We love 4K Blu-ray here at TechRadar and regularly use it as one of our main sources for testing the latest AV equipment.
In November 2024, we started the Blu-ray Bounty, a monthly column where we review the latest 4K Blu-ray releases. But we don’t write about the movies themselves. Instead, we use the best TVs and best soundbars to evaluate each disc’s picture and sound quality.
We’ve decided to increase our 4K Blu-ray coverage going forward, and to that end, I’ll be regularly previewing announced discs that I hope to feature in future editions of the Blu-ray Bounty. Here’s my January 2026 wishlist:
Captain Blood (1935) - The Criterion Collection
Based on the 1922 novel of the same name, Captain Blood, starring Errol Flynn, is a classic swashbuckling pirate adventure that tells the story of the pirate Peter Blood. It was the movie that made Flynn a star in Hollywood.
I’ve found during my testing for the Blu-ray Bounty that some of the most impressive discs are 4K restorations of older movies. Double Indemnity, one of my favorite discs, really shows what 4K can do for classic titles. Add Seven Samurai, Godzilla (1954) and Sunset Boulevard to that list, and the lineup of superb releases of older movies just keeps growing.
Captain Blood would be the oldest movie I’ve evaluated to date. Released in 1935, it’s a full ten years older than the current oldest (Dead of Night), so I’m very curious to see if The Criterion Collection has worked its magic once again. As it's shot in black and white, I’m hoping for a restoration that demonstrates strong contrast, revitalized textures and a cleaner overall look, but with some film grain maintained.
Dead Man (1995) - The Criterion Collection
Referred to as a "psychedelic Western” by director Jim Jarmusch, Dead Man follows William Blake (Johnny Depp), an accountant on the run who encounters a Native American named Nobody (Gary Farmer) who becomes convinced Blake is the reincarnation of the famous poet of the same name.
Two highlights of Dead Man are its black and white picture and its Neil Young-composed score. I’m hoping this will be another great disc for demonstrating contrast, and it’ll be interesting to do a comparison of a modern title shot in black and white with an older title, such as Captain Blood.
Young’s score for Dead Man is one of the more unique ones I’ve heard, as it is almost entirely performed on a single electric guitar. Played by Young, it features big, chugging riffs, slick Western-sounding solos and some guitar effects wizardry. I’m excited to hear this remastered soundtrack played through our reference soundbar system, the Samsung HW-Q990C.
Tron: Ares - Disney / Buena Vista
The third movie in the Tron franchise, Tron: Ares, starring Jared Leto, follows the story of Ares, a digital entity who is brought into the physical world by Dillinger Industries, a rival of ENCOM.
I tested both Tron and Tron: Legacy in the September 2025 Blu-ray Bounty and both discs were excellent. Even though its CGI looked dated, Tron was arguably the more impressive, with brilliant color detail and an impressive soundtrack. The same was true of Tron: Legacy, where the real highlight was Daft Punk’s superb soundtrack.
While Tron: Ares received mixed reviews upon its release, its visuals and sound have been praised, and that’s what we’re all about here at TechRadar. I’m looking forward to seeing if Tron: Ares can follow its predecessors as a great showcase disc for home theater systems.
Yi Yi - The Criterion Collection
From director Edward Yang, Yi Yi is a Taiwanese movie that tells the story of an engineer called NJ, his struggles, and the struggles of three generations of his family. It earned Yang the Best Director Award at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival.
Although this is not a movie I’ve personally watched, a quick Google image search yields striking visuals, particularly a shot of a bold red room. This could be a perfect disc to test a TV’s color reproduction, and I’m keen to see if the 4K disc from The Criterion Collection captures the film’s vivid colors.
Below are the release dates for major 4K Blu-rays in January 2026, with the ones above in bold. All dates are based on US release dates with UK releases in brackets if different.
4K Blu-ray release dates - January 2026
January 6th
- Tron: Ares (January 12th UK)
- Dead Man (January 12th UK)
- Under Siege
- Bullet in the Head
- The Mirror Crack’d
January 12th
- Yi Yi (January 19th UK)
- Snakes on a Plane
- Cruising
- Dante’s Peak
- Bringing Out The Dead
- Evil Dead Rise
January 20th
- Captain Blood (January 26th UK)
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983 live action)
- One Battle After Another (January 26th UK)
- The Dead (1987) (January 26th UK)
- Death On The Nile (1978)
- Evil Under The Sun (1982)
- Diva (1981)
- Keeper (2025)
- Altered (2025)
January 26th/27th
- The Smashing Machine
- Kiss of the Spider-Woman
- Birth (2004)
- Once A Thief
- The Mechanic (1982)
- Wild Beasts (1984)
- The Dam Busters
- House Party
- Troll 2
- American Graffiti (UK)
- The Blues Brothers 45th Anniversary (UK)
- Field of Dreams (UK)
➡️ Read our full guide to the best 4k Blu-ray players
1. Best overall
Panasonic DP-UB820
2. Best budget
Sony UBP-X700
3. Best premium
Panasonic DP-UB9000
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