Streaming vs. 4K Blu-Ray, Best Plasma TV Replacement | You Asked Ep. 13 

The bitrate difference between streaming and hard media is huge. So much so, I've gone back to buying 4K blurays and now own a dedicated Sony bluray player.

If you buy the 4K blu-ray of a film you can look for the 4K, Blu-ray and digital all in one and save a lot of money while owning all formats. To me that's a huge win.

Movies streamed on Apple TV 4k look and sound really great on my Sony OLED, but I still buy the 4k Blu-rays of my all time favorites to get the absolute best versions.

Physical Media is superior to streaming in a few ways. The drawbacks are that it's more expensive and less convenient. The benefits are that it looks better, it sounds better, you never have to worry about it being taken off a service or moving to another service and you never have to worry about it being edited for content. There are usually special features that you sometimes can't get anywhere else. Different cuts of the movie, deleted scenes, commentaries. I think it mostly comes down to how much you care about the movie. I get the movies I really enjoy on disc, I stream the ones I don't love.

Best episode yet Caleb! Blu ray vs streaming is the most important topic for me, it blows my mind that someone who spends 1000 dollars on a tv doesn't use blu-ray

Physical media is king. It may not be as convenient. But its just superior

I was streaming Mad Max: Fury Road via Amazon (I think), and I felt like I had to crank up the volume to get the sound I was wanting. I then decided to throw in the blu-ray I have of the same movie and the difference in sound quality alone was startling. The disc had so much more volume and also clarity and it made my Sonos system come alive.

Another plus for physical media is when the internet goes down for a few days, I can still watch something. Streaming can be good to avoid blind buys too.

These "You Asked" videos are terrific. Keep up the great work Caleb.

+1 to the physical copy crowd. Maybe someday streaming will be there, but for now. The disk ain’t dead! Lol. Thanks for the q&a

Really enjoyed the conversation around 4K Blu Ray vs Streaming.

I had so many of my own questions answered through this video. Kudos to you, Caleb and team!

Great selection of questions and very informative answers. Thanks for the great job!

Excellent range of questions! Thanks Caleb!

4K hard Disk will ALWAYS ..ALWAYS BEST streaming hands down! picture and sound quality on the 4K can’t be beat!! People who know..KNOW! So many have no clue!! GREAT VIDEO! MAHALO!!

Absolutely agree with your 4K answer. Noticable picture quality and sound with my LG blue ray player over streaming.

Thanks for answering my question! I really appreciate it. Only recently started following you and this channel, but I’ve been really enjoying it!

Caleb- great questions! Keep up the fantastic work! I’ve watched you evolve over the past 8 or so years and it’s been amazing! You produce great content and add a personal flair that resonates well.

Caleb covering any and all topics - love it

I have a PS5 and it works great as a 4K blu-ray player but I decided for a Panasonic stand alone player to reduce energy costs and guess what, the video is better.

Great to hear your thoughts on 4K Blu-ray vs 4K Streaming. I very recently upgraded my TV, AV Receiver and 4K Blu-ray player so everything is at the same Dolby certification standard and is all current generation. I also upgraded all my cabling to HDMI 2.1 48GBs (which did give a visually improved experience, even on normal HD TV). I have a high bandwidth internet connection and use an NVIDIA Shield Pro for streaming 4K, and overall I think the quality is pretty good. However, if I watch the same content on physical media on my 4K Blu-ray player, I am able to see a NOTICEABLE improvement in overall quality. For me personally, there is no question, the entire experience is better on 4K Blu-ray. I guess what I’m trying to say, is to anyone considering a high end TV, if you care about the visual experience and want to make sure you’re getting the maximum out of it, then you need to feed it with the best quality signal, which currently only comes from physical media. If you’re happy with 4K Streaming quality (and to be fair, as mentioned, it did look pretty good), then you may want to save some money and get a TV from a lower performance bracket 👍

Excellent points, especially the real advantages of physical disc vs streaming. I owned my nice big screen 4k tv for three years before it finally dawned on me that I wasn't taking advantage of its inherent quality. I still stream but have gradually built up a nice little library of my favorite movies on 4k blu-rays and also hd blu-rays. Owning your favorite titles on physical discs is so satisfying.

Loved the questions this week, especially the "How do I best connect my system", and the "Replacement of my aging plasma TV" questions. I too wrestle with these questions, and am frozen into keeping my 64" Samsung from 2011vs. upgrading to a 75" OLED that I may or may not regret. We watch almost 100% DirectV content, and prefer a less "explosive" brilliant picture in my medium lit room. I don't want to end up with a picture that burns my retinas. Love everything you put out Caleb, you are the only person I trust 100%! Please keep up the great work!

Very informative video Caleb.

Perfect timing for me this episode! Love your work, here in Italy we don’t have similar channels

Whoa, you're so to the point!! Great answers.

The audio quality is the biggest difference between streaming and 4K blue ray. Hoping lossless audio eventually comes to video streaming given it’s already available for music streaming.

Was wondering about a couple of these topics. I appreciate the video!

I went from a 60 inch Pioneer Kuro to a 85 inch Sony X950h. I have zero regrets the blacks are good enough and that big step up in size hits it out of the park.

Good and helpful response on 4k blue ray vs Streaming.

Good information that was clear, precise and to the point.

All great questions! Especially the slanted ceiling as I have the same issue.

Outstanding Opinions and Factual information ! Thanks Bunches

Thanks for the great info on TV and streaming vs blurays helped a lot.

Recently bought an LG C2 and your videos have been brilliant help in terms of setup and understanding the options available. I'm slightly worried that I'll spend on more and more tech as a result of your compelling content but that's a me problem!

This is my first question and answer video. Really liked it.

Great video Caleb , you are right about streaming I have a full theater not only streaming doesn't have lossless audio it also doesn't have super sampling like the disc does . The difference is night day .

Yes!!! I have been waiting for you to make this video!! As I have ALWAYS wanted to know if 4k Blu Rays are worth it versus streaming 4k via apps. Thank you!!!

Most people have a soundbar and Blu-Ray player and just don't have it set up right. A few years ago I set mine up the way he mentioned at 7:39 in the video. Then changed the audio settings on the Blu-Ray played to a high as it goes. I was blown away. It was like bringing the theater home with me. I would tell my dad all the time to do the same. Recently set it up for him and he was just as blown away by it.

Great video thank you. Please tell me, what compression or format the blue ray discs use?

I'm not sure if you've already covered this in another video, but it would be great to get a comparison on the 4k blu ray quality experience for both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X to see what the actual differences are.

I have a Sony HT-A9 system, and I chose it because I just can’t add ceiling speakers. I’m happy with the results, but don’t mind improving it if I could. What kind of panels would you recommend to improve the bounce effect of the up firing speakers?

This week's questions were all on my list of things to learn about! I have a Panasonic Plasma and always wonder what would be the best replacement option when the time comes. Also netflix sound quality is so inconsistent that I always thought it is a big downside of streaming movies.

Sony X90J owner here, but still own the awesome Samsung F8500 Plasma. Actually, I find the X90J better for everything: SDR, HDR, HD, SD. The upscaling on the Sony in particular is quite well done. The TV manufacturers have done an excellent job improving on LCD TV tech in the past 10 years.

Iv'e begun converting some of my 4K Blu-ray remuxes to AV1 which is a pretty slow process when using your CPU but the PQ is virtually indistinguishable from the disc while saving quite a bit of space.

Good vid this week Caleb. Questions deftly handled with very little bs or spin. Just the way they should be!

Big topics and great answers!!!!

Switching from older 1080p plasma to modern OLED or the a LED variant the shift in color and brightness as your position around the room is going to be the biggest annoyance and most noticeable downside. Then throw in the black level and zone illumination. You’ll only be happy moving to a OLED. I tried the higher end LED option and after a year I replaced the set with a Sony OLED and moved the LED to a less used room.

I wonder what Atmos sound software to measure and adjust the actual sound such as that on the Sonos Arc would do to help mitigate the ceiling issues?

Excellent video caleb ! How does my 2009 2.1 bose sound system compare to modern soundbars ? It already feels great and can hear small details all the time!

Loved the last question! We ps5 movie lovers would like to know what our budget choices get us compared to the dedicated players and what not. Would love to buy a 4k player in the future just not in the cards right now. I’d still like to get a Dolby atmos setup too. Would love another budget video on sound set ups for this year.

Good questions. Good answers!

Hey Caleb. I live in a Geodesic dome. Do you have any experience setting up a surround sound system in a dome with 20 foot ceilings? My Rotel stereo system sounds amazing, but my Vizio TV sounds terrible.

Glad to see you have great taste in music, Herbie Hancock's "Mr. Hands" was peaking out on your shelf, great album.

I agree with you about owning discs. However, I have encountered quite a few discs that develop skipping, freezing and total loss of digital signal. I have since saved most of my collection on a nas and thats when I started finding multiple defects in my collection.

Herbie Hancock Mr. Hands album @12:21. Great music taste Caleb!

Thank you for giving a few significant pros for still owning DVD Blu-Rays. I’ve heard far too much disc dissing these days! 😅

That question from Germany is exactly my situation! Still using 50" plasma as it hasn't died and I don't like throwing out things that still work. And OLED is gorgeous but out of my price range sadly. But when it does die, I'm really hoping a good quality modern LED like the U7K or U8K will do the job nicely, and give me a nice size upgrade (thinking 65" for my room size). Thanks for the info!

Thanks for answering my question! (Gerrit from Germany)

Great answers to questions about equip. set-up,hope 2 c more set-up tips for P.S.5 to L.G.t.v.,Denon recivers arc, e-arc soundbar set-ups.This channel has the BEST content around the web.🎉

Great episode

Hi Caleb how much difference would it notice going from the Hisense u8h to a top of the line oled. What do you think

Great questions great video.

Good questions! I don't understand the resistance to having a dedicated Blue Ray player. I realize that streaming is easy and initially cheaper but being immersed in a movie is not done without a dedicated player. I have a Panasonic BDP 800 and it's stellar, way exceeding any streaming service I've seen. For serious movie watching Blue Ray is the best in my opinion.

Hello Caleb I want to know if there is a difference if I transfer the original 4k uhd movie to the hard drive with the original purchased 4k uhd movie and watch it on TV? is there a loss in video and audio quality? sorry for my english greetings from Tony

Still rocking my 2013 Panasonic Viera Plasma, still absolutely stunning picture quality, as long as the room is dark, which it always is!

I baught dune on 4k Blu-ray I watched it on my ps5 / LG A2. I was blown away by the improvement in quality over the Max stream. If you have a ps5 I would recommend buying a 4k blu-ray and seeing for yourself. It’s impressive

We need an episode just for the Blu-ray vs Streaming talk

Movies Anywhere also tends to distribute purchases across your other linked services which is nice, but it only works with participating content/studios so if you like more niche movies you may get less out of it. But still, it's free to do so might as well

If i purchased the sonos arc/ surround system. Would it be worth it if i only streamed my movies and tv shows? The bitrate is so low i feel like it might not be worth investing in a sound system that i dont plan on using with a high fidelity source. Or do all these codec's and AI/software programs make up the difference?

Hi Caleb, I’ve noticed in many comparisons between LG G3 and Samsung S95c that the G3 displays a greenest tint across the entire screen . I only saw the the two tvs on RU-vid.,Is that something caused by the way camera sensors read the wrgb oled or a real issue? There is a lot talking about the supposed issue in the web forums, could you share your experience? Thanks

Great support comments for blueray. My surround sound loves blueray!!

You Asked is a hit 👍🏼 and Long Live Blue Ray 4K !

For that question about passing DTS from the PS4 to the TV and out via eARC to the soundbar... I thought that would work? Can't eARC act as a passthrough for even stuff like DTS:X and TrueHD? Or am I wrong...

Hey Caleb can you explain FRC or (8 bit +FRC)? The only online answer is you wont notice the difference but i dont know if i beleive that. I've been trying to pick a new tv between the Sony x85k, the Hisense u7k, and the tcl q7 and noticed that only the tcl has a 10 bit panel. Any clarity would be awesome thanks

Really enjoyable technical content and suggestions thank you -- subscribed. It seems the consensus is that films you enjoy and would watch again, that have a good quality 4K Blu-ray and/or Blu-ray physical media transfer are worth ownership. Streaming is a good way to determine this at a relatively low cost, albeit not likely at its best. Owning the 4K physical media after (often with bonus features & memorabilia like an album cover) will likely ensure a more pleasurable viewing the next time, and something you can look forward to, with no risk of the film being pulled or censored. Ultimately, see it in a cinema (like IMAX) in all it's glory first...

I was in the same boat as Gerrit, until last year when I finally retired my Panny VT50 Plasma, and replaced it with a Samsung S95b. The year before I bought a cheap 4K lcd Hisense for my son and was surprised at how not terrible it was. It definitely shortened the fuse on my upgrade. I’m blown away with my S95b, it’s better in almost every way.

Thanks for the video, very interesting as it’s all relevant to my current experience having just purchased an LGC3 77” OLED To replace my almost 12 year Panasonic Plasma which was the flagship model at the time, the Plasma is still going strong in my spare room btw, the new LG is on the wall in the lounge in its place, the Plasma was always a really natural picture that didn’t require any messing around, it was perfect straight out of the box, unfortunately the same can’t be said for the C3, it’s taken 3 months of making adjustments to get it right, even now I don’t believe it is much better than the Panasonic Plasma, it is better but certainly not by much, there are scenes where it is too bright, scenes where it is too dark, and sometimes the colours look forced and unnatural, but this mostly depends on the source material, when fed with a good source the picture is very good, it’s just more fussy than the plasma that made anything look good! With respect to Dolby vision I personally feel it’s a lot of hype about nothing, so far I have not seen anything in Dolby vision that impresses me, HDR10 looks better to me, Dolby vision from Apple TV is quite terrible and much too dark to watch, although I have seen a lot of people on the net complaining of the same issue, it’s not the TV or settings as other streaming apps are much brighter than Apple TV with Dolby vision, but totally agree about physical media, when I feed this TV with a 4K disc from my Oppo 205 the picture quality is noticeably better than any of the streaming services, plus the sound quality is better too. Again thank you for the video, as I said very relevant to my current experiences 👍

Gotta qn85a Samsung the 2.1 hdmi port is for ps5. Will my other 3 ports get 4k resolution on an apple tv 4k?

Very nice cheddar chatter. I enjoyed it.

I love this video. Lots more please.

Going from ps5 to the sound bar to tv, would that affect VRR?

Atmos is worth it. I have a budget up fire system, true its not like having dedicated ceiling speakers, but like you said, you get something. Much more immersive

He is very right about the Hisense U8K here in Germany. The Hisense models here uses the VIDAA OS which is highly laggy and has small internal storage that is inadequate for 4k content. How laggy you may ask? You will feel that it removes some video caches in realtime that it has a 20 frame cut for every 2-3 seconds of video watch. I had enough and just attached a Chromecast 4k to my TV. Stay away from VIDAA software please. 😅

Great video thanks. Isn't a movie bought and pre-downloaded in Apple TV higher quality than streaming it? (I accept it still isn't the same as a UHD DVD).

Yep I have Maverick and the Nolan collection box set and the quality in the IMAX scenes are absolutely incredible. The early stuff like Batman Begins, Inception, etc. don't take advantage of it really but everything after that is amazing.

With that sloped cieling. Should you face the short end or the tall end? For the best sound? (My atmos speakers hang from rafters. No reflections. Not asking for them. More the overall sound. The front soundstage)

Another first-rate, fun and informative Q&A episode, Caleb! Have a wonderful week!!🥰 P.S. Good questions/Good, thoughtful and thorough answers.

I always own my favorite movies on physical media. I was talking with my fiancé about this a couple weeks ago, telling her the differences between physical and streaming and how you just don’t get the same experience from streaming albeit super convenient… And my Sony 4K Blu-Ray player converts all my movies to Dolby Vision! 😁

Thanks!

can you tell which streaming services that offer best 4k & Dolby experience?

Last 2 minutes of this video is 🔥🤧😐🌼

Im glad the blurray vs streamimg quesrion was asked because ive recently been shopping for a 4k bluray player agter a dispute with google over movies i "own" amd Caleb is right you dont avtually owm it wjen its digital because whatever platform its on has ultimaye control over it so im syarting to build be physical collection nefore they arw gone fureal.

Great video and really useful and interesting stuff... Sub'd!

Been on my Panasonic plasma TV since 2010 and don’t plan to upgrade until an amazing OLED comes out. I can wait 😅

what 4k player do you have/ use in the video?

To the guy looking to upgrade to a 4k TV I highly recommend the LG c series. I have a 65 cx and 77 c2 and absolutely love them. If they are within your budget really look into them. They a popular for good reason.

Awesome content

I really like Movies Anywhere but the one caveat is that the movies have to be from studios that support Movies Anywhere. Paramount and Lionsgate being the two big studios that don’t support it so those movies will only be available in the service in which they were bought.

ATV4K and the lack of Atmos Passthru makes the Shield Pro 2019 still my best go-to device for playing back my local media