DVDs have been around for decades, and if you’re an early adopter, you may have thousands of them in your library. There have been several more physical media formats since DVD, and the newest is 4K Blu-ray. Since the release of 4K Blu-ray, I’ve pretty much stopped collecting DVDs altogether, and the advances are far too great for me to ever pick up a new DVD again. I couldn’t imagine watching 2026’s The Odyssey on DVD, and I’m grabbing that 4K as soon as I can.
Just because 4K Blu-ray is a massive leap in quality doesn’t mean you should run out and upgrade your DVDs. That’s an expensive endeavor, and I’d say it’s only worth it if it’s a movie you keep coming back to. Your favorites really should be in the best available format, and it’s something I always think about when I pop in the Blu-ray of John Carpenter’s The Fog, but I still haven’t picked up the 4K of it. Maybe it’s because the jump from Blu-ray to 4K Blu-ray isn’t as big as it is from DVD to 4K Blu-ray. We’re talking about a jump from 480p to 2160p, and that’s not even talking about the sound upgrade. These are just a handful of things you should upgrade from DVD to 4K Blu-ray, and I could go on and on about even more that don’t make this list.
The Dark Knight is floating on 4K Blu-ray, and it’s a worthy upgrade
One of the best
When The Dark Knight arrived in 2008, there was a transition period from DVD to Blu-ray, and I would imagine that many people picked up the film on DVD. At the time there was nothing wrong with that, but now that the 4K version of the film is available, and often for cheap, there is no reason not to make the leap.
Not only is The Dark Knight an endlessly rewatchable film, but it’s one that really comes to life in the 4K format. The IMAX scenes look fantastic, and the picture is as sharp as ever. The only downside I can think of, and it’s a trend among all Nolan releases, is that there is no Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I’m not saying the sound is bad by any means, but I have a Dolby Atmos sound system that I like to use whenever I can.
2001: A Space Odyssey reaches its full potential
Free from the limitations
I could use any old movie here as a shining example of a 4K upgrade, but I’ll just take a second to highlight 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of the things that flies under the radar when watching a 4K conversation is how modern some of the movies feel. I can’t quite explain it because you know you’re still watching an old movie, but the clarity almost makes it feel like it could have been filmed yesterday. 2001 is an example of that.
This movie already had an impressive showing on regular Blu-ray, but I’d say it’s worth the upgrade from even Blu-ray to 4K. This is another one of those movies that is relatively easy to find for cheap, and if you’re interested in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, look no further than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Almost every classic, however, fits this bill. The Sound of Music, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, and the list goes on, all look great in 4K.
Titanic is a spectacle that deserves the best possible format
This is somewhat controversial
Titanic is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I first saw it late at night on cable TV. It wasn’t long after that that I picked up the DVD, then the Blu-ray, and then the 4K Blu-ray. I also have an unopened copy on VHS, and it will stay that way because the 4K is the only thing I will watch. When it was released, Titanic was at the top for effects, and it still holds up wonderfully today. It’s also the best it’s ever looked in 4K.
There has been a stigma around James Cameron releases in 4K, fueled by the incredible Terminator 2 scan. His releases tend to have a lot of noise reduction, and it’s something you should be aware of if you don’t like the grain being scrubbed out of everything. I don’t think Titanic was hit as hard as True Lies, and I have no problems with the way Titanic looks. I don’t plan to watch my Blu-ray or DVD version again now that I have the 4K, and I imagine you will do the same when you pick it up.
The original Top Gun gets a big boost in audio quality
Sound is also important
As someone who owns a copy of Top Gun on VHS, I can personally tell you that the 4K is a massive leap in quality. Of course, that’s the case with any VHS to 4K jump, but I’d argue that the picture quality, as big as the jump is, pales in comparison to the audio upgrade. Top Gun is a movie, and now a franchise, I suppose, that pushes sound quality to its limits. Both Top Gun and Maverick have great Dolby Atmos soundtracks, and that’s something you won’t find on DVD.
Even older movies that came out before Atmos even existed benefit greatly from a soundtrack. If ever there was a movie to really take advantage of Atmos, it’s Top Gun. If you don’t have an Atmos setup, it’s still worth the upgrade, but it really shines with its audio quality.