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.
Getting a 4K TV is just the first step in making your 4K UHD Blu-ray discs look the best that they can. While your TV is 4K resolution, there are many more factors that go into getting a good picture. How much you want to do really comes down to you, but I don't like leaving performance on the table if I don't have to. Your TV could also be a limiting factor as low-end models don't have as much customization as high-end ones.
If you're particularly lazy, which we all are on occasion, your TV probably has a Filmmaker mode you can throw on and get close enough. What I like to do is put that mode on, but then tweak settings from there, because there's actually quite a bit that you can do. For example, your brightness settings might have to be changed depending on your viewing conditions. Having higher brightness helps fight off glare in a bright room, for example. This is why you shouldn't blindly copy settings you see online. Instead, you need to fine-tune things to your liking.
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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Turn off HDR tone mapping if it's an option
This messes with the picture too much
I don't like settings that change my TV's settings on the fly, and that's what HDR tone mapping does. This gives your HDR a dynamic setting that automatically adjusts depending on the viewing conditions, such as whether it's too dark or too light. The idea here is to always give you the best picture at any given time, but I think it's too distracting for its own good.
There's no reason to have the look of my movie change as I'm watching it, so I'd much rather have it set to specific setting. Blackout curtains or watching at night is a good way to solve the brightness problem without having to rely on the TV. I want to watch things as they are intended, so HDR tone mapping is a step too far away from that.
Local dimming is a must
I was surprised to see it turned off
Local dimming is a great feature that makes sure the dark parts of your screen are actually dark while the rest of the screen remains visible. You don't want your entire screen to dim just because one part of the scene is. Mini-LED TVs are where this shines because it's able to target specific zones of your TV and dim those pixels. My Mini-LED TV has Low, Medium, and High for these dimming options, and I was shocked to see it automatically turned off at first.
I immediately flipped it to High when I went through my settings, and I was very impressed with the black levels now on display. If your TV has this setting available, make sure you turn it on because I don't see how it can do anything other than make your movies look better than they did before. It won't automatically make your TV reach OLED black levels, but it'll get it closer than it was.
Pick the correct Dolby Vision setting
Bright or Dark, it's your choice
If you have a TV with Dolby Vision, you might have some extra decisions to make. My TV and the TV before have two different Dolby Vision options to choose from, and it comes down to your viewing conditions. I've talked a lot about brightness, but it's an important element. I prefer to watch everything Dolby Vision Dark if I can. The problem with that is that it's darker than the other setting, and that makes it more difficult to see during the day.
Changing over to Bright makes it easier to see, and you still get that Dolby Vision scan, so it's not like you're sacrificing it. I know people who like the Bright setting even at night, so check out the two of them and see what one you prefer. Both of them give you good image quality, but I give the edge to Dark.
Motion smoothing has to go
It's turned off in Filmmaker modes, but double-check
Once upon a time, I remember being mesmerized by motion smoothing, and it wasn't until I turned on one of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies and saw him swing through the city before I realized something was off. I don't know what it is, but something clicked, and I didn't want to see the soap opera effect anymore. I turned it off, and I didn't look back. Like I said earlier, I want to watch things as they are intended, and motion smoothing is the exact opposite of that.
The good news is that many filmmaking preset modes have this turned off, but even if it's a low setting, you're better off just turning it off completely. I wouldn't want it to get in the way of anything at all, so just take a peak under the hood and see if it's fully turned off.