Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Ring 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 20, 2024

Paramount has released the popular 2002 Horror remake film 'The Ring,' directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, and Brian Cox, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. As is Paramount's custom, this disc retains the same 5.1 lossless soundtrack which was included with the original Blu-ray release from 2012, which is also included in this set. All supplements carry over from the original Blu-ray and are only included on the original Blu-ray; the UHD disc is absent any and all special features. This is the film's second UHD issue; Shout! Factory released the film to the 4K format earlier this year. I did not review that release, nor do I have access to it, so this review cannot comment on any similarities or differences between these UHD releases.

For a full film review, please click here. Alternatively, fans can read a second opinion written by Neil Lombard accompanying the 2024 Shout! Factory UHD release by clicking here.

The Ring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc output at 1080p. They are not representative of the UHD/Dolby Vision image you will see on your screen.

There's no denying that in recent years there has been a fair bit of controversy surrounding Paramount catalogue UHD titles, with some of them looking downright stunning and some of them looking downright awful. Fortunately, The Ring falls into the former category. Paramount's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation is a visual treat, serving up a picture that is clearly superior to the original Blu-ray, delivering a high quality and a faithfully cinematic viewing experience that benefits from the higher resolution and the amplified color grading that merge to make what is simply the best the film has looked since theaters and maybe even better than ever.

The higher resolution sees the film presented with a crispness and authority that dominates the old Blu-ray. The image is as faithfully filmic as can be, defined by its consistently stunning grain structure that gives it a satisfying cinematic quality that brings the theater experience home. The grain shows no signs of unwarranted tampering, remaining intact while also flattering the details around the frame. There is nothing that looks anything less than film perfect. Details are strikingly complex, with facial features precise and exacting, revealing every pore, line, and imperfection with as much detail as the UHD format allows. This clarity extends to hair (Watts' hair is notably dense and complex yet in good light it's almost defined and distinguished enough to allow viewers to pause and count individual hairs). Environmental details are also stout, capturing everything down to paint imperfections on walls. I could not be any more excited with this presentation's quality.

The Dolby Vision color grading is also a major boost of the film's UHD presentation. The film has a very unique color scheme that sees it tinted heavily green and gray with some pushes to blue and only the occasional burst of vivid color. But most everything that is not in some way dominated by the green color temperature, with shades of gray and blue also at work, are very muted and infrequent. The Dolby Vision grading obviously retains this filmmaker intended color push and it amplifies its clarity and stability with excellent tonal depth and accuracy, offering nuanced shades and excellent saturation even with the innate color parameters. It's bold and stable, offering the best color output the film has ever enjoyed. Just as important, black level depth is taken to the next level, where blacks appear inky and honest, deep and full, well beyond the Blu-ray's ability to capture and hold true black.

Lastly, the print appears free of any kind of evidence of wear and tear (no pops, speckles, scratches, or the like) and the encode is as solid as they come, showing no compression artifacts or other anomalies that prevent this release from earning a coveted, and very well deserved, perfect video score.

The Ring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As noted above, this UHD release of The Ring includes the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the original Paramount Blu-ray. Please click here for full coverage.

The Ring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of The Ring includes all of the supplemental features on the included Blu-ray disc, which is identical to the disc released back in 2012. The UHD disc proper contains no supplements. Below is a listing of what's included. Please click here for full coverage of the supplements. Note that the Shout! Factory UHD release contains additional bonuses not included on this disc. A digital copy voucher is included with purchase.

• Don't Watch This
• Rings
• Cast and Filmmaker Interviews
• The Origin of Terror
• The Ring Theatrical Trailer

The Ring 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of The Ring are going to be beyond excited for this UHD release. Paramount's new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation is vastly superior to the Blu-ray. It's a wonderfully faithful and filmic image that alone makes this worth the upgrade. And that's good because audio and extras remain unchanged. Recommended. Do note that paramount has also released an attractive UHD SteelBook day and date with this standard packaging UHD release.