LG Ends all Bluray Players

[Lee McCaffrey]

You can rent on Kalaidescape but it is not much cheaper than buying.
Regarding streaming there is a new codec called AV1 which adds the grain layer back into the video after decoding (a sample of the grain is taken during encoding). The grain layer hides a multitude of sins. Doing this allows the encode to be more efficient as encoding grain takes up more bandwidth. I believe Netflix use this system.
The Digital Cinema format uses a form of lossless compression called JPEG2000, it is essentially an folder of discrete picture images shown in sequence (much like film), basically every frame is a keyframe. All home format codecs like MPEG-2, AVC or HEVC are lossy, meaning for the most parts only the difference between frames is stored and the rest of the image is thrown away.

[Rob Young]

Ed, I find it really reassuring that DCP is still so much better quality than any home format. It gives us a reason to still visit a real cinema. It's like when I project 8mm and 16mm, but really want 35mm. Graham with his 35mm set up is living the dream as far as I'm concerned!

And that doesn't just go for modern movies; a couple of years ago I went to see the 1960's Dr. Who movies at an Odeon in the newly restored 4K version. Truly stunning. As much as I love my little home cinema, the 4K discs just didn't reach the standard of image I saw there.

It's still amazing though to watch movies at home though in the quality we have available. When I watch some restored Blu-ray versions of cult favourites I only saw on VHS as a kid, I feel like I've never seen the movie before.

I love John Clancy's channel. John is a celluloid guy through and through (I spent a very happy day about 20 years ago at John's then London flat where he re-recorded my treasured super 8 print of Raiders of the Lost Ark from a DVD - still the most impressive stereo super 8 soundtrack I own) so I really like that he reviews 4K from a real film collector's point of view.

I think that there are enough of us out there that care too much about quality to let streaming take over completely.

EDIT; Lee you posted just as I was writing this. I didn't realise Kalaidoscope offered rentals. That bodes well for the future. I agree, nothing at home to rival DCP. Except maybe the absence of people on their phones or popcorn chompers...

[Ed Gordon]

As Lee pointed out, the key thing for digital cinema is the use of JPEG2000. The DCP is the "container" that us used by digital cinema projection systems. Much like MKV is a container that can be used for media. A Bluray can be put into a DCP or a MKV. Compression programs like Handbrake can reduce a 100 gb movie enough to put on a DVD. That would make a nice DVD, but it won't be comparable to the original 100gb version.

[Rob Young]

Ed, beautifully clarified! That’s what I meant, but you’ve put it so much better.