.svg) | |
 Reverse side of a 100 GB Ultra HD Blu-ray disc | |
| Media type | High-densityoptical disc |
|---|---|
| Encoding | H.265/MPEG-H Part 2 (HEVC) |
| Capacity | 50 GB (dual-layer,[1] 92 Mb/s) 66 GB (dual-layer,[1] 123, 144 Mb/s) 100 GB (triple-layer,[1] 123, 144 Mb/s) |
| Block size | 2 KB sector, 64 KB block size[1] |
| Read mechanism | 405 nm laser |
| Developed by | Blu-ray Disc Association |
| Dimensions | 120 mm (4.7 in) diameter |
| Usage | Ultra-high-definition video PlayStation 5 format software |
| Extended from | Standard Blu-ray |
| Released | February 14, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-02-14) |
Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD,UHD-BD, or4K Blu-ray)[2][3] is adigitaloptical discdata storage format that is an enhanced variant ofBlu-ray.[4] Ultra HD Blu-ray supports4KUHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progressive frames per second,[4] encoded usingHigh-Efficiency Video Coding.[4] These discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players.[1]
The first Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs were officially released in the United States on February 14, 2016.[5] To differentiate retail Ultra HD Blu-ray releases, the format usually uses a black opaque or largely transparentkeep case packaging format (as opposed to blue), but with the same case size as standard Blu-ray. The format is supported onMicrosoft'sXbox One X,[6]One S,[7]Series X/S, andSony'sPlayStation 5.[8] Software made for the PlayStation 5[9][10] can use 100 GB UHD Blu-ray discs.[11]
On May 12, 2015, theBlu-ray Disc Association (BDA) revealed completed specifications and the official Ultra HD Blu-ray logo.[12] Ultra HD Blu-ray technology was licensed in mid-2015, and players had an expected release date of Christmas 2015.[4] On February 14, 2016, the BDA released Ultra HD Blu-ray with mandatory support forHDR10 Media Profile video and optional support forDolby Vision.[13][14]
In December 2017, the BDA completed the specification for an8K Blu-ray format for use in Japan.[15] However a spokesperson from the association said that the release of such a format would be unlikely. This may be partly driven due to lower than expected sales of 8K resolution televisions.[16]
On January 23, 2018, the BDA spec v3.2 gained optional support forHDR10+ and for SL-HDR2 (developed by Philips and Technicolor) also known asAdvanced HDR by Technicolor.[17] However, no Ultra HD Blu-ray player has ever supported SL-HDR2, and no discs encoded in SL-HDR2 have been released.
Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs support bothhigh dynamic range by increasing the color depth to10-bit per color and a greater colorgamut than supported by conventional Blu-ray video by using theRec. 2020color space. Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs also support a12-bit per color container viaDolby Vision.[18] Moreover, Dolby Vision makes use of dynamic metadata, which adjusts the brightness and tone mapping per scene. In contrast, standard HDR10 only makes use of static metadata, which sets the same brightness and tone mapping for the entirety of the content.[19]
The specification for 4K Blu-ray allows for three disc capacities, each with its own data rate: 50 GB at 72 or 92 Mbit/s, and 66 GB and 100 GB at 92, 123, or 144 Mbit/s. On 66 GB and 100 GB discs, the pits and lands are not narrower than those of a standard Blu-ray Disc, but shorter, which increases the capacity of each layer from 25 GB to 33 1/3 GB (this structure is similar to the one used byBDXL discs). This also means that each revolution of such a disc transfers more data than that of a standard Blu-ray Disc, which means the transfer rate is higher with the same linear velocity. In addition, the disc can be encoded to have the drive hold the full 5,000 rpm until it reaches a point largely away from the innermost part of the disc if an even higher transfer rate is needed. 50 and 66 GB use two layers, and 100 GB uses three layers.[20][4]
Unlike conventional DVDs and Blu-rays, the 4K format does not haveregion coding.[21] Ultra HD Blu-ray uses a new revision ofAACSDRM: AACS 2. AACS 2.1 is used on certain releases such asStand by Me,Fury,The Patriot, andZombieland.
Most retail Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are encoded withAteme TITAN.[22] Ultra HD Blu-ray discs use HDMV orBD-J for menus. Subtitles usePresentation Graphic Stream, which is the same format as normal Blu-ray discs.
The8K Blu-ray format supports 8K UHD (7680 × 4320 pixel resolution) videos. More than two hours of 8K UHD content can be recorded on BDXL discs (128GB – quad-layer, 100GB triple-layer).[15]
The termAdvanced HDR, as used byTechnicolor, covers a group of three Technicolor HDR technologies:SL-HDR1 (Single-Layer HDR1); SL-HDR2; SL-HDR3.[23]
According to Technicolor, it is “a single-layer solution, known as Technicolor HDR (ETSI standard SL-HDR1), which ensures backwards compatibility with all non-HDR screens and non-HDR equipment. Broadcasters just need to produce a single feed, and the technology allows content to be converted into a format for both legacy screens and HDR screens.”[24][25]
Only computers with activatedSoftware Guard Extensions (SGX) support Ultra HD Blu-ray playback.Intel introduced SGX in theSkylake generationCore processors in 2016, enabling PCs to play protected Blu-ray discs for the first time. In January 2022, Intel deprecated support for SGX for theRocket Lake andAlder Lake generation desktop processors, leading to Ultra HD Blu-ray discs being unplayable on those systems, even with licensed software such asPowerDVD.[26][27][28] However, on systems without SGX support, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs can beripped using a drive with patched firmware (LibreDrive) and compatible software such as MakeMKV, DVDFab, orAnyDVD HD.[29]
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