Eli is a journalist who lives in Detroit, MI. He got his start in journalism covering video games and sports for Heavy before branching out into greater esports coverage at Dexerto. He also has bylines at SlashGear, Sports Illustrated, and more.
He added technology coverage to his plate over his years of writing, and it's something he continues to cover at Pocket-lint. He's interviewed numerous game developers and covered several live events, such as the launch of Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in Los Angeles.
He has written more than 5,000 articles and looks to continue adding to that number in the years to come. For Pocket-lint, he specializes in home theater audio/video formats, and he loves streaming devices like the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K. He is also a lifelong collector of physical media, and he's a huge fan of 4K UHD Blu-ray, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.
He has a degree in Journalism from Central Michigan University.
There are plenty of reasons to have DVDs in today's world. You might not be a fan of streaming anymore, and I don't blame you for that. It's no fun to track down your favorite shows and movies across a variety of services if you don't have to. I got into physical media more partly for this reason. I remember snagging old Boy Meets World DVDs from Barnes and Noble, and I loved having a show I could watch without having to pay for a service.
Eventually, I upgraded to Blu-ray, and then I finally settled on 4K Blu-ray. 4K UHD is currently the highest quality format available today, and it's tough to imagine going back to DVDs. DVDs definitely have their place in the market, mainly in terms of affordability, but there are certainly some movies that just don't cut it anymore on DVD. We're talking about a format that's several decades old now, and while it was fine watching something at 480p on those small CRT TVs, I don't think it cuts it anymore on a large 4K TV.
With that said, a lot of things are serviceable on DVD, but when it comes to those big spectacles at home, there's no way I'd want to watch that on a DVD. Once you see the light, I imagine you'll be the same. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
UHD Blu-ray technology
Trivia challenge
4K discs, Dolby Vision, and beyond — how much do you really know about UHD Blu-ray?
4K VideoAudioHardwareFormatsStandards
01 / 8
Standards
What is the maximum video resolution supported by the UHD Blu-ray format?
Correct! UHD Blu-ray supports a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160, commonly known as 4K UHD. This is four times the pixel count of standard 1080p Full HD Blu-ray, delivering stunning on-screen detail.
Not quite. The answer is 3840 x 2160, which is standard 4K UHD resolution. While 8K (7680 x 4320) exists as a consumer format, UHD Blu-ray tops out at 4K — still a massive leap over traditional Full HD discs.
02 / 8
Formats
What is the typical maximum data capacity of a dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc?
Correct! A dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc can hold up to 100GB of data. This extra capacity over standard Blu-ray's 50GB ceiling allows studios to pack in high-bitrate 4K video alongside lossless audio tracks and bonus features.
Not quite. The correct answer is 100GB for a dual-layer UHD Blu-ray disc. Standard Blu-ray maxes out at 50GB on a dual-layer disc, but UHD Blu-ray needed more headroom to accommodate the much larger 4K video files and premium audio formats.
03 / 8
Audio
Which of the following lossless audio formats is natively supported on UHD Blu-ray discs?
Correct! DTS-HD Master Audio is one of the lossless audio formats officially supported by the UHD Blu-ray specification. It delivers bit-for-bit identical audio to the studio master, making it a favourite among home cinema enthusiasts.
Not quite. DTS-HD Master Audio is the correct answer. Dolby Digital Plus is actually a lossy compressed format, not lossless, while MP3 Surround and AAC 5.1 are not part of the UHD Blu-ray audio specification at all.
04 / 8
4K Video
Which High Dynamic Range (HDR) format was mandatory in the original UHD Blu-ray specification?
Correct! HDR10 is the mandatory baseline HDR format for all UHD Blu-ray discs. It uses static metadata and supports up to 10-bit colour depth with a peak brightness of 10,000 nits, significantly improving contrast and colour range over SDR content.
Not quite. HDR10 is the mandatory HDR format in the UHD Blu-ray spec. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are optional enhancements that some studios add on top, but every UHD Blu-ray player and disc must support HDR10 as the baseline standard.
05 / 8
Hardware
What laser colour is used in UHD Blu-ray players to read discs?
Correct! UHD Blu-ray players use a violet (blue-violet) laser with a wavelength of 405nm, the same as standard Blu-ray. This shorter wavelength compared to the red laser used in DVDs allows data to be packed much more densely on the disc surface.
Not quite. The answer is violet — specifically a blue-violet laser at 405nm. DVDs use a red laser at 650nm, and CDs use an infrared laser at 780nm. The shorter the wavelength, the more data can be stored, which is why Blu-ray outpaces its predecessors.
06 / 8
Standards
What maximum video bitrate does the UHD Blu-ray specification allow for video content?
Correct! The UHD Blu-ray specification allows a maximum video bitrate of 82 Mbps. This is substantially higher than standard Blu-ray's 40 Mbps ceiling, enabling richer detail, smoother gradients, and less compression artefacts in 4K content.
Not quite. The correct maximum video bitrate is 82 Mbps. Standard Blu-ray tops out at 40 Mbps, and while streaming services like Netflix offer 4K, they typically deliver it at just 15–25 Mbps — making physical UHD Blu-ray the highest quality option available to consumers.
07 / 8
Formats
Which video codec is most commonly used to encode 4K content on UHD Blu-ray discs?
Correct! H.265, also known as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), is the dominant codec used on UHD Blu-ray. It offers roughly twice the compression efficiency of H.264, meaning studios can deliver 4K footage at high quality without exhausting the disc's storage capacity.
Not quite. H.265 (HEVC) is the correct answer. While H.264 was the workhorse of standard Blu-ray, it simply isn't efficient enough to handle 4K video at acceptable quality levels within the disc's bitrate limits. AV1 is a newer codec but isn't part of the UHD Blu-ray spec.
08 / 8
Hardware
Which of the following connection types is required to pass a UHD Blu-ray signal at full 4K HDR quality from a player to a TV?
Correct! HDMI 2.0 or higher is required to carry a 4K HDR signal from a UHD Blu-ray player to a display. HDMI 2.0 supports the 18 Gbps bandwidth needed for 4K at 60fps with HDR, whereas HDMI 1.4 maxes out at 4K/30fps without HDR support.
Not quite. HDMI 2.0 or higher is the correct answer. HDMI 1.4 can technically carry a 4K signal but only at 30fps and without HDR, making it insufficient for the full UHD Blu-ray experience. Component video is an analogue connection and cannot carry 4K signals at all.
Challenge Complete
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/ 8
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The Dune movies aren't made for DVD
These shine in 4K UHD
You'll find that a lot of modern movies just feel right on 4K UHD Blu-ray instead of DVD. Dune Part One and Part Two both look great in 4K, and that's thanks the to high resolution Arri Alexa cameras they were filmed on. It might be shocking to know Denis Villeneuve filmed these movies digitally, but that's the case. These are some of the best-looking movies around on the 4K UHD format, and it's a disservice to watch them on a DVD.
What's nice about these two Dune movies is that they are frequently on sale, so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to upgrade to them. I paid $11 each for both copies of mine, albeit I waited until they frequently hit their sale price. There's nothing wrong with doing this for movies to save money, and remember, you don't need to pick up everything right as it comes out. There are some exceptions to this, like when there's a limited edition steelbook, but that's an outlier and not the norm.
Most Christopher Nolan movies, but especially Oppenheimer
Nolan has so many good movies, and Oppenheimer might be my favorite of the bunch, but it's hard to choose. The thing that sets most of his movies apart from their DVD counterparts are the IMAX enhanced scenes. His Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray releases include these on the disc, so you're always getting the best at-home experience that you can. The DVDs don't have that, likely due to the small disc size, so you're not only watching at a lower resolution, but you're also getting a lesser experience since you don't get all of the available screen space.
If I have the means to, I like to watch things in the best format available. For Nolan movies, that's always 4K UHD, and I can't fathom having to watch a recent release like Oppenheimer on DVD. I know people do it, but you're leaving quite a bit on the table if you go this route.
Top Gun: Maverick begs for a 4K disc
Not only for the visuals
Top Gun: Maverick is a legacy sequel to a movie that I have on VHS, so I understand the nostalgic draw to a lesser quality format. I picked up Top Gun 2-pack that came with the original as well as its sequel, and since doing so, I haven't looked back. Like Oppenheimer, Maverick has IMAX enhanced scenes included with the 4K disc that you won't find on the DVD. That's reason enough to grab the 4K, but I'd argue the audio is more important.
Something you see with many 4K Blu-ray discs is a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. I think that's an excellent selling point of the format, but some movies shine more than others with Atmos, and Maverick is one of them. A movie like this has many overhead sound effects, and if you have a way of listening to Atmos, you should grab the Top Gun: Maverick 4K discs if you can. It's one of my favorite movies to come back to for the sound alone. The original is no slouch with its Atmos soundtrack, but I'd give the edge to Maverick.
Lawrence of Arabia has a stellar 4K upgrade
Old movies look great in the format
Lawrence of Arabia is a classic that might have some parts of it that aged poorly -- Alec Guiness playing an Arabian prince -- but that doesn't mean it doesn't have an absolutely phenomenal 4K upgrade. I love seeing older movies come to the format, especially ones shot on film, because those are the ones that benefit from a 4K upgrade the most. If a movie is shot on digital, it's pretty much locked to that resolution with the only option being to upscale. Film reels don't have that limitation, and it's what allows Lawrence to look as good as it does today.
I was lucky enough to snag the rare 4K steelbook before the movie received a widespread 4K release, and I'd say this is one of the best discs in my collection. The movie is printed across two different discs, and it looks great. If you're a fan of this movie, this is definitely the best way to watch it.