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Will PS4 support 4K Blu-Rays?

c0de

Member
From what I understand the PS4 can output 4K movies but not games. I may be wrong, but I remember reading something along those lines somewhere.

How would that not work for games? It can but the graphics wouldn't be as good as people would expect.
 

Goliath

Member
I tried to google but every source has something different.
The main question is:

If I buy a PS4 today, will I be able to play 4k (3d would be interesting too) blurays?

I need to convince my partner (who is not a gamer but a serious movie-nerd <3 ) that this console is needed in our apartment. So the more future proof ps4 is in this department the more chances are there for me to finally pull the trigger ;)

Dude I am a big movie buff as well. Right now worrying about 4K is too early because no standards have been set. So the best thing to sell her on is that it is a good Blu ray player that has some of the best versions of steaming apps like Netflix.
 

c0de

Member
But can the PS4 decode HEVC at 4k in software?

That is an interesting question. The current hevc software decoder from vlc requires 4xi7 cores running at 2.3ghz. So with cpus alone this would be very tough and would require that the decoding can be appropriately multithreaded. Offloading to gpu could work, though.
 

le-seb

Member
A. "Matter of focusing the laser on another layer" is most likely a physical design issue which cannot be remedied with a s/w firmware update. I doubt that PS4 BD drive blue laser has any means of focusing anywhere but on two layers of 25/50 BDs. Because why would it?
Because the underlying mechanics are the same, there's already what's needed inside the drive to physically move the lens up and down to change focus.

B. 66/100 4K BDs are not only about layers but are about density on each layer as well as each layer now holds 33 GBs of data instead of 25 on the old BD. This leads to different laser positioning mechanics which is a physical problem again that cannot be fixed with software.
As I've said, it's all about using a more efficient error correction algorithm.
Same thing used for reading BDXL, that Sony invented by the way, like somebody else said.

I'm 100% certain that you will need a new BD drive to be able to read 4K BDs.
You bet? ^_^

Don't forget that Sony is a founding member of the Blu-Ray Disc Association and of the HDMI Forum.
They knew what was coming years before the specs were published, and they also told us they had designed the PS4 with the future in mind, so they may well have done what is necessary to upgrade the console through software.

___
How would that not work for games?
The SDK doesn't allow it for games, simple as that?

That is an interesting question. The current hevc software decoder from vlc requires 4xi7 cores running at 2.3ghz. So with cpus alone this would be very tough and would require that the decoding can be appropriately multithreaded. Offloading to gpu could work, though.
It's not like GPUs have been used for years as accelerators to decode videos, huh?
Although it wouldn't be very energy efficient, the PS4 GPU is perfectly capable of decoding 4K HEVC.
 
Stop. 4k is literally 4x the pixel count of 1080p, it is insanely demanding. We will never see 4K games on PS4. Feel free to save this post, and if it ever happens (it won't), I will eat a shoe and post pictures for GAF.

I'm pretty sure the team behind Trine 2 said they managed to get the game running in 4k at 30fps on a PS4 dev kit.

(The game also runs in native 1080p/120fps for its 3D mode)

Whether it ever sees the light of day is dependant on Sony unlocking 4K games output of course.
 

CoG

Member
That is an interesting question. The current hevc software decoder from vlc requires 4xi7 cores running at 2.3ghz. So with cpus alone this would be very tough and would require that the decoding can be appropriately multithreaded. Offloading to gpu could work, though.

From what I understand, the PS4 HEVC decoder for 1080p content is still a bit dodgy. 4k is going to require a lot of effort and as DieH@rd points out HDCP 2.2 support is not there.

I'm way more interested in HDR than 4k and that's where the current gen consoles are going to feel really limited from a media perspective in a couple of years.
 

c0de

Member
From what I understand, the PS4 HEVC decoder for 1080p content is still a bit dodgy. 4k is going to require a lot of effort and as DieH@rd points out HDCP 2.2 support is not there.

Is there a decoder already? This is new to me. Also hevc doesn't require hdcp 2.2.
 

BumRush

Member
Somewhat unrelated, but I feel like we are one console and TV cycle away from some seriously amazing graphics....
 

CoG

Member
Is there a decoder already? This is new to me. Also hevc doesn't require hdcp 2.2.

There's a software decoder for HEVC at HD resolutions. I'm not sure if it's final. HEVC has enormous benefits outside of 4k in that encodes are considerably smaller so streaming 1080p gets easier for the bandwidth constrained.

HDCP 2.2 is not a requirement for HEVC but the studios require the output protection for 4k content.
 
Not enough processing power to run good looking 4K games?

Indeed. There is, AFIAK, no difference in device access between an app like NetFlix or the BD player, and game code. So expect things like 4K Geometry Wars, just because someone will make 4K game, because 4K. But you won't get things like DriveClub or Witcher at that res.

Stop. 4k is literally 4x the pixel count of 1080p, it is insanely demanding. We will never see 4K games on PS4. Feel free to save this post, and if it ever happens (it won't), I will eat a shoe and post pictures for GAF.

If I were you I'd either burn this account, or invest in edible footware.
 

c0de

Member
Reading UHD-BD requires it.

Sure but this is not the fault of the codec. But I guess it will take a long time that release groups will build hevc rips instead of x264 and even if, there won't be support on the consoles. We just got support for mkv after all these years.
 
They could stop making 1080p tv's today it doesn't change the fact No one is producing 4K content.

That is what they said about 1080p. This is only a natural progression of the medium. Either get with it or be left behind by technology. I've got my 4k Bravia ready to go and have watched a lot of 4k content already on my streaming. By the end of this year 4k blurays will be available. It's coming. I've also watched the entire Breaking Bad and DareDevil series on 4k streamed by netflix.
 

c0de

Member
That is what they said about 1080p. This is only a natural progression of the medium. Either get with it or be left behind by technology. I've got my 4k Bravia ready to go and have watched a lot of 4k content already on my streaming. By the end of this year 4k blurays will be available. It's coming. I've also watched the entire Breaking Bad and DareDevil series on 4k streamed by netflix.

Which codec do they use, which resolution and what is the bitrate?
 

dr_rus

Member
Because the underlying mechanics are the same, there's already what's needed inside the drive to physically move the lens up and down to change focus.
They're not the same as having two focusing positions is obviously different from having three of them.

As I've said, it's all about using a more efficient error correction algorithm.
Same thing used for reading BDXL, that Sony invented by the way, like somebody else said.
I don't know the details on the new UHD BDs yet - and I don't think that anyone does at the moment - but it's unlikely that a change in the error correction algorithm would bring a +50% capacity to the same physical base. That would mean that current BDs contain more than 50% of duplicate data for error correction which seems to be awfully inefficient and unlikely.
DBXL is a different beast altogether.

You bet? ^_^
Never understood how that works in online, sorry.

Don't forget that Sony is a founding member of the Blu-Ray Disc Association and of the HDMI Forum.
They knew what was coming years before the specs were published, and they also told us they had designed the PS4 with the future in mind, so they may well have done what is necessary to upgrade the console through software.
I'm not forgetting anything but the matter of fact is that the hardware needed to read and playback UHD BDs is simply absent from today models of PS4. Even if it is possible to make it work through a shitload of hacks and standard breaches I don't think that Sony will bother - it is better for them and us to just get an updated h/w which will handle the task natively and in compliance with specs.
 
Which codec do they use, which resolution and what is the bitrate?

Are you asking about 4k streaming? If so I never really look but breaking bad and Daredevil looks great. They have some other nature stuff that looks great. But they also have some older movies that is not that great. You can tell between what is shot in 4k and "remastered" in 4k. I have a sony 4k Streaming with my bravia and I bough the new Evil Dead remake and it looks fantastic!

I'll take a look later and report back.
 

Tarin02543

Member
4k is definitely the future and it is approaching really fast.

I am running a 720p/1080i Panasonic lcd from 2008, but I'm not upgrading until I can buy a 2k/3k € Panasonic 4k oled in about five years time. If not Panasonic, I will get an LG instead.

LG is the only oled supplier right now but Panasonic/Sony are back in the oled game with their joint venture JOLED which should start production in 2017. JOLED is rumored to provide oled panels for next gen ipads.

UHD blu ray will be a new physical format, so existing ps4 units won't be compatible. I am very confident that a UHD ps4 will exist, to push the new format from 2017/2018 onwards.
 

Reallink

Member
It is widely believed, if not outright confirmed, the studios are requiring HDCP 2.2 for both physical discs and dl/streaming services for 4k playback. 2.2 is a hardware feature and can not be added through a FW update, Xbone and PS4 both lack 2.2 HW.
 

MysteryM

Member
4K/8K will be just like 3D niche as fuck

Don't expect to see enough content worth purchasing hardware.

If film is shot in 4K+ then I'm sure film companies will sell 4k versions of the film, If I'm buying a bluray (as I often do) its a no brainer to pick up the 4k version instead of the SD version IF the cost differential is small.

As 4k tv adaption increases it will become the norm to have the 1080p and 4k versions bundled, just as they do with DVD and bluray now.
 

MANGOD

Banned
The current PS4 does not support HDCP 2.2 protection so no, it will not support UHD Blu-Ray playback.
How many posts did it take. Here's your answer and it wont support streaming from say Netflix either without this
 

luffeN

Member
I'm pretty sure the team behind Trine 2 said they managed to get the game running in 4k at 30fps on a PS4 dev kit.

(The game also runs in native 1080p/120fps for its 3D mode)

Whether it ever sees the light of day is dependant on Sony unlocking 4K games output of course.

You are correct. " Trine 2 could even hit 4K at 30fps should Sony ever unlock the output of the PS4 to support ultra-HD resolution." Source
 

Tarin02543

Member
If film is shot in 4K+ then I'm sure film companies will sell 4k versions of the film, If I'm buying a bluray (as I often do) its a no brainer to pick up the 4k version instead of the SD version IF the cost differential is small.

As 4k tv adaption increases it will become the norm to have the 1080p and 4k versions bundled, just as they do with DVD and bluray now.

So HD is the new SD?
 

EvB

Member
Ghostbusters4KBD_1.jpg
It already does!!!111!

MASTERED IN 4K

.....

Sneaky Sneaky Sony
That's right up there with the $155 Premium Sound Micro SD card
 
I should've said employee**** at best buy.

I was operating under the assumption that it was an employee. ;)

I could write a short book filled with ridiculous things I've heard come out of BB employees mouths over the years on everything from gaming rumors, to general electronics knowledge.
 

Mandoric

Banned
They could stop making 1080p tv's today it doesn't change the fact No one is producing 4K content.

The question isn't what 4k content is out there for consumers, since of course there isn't any since there's nothing to put it on just like there was no HD content in 2003.

The question is how much content there is where the original masters are 4k-equivalent or higher, and the answer to that is "basically everything Hollywood shot between 1950 and 2000 plus basically every major-studio film being shot today". Nearly anything shot on 35mm will benefit from a new transfer just like it did for HD and for DVD before that.

It's beyond 4k where content availability becomes an actual issue, though 8k is plausible as a 70mm equivalent/diminishing returns horizon for digitizations of 70mm films.
 

LowSignal

Member
Think the best answer is "maybe" or "ask again later" no one really knows for sure. I would be happy with updated Netflix 4k and other streaming 4k content
 

EvB

Member
Think the best answer is "maybe" or "ask again later" no one really knows for sure. I would be happy with updated Netflix 4k and other streaming 4k content

They are almost back to full strength arrogant Sony. Perhaps they will limit it to a new model?

PS4 4K 4TB $400
 
In order to play 4k Blu-ray, it would need entirely new player hardware. Unfortunately this will not be possible on PS4.

However, prior to PS4's launch, Sony mentioned that even though games would not be output in 4k, video can. What they were referring to is 4k streaming/downloads, which is 100% possible.

So 4k video yes, just not 4k Blu-ray specifically.
 

le-seb

Member
They're not the same as having two focusing positions is obviously different from having three of them.
It's really the same, because optical drives are already permanently adjusting focus to compensate the disc's surface irregularities.
We're talking about moving the lens by less than 20 &#956;m, here.

I don't know the details on the new UHD BDs yet - and I don't think that anyone does at the moment - but it's unlikely that a change in the error correction algorithm would bring a +50% capacity to the same physical base. That would mean that current BDs contain more than 50% of duplicate data for error correction which seems to be awfully inefficient and unlikely.
DBXL is a different beast altogether.
Read this: BDXL brings the expanded layer capacity by increasing the linear track density (which by itself doesn't need any hardware change) and using an algorithm called i-MLSE.

The BDA already had a working and proven solution, featuring up to 4 layers with each up to 33.3 GB, to use as a base for UHD-BD (which is supposed to be compatible with the older BD format, by the way).
Why would you want them to reinvent the wheel?
 
In order to play 4k Blu-ray, it would need entirely new player hardware. Unfortunately this will not be possible on PS4.

However, prior to PS4's launch, Sony mentioned that even though games would not be output in 4k, video can. What they were referring to is 4k streaming/downloads, which is 100% possible.

So 4k video yes, just not 4k Blu-ray specifically.
if 3D is possible through an update why isn't 4K?
 

ZOONAMI

Junior Member
No. Current PS4 BD drive doesn't support the new BD capacities of 66 and 100 GBs which will be used for 4K BD standard. And I don't think that any BD player on the market support them at the moment.

I believe some pc bd drives do, so then it's just a matter of software support for pc people with bd drives.
 
In order to play 4k Blu-ray, it would need entirely new player hardware. Unfortunately this will not be possible on PS4.

However, prior to PS4's launch, Sony mentioned that even though games would not be output in 4k, video can. What they were referring to is 4k streaming/downloads, which is 100% possible.

So 4k video yes, just not 4k Blu-ray specifically.

LInk?
 

Shin-Ra

Junior Member
I don't know how likely it is existing PS4 BD drives support the higher capacity discs.

Decoding shouldn't be an issue.

2160p 24 and 30Hz 8bit output is supported at the very least.

PS4's internal HDMI and HDCP setup is still a bit of a mystery.

Not enough processing power to run good looking 4K games?
What's a good looking game?

Okami, other PS2 gen remasters, UbiArt Rayman, N++, these are games I'd like to play at 2160p.

Someone already mentioned Trine's already 2160p30-ready if SCE were to release a system software update supporting it for games.

I thought Blu-rays didn't have the storage or bandwidth for 4k? Or is this a new format and they're just sticking with the Blu-ray name?
Ultra HD Blu-ray's a new format requiring new dedicated players, it's backward compatible with Blu-ray and DVD.

UHD BD's come in three capacities:

50GB (82Mbps read)
66GB (108Mbps read)
100GB (128Mbps read)

SPECIFICATION NOTES

4K / up to 60p
High speed display in 60 frames per second of 4K video (3,840 x 2,160 pixels - Ultra HD), which has four times the resolution of Full HD/Hi-vision, for highly detailed videos with extremely smooth movement.

10-bit gradation
Previous Blu-ray Discs displayed the color signals (Y, Cb, Cr) in 8-bit gradation each (256 gradations). By expanding this to 10-bit gradation each (1,024 gradations), even minute signals can be faithfully reproduced to realize richly textured video.

High Dynamic Range
A technology that drastically expands the brightness peak from the previous 100 nit to 1,000-10,000 nit, marking a significant leap in the dynamic range of the picture. Bright light sources (e.g. lights or rays of the sun) and reflected light (from metal or water) that up to now were difficult to display can now be shown in rich textures.

BT.2020 wide color gamut
Compliant with the ITU-R BT.2020 wide color gamut signal formulated for 4K/8K broadcasting. Enables vividly rich coloration not previously possible on Blu-ray discs (BT.709 standard).

HEVC (H.265) / 100Mbps
Support for the highest 100Mbps video signal using the latest high-efficiency video compression technology. Compression efficiency and high bit rate far beyond previous Blu-ray discs (MPEG-4/AVC (H.264), maximum 40Mbps) enabling outstanding playback of high quality video with 4K/60p/10bit, High Dynamic Range, BT.2020, etc.
 

ZOONAMI

Junior Member
Doubt it. Prices already dropping to reasonable levels on 4k sets. It's just a higher resolution, not some gimmick that requires you to wear goofy glasses.

I did just watch Avatar for the first time outside of the original time i saw it in Imax, upscaled to 4k in 3D it was pretty fucking awesome on my set!
 

EvB

Member
if 3D is possible through an update why isn't 4K?

3D doesn't require the hardware to do anything different, there is a possibility that the new format requires a different kind of laser or other hardware such as a particular revision of HDMI to function.


the Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K) standard supports 4K@60hz and some other formats that the PS4 physically cannot handle.

All of the manufacturers have announced new players that are 3 or 4 times the price of regular players. So it seems unlikely that the PS4 will Support UHD BD discs
 

Struct09

Member
if 3D is possible through an update why isn't 4K?

It's not a software problem, it's a hardware problem. The current PS4's disc drive wouldn't be able to read the recently finalized UHD Blu-ray format. As for 3D, the content was able to fit on a standard Blu-ray.
 

Shin-Ra

Junior Member
So many good looking 1080p games that weren't running like shit on the PS3, right?
Yeah, there are actually. And I want developers to have the choice to make simpler, stylish games at 2160p.

4K/8K will be just like 3D niche as fuck

Don't expect to see enough content worth purchasing hardware.
They could stop making 1080p tv's today it doesn't change the fact No one is producing 4K content.
Don't be that guy.
 
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