Blu-ray VS 4K: Learn the Detailed Comparison and Contrast
The convenience and affordability of watching movies at home has become even more apparent with the rise of streaming services. If you would like to experience the same cinematic vibes at home, you can use Blu-rays or streaming apps for it. Hence, you should know the levels of Blu-rays that you use. Therefore, let us learn from this Blu-ray vs 4K article with regard to the said gist above. So, without further adieu, let’s get this learning started.
Part 1. Introduction to Blu-ray, 4K, and 4K Streaming
Over the years, movie enthusiasts have been jumping from one theater to the other to catch the greatest movie on a big screen with excellent quality. And with the recent pandemic, one of the changes brought to the community is the home movies, where the convenience and cost-effectiveness of streaming are found at home. In connection with this, you need to know what Blu-ray and 4K are to see which you can acquire at home.
What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray, on the other hand, is the successor of DVD discs. It is a kind of disc developed in 2000 by Sony and was released in 2006. It comes with a 1920×1080 Blu-ray resolution with 50-60 interlaced fps, giving an in-depth color display. In addition, the Blu-ray capacity is more than 20GB and a Blu-ray disc can store movies with two hours duration faster and easier than others.
What is 4K Ultra HD?
4K UHD is known to be the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc. Although there is also a kind of video resolution that is known to be 4K, that is another topic to handle. Meanwhile, 4K UHD discs debuted in 2016 with 2 times the picture quality compared to the regular Blu-rays. This kind of disc comes with a 3840×2160 video display resolution with 60fps H.265 coding. This means it has a more in-depth color on TV shows and films.
What is 4K Steaming?
4K Streaming is a popular tech for watching movies or TV shows in 4K with 4K Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, etc. Moreover, you can still use a steaming device like Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, etc., to enjoy a stunning picture and theatre-quality Dolby Atmos sound at home. However, you need to make sure your internet speed keeps around 25 to 50 Mbps to stream 4K successfully.
Part 2. Compare 4K Blu-ray and Regular Blu-ray
What is Blu-ray 4K? 4K Blu-ray is referred to as Ultra HD Blur-ray and was first released on February 14, 2016. It is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. So the difference between 4K Blu-ray and regular Blu-ray lies in Blu-ray vs Ultra HD. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 3840 × 2160 pixel resolution of 4K UHD video, while common Blu-ray only supports 1920 × 1080 pixel resolution. So, the biggest difference is their resolution. In other words, 4K Blu-ray was invented for better visual enjoyment because the standard Blu-ray Discs only support 2K resolution. Meanwhile, a standard Blu-ray player cannot play 4K Blu-ray Discs. If you want to learn to play 4K Blu-ray movies on a Blu-ray player, you can click to read. Besides, when it comes to 4K Blu-ray vs Streaming, you should understand that 4K Blu-ray discs have the edge on stability and the rates for data transfer. So, if your internet connection is poor, you should take 4K Blu-ray as your first choice.
Part 3. Comparison and Contrast of Blu-ray, 4K Ultra UHD and 4K Streaming
Is Blu-ray 4K? What are their differences? Perceive more on this 4K UHD vs. Blu-ray topic. The table below is presented.
Features | Blu-ray | 4K Ultra UHD | 4K Streaming |
---|---|---|---|
Price | Blu-rays cost 15 to 20 dollars per disc. | 4K UHD costs 25-30 dollars per disc. | It depends on apps & devices |
Laser Type | 405nm blue laser type. | 405nm blue laser type. | 405nm blue laser type. |
Resolution | 1920×1080 resolution or 2K. | 3840×2160 resolution or 4K. | 3840×2160 resolution or 4K. |
Region Coding | Most of the Blu-rays are coded with A/1, B/2, and C/3. And some are region-free. | All 4K Ultra HD are region-free. | All 4K Ultra HD are region-free. |
Size of the Storage | The single layer has 25GB, and the double layer has a 50GB storage size. | The single layer has 50GB, the double layer has 66GB, and its triple-layer comes with 100 GB. | It depends on specific apps and devices. |
Audio Technology | Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. | Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. | Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. |
Rates for the Data Transfer | 82 Mbps- 128 Mbps. | Not over 54 Mbps. | Around 25 Mbps. |
Screen Range | It comes with a dynamic range. | It comes with a dynamic range. | It comes with a dynamic range. |
When it comes to 4k Blu-ray vs Streaming, as you can see, the main difference between the two falls on the price, the size of capacity storage. Whereas, 4K UHD has more stability than 4K Streaming. With the factual insights above, 4K UHD has the upper hand compared to Blu-ray. The differences between Blue-ray and 4K lie in their price, size of storage, and rates for the data transfer. However, both can be a good choice, especially if you will turn the video or movie content into a digital video by ripping them. Thus, if you like the idea of transcoding your desired movie to play on your non-Blu-ray player, then proceed to the extra part below.
Part 4. How to Rip 4K Blu-ray to Common Video Formats
To achieve an excellent ripping procedure and cinematic quality, then there is nothing to use besides Tipard Blu-ray Converter. It is a flexible software you can obtain on any computer you use. Furthermore, it is an extraordinary ripping tool that offers multiple features helpful for your digital videos. Aside from its ripping tool that allows you to rip and transform movies into more than 500 formats at a 30 times faster procedure, it also comes with other great tools.
Tipard Blu-ray Converter
- 1. Easily convert Blu-ray into your desired formats like MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, etc.
- 2. Rip 4K Blu-ray movies to 4K/HD videos with ease.
- 3. Customize the videos by enhancing their resolution, reducing shakes, etc.
- 4. Allow you to rip and transform movies into more than 500 formats at a 30 times faster procedure.
Step 1Get the tool by clicking the Download button applicable to the type of computer you use below.
Step 2Run the tool on your computer and click the Load Blu-ray button at the top right corner of the interface to import the Blu-ray you want to rip.
Note: inserting the Blu-ray disc into your computer drive before you run the ripping tool is a must.
Step 3Then, when the Blu-ray is loaded, hover over to the end part where the format menu tab is and click its Arrow drop-down button.
Step 4Once clicked, a new window will pop up. From there, please choose your desired format for the ripping output. Please choose among those that support 4K and 1080p resolutions, as seen on the right side of the interface. Then, click your preferred resolution after.
Step 5Finally, hit the Rip All button when you return to the main interface. Wait till the fast ripping process finishes, then check the ripped Blu-ray in the folder shown in the Saved To option.
Part 5. FAQs about 4K and Blu-ray
Blu-ray vs. 4K Ultra HD, which is rippable with VLC?
Unfortunately, none of the two is rippable with VLC. Because, in the first place, a VLC media player doesn’t have a ripping feature. However, you can use VLC to play Blu-ray.
Can I find HDR video support on Blu-ray?
No. Blu-ray doesn’t support HDR video. On the other, 4K Ultra HD is the one that supports HDR video with Dolby Vision.
Is a 4K UHD disc better than Blu-ray concerning video games?
No. Blu-ray is the better choice for video games since this disc comes with a red light that helps lengthen the wavelengths.
1080p vs 4K: Which is better for video playback?
There are many differences between 1080p and 4K, but in general 4K has many pixels and looks sharper and more detailed than other resolutions. Because it has several pixels, the image can be viewed on a larger screen without distortion, making it more suitable for video playback.
Conclusion
There you have it. This article that shows the Blu-ray vs. 4K content was written to help you decide which of the two is best to acquire. In the meantime, if you don't have the 4K UHD, you can convert the Blu-ray content to a 4K video using Tipard Blu-ray Converter.