[Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this column indicated that the recent Die Hard 4K release from Fox has a remastered Blu-ray. It was Warner’s The Matrix 4K release I was thinking of. Sorry for the confusion.]
We’re also waiting to see whether or not the sequels will be given 4K Ultra HD treatment that same day. Rest assured, we’ll check back in here as soon as those details come in from the studio. In the meantime, we’ve updated the 4K Ultra HD Release List here at The Bits accordingly.
Here’s a look at the cover artwork for Predator, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and 2001: A Space Odyssey in 4K Ultra HD, all now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the cover artwork below. Keep in mind, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hasn’t yet been officially announced either, so this may not be the final cover artwork...
Now then, it’s that time again...
For over twenty years now, from the dawn of DVD to the rise of 4K Ultra HD, The Digital Bits has been a powerful advocate for home media enthusiasts online. From our unique position within the industry, we’ve shared our love and knowledge of film, advised our readers honestly and well through two format wars, helped to make the adoption of the latest home theater technology easier, and served as a bridge between enthusiasts and the Hollywood professionals that produce our favorite content.
But in recent years, our costs to operate The Bits have unfortunately increased, from contributors and equipment, to servers, bandwidth, even cybersecurity, even as advertising revenue has dropped all across the Internet (outside of social media), leading to the disappearance of all too many popular websites. When even an enthusiast-favorite company like Oppo can’t keep going in this climate, you know things are tough. Yet we think it’s incredibly important for us to keep fighting for the continued survival of physical media on behalf of all of you out there who love it.
It should be obvious why, but here’s just a few reasons. First, the picture and sound quality of physical media is superior because of its greater bandwidth. Second, if you have a disc in hand, you’ll always have access to that content – an Internet outage, a bad data plan, or a short-sighted studio decision to make room on the servers isn’t going to take it away from you. Third, the profits from physical media sales have long driven the effort to save, restore, and preserve our favorite films for the future. And without discs, there’s no incentive for the studios to continue creating great and in-depth special edition material.
How many of you have ever been thrilled to discover great documentaries about your favorite films on YouTube? Chances are, they were originally produced for a Blu-ray or DVD – and they wouldn’t exist without the discs. Every single person who’s ever benefitted from a “film school in a box” experience should be concerned with the idea of discs disappearing forever. Digital streaming is convenient, it’s great for casual viewing, and it’s likely to be with us for good. But we need to make sure that movie discs survive too!
That is our mission here at The Digital Bits. And if we’re going to continue in that effort... we need your help. We hate having to ask for it, and we’ve tried (and managed) to avoid it for many years, but it’s time.
We’ve created a new section here called Back The Bits with the information below (you’ll find it up top in our button bar and there will be a button link in our daily My Two Cents columns from now on as well). Here’s how you can help...
1. Make a Monthly or One-Time Donation via PayPal
While our daily news, feature, and review content will always be available free of charge, it costs money to produce. If you enjoy our work here at The Bits, and especially if you’re a longtime reader, you already know the value it’s provided you over the years. So we ask that you consider making a donation via PayPal – whatever you feel it’s worth to you – either occasionally or on a regular basis.
-or-
2. Shop For Anything Through Our Amazon Links
This one is easy – just click on THIS LINK, the button above, or on any of our Amazon links here on The Bits before you start shopping there for literally anything. It doesn’t have to be just Blu-rays or DVDs. Then, when you check out, we’ll get a small commission fee. It really makes a difference!
3. Advertise on The Bits
Are you a studio, hardware manufacturer, or other business? Consider advertising on The Digital Bits! We have very competitive rates and we’re happy to offer great discounts for long-term and regular ad partners. Contact Bits editor Bill Hunt via the mail form below (at the bottom of this page) for more details.
THANK YOU!
On behalf of all of us here at The Bits, we wish to thank you – very sincerely – for supporting our efforts in any way that you’re able to.
We’d especially like to thank each and every Bits reader, both new ones and those of you who have been with us from the very beginning, for your loyalty and friendship over the years.
We love you guys and we’re committed to offering you the full benefit of our knowledge, experience, and connections within the industry. Again, our goal is to continue the fight in support of physical media on behalf of enthusiasts everywhere, and to help you each get the most value and enjoyment from Blu-ray Disc, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D, Digital, lossless audio, and whatever other new media formats the future may bring.
Thanks for twenty great years and for helping us to keep The Digital Bits legacy going strong!
- Bill Hunt, editor of The Digital Bits
(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)