Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs are starting to take over shelves at retailers like Best Buy and Target, although it may take several more years until 4k Blu-ray becomes the mainstream. If you think about how long it has been since Blu-ray premiered in 2006, and the fact there are plenty of DVDs still being sold and rented, it might take longer than you think. Nevertheless, each month there’s a bigger list of 4k Blu-ray releases to report.
Director Terrence Malick’s Song to Songs is the first UHD BD this month releasing on Independence Day, July 4th. The following week there are five new 4k Blu-ray titles: King Kong: Ultimate Edition; Léon: The Professional; Smurfs: The Lost Village; The Fate of the Furious; and The Fifth Element, which coincidentally was among the first batch of 1080p Blu-ray discs released 11 years ago.
The newest King Kong movie, Kong: Skull Island along with Resident Evil: Vendetta will release on July 18th. Then, the final 4k BDs of the month will be Ghost in the Shell and The Boss Baby on July 25th. These are the Ultra HD Blu-rays we know about, but who knows maybe another title or two will pop up!
Best Buy SteelBook Editions
In addition to the standard editions, Best Buy will also release special Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook editions of The Fate of the Furious, The Fifth Element, Resident Evil: Vendetta, Kong: Skull Island, and Ghost in the Shell all with custom package artwork. The Best Buy exclusives often cost $2-3 more than the common 4k releases, but you can often get them on sale for a few dollars less during the first week of availability.
Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are formatted at 2160p video resolution usually with high quality immersive audio formats Dolby Atmos or DTS-X. Most Ultra HD Blu-ray releases also include HDR (High Dynamic Range) specifications for improved color range, indicated on the packaging by either an HDR or Premium Ultra HD sticker.
Here’s a schedule of upcoming Ultra HD Blu-ray titles in July, 2017.
July 4, 2017
- Song to Song
July 11, 2017
- King Kong: Ultimate Edition
- Léon: The Professional
- Smurfs: The Lost Village
- The Fate of the Furious
- The Fifth Element
July 18, 2017
- Kong: Skull Island
- Resident Evil: Vendetta
July 25, 2017
- Ghost in the Shell
- The Boss Baby
Get more Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc news in our dedicated categories.
