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 so many examples of reference 4K Blu-ray discs that it's hard to go wrong with any of them. A lot of it comes down to what you want to highlight with the format as well. If you're looking for Dolby Atmos, there's arguably no better example than the Top Gun movies. For picture quality, there are a lot of contenders. I wouldn't blame you if you picked Alien or 2001: A Space Odyssey, for example.
My personal choice, however, is a bit of an off-the-wall one. It's no secret that the DC Extended Universe was filled with ups and downs, mostly downs, but there are some solid movies in there. I have a soft spot for James Wan's Aquaman, and it just so happens to be one of those showcase 4K Blu-ray discs. Maybe you're like me, and you like the movie as well. That's always a nice combination, because some reference discs, like Gemini Man, look good but aren't good.
Aquaman isn't even a new movie, by any means, but it's still a powerhouse disc that shows why I've made the leap to 4K Blu-ray. Perhaps it could be the push you need as well.
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
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
Aquaman is a stunning showcase
This is Dolby Vision done right
The superhero craze was at the peak of its powers in 2018, and Aquaman capitalized on that. It managed to crack a billion dollars at the box office, something that was typically reserved for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I wouldn't say Aquaman reaches the heights of the MCU, but it's a perfectly fine entry in a middling DCEU. Perhaps the lasting legacy of this movie is its 4K disc.
Aquaman's 4K comes with a stunning Dolby Vision scan, and if you have a TV that's good enough to show you high-quality HDR, this disc holds its own. Perhaps thanks to Wan's flair, Aquaman has many eye-popping scenes, and it's oozing with color. Black Manta's suit looks great, and even the surface scenes look great. I don't have much bad to say about this movie's visual qualities, and it still holds up as an amazing 4K disc after all these years.
Superhero movies should be packed with a lot of visual flair, but that's not the case with a lot of them. A lot of the DCEU, especially, is dark and dull, and that's a little weird to me. The MCU has this problem as well, which is why I'm grateful that filmmakers like James Gunn exist, because his Superman is another example of great HDR at work.
While Aquaman is known for its visuals, I'd to highlight another aspect of this already-great disc. Audio quality is very important to me, and I can safely tell you that Aquaman delivers in this area as well.
Aquaman boasts a great Dolby Atmos track too
A treat for the eyes and ears alike
Many people think the 4K Blu-ray format is all about the visuals, but that's just half of it. The audio is a big part of why I enjoy the 4K format, and it might actually be the main reason I enjoy it. It obviously varies disc by disc, but the Dolby Atmos mix of Aquaman is very impressive. The underwater scenes shine the most here, and they really engage all the channels of your sound system. I know I sound like I'm gushing about some forgettable DC Comics movie, but I really think this is one of the best 4K discs around.
I wouldn't rush out to buy a copy if you don't like the movie, but if you're at all interested, you get a pretty entertaining movie that is a great showcase of what the 4K UHD format is capable of. Of course, there are many discs available nowadays that can do that, but if you hop into a time machine and go back to 2019, this is one of the earlier discs that helped sell people on the Blu-ray to 4K Blu-ray upgrade.
Many 4K Blu-ray discs fit this bill, but Aquaman is strangely one of the ones that I come back to more often. As much as I like the Dune movies, for example, it's a lot easier to throw on something like Aquaman for mindless enjoyment. That doesn't mean Aquaman is better than Dune, because it's not, but it's easier to be in the mood for something in the superhero genre a lot of the time.
It just so happens that one of my guilty pleasure movies has great Dolby Vision and Atmos implementation. I never complain about a movie looking or sounding too good, so no complaints here. I don't expect to convert anybody into an Aquaman believer from here, but I really think the Aquaman 4K disc can highlight how much a 4K TV and Dolby Atmos sound system make a difference for movies. Those things aren't enough to make a bad movie good, but I think they're enough to make a good movie great.