Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released the 1992 film 'Orlando,' directed by Sally Potter and starring Tilda Swinton and Billy Zane, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new audio or supplements are included. No Blu-ray disc is included; all extras are found on the UHD disc. At time of writing, this release is exclusive to the eleven-film Sony Pictures Classics: 30th Anniversary Collection boxed set.

Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Sony's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release of Orlando is magical. The presentation is gorgeous, boasting an exceedingly natural and very filmic grain structure. The picture pursues the best of the film format for home consumption at this resolution and finds it. It is one of the best in the Sony Pictures Classics boxed set and one of the best the studio has put to market. The level of care and concern is obvious in every shot, scene, and sequence. Grain is light but very much a key cog in the larger picture at work. The result is a faithful and cinematic image that is bolstered by exceedingly clear details and sharp elements. Period costumes are alive with pinpoint detail well beyond the old Blu-ray's abilities. Facial textures capture a complexity and naturalism to the medium that shows the picture at its absolute best. The odd speckle remains, but even so the picture is near as clean and efficient as any other on the market. The encode is flawless.

The Dolby vision grading is a delight. The picture enjoys an amplified color spectrum that bolsters primaries, enhances whites, deepens blacks, and solidifies skin tones, through the range that appears through the film. Costumes deliver delightful blues and oranges. Natural greens impress for depth and vibrance. Reds pop and yellows are vivid. Dolby Vision does not play fast and loose with colors, though; this is a very grounded, but nevertheless very refined and vitally transformed, color experience that accelerates beyond the Blu-ray from the outset and never retreats from a high level of excellence. Viewers will be in awe at the balance, authenticity, and depth on display.

Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than re-encode for Dolby Atmos, Sony has left well enough alone and simply ported over the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. This is not a surprise; the film is dialogue heavy and its sonic needs are modest. The track is excellent in every facet. For convenience find below the text from the original Blu-ray review:

Orlando arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The absence of more channels isn't much of a hindrance; Orlando still sounds fine, generally speaking, and the limited soundstage suits the material well enough. Orlando is primarily a dialogue-driven Drama, and the center channel delivers every syllable with equal amounts of clarity and ease. Music occasionally sounds a tad crunchy, but the film's oftentimes surreal score is mostly handled with a fair level of clarity and attention to detail throughout the entire sonic range. The front channels handle various atmospherics quite well, for instance the hushed chatter and clanking silverware of a dinner party scene from early in the film. A few more aggressive sound effects that stem from the few 20th century scenes near the end of the film are handled with fair fidelity, separation, and good imaging. Much like its video presentation, Orlando's soundtrack won't set a new standard for Blu-ray, but it's a fine enough effort that compliments the movie well.

Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Orlando, as it ships in the Sony Pictures Classics 30th Anniversary boxed set, includes the same extras from the 2018 Blu-ray. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage. As it ships in that boxed set, a non-embossed slipcover is included.

• Orlando Goes to Russia
• Orlando in Uzbekistan
• Jimmy was an Angel
• Audio Commentary with Director Sally Potter and Actress Tilda Swinton
• Venice Film Festival Press Conference
• An Interview with Sally Potter
• Select Scenes Commentary with Director Sally Potter
• Theatrical Trailer

Orlando 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Simply stated, Orlando looks incredible on the UHD format. Sony's 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation is amongst the best the studio has ever released, which is quite the compliment considering the excellence that is a staple of its output. The legacy audio and supplements are fine. Highly recommended.