If you really want to give your new 4k HDR TV a test drive there may not be a better digital movie to try it on than Star Trek Beyond. The film is now available in Digital SD ($14.99) and HD ($19.99) from most services like Amazon Video, Apple iTunes, and Google Play. But for those looking to “up” the quality of their digital titles Star Trek Beyond is also available in 4k UHD from Vudu.
Vudu’s 4k (UHD) version of Star Trek Beyond also features HDR, a highly desirable specification for 4k video that increases color depth and contrast with a special sub-stream of metadata in the video transmission. Most 4k TVs on the market don’t support HDR, and the few that do cost more for the advanced feature.
Star Trek Beyond integrates HDR enabled by Dolby Vision, one of the two HDR specifications currently in a bit of a format war. Dolby owns Dolby Vision, while the other format, HDR10, is open source. Most consumers are unaware of the two options, as TV packaging lacks any indication of HDR format. However, HDR TVs can display both formats by converting one to the other depending on source.
Vudu’s UHD titles cost a hefty $29.99 each, and unfortunately are not compatible with many devices or TVs at this time. But if you’ve got a Vizio Smartcast TV, 4k OLED screen from LG, or one of the 4k TVs listed below you might be able to enjoy the superb quality of Star Trek Beyond in 4k/HDR. Keep in mind a firmware update might be needed to support 4k with HDR.
Star Trek Beyond will release to Blu-ray Disc, including exclusive retailer editions, on November 1st.
Vudu 4k & HDR Supported Devices
4K Ultra HD playback only
Roku 4 (paired with a compatible 4K HDTV)
Roku 4K TVs
VIZIO P-Series 4K HDTVs
VIZIO M-Series 4K HDTVs
Nvidia Shield TV*
4K Ultra HD + Dolby Vision HDR playback
VIZIO Reference Series HDTVs
VIZIO 2016 Smartcast P-Series 4K TVs
VIZIO 2016 Smartcast M-Series 4K TVs
LG 2016 OLED 4K TVs – G6, E6, C6 & B6 Models*
LG 2016 Super UHD 4K TVs
Source: Vudu
