RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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In my opinion, 4K Blu-ray is easily the best way to view a movie at home. It delivers unmatched picture quality that will give the best TVs a chance to shine, along with uncompressed audio that, when played through one of the best soundbars or a full surround system, is unbeatable.
Since I started testing 4K Blu-ray for TechRadar back in November 2024 as part of the Blu-ray Bounty (where we test the latest 4K releases from each month), I’ve come to appreciate the format even more, and I've even become a fan and collector during that time. 4K Blu-ray is also a staple of my AV testing, as it uses that exceptional picture and audio I mentioned to really push AV equipment to its limits.
I’ve spoken before about my favorite discs of classic movies , as I believe 4K Blu-ray has worked wonders for some older titles. But in recent months, there’s been a few new discs that have impressed me in one area in particular: color. I’ve tested two discs in the last few weeks alone that have entered my testing disc rotation, so I thought I’d pick my top five 4K Blu-rays for color that I’ve tried out as part of the Blu-ray Bounty.
Speed Racer (2008) (Warner Bros.)
(Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )
Based on the 1967 animated TV show of the same name, Speed Racer follows the story of a young man called Speed Racer (Emile Hersch), a racecar driver who follows his deceased older brother’s career and vies to become a champion. After he chooses to stay with his family’s racer company, Racer Motors, instead of joining the Royalton Industries team, he becomes a target. The movie also stars John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Christina Ricci.
From the moment I fired up Speed Racer , I was amazed by the sheer brilliance of its colors, which practically explode on screen. Throughout the movie, there’s plenty of bold, vibrant tones that really show off your TV’s color reproduction. As the Racer family eat breakfast after the opening race, the bright orange walls, green furnishings and pink details all pop on screen. Even people’s clothes have an almost oversaturated, bright look to them than when I watched on the LG G6 , one of 2026’s best OLED TVs , showing real vibrancy.
Of course, there’s the colors around the racetrack itself too. From the bright, neon advertisements to the candy-colored outfits and car decor, if your TV has good HDR peak brightness, you’ll be rewarded with punchy highlights that really dazzle on screen. The disc supports Dolby Vision, and if your TV supports it, you’ll enjoy even more vibrant colors. This really is a reference quality disc.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Universal Pictures)
(Image credit: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Future )
Sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie follows Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi and Toad as they attempt to rescue Princess Rosalina from the clutches of Bowser Jr. The voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya-Taylor Joy, Charlie Day and Jack Black.
Animated movies often deliver striking, eye-catching colors, but I was floored by how good The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ’s colors were. It starts in the very opening scene with the Lumas. As the Lumas themselves are all a variety of vivid colors, including red, green, blue and gold, they really show the 4K disc’s superb clarity from the get-go.
There’s plenty of natural color too, particularly in Mario and Luigi’s overalls, which are the most toned down, lifelike colors throughout the movie. Scenes of space show gorgeous pink, purple and blue hues that balance that are both nicely saturated and rich, and even fire has plenty of dazzle that, on the right screen, can also look realistic. It helps that the movie has crisp textures and details, but the color is what really shows off this disc.
Wicked (Universal Pictures)
(Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future )
Wicked , based on the musical of the same name, is a re-imagining of the events of The Wizard of Oz . It follows the story of how Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West), played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda (the Good Witch of the North), played by Ariana Grande, strike up an unlikely friendship while at the Shiz academy.
When I first tested this disc as part of the March 2025 Blu-ray Bounty, I was impressed with its color reproduction. While I expected dynamic, lively colors, due to the setting of Oz, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the 4K disc struck the balance between vivid and true-to-life. Elphaba’s green skin, although not in itself ‘realistic’, looks believable and lifelike. Glinda’s bright, pink outfits really pop on screen, but again look natural.
One scene I frequently use in my TV testing is where Elphaba stands under a tree with pink flowers. On the right TV, this scene can really show off a TV’s colors, thanks to the vibrant pink flowers, Elphaba’s green skin and even the blue detail on the decor of the school walls. Even if a TV doesn’t have the strongest color reproduction, the scene can still look good: it just won’t have that wow-factor that does the 4K disc justice.
The Sound of Music (Disney)
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios / Future )
One of cinema’s most iconic musicals, The Sound of Music , based on the 1959 stage musical of the same name, tells the story of a nun Maria (Julie Andrews) who is assigned as the nanny for the Von Trapp family children during wartime Austria. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
I’ve always been amazed about what 4K Blu-ray can do for older movies, and The Sound of Music is one of my chosen showcases for this. Not only is the restored detail exceptional, but the movie’s colors are a sight to behold. My reference scene from this disc is when Maria and the children are at a market. In front of them are various fruits, mainly yellow, orange and red, that on the 4K disc practically shimmer on screen. But like Wicked , these colors also appear natural at the same time.
Throughout the movie, many scenes of the Austrian landscap...
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