie ever released, costing roughly $15 million ($170 million today).

Much like Lawrence of Arabia 4K from the February 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, Ben-Hur is a staggering 4K Blu-ray. The restoration here upscales textures to an almost modern-day look, with accurate, lifelike skin tones and refined details such as rocks, grass, and buildings throughout. Colors are rich and vibrant: from the reds of the Roman soldiers' capes to the glorious blue sky, every color pops on screen.

There’s some nice brightness to this disc, too. Soldiers' gold uniforms gleam in the sunlight, and the sand-colored buildings of Jerusalem dazzle without ever over-exerting the brightness. Even the movie’s darker scenes display rich blacks with powerful contrast. As the slaves row the ship, the dark tones of the walls contrast with the light from the torches beautifully.

Ben-Hur has received a serious audio upgrade as well as a visual one. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack does wonders for the bombastic and mighty horn-led score, which sounds clean, refined, and powerful. Surround channels come into play frequently, such as the hustle and bustle of the markets in Jerusalem or during the chariot races in the latter parts of the movies, with galloping hooves and the roaring crowd delivered with real precision. The hooves also make for a great workout for your subwoofer.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Sony Pictures)

The fourth installment in the 28 Days Later franchise, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is a direct sequel to 28 Years Later and follows Spike (Alfie Williams) as he is indoctrinated into the cult of Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Ralph Fiennes returns as Dr. Ian Kelson.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a visual feast for the eyes. In daytime scenes, as characters walk through nature, colors like the bold, red flowers and lush green trees have some serious pop. Textures are 3D-like in appearance, with all the dirt, blood, and scars on Kelson’s body looking incredibly detailed and realistic. Highlights have some serious shine to them too, with Crystal’s gaudy gold chains looking suitably vibrant.

Night scenes look superb too. Blacks are consistently deep throughout and looked great on the G5 during my testing. Contrast is powerful, with any scenes involving fire balancing beautifully with the rich, black surroundings. Again, fire really showed off the punchy brightness in peak areas too.

Equipped with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a showcase for speakers. Moments of violence sound gruesome, with every hit, stab, and puncture given a skin-crawlingly realistic level of detail. The Atmos soundtrack is utilized well. As projectiles were fired during the barn scene, they seemed to come from all directions where I was sitting. Speech is crystal clear throughout, and don’t worry, Kelson’s pyre scene (which we won’t spoil) sounds excellent.

Hamnet (Universal Pictures)

Hamnet dramatization of playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley), as they deal with the death of their son Hamnet. Nominated for multiple awards, Buckley earned an Academy Award for her portrayal of Hathaway.

A gorgeous-looking disc, especially in Dolby Vision, Hamnet delivers some lovely visuals. Colors have some nice punch, such as Hathaway’s red/orange dress at the start of the movie, but also appear true-to-life, with the greens of the countryside around Shakespeare’s home, looking great. Textures are strikingly realistic, with close-up shots of people’s faces showing freckles, stubble, and aging lines with impeccable detail.

Darker scenes look great too. As the family eats dinner at night, the black surroundings are deep and balance nicely with the flame of the candles on the table, creating a strong contrast and casting strong shadows.

Hamnet has a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and makes use of it. The score throughout sounds excellent, with the opening choral track filling our testing lab nicely, and the melancholic strings sounded refined throughout. Dialogue is consistently clear, and there are some good Atmos scenes, with scenes in the forest featuring birds flying overhead utilizing height channels.

Marty Supreme (A24)

Marty Supreme is the story of Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a table tennis player in the 1950s who vies to become world champion. The character of Mauser is loosely based on real-life US table tennis player Marty Reisman.

Marty Supreme looks great in 4K. The movie’s table tennis tournament scenes demonstrate strong contrast between the lit-up tables and players and the crowds, who are encased in deep shadows. Colors can also look rich, whether it’s the bright red of the paddles or the sometimes bold 1950s aesthetic, namely loud-looking greens and pinks. Textures look both crisp and true-to-life, with stubble, wrinkles, and hair looking refined.

This disc’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack has plenty of fantastic moments. Any scenes involving ping-pong are accurately mapped, with a strong connection between the sound and the action on screen and pinpoint directionality. One scene where Marty plays in a bar delivered great surround sound, with the rattle of ping pongs coming from the rear speakers as Wally (Tyler, The Creator) talks to another patron. The movie also features notable tracks from the 1980s, such as Alphaville's ‘Forever Young’, and all of these sound authentic and engaging.

Gilda (The Criterion Collection)

Another iconic movie of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Gilda follows the story of Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), a card counter who begins to work for casino owner Ballin Mundson (George Macready). Mundson returns from a trip abroad with a new wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), whom Farrell recognizes from his past. This movie was a star-making turn for Hayworth.

Gilda is yet another home-run restoration from Criterion Collection. Textures have been cleaned up beautifully to look more refined and crisp, which is especially apparent in people’s skin. Contrast is great with deep dark tones and bright white tones and there’s a great range of gray tones in between. Cinephiles will be happy with the level of grain included, but make no mistake, this is a very clean 4K restoration that looks top-notch.

This disc only supports a monaural soundtrack, but dialogue is crystal clear throughout, and sound is accurately mapped. Shattering glass, bullets, and the hubbub of the casino all sound great. Musical sections also sound very good with a nice balance and strong detail. Not a showcase soundtrack for a home theater system, but very well cleaned up.

Crime Story (88 Films)

Crime Story is an action-thriller starring Jackie Chan as Police Inspector Eddie Chan, who is tasked with finding missing businessman Wong Yat-fei. His journey takes him from Hong Kong to Taiwan, where he encounters powerful mobsters. The film is based on the real events surrounding the kidnapping of businessman Teddy Wang in 1990.

This 4K restoration from 88 Films is excellent. The picture has been cleaned up to deliver crisp textures that appear lifelike throughout. There’s a nice mix of scenes to show off all aspects of a display, from the punchy colors of the neon-clad Taipei markets to the shady, shadowed rooms where gangsters hang out, which deliver a strong contrast with deep black tones. Film grain fans also need not worry, as there’s a healthy amount maintained as well.

There are both Stereo 2.0 LCPM and DTS-HD 5.1 soundtracks on offer here in both the original Cantonese and suitably overacted, cheesy English dub. I opted for the Cantonese 5.1, and as you’d expect from an action-packed Jackie Chan movie, there’s a lot going on. Explosions and gunfire deliver plenty of meaty bass with serious impact, and ricocheting bullets are accurately mapped to a nice, wide soundstage. Dialogue is very front-end in the 5.1 mix, sometimes at the expense of other elements, but it’s always clear.

The Devil's Backbone (Studio Canal)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, The Devil’s Backbone is a Spanish gothic horror movie that follows the story of a boy who finds himself in an abandoned orphanage at the end of the Spanish Civil War. The orphanage is haunted by a recently deceased boy.

The picture quality of this restoration from Studio Canal is fantastic. Daytime scenes have a stunning brightness to them, with accurate color reproduction of the beige sands of the desert surrounding the orphanage, while instances of red really pop on screen. Night sequences have excellent black depth, balancing well with the light from the moon or candles as they creep into the darkness.

There are both DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 LPCM sound mixes. I used the DTS-HD 5.1, and it’s brilliant. Everything sounds natural, especially the dialogue. The score is consistently strong and presented with real clarity, particularly during the movie’s more eerie scenes, accurately delivering the chill factor. Moments of impact, such as punches and door slams, deliver deep, engaging bass. Overall, an excellent sound mix.

The Blade (The Criterion Collection)

A wuxia movie (a genre based around the adventures of martial artists in ancient China), The Blade tells the story of Ding On (Vincent Zhao),a factory worker who learns martial arts to seek revenge on his father’s killer.

The Blade’s picture looks stunning and is yet another awesome job by Criterion. Colors are bold and vibrant throughout, but also appear natural. This can be seen in the movie’s many fight scenes, where different color filters are used to create striking, dynamic images, and other colors, such as blood and costumes, pop. There are a good number of high contrast scenes where the light from torches balances well with the rich black tones. Textures have also been refined, with skin tones and textures in particular looking very natural.

This disc only supports a monaural soundtrack (both in the original Cantonese and a dubbed English track), but it delivers clear dialogue that’s well balanced with other effects. The movie’s many fight scenes have plenty of impact and accuracy, with the clashing of metal blades in particular sounding satisfying punchy.

Amazon's 3 for $33 physical media sale is live again, and there are a ton of great 4K Blu-rays featured.

As TechRadar's resident TV tester, 4K Blu-ray is a key source for testing the latest TVs, and even the latest soundbars. I'm also a big fan of 4K Blu-ray, with a collection I've been building over the last couple of years.

Amazon's 3 for $33 sale always features some excellent 4K discs, and this time around there's some superb choices: including reference discs I use for testing and some that have featured in our Blu-ray Bounty column!

The Batman is my go-to disc for testing a TV's contrast and the Batmobile scene is perfect for pushing a home theater system to its limits. There's a ton of Batman related 4K discs on offer here, but my other picks would be The Dark Knight and the animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, the latter of which is arguably one of the best parts of Batman: The Animated Series.

Both Blade Runner and Blade Runner: 2049 are included, with the latter serving as a well-known and loved reference disc with stunning picture quality and a superb Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Among my other picks is the gorgeously animated The Wild Robot, sci-fi blockbuster Dune: Part Two, the WWII epic Dunkirk, and Blue Planet II, which features some truly breath-taking scenes.

Amazon 3 for $33 4K Blu-ray sale - my 9 picks

April has arrived, and that means a whole new group of 4K Blu-ray releases, and it’s looking like a real mix! Here at TechRadar, we not only use 4K Blu-ray to test the best TVs and best soundbars, but we’re collectors ourselves. Some of these very discs may find their way onto our shelves!

While it looks like there are tons of great discs coming in April, I’ve selected a few highlights that I’m hoping to feature in the Blu-ray Bounty, our monthly column where we test the latest 4K Blu-ray releases that we think will show off your home theater system: be that picture, audio, or hopefully, both!

In my March most anticipated 4K Blu-ray article, I picked 3: 10 To Yuma (1957), Wicked: For Good, The Breakfast Club, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and Ben-Hur. I got to test four of the five in the March 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, and they looked great. Ben-Hur was delayed in the UK until April 26th, so expect it in this month’s Blu-ray Bounty!

Below, I’ve picked four of my most anticipated discs for April 2026. As I’m based in the UK, these are based on UK 4K releases, so don’t be surprised if your favorite is missing!

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Sony Pictures)

A direct sequel to 28 Years Later (the third movie in the 28 Days Later franchise), 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks up where its predecessor left off. Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) makes a groundbreaking discovery, while Spike (Alfie Williams) is indoctrinated into a cult led by ‘Sir Lord’ Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell).

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has plenty of visually striking scenes, with strong contrast and bright, burning fires, that are sure to look great in 4K, especially with Dolby Vision HDR support. I’m expecting a clean, modern 4K presentation akin to other titles I’ve tested, such as Predator: Badlands.

An action-packed horror like this relies on its sound design, so it’s great news that the 4K disc for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple comes with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack in tow. This will be great for delivering every visceral fight sequence, heart-pounding, eerie scene, and even the moments of calm in nature.

Release dates

US - April 21, 2026

UK - April 20, 2026

Marty Supreme (A24)

Marty Supreme tells the story of Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a table tennis player who vies to become world champion in the 1950s. Directed by Josh Safdie (of the Safdie Brothers, who directed Good Time and Uncut Gems), Marty Supreme was nominated for several Academy Awards in 2026.

The Safdie Brothers are often known for making excellent-looking movies, as anyone who has seen Good Time and Uncut Gems will attest, and Marty Supreme is no different. The 1950s aesthetic, both colorful and gritty, should look great on 4K, and table tennis sequences should be a good test for your display’s motion.

The 4K Blu-ray of Marty Supreme comes with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which will not only be great for delivering the movie’s soundtrack (filled with songs from both the 1950s and 1980s) but also for the movie’s ping pong sequences. I’m looking forward to putting this one through our reference Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar to really test that immersive Atmos feel.

Release dates

US - March 31, 2026

UK - April 6, 2026

Gilda (The Criterion Collection)

Gilda is a classic of Golden Age Cinema and is one of Rita Hayworth’s (who plays the titular Gilda) most famous roles. It tells the story of Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), a gambler who takes a job for a casino owner, only for issues to arise when he realizes the owner’s new wife is his ex-lover, Gilda (Hayworth).

It seems like every month I write about a new Criterion Collection 4K disc that brings new life to an older movie, be it 3:10 To Yuma, Captain Blood, Double Indemnity: I could go on. Gilda looks like it’s set to be the latest entry into this lineage, and I have every faith this movie is going to look excellent in 4K, especially with Dolby Vision HDR included.

The 4K disc of Gilda is only set to feature an LCPM mono soundtrack, but again, as I’ve experienced with a few Criterion Collection 4K discs, I’m expecting a refined soundtrack with clear speech and a clean score. There won’t be anything sound-system-worthy, but it should be great nonetheless.

Release dates

US - April 7, 2026

UK - April 27, 2026

Hamnet (Universal Pictures)

Hamnet tells the story of Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley), wife to playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), who must deal with the tragic loss of their son Hamnet, an event that inspires Shakespeare to write Hamlet. Directed by Chloé Zhao, Hamnet won multiple awards, including Academy Awards for Zhao (Best Director), Buckley (Best Actress), and Best Picture.

Hamnet should look great on 4K Blu-ray. It has contrasting scenes that should really show off all areas of a display. From the lush natural forests with occasionally bold costumes to the grittier, dirtier streets of London, there should be plenty here to serve as a visual feast. Not least of all because Dolby Vision HDR is supported.

While this disc is unlikely to push your system to its limits like an action blockbuster would, the Hamnet 4K release does come with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Where I expect this to shine is during the scenes in the forests and nature. These can often be among the best types of scenes for really showing off a Dolby Atmos sound system, with more subtle sound effects.

Release date

US - March 3, 2026

UK - April 13, 2026

Highlighted releases - April 2026

Below is a list of highlighted releases for April 2026. Both US and UK releases are featured here (which are indicated). Release dates may vary by region, with some titles already released or some coming later in the year. The titles I’ve discussed above are highlighted in bold.

April 6/7

• Gilda (Criterion) (UK release, April 27)
• Mercy (2026) (UK release, April 20)
• Crime Story (UK)
• Marty Supreme (UK)

April 13/14

• Hamnet (UK)
• The Devil’s Backbone
• The Blade (Criterion) (UK)
• Mantrap (US release, April 24)
• The Phantom (1996)
• Monty Python: Life Of Brian
• Becoming Led Zeppelin: Collector’s Edition (UK release, April 27)
• Trouble In Paradise (1932) (Criterion) (UK release, April 20)

April 20/21

• 28 years Later: The Bone Temple
• Die My Love
• Sleepers
• Point Blank
• The Eye

April 27/28

• Moneyball
• Innerspace
• Throw Momma From The Train
• Dust Bunny
• Stardust
• The Protector (UK)

I'm a big fan of 4K Blu-ray. As TechRadar's TV tester, it's a staple source I use when trying out the latest TVs and soundbars, thanks to its unmatched video and audio quality. Not only that, but I'm a collector myself, with plenty of discs bursting off my shelves at home.

So I was naturally delighted to see that HMV is having a big sale on Arrow Films 4K Blu-rays: just the Easter present I wanted!

Arrow Films' 4K discs are a regular feature on our monthly Blu-ray Bounty column, as they produce some excellent quality discs. While there are tons of discs to choose from in the sale, I've picked 6 that will make great additions to any collection.

If you're looking for a true representation of what 4K Blu-ray can do for older movies, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly looks incredible in 4K with crisp, refreshed textures and colors. Thief also looks great, with strong contrast and refined detail.

If you want something with striking colors, Heathers is a fantastic disc. Or, if you want something to really test your TV's contrast skills, Dark City is a brilliantly broody sci-fi/noir flick.

Finally, if you're looking for big crime/action/comedy movies, True Romance is a stellar 4k Blu-ray, while The Wolf of Wall Street provides big, bold comedy laughs with Martin Scorsese's excellent direction.

HMV Arrow Films 4K Blu-ray sale — my 6 picks

Welcome to the March 2026 edition of Blu-ray Bounty, where I’ll be testing the month's latest 4K releases (based on UK release dates) to see whether they make a worthy addition to your, hopefully, growing collection.

If this is your first visit to the Blu-ray Bounty, welcome, and go check out previous editions at the link. In last month’s packed February 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I looked at eight discs: Lawrence of Arabia, Minority Report, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Bugonia, Predator: Badlands, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII, Westworld (1973), and Dogma.

We love 4K Blu-ray here at TechRadar. It’s our staple source for testing the picture quality of the best TVs, as its higher bitrate means better picture quality than 4K streaming, and sound quality of the best soundbars, as 4K Blu-ray has uncompressed soundtracks.

I’ll be using our usual setup for testing this month’s discs. The LG G5, one of 2025’s best OLED TVs, will be the display, and the Panasonic DP-UB820, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market, will be the player. The Samsung HW-Q990C, an 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos soundbar system, will be used for testing these discs’ soundtracks.

As always, I won’t be reviewing these discs based on the movies themselves: just their picture and audio quality and how they can be a good match for your home theater system.

Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

The sequel to the blockbuster musical Wicked, Wicked: For Good, is the conclusion to the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now known by Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), now known as Glinda the Good Witch.

So colorful and vibrant was the original Wicked 4K Blu-ray that it became one of my regular discs for testing TVs. Visually, Wicked: For Good ticks all the same boxes as the original. From the multi-colored flowers outside Munchkinland to the greens of the Emerald City, colors are bold and vibrant, especially with Dolby Vision. They pack plenty of punch throughout, while looking both true-to-life and nicely saturated to suit the movie.

There are also plenty of high-contrast scenes throughout that will show off your display’s contrast, notably the ones where Elphaba sits in the woods, which are somehow always at sunset. This creates strong shadows with nice highlights that look great on the G5. Textures are crisp, and there’s plenty of refined detail throughout as well.

There’s plenty to like about the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, too. Musical numbers are delivered with plenty of scope, space and power, giving vocals and instruments equal room to breathe. But there’s plenty of non-musical elements to test your sound system too. Elphaba’s many broom flights are mapped wonderfully to a surround system, delivering a wide soundstage with plenty of height effects as she soars overhead. As she swoops by, there’s punchy bass too. This disc is an audio showcase as much as it is a visual one.

The Running Man (2025) (Paramount)

A remake of the 1987 original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Running Man (2025) is adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name. It follows Ben Richards (Glenn Powell) as he takes part in a deadly reality show. This version is directed by Edgar Wright (of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame).

The Running Man looks great visually. It has a slick presentation as expected from a modern movie with sharp and realistic textures, but I was surprised to see a good amount of film grain featured, giving the movie an interesting look. With the movie’s futuristic setting, there are some punchy colors via the neon signs and various monitors throughout. Night scenes also deliver strong contrast, with deep blacks mixed with bright lights that look great in Dolby Vision.

The movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack is consistently strong throughout, with bullets, punches and explosions all delivering meaty bass that’s also nicely controlled: perfect for showing off a subwoofer. It also uses every part of its soundstage during car chase sequences and gunfights, each effect delivered with detail and precision. Height channels are used to great effect, too, with the network’s drones and helicopters following Richards throughout the movie.

3:10 To Yuma (1957) (Criterion Collection)

A classic Western, 3:10 To Yuma (1957) tells the story of a rancher named Dan Evans (Van Heflin) who takes on a job to escort an outlaw named Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to his trial in Yuma, Arizona. The movie was remade in 2007, starring Russell Crowe as Wade and Christian Bale as Evans.

I’ve praised what 4K restorations can do for older movies for some time now, and Criterion’s restoration of 3:10 To Yuma is no different: it’s superb. Textures have been beautifully cleaned up – every weather-beaten wrinkle on people’s faces is fully restored – and looking almost modern. The movie is in black and white, and dark tones are deep while white tones are bright, with a full range of gray tones in between. Cinephiles will be happy with the amount of film grain retained, though it’s more obvious in the movie's exterior scenes.

There are two soundtrack options: monaural and DTS-HD MA 5.1. For purists, the monaural soundtrack has been nicely cleaned up, with clear speech and detailed effects. But the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack really shines here. There’s solid bass from the rumble of galloping horses, good surround details during gunfights with ricocheting bullets, and even a wide soundstage, letting the soundtrack breathe. Speech is also crystal clear.

The Breakfast Club (Criterion Collection)

One of the 1980s' most iconic movies from John Hughes, The Breakfast Club is a coming-of-age comedy-drama that tells the story of five teenagers from distinctly different social cliques, all brought in for the same Saturday detention. The film stars Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Michael C. Hall, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy.

The Breakfast Club is another example of a great 4K restoration from Criterion Collection. Colors have some really nice pop throughout, especially in the glossy Coca-Cola cans everyone has at lunch. The bright yellow and red lockers look both punchy and realistic. Textures are nicely restored, with close-up shots of the main characters showing details like stubble and creases in full detail. Cinephiles will love the amount of film grain here, too.

While The Breakfast Club isn’t the audio showcase of an action blockbuster, both its monaural and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks are very good. The DTS-HD 5.1 MA in particular delivers clear speech and precise sound effects, such as the exaggerated squeaking of Bender’s leather boots or the biting of Allison’s nails. The movie’s 80s-centric soundtrack also sounds great, with the powerful punch of synths and drums you want from iconic tracks like Simple Minds’ Don’t You Forget About Me.

The Man Who Wasn’t There (Criterion Collection)

Directed by the Coen Brothers, The Man Who Wasn’t There tells the story of Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber in a small Californian town who tries to blackmail his wife’s lover to raise money for a business venture offered to him by a customer at the barbershop. The movie also stars Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Badalucco, and more.

The Man Who Wasn’t There looks fantastic in 4K. Presented in black and white, there’s a great balance between light and dark tones, with a full range of grays. There are tons of excellent high-contrast scenes throughout, with deep blacks casting strong shadows and balancing with bright highlights. Textures have been cleaned up, with close-up shots showing people’s wrinkles and facial marks with refined detail, while skin appears true-to-life throughout. There’s some nice film grain, too.

The DTS-HD 5.0 surround soundtrack is very clear and refined. Crane’s voiceover is perfectly rendered with good clarity throughout the movie. More subtle sound effects are well presented, too. An unsettling wind, the whir of the clippers in the barber chair, or footsteps in echo-y halls are all well-defined and authentic.

Cutter’s Way (Radiance)

Cutter’s Way follows the story of Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter (John Heard) and his friend Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges), who both become embroiled in a murder investigation, with Cutter convinced that Bone is a witness.

Cutter’s Way is another example of a top-notch 4K restoration. Textures have been refined and look detailed and authentic. People’s skin and the textures in clothing are all true-to-life and look more modern than the 1981 production would suggest. Colors are vibrant throughout, with reds and greens in particular looking punchy. Contrast during night scenes is also strong, and there’s a lot of film grain here for cinephiles, but it doesn’t hamper the picture.

This 4K disc only offers a mono soundtrack, but it sounds clear, with speech and other effects still given enough room to breathe and delivered with good clarity. For those looking for something truly unique, there’s also an isolated score track option, which cuts out all audio other than the score, even during parts of the movie where there's no score. It makes for an interesting watch, and the score itself is bright, loud and detailed if you choose this experience.

Shop our setup

4K Blu-ray is a big deal here at TechRadar. We're fans, collectors, and it's our number one source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars.

Since November 2024, we've had a monthly column called the Blu-ray Bounty, where we write about the best 4K discs from each month, testing how they can show off a home theater system at its best.

2026 has been a great year already for 4K Blu-ray, so I've picked out the top 6 discs that I've tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty.

Lawrence of Arabia is easily one of the most breath-taking 4K discs I've seen, thanks to its stunning, crisp picture quality and wonderfully remastered (and iconic) score.

For those looking for action-packed sci-fi, Minority Report is a thrill on 4K, with a striking but intriguing picture, while Predator: Badlands has plenty of brutal fight scenes to put your sound system through its paces.

Bugonia was one of 2025's sleeper hits, and it's translated well to 4K, with bold visuals and an eerie soundtrack.

Finally, there are two offerings from Criterion Collection, with Captain Blood, which is given new life on 4K with some gorgeous remastering work, and Dead Man, a detailed, dynamic movie that looks seriously clean throughout.

My top 6 of 2026 (so far) - US deals

My top 6 of 2026 (so far) - UK deals

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia is a perfect showcase for what 4K can do. The movie's staggeringly beautiful cinematography looks excellent in 4K, with lifelike textures and colors. Detail is seriously refined and the restoration job is immaculate.

The Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack options not only bring Maurice Jarre's soaring, epic score to life, but also deliver clear speech and some surprisingly impactful bass, as well as detailed surround effetcs.

Minority Report

Minority Report has an intriguing picture, with intentionally grainy and over-bright scenes throughout. But, this 4K restoration, especially in Dolby Vision, translates these choices cleanly, while also delivering strong contrast and sharp visuals that look fantastic.

The DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack included is so immersive, it could be mistaken for Dolby Atmos. The jetpack scene in particular demonstrates a wide soundstage with precise directionality that can really show off a full surround system.

Predator: Badlands

Weighty bass, pinpoint sound-mapping, and engaging impact that feels real, Predator: Badland's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is a superb showcase. Crunching fight scenes, tense scenes with snapping twigs: you name it, this disc has it.

Predator: Badlands is also a great example of a clean, modern 4K presentation. It's got crisp textures, sometimes bold colors, and powerful contrast in the movie's darker scenes.

Bugonia

A visually striking movie, Bugonia looks brilliant in 4K. Color reproduction is sublime, striking a great balance between lifelike and vibrant, detail is refined with realistic textures, and there's good contrast between dark and light tones.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack delivers the movie's tense score well, but it's the film's more visceral moments that are delivered well here, with sickeningly realistic detail.

Captain Blood

Another advert for the power of 4K, Captain Blood has been brilliantly restored. For a movie that's over 90 years old(!), it looks sensational. Textures such as skin and detail in environments appear lifelike. Entirely in black-and-white, contrast is impressive, with nicely defined dark and light tones with plenty of gray in between.

Not a great deal to write about the disc's monoaural soundtrack, but it has been refreshed, meaning speech is clear and effects have good clarity when needed.

Dead Man

Dead Man looks stellar in 4K. Filmed in black-and-white, contrast is strong with dazzling whites and deep blacks, with refined gray tones. Detail is both crisp and realistic, with skin and the beautiful, natural environments given a nice uplift in 4K.

A DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack won't test your system to its limit, but it perfectly translates both Neil Young's excellent solo-guitar score and the sounds of nature and gunfire in equal measure.

4K Blu-ray fans, listen up! Amazon has discounted a load of 4K Blu-rays as part of its Spring Sale, and there are some seriously good titles on offer.

4K Blu-ray is the best way to experience your favorite movies at home, and it's a source we use for testing the best TVs and best soundbars week in and week out. As a 4K Blu-ray fan, this is easily my favorite section of the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale.

• View the full Amazon Spring Deal Days sale

While there is an excellent selection of movies on sale, I've picked 6 of my favorite discs I could find scouring through the discounts. As a bonus, all of these have featured in our Blu-ray Bounty feature, where we look at the very best 4K releases each month.

Featured are two musicals with striking visuals and iconic soundtracks: The Sound of Music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the former of which has now become a reference disc for my TV testing.

Want an action-packed blockbuster? Then The Fantastic Four: First Steps should more than satisfy, with its crisp picture and meaty Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Or if you're after a methodically paced, contrast-rich movie with tons of atmosphere, then there's not much better than Se7en.

Finally, if you want to see what 4K can do for older movies, The Warriors' gritty aesthetic looks revitalised, or there's the colourful world of Tron (1982). Both these 4K discs have given these movies a much-needed facelift.

The best 4K Blu-rays on sale at Amazon

The Sound of Music

Easily one of the best-looking 4K discs I've ever seen, The Sound of Music blew me away with its vibrant colours and beautifully cleaned-up detail, and it's since become one of my go-to testing discs. The market scene in particular is a feast for the eyes!

The Dolby Atmos mix of the legendary soundtrack is spacious, soaring, and delivered with stunning clarity. This will sound fantastic through your home theatre's sound system.

Se7en

Se7en has really benefited from the 4K treatment. Textures look crisp and lifelike, and contrast is powerful, with rich black tones that will really shine on the best OLED TVs.

The DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack accurately delivers the tense, string-laden score without interfering with speech. It even does a great job creating a sense of overhead sound with the rain, despite a lack of height channels in the mix.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Another movie given new life by 4K, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, looks excellent. From the eye-popping colours to the refined textures of the sometimes garish costumes, it's a seriously good-looking disc.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack does wonders for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Iconic songs like 'Time Warp' and 'Sweet Transvestite' are bright, brash, and punchy, with every instrument and vocal given room to breathe. This is how the movie's soundtrack was meant to be heard.

Tron (1982)

While its CGI visuals may now look a bit dated, there's a charm to Tron that's really aided by the fantastic 4K restoration. Colours are bold, textures are refreshed, and even the CGI parts have a new level of detail. Real-world sequences also look fantastic, taking on a 3D-like appearance.

Featuring a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, Tron sounds great. The light cycle scene is perfect for showcasing the sound mapping of your home theatre setup, while the synth-laden score sounds wonderfully bass-heavy throughout.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

You won't be shocked to hear that The Fantastic Four: First Steps looks superb in 4K. Exactly as you'd expect from a modern 4K disc, textures are gorgeous, with real detail in the Fantastic Four's outfits. At the same time, colours are striking and vibrant, with the 1960s aesthetic delivered beautifully.

Whether it's crunching fight scenes, big explosions, or the Human Torch soaring overhead, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Dolby Atmos soundtrack is everything you could want to let your home theatre flex its muscles.

The Warriors

Blending the bold colours of the various gangs' uniforms with the contrast-rich, sometimes bright 1970s New York environments, The Warriors looks brilliant in 4K. Textures have been cleaned up nicely, so even the grimiest subway station looks true-to-life.

While this Paramount version may not feature the Dolby Atmos soundtrack of the Arrow Video 4K, the 5.1 mix included here still delivers fine detail, great impact in fight sequences, and does justice to its song list.

If you're a 4K Blu-ray fan, you need to check out Gruv's 3 for $39 Movie March Madness 4K Blu-ray sale. There are tons of excellent discs in here, with the chance to snag some huge savings. If you're feeling a little lost, I've picked 6 of the best discs I've tested from the sale, some of which featured in our Blu-ray Bounty column!

If you're looking for a visual and audio feast, you can't get much better than Sinners, which has easily one of the best Dolby Atmos scenes I've experienced.

Speaking of Dolby Atmos, F1: The Movie is a powerhouse disc perfect for showing off your home theater speakers.

If you want to see what 4K can do for an older movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is a stunning restoration. Or if you're looking for a disc that's bold and beautiful, The Wild Robot is one of the best-looking animated movies I've seen.

Rounding out the selection are actually two of my reference discs I use to test both the best TVs and best soundbars. The Batman is a movie with powerful contrast and has my go-to audio testing scene and Oppenheimer is a refined, detail rich movie with one of recent cinema's most breath-taking scenes.

I'll go into a bit more detail about each of these picks below, and you'll also find links to alternative places to buy each disc individually.

My top 6 discs from the Gruv sale

Sinners

Sinners is a phenomenal 4K disc for showing off your home theater system for one scene alone: the time-bending barn sequence. When I tested this disc, I was blown away by the pinpoint mapping and the movement of sound during this scene. The music not only filled the room but travelled from speaker to speaker in the Samsung soundbar system I used for testing.

It's a gorgeous 4K disc as well, with plenty of strong contrast scenes, vibrant colors and true-to-life detail that accurately captures the sweltering Mississippi Delta heat.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

I've been continually amazed by what 4K Blu-ray can do for classic movies, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is one of the best recent examples I've seen. The 4K restoration from Warner Bros. breathes new life into the movie, resulting in beautifully upscaled textures that look almost 3D. Colors have received a nice boost too, taking on a much bolder look.

There's not a great deal to write about audio-wise, but again speech has been cleaned up and is crystal-clear throughout the movie, and subtle sound effects like dripping taps are refined.

F1: The Movie

What better way to let your home theater flex its muscles than with an action-packed racing movie filled with tons of bass and engaging sound effects. That's just what F1 is, as cars deliver plenty of rumble for your subwoofer along with a big, Dolby Atmos soundstage where screeching tires and the wind whipping through a driver's cockpit will test your surround speakers.

F1 is a very clean, crisp 4K presentation with realistic textures and punchy colors. There's plenty of motion as cars weave around the track to test your display's motion handling (you may need to experiment with your settings.)

The Wild Robot

A beautiful animated movie, The Wild Robot has a gorgeous art style that translates really well to 4K. A blend of computer animation with slick, crisp textures and paintbrush-style environments that are both detailed and vibrant, with colors really exploding on screen throughout. It's a seriously good-looking disc.

There's a spacious and engaging Dolby Atmos soundtrack that delivers rain overhead through the height channels, as well as bird calls, snapping twigs and screeching animals in a detailed and authentic manner.

The Batman

One of my main discs I use for testing, The Batman is excellent in 4K. There's plenty of high-contrast scenes, with a great balance between light and dark tones. Textures show a lot of depth too, from the patchy stubble on Batman's face to the detail in his armor. This disc will really test how your TV handles dark scenes (you may need to watch in a dimmer room, too).

A blistering Dolby Atmos soundtrack, The Batman features my primary audio testing scene: the Batmobile/Penguin car chase. From the room-filling bass of the Batmobile's engine, to the pouring rain, screeching horns and tires of passing cars and the Penguin's shouting, it really is a perfect scene to test every aspect of your home theater setup.

Oppenheimer

Visually striking, Oppenheimer again tests all aspects of your display. There's punchy colors in the environments and true-to-life detail in people's worn faces and the clothing they wear. I use this disc in my testing for its black and white scenes — these are great way of assessing screen uniformity and contrast, as there's a nice, wide range of black, white and gray tones throughout.

There's plenty to love audio-wise in Oppenheimer too. Ludwig Göransson's score is dynamic and captivating, with the 'Can you hear the music?' scene as a particular standout. There's also the raw, unyielding moments involving explosions and the sound of atoms in Oppenheimer's head. A truly excellent DTS soundtrack.

A new month means a new group of 4K Blu-rays, and March 2026 is looking very stacked! As big 4K Blu-ray fans here at TechRadar, that’s great news as we can look to add more discs to our catalogue for testing the best TVs and best soundbars, as well as looking to add to our bursting shelves.

While it’s difficult to cover every new disc released each month, I’ve picked my highlights from March that I’m hoping to feature as part of the Blu-ray Bounty. This is my monthly column where I test new 4K discs released each month, analyzing their picture and audio quality to see how they can help your home theater flex its muscles.

Last month, I was excited to test four new 4K discs in particular including Lawrence of Arabia, Minority Report, Predator: Badlands and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and thankfully, I got to test all four (and more) as part of the February 2026 Blu-ray Bounty. Spoiler: they all looked great, but Lawrence of Arabia was particularly mind-blowing.

So, here are my top 5 picks for March! A quick note: I’m based in the UK, so these picks are based on the UK release dates. Some of these may already be available in your region.

Ben-Hur (1959) (Warner Bros.)

An iconic epic from Hollywood’s Golden Age, Ben Hur is the story of Judah Ben-Hur (played by Charlton Heston), a former nobleman sentenced to slavery after he is framed for treason, who must now regain his freedom and seek revenge. The movie set the record for largest set design and budget when it was released in 1959.

If Ben-Hur’s 4K restoration is anything like Lawrence of Arabia, then it’s sure to look staggering. Another epic filmed with a grand sense of scale, this 4K release is sourced from a new 8K scan and is presented in Dolby Vision, so it’s sure to shine. I’m hoping for bold colors, crisp textures and realistic details. The movie won multiple Academy Awards for its production design and art direction: let’s see if the 4K release will do it justice.

This 4K release supports a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which will be perfect for delivering the grandiose score and all the action from the iconic chariot races. I’m hoping for big, room-filling audio with a nice soundstage that’ll come across nicely through our Dolby Atmos sound system.

Release dates:

US - February 17, 2026

UK - March 23, 2026

The Man Who Wasn’t There (Criterion Collection)

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen, The Man Who Wasn’t There is a noir movie inspired by the likes of Double Indemnity and Shadow Of A Doubt. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed Crane, a man who plans to blackmail his wife’s boss for money in order to pursue a business venture, only for chaos to ensue. The cast is star studded and features Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Scarlett Johansson and Tony Shalhoub.

In my time reviewing 4K Blu-rays, I’ve come to really appreciate what the format can do for black-and-white movies. Done right, the contrast can really allow a display to show off, particularly one like our reference LG G5 we use for testing. The Man Who Wasn’t There is filmed entirely in black-and-white in an homage to classic noir movies, so I’m hoping this 4K release from Criterion will bring out strong contrast as well as crisp details.

There’s no Dolby Atmos soundtrack included, but there is support for DTS-HD 5.0 Master Audio. These soundtracks have often surprised me with how immersive they can be, rivalling Atmos at times even without the 3D sound engineering. From the voiceover to Carter Burwell’s score, here’s hoping the DTS soundtrack can deliver the noir goodness.

Release dates:

US - February 24, 2026

UK - March 2, 2026

Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

The sequel to the smash hit Wicked, Wicked: For Good picks up after the events of the first movie — Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, whereas her friend Glinda (Ariana Grande) lives in the Emerald City, beloved by the local populace.

Wicked: For Good may not have been a hit with the critics, but Wicked remains one of my most regularly used 4K discs for testing, so I'm looking forward to this one still. The original popped and dazzled with color that was really brought to life by Dolby Vision. I suspect the sequel will deliver a similar picture, so hopefully it can be added to my arsenal of testing discs with some new scenes to show off.

While I anticipate Wicked: For Good will deliver a soaring, Dolby Atmos soundtrack with plenty of nuances to test a home theater system, the question is whether it’ll have anything as strong as the ‘Defying Gravity’ scene to really show off the disc’s audio chops. We'll see!

Release date:

US - January 20, 2026

UK - March 9, 2026

3:10 To Yuma (1957) (Criterion Collection)

A classic Western, 3:10 To Yuma follows the story of Dan Evans (Van Heflin), a rancher who takes on a job to escort notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to a train heading for Yuma, where the latter is set to stand trial. There was a remake in 2007 starring Russel Crowe and Christian Bale.

As I said above, I’ll always marvel at what 4K can do for black-and-white movies, especially classics remastered with tons of visual detail. I’m really hoping to see beautiful filmic textures and powerful contrast with a great range of black, white and gray tones. Nearly every 4K disc of pre-1970s movies from Criterion has looked excellent, so I’ve got high hopes for this disc, especially since it supports Dolby Vision.

Westerns are often great for testing out a home theater system’s sound, thanks to big gunfights to test the width and accuracy, and galloping horses to demo the heft. This 4K release supports both uncompressed monaural and DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtracks, the latter of which should really capture the intensity of a classic Western.

Release dates:

US - February 3, 2026

UK - March 9, 2026

The Breakfast Club (Criterion Collection)

One of John Hughes’ seminal coming-of-age teen dramas, The Breakfast Club tells the story of five students from different backgrounds/cliques on the same Saturday detention. It stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy as the five students. This release is long overdue here in the UK.

While I don't expect the dynamic visuals of other 4K discs, The Breakfast Club has some good potential, especially as this 4K release is from Criterion and supports Dolby Vision HDR. This hopefully means vibrant colors in the loud '80s outfits and likely a nice visual upgrade on textures and skin tones. Plus, I’m a fan of the movie, so I’m keen to see it in its best quality.

The 4K release comes with an uncompressed monaural and DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Again, there aren’t a ton of scenes in the movie to show off your home theater, but the film’s glorious soundtrack should come across nicely in a DTS mix.

Release dates:

US - November 4, 2025

UK - March 9, 2026

Highlighted releases - March 2026

Below is a list highlighting some of the big 4K Blu-ray releases for March 2026. There’s a mix of both US and UK releases here (which are indicated) and some titles may have already been released in other regions, or are set for release later in the year. Titles discussed above are in bold below.

March 2/3

• The Running Man (2025)
• Now You See Me, Now You Don’t (UK)
• Hamnet (US)
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983) (US)
• The Man Who Wasn’t There (Criterion) (UK)

March 9/10

• The Breakfast Club (Criterion) (UK)
• 3:10 To Yuma (1957) (Criterion) (UK)
• It Came From Outer Space (1953) (UK)
• Devil’s Advocate (US)
• Somewhere In Time (US)
• Wicked: For Good (UK)
• Battlestar Galactica (1978) (UK)
• Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (UK)

March 16/17

• Jurassic Park (new 4K re-release with Dolby Vision and Atmos) (US)
• The Lost World (new 4K re-release with Dolby Vision and Atmos) (US)
• Jurassic Park III (new 4K re-release with Dolby Vision and Atmos) (US)
• Jurassic World (new 4K re-release with Dolby Vision and Atmos) (US)
• Ray (US)
• Fade To Black (UK)
• Spaceballs (UK)
• Anaconda (2025) (US) (UK release, March 22)
• The Housemaid (US) (UK release, March 30)

March 23/24

• Ben-Hur (UK)
• Cutter’s Way
• Killers Of The Flower Moon (US)
• Hail, Caesar! (US)
• A Bridge Too Far (US)

March 30/31

• Marty Supreme (US)
• Salem’s Lot (1979)
• The Gambler (1974) (US)
• Hard Boiled (UK)

Amazingly, next year is the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, as the original movie (A New Hope) was first released in theaters on May 25, 1977. While it has become an entertainment juggernaut, spawning movies, TV shows, video games, toys — heck, just about everything — the original trilogy remains the most popular and nostalgic part of this legendary franchise.

Star Wars is a big part of my life, as I’m not only a fan but I also regularly use scenes from across the Star Wars universe to test the best TVs and best soundbars. The throne room lightsaber fight in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a feast for the eyes, while the Death Star attack run in Star Wars A New Hope is a wonderful audio test, especially with Dolby Atmos.

For physical media collectors, myself included, Star Wars (and all its movies and TV shows) have been released in just about every format you can think of, from VHS to 4K Blu-ray and beyond: and there’s a new release (or re-release) on the horizon. Outlets such as Gizmodo and Comic Book Resources have noted that an advert on Amazon US suggests the infamous Special Edition versions of the original trilogy (first released in 1997) are coming to Blu-ray in April 2026.

The Special Editions were George Lucas’ ‘true vision’ and featured new scenes and CGI implementations, most notably the Jabba The Hutt and Han Solo scene in Mos Eisley (which was cut from the original 1977 version). To say these changes were divisive is an understatement. People mainly took issue with the random, distracting CGI creatures shoe-horned into scenes.

With this new release (re-release) of the Special Editions coming to Blu-ray, it has once again shone a light on what fans really want: the original cut on 4K.

Just give us what we want, Disney

As both a Star Wars and 4K Blu-ray fan, I, like many of my nerd family, have been clamoring for a 4K Blu-ray release of the theatrical cut of the original Star Wars trilogy. No CGI, no extra scenes, no screwed-around-with edits: the original cut. (And ideally I’d like it with upscaled textures, some lovely Dolby Vision HDR and a full-fat Dolby Atmos soundtrack, thanks.)

The original trilogy, along with the rest of the ‘Skywalker Saga’, is already available on 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming. While these do look and sound great, with the Dolby Vision and Atmos flavors I asked for above, these are again edited from the original cut and contain all the padding most Star Wars fans don’t want.

For any non-Star Wars fans reading and wondering why the original trilogy’s cuts haven’t been released, you can (allegedly) thank George Lucas. Reportedly, as part of the sale terms to Disney in 2012, the original, theatrical cut for Star Wars was never to be released on home media: only Lucas’ edited version. As Lucas himself said in 2024: “Sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it, but I want it to be the way I want it to be”. Damnit, George.

It’s gotten to the stage where fans are so rabid for the original cut that some have made what is referred to as ‘despecialized editions’ of the original trilogy, most famous of which is Harmy’s Despecialized Edition from 2011, in which the picture and audio improvements have stayed but all the CGI edits have been removed. The issue is, these editions are very rare and expensive. Anyone wanting the original trilogy on Blu-ray or 4K has to stick with the various cuts from the Special Editions onward. Or so we thought.

A New Hope (literally)

In June 2025, a ballot of BFI members went to a screening of the original cut of Star Wars: A New Hope, remastered and restored. And it’s now been confirmed on Star Wars official website that the original movie, in its theatrical cut glory, will be getting a run in theaters in 2027, first releasing February 19, to celebrate 50 years of the original. Huzzah!

While this isn’t the news of a physical media release I was hoping for, it’s a step in the right direction. We thought the original cut would never see the light of day again, but here it is — even if it is a ‘limited run’. But that’s not the only news.

At the tail end of 2025, several screenshots and video clips of Star Wars being remastered in 4K were leaked onto Imgur (as you’d expect, these are now long gone). This sent places like Reddit into a frenzy, with fans in this thread from r/blurayboutique hoping this was the news of a 4K home release we’d been waiting for.

Cut to 2026 and these could have been leaks from the announced 50th Anniversary theatrical run, but what if they weren’t? What if it was from a planned 4K Blu-ray release? What if Disney has finally decided to say, 'screw George Lucas, let's give Star Wars fans what they’ve been after?'

We’re all looking to new President of Star Wars Dave Feloni, a confessed Star Wars fan who’s worked on projects such as the excellent Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon, for answers on a 4K Blu-ray theatrical cut release. Help us Dave Feloni: you’re our only hope.

Welcome to another edition of the Blu-ray Bounty, where I'll look at the latest 4K releases from February 2026 (UK release dates) and seeing whether they’re worthy of joining your collection.

If this is your first time reading the Blu-ray Bounty, you can check out previous editions in that link. In last month’s article, the January 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I looked at Tron: Ares, Captain Blood, Dead Man, Yi Yi, The Dead and Black Phone 2.

4K Blu-ray is a big deal for us here at TechRadar. It’s one of our main sources for testing the picture quality of the best TVs, thanks to its higher bitrate compared to 4K streaming, and for testing the sound quality of said TVs. We also use it to test the best soundbars, thanks to its uncompressed soundtracks.

For most of this month’s titles, I’ll be using our reference setup. Our display is the LG G5, one of the best OLED TVs of 2025; the Panasonic DP-UB820, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market, and finally the Samsung HW-Q990C, Samsung’s 2023 flagship 11.1.4 channel, multi-box system.

As usual, we won’t be reviewing the movies themselves, just the picture and audio quality of each 4K disc to see whether it’s going to give your home theater system a real chance to show off.

Lawrence of Arabia (Sony)

One of cinema’s most iconic epics, Lawrence Of Arabia tells the story of T. E. Lawrence (played by Peter O’Toole in the movie), a former British army officer and his time in the Ottoman Empire during WWI. Alec Guinness also stars as Prince Faisal.

From the very get-go, it’s easy to see why this has been a popular release: this 4K Blu-ray Lawrence of Arabia is stunning. Presented in Dolby Vision, the sheer majesty and scope of the movie’s cinematography is accurately delivered with breathtaking detail. Epic landscape shots reveal intricate textures, while close-ups of characters show weather-beaten skin and Lawrence’s sand-coated hair down to the finest margin.

The blue of the sky and the the red sashes of some of Faisal’s men are bold, vibrant and deep. Even night-time sequences demonstrate superb shadow detail, with rich black tones. Bright TVs will thrive with lighter tones, such as Lawrence’s iconic white uniform, which really shines.

Contrast is also powerful, with a great balance between light and dark tones in high-contrast scenes, such the capture of Aqaba. Cinephiles will also be pleased with the amount of film grain present.

There are plenty of audio soundtrack options to choose from on this disc, with both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD MA 5.1 included. The Atmos soundtrack is spacious and detailed, delivering Maurice Jarre’s legendary score with all the gusto and scale you could wish for.

Elsewhere, speech is crystal clear and other effects, such as ricocheting bullets, the trotting of camel’s feet and even the wind are pinpoint and accurately mapped to the action on screen. Even bass is incredibly hefty, with the ambush on the train at the start of disc two (yes, this is a two-disc movie) delivering huge rumble from the explosions and machine gun fire.

Minority Report (20th Century Studios)

Minority Report, loosely based on a Philips K. Dick novella, follows 'precrime' — a police division that apprehends murderers before they commit the crime — led by detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise), who finds himself facing the prediction that he'll commit a murder of a man he's never met. The movie also stars Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow and Samantha Morton.

Steven Spielberg’s semi-dystopian thriller finally gets the 4K HDR upgrade that fans have been waiting for, and it’s been worth it. Despite the movie being made with color grading and noise that seems almost intentionally designed to go against the crispness and brightness of modern screens, it looks stunning.

That’s partly because, although the palette and tones are muted, there are moments of dazzling brightness. Highlights especially have been intentionally crushed into white tones that really shine off the screen, in careful contrast to the murkier elements. And the tone depth of Dolby Vision helps the darker scenes to retain a ton of detail among the difficult shady areas on-screen.

And although there’s a haze of intentional grain across everything, the sharpness of film does often shine through — this is where the high bitrate of Blu-ray is an advantage, so you have both noise and texture overlapping.

I was actually a little surprised to see that the soundtrack is in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 rather than Dolby Atmos, because the effects in it are extremely immersive. In the jetpack fight scene and the escape along the magnetic car highway, there’s really precise and specific spatial movement, and plenty of feeling of height despite no official height channels. Minority Report looks excellent, but the audio is probably its best feature.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (20th Century Studios)

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a biopic starring Jeremy Allen White as musician Bruce Springsteen, focusing particularly on the writing and recording of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska, an acoustic album that broke the mould of Springsteen’s previous and following albums.

Where else to start but with audio? The movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack really shines during musical sequences, particularly concerts. The Atmos mixes of some of Springsteen’s most classic tracks thrive — Born To Run in the opening scenes delivers soaring vocals, thunderous drums, mighty horns and driving guitars that feel big, bold and authentic. Even in the quieter, acoustic moments, the soundtrack sounds delicate and intricate with each aspect given plenty of room to breathe.

As you’d expect from a modern movie on 4K, this is a good-looking movie. There’s plenty of great-looking high-contrast scenes where bold lights balance with dark backgrounds, such as the concerts themselves and the neon sign of the diner at night.

Textures are crisp and clean, with plenty of refined detail in clothing, faces and even instruments. Colors are true-to-life and bolder hues, such as the neon signs, have plenty of pop.

Bugonia (Universal Pictures)

Bugonia — starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Aiden Delbis — tells the story of two men who kidnap a CEO, believing she is an alien who's part of a great conspiracy to manipulate the human race. It's a remake of the 2003 Korean movie Save The Green Planet!, it's directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favorite), and it's the second movie here involving a bald Oscar-favorite actress covered in white goo.

Bugonia looks great on 4K Blu-ray. Colors are both rich and natural throughout, from the lush greens of the grass around Teddy’s house to the saturated, bright reds of blood throughout different parts of the movie. There’s some nice, strong contrast as well, with good brightness and inky blacks.

Textures are authentic, particularly in close-up shots of people’s faces, showing real detail in places such as Teddy’s ragged beard and Fuller’s smooth skin.

The 4K Blu-ray has a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that's perfect for delivering the movie’s often tense and foreboding score. Whether it’s the scratching violins or deep, humming bass tones, the Atmos soundtrack envelops you. Other effects such as the swarming bees sound precise and well-mapped, with more violent moments sounding disturbingly visceral and clear.

Predator: Badlands (Universal Pictures)

The latest entry in the Predator universe, it tells the story of Dek (played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a Yautja exiled from his planet, who must prove himself by hunting a predator on another planet. Here, he forms an alliance with Thia (played by Elle Fanning), an android.

Predator: Badlands looks as you’d expect for a modern, sci-fi/action movie. There’s nice crisp textures with plenty of detail, from the parts in weapons to the Yautja’s faces. The reds of the laser weaponry used by Dek has a nice vibrancy to it, delivering great highlights in some scenes. Elsewhere, colors such as the green of the forest look convincing. There are plenty of dark scenes that demonstrate great shadow depth, as well as powerful contrast when lights punch through.

This is another great example of an action-packed Dolby Atmos soundtrack. During fight scenes, punches have plenty of impact, drawing out some meaty bass. Surround-sound effects such gunfire, cracking branches and all the various creatures of the planet ticking and screeching will really show off each speaker in your setup, delivered with clarity and detail.

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII (Sony)

Recorded in 1971, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII is a concert film that sees the band perform some of their early hits in an abandoned amphitheater in Pompeii. The full feature film, which also features studio sessions of as-yet-unreleased tracks such as Us and Them, is included, but you can also watch just the Pompeii concert itself.

There are three audio tracks to choose from here: 2.0 uncompressed stereo LCPM, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Atmos (which is only available in the feature film, and is new). While all three sound excellent, it’s the Atmos track that shines. The spacious nature of Atmos is perfect for Pink Floyd’s music, giving it extra layers.

In A Saucerful of Secrets, the organs and lead guitar balance perfectly and there’s a real room-filling soundstage. Bass is tightly controlled and precise, with the bass guitar and drums delivered with real control.

Even in more chaotic sections such as Careful With That Axe, Eugene, the Atmos soundtrack again allows the thrashing instruments to breathe, meaning every one can be picked out. In the more psychedelic tracks, like Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, the tom-toms on the drumkit work seamlessly with the crescendoing guitar and spacey keyboards to create an engaging and dynamic sound.

I obviously expected this disc to sound amazing, but as a surprise bonus it also looks absolutely stunning. Meticulously restored from the original 35mm footage, the movie’s striking imagery has been restored beautifully and accurately, somehow looking both modern and classic at the same time.

Close-up shots of instruments and the band show just how crisp detail is, how refined textures are, and even demonstrate bold colors wherever they pop up, such as the gold of the Sennheiser microphones used throughout.

Westworld (Arrow Video)

Directed and written by Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park), Westworld tells the story of an amusement park split into three separate worlds — Westworld, Medieval World and Roman World — that are filled with androids that guests can interact with as they see fit. Problems soon arise as the androids begin to malfunction. The movie stars James Brolin as John, Richard Benjamin as Peter, and Yul Brenner as the Gunslinger.

Arrow Video’s 4K restoration of Westworld is excellent. Textures are extremely clean, with skin appearing natural, and more small-scale details such as the parts of a gun that Peter swings around looking clear and refined.

Colors are rich with a real boldness in places, such as the green of John’s shirt or the bright red walls of the brothel. Black tones are deep, and there are a few scenes that showcase strong contrast. There's a nice amount of film grain present, though less so than in some other movies I’ve seen.

There are a few soundtrack options on offer, including 4.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 5.1. The 5.1 soundtrack is more spacious, with a wider soundstage and a more natural sound profile. Sounds like ricocheting bullets are accurately mapped between my soundbar and the picture. Speech is clearly presented throughout as well.

Dogma - 25th Anniversary (Vision Home Media)

Dogma, directed by Kevin Smith, stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as Bartleby and Loki, two fallen angels cast out from Heaven by God who try to find a loophole in Catholic Dogma to return to Heaven. They are pursued by angels and a descendent of Jesus to stop them. The movie also stars Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith as Jay and Silent Bob, and also features Alan Rickman, George Carlin, Chris Rock and more. This 4K release has been out for a while in the US, but we’re only just getting it here in the UK.

For its 25th Anniversary 4K release, Vision Home Media has done a solid job bringing Dogma to Ultra HD. Textures are crisp and clean, and this restoration really breathes new life into this movie. There’s no Dolby Vision support, but HDR colors throughout the movie still have a rich vibrancy, such as the green forests by the highway. Dark tones are nice and deep, especially Alan Rickman’s hair and jacket, but also look accurate — plus there’s great contrast in darker environments like the bar where Rufus hangs out.

The main soundtrack option here is a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack. While there aren’t a ton of scenes to really show off your speakers, the soundtrack delivers clear speech throughout, which is well balanced with the score. Any slapstick moments such as explosions, gunshots or flames are delivered with a decent impact too. Interestingly, the UK version doesn’t support the Dolby Atmos soundtrack that the US version does, so I can't speak to that.