2001: A Space Odyssey 4K ULTRA HD BLU RAY + BLU RAY ( UK IMPORT REGION B )

This review is for the recently released 4K version. It comes with both 4K and standard Blu-ray discs and a bonus features disc. I won't discuss story because hey, watch the film...I'm aware that there is some controversy over this new version overseen by director Christopher Nolan however I don't have any issues with the presentation. If you are a Kubrick aficianado you will have seen this film many times and have an opinion on how it should look. Truth is, only Kubrick could've settled the debate. From what I gather the criticism focuses on the film looking overly teal in tone instead of previous transfers on Blu-ray which are of a more blueish hue. I'm happy to accept Nolan's work on this and since I never saw it on release I can't comment further.What I can say is that this version looks as good as it ever has. Kubrick's technical ability and that of the effects crew is complimented by crystal clear visuals and the sound clarity is superb. You can choose the original stereo mix or the new re-mix.In summary I wholeheartedly recommend this version of 2001 which has become for me the definitive presentation of a classic.I sincerely hope that Warner Bros continues with Kubrick's other works and we get 4K releases for them all, especially The Shining and Barry Lyndon.

Earlier releases of 2001 on disc suffered from overzealous processing and sharpening that produced a number of unwanted artefacts. Most noticeable of these were brush marks on the front projection screen that was used in the "Dawn of Man" sequence, but the extra sharpness unwittingly revealed other things too, such as cigarette ash under Leonard Rossiter's chair in the space station. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think that Stanley would never have stood for such a mess were he still alive.The thing is, watching 2001 should be a numinous experience and the original film had an aethereal quality to it that is far removed from the pin-sharp, see-every-detail films that we're used to today. This new release was made from the original 65mm camera negative with as much of the digital processing as possible left out, and it shows. The film looks like I remember it doing when I saw it as a kid. The brush marks are gone. The spaceflight sequences look superb and the scenes above the Moon are tinged with a protean, blue light. The stargate sequence is breathtakingly beautiful and the colours look far richer than earlier releases - I suspect it will become *the* clip to use to show off what HDR adds to the television experience. You get a choice of the original six-channel soundtrack and a "restored" audio surround mix, both encoded in DTS-Master Audio that is crisp and clear; the surround comes into its own in the final hotel sequence.Surprisingly, there are no new special features on this release - you just get what was on the previous Warner Brothers issue. It would have been nice to see how this version of the film came into being. But the film's the thing, and you really do get your money's worth here.

I recently bought myself an 55inch UHD OLED TV by LG. I bought a Sony 4K Bluray player to go with it. And then, right on time, the 4K Blu-ray of 2001 appeared.I was too young to see 2001 in the cinema, the best I've ever seen it previously was on a 36inch widescreen CRT TV (SD DVD). The experience on my new TV is totally different and immersive. On the small screen I got bored during the stargate sequences, but on the big screen it's almost hypnotic - time passes as in a dream. The dawn of man sequence in the beginning was gorgeous, and the "waltz" sequence in space likewise. I was nervous that I was going to see matte lines around the spaceships as I had with earlier DVD, but I could not. I don't know if the video was cleaned up for 4K, or just my new TV has a better colour range.Delighted.

So did I need to buy this SF Iconic film in 4K . Having seen it firstly in 1981/82 at a Widescreen Cinema at the NEC at their first Comic Com/ SF Expo . Then purchasing it as one of my first DVDs which came with a actual piece of the film.It was also one of my first downloads the year Apple launched itunes and became a late arrival into my Blu-ray collection in 2017 and it’s now arrived 18 months into the 4K party. So yes it is worth it, as the film itself inspired a generation, a film ahead of its time.I was impressed at the time of purchase with the DVD and the iTunes download and due to up the scaling over the years with the tec, which also improved the quality of the picture.So I was a little disappointed with the Blu-ray quality because there seemed less improvement in the picture compared to the DVD upscaling .Having seen the first 10 mins of this 4K edition I can report that is how I should have felt when I purchased the Blu-ray edition, a improvement across the board. The film looks brand new, but isn’t cleaned or sanitised in a way that would remove the feel of the film. You get a better depth, you get the clarity, while retaining the low hiss and the grain.As for those of you who have a negative view of the film itself and find it slow and boring. Well not every primate got to touch the Monolith and we know what happened to that fella in the film.

The movie is a true classic with beautiful attention to detail. I have the movie on Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-Ray and now 4K UHD. I always thought the Blu-Ray disk was amazing quality for a movie released in 1968. Watching that on an OLED 4K TV with good sound system was amazing. Even looked great in the LG's TV UHD simulation. So I hesitated to buy it yet again on 4K but so glad I did. The upgrade in quality on the 4K UHD disk is great. The remixed soundtrack which is available alongside the original, is also good; certainly has more treble and some lower frequency bass. If you like the movie, then this is one to get on 4K.