It’s Time To Start Building Your 4K Movie Collection

In theory, movies are more accessible than ever before. You are literally reading this on a device that likely has access to a dozen or more streaming video apps and stores, like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Hulu. And yet, in reality, things are dire. Movies can be pulled instantly from a service, bad versions can be uploaded and replace what existed before, and trying to manage multiple apps is expensive and annoying. It all sucks so much.

So, I suggest that if you care about movies and want to avoid all of that nonsense and take back control of your media, you cancel some services and start investing in a physical movie collection. More specifically, I suggest you start building out a 4K UHD library of movies.

Why 4K UHD?

There are a few reasons why I think it’s a smart move to start investing in a 4K UHD collection of your favorite films. The biggest being that, at this point, it seems very unlikely that 4K UHD Blu-ray discs will ever be topped. That’s not to say 8K resolution TVs or content aren’t a thing. They are. But the reality is that physical media is no longer king.

Digital streaming, even with its flaws, is the popular option. I can’t imagine any of the companies that would need to be invested in such a project actually working to create, promote, distribute, and support a new disc format for movies in the future. I don’t think we’ll get a widely sold, mass-produced, and studio-supported 8K disc or better.

Another wrinkle is that in 2026, only Samsung is even making and selling consumer 8K TVs. And many stores aren’t even selling physical movies anyway. Why would any company invest in a new superior physical format? No. 4K UHD is almost certainly the last and best quality physical format we’ll ever see. A bit depressing, but it does mean that you can invest in a big 4K UHD collection, safe in the knowledge that 10 years from now, 8K discs won’t pop up. Plus, 4k UHD is so damn good already that I’m not even convinced 8K movies are worth it.

What do I need to watch 4K movies?

If you own a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X with a disc drive, you already own a damn fine 4K UHD player. And better yet, the cable that was included with your console, assuming you still have it, is going to be perfect. If you own an Xbox One S, that’ll work, too. And if you really want to, you can buy a 4K UHD player, but just know they get pricey fast. On the other hand, they mostly support Dolby Vision/HDR10+, which, for some reason, none of those consoles do when using physical media. Whatever you settle on, plug it into your 4K TV.

©Sony

And yeah, you’ll need a 4K TV. If you don’t already own a 4K TV, it’s time to buy one. I mean, if you plan on collecting 4K UHD movies, you should invest in a nice TV to watch them on. Now, you can go wild and buy some incredibly big and expensive set, but there are also plenty of solid, cheaper 4K sets available on the market these days. I’d avoid going below $300 and would also stay away from TCL sets, as I’ve had nothing but trouble with them in the past, as have others. Still, even a cheapo 4K TV can provide a big improvement over an old 1080p set.

Now, plug your player or console into your 4KTV with a good-quality HDMI cable and take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Good job! Welcome to the future. Or well, 2015. Anyway, with that all out of the way, it is time for the fun part: Actually buying and watching movies!

What movies to buy first and where?

I always recommend that you buy some of your favorite movies, assuming they’ve made the leap to 4K UHD. (More on that later.) This is going to jumpstart your collection with stuff you like, and assuming you’ve watched your favorite films a few times, seeing them in 4K should provide a nice example of the leap in quality over streaming and 1080p Blu-Rays or even lower-quality DVDs.

I’d also advise building a list of movies you want to buy and which ones you have bought. This will help a lot when you’re out and about and not near your collection, but spot a good deal on a movie. Check the list to see if you own it, and if not, buy it! It’ll also help you figure out which of your targets have made the leap to 4K UHD. Not every movie has, and while most of the bigger hits and cult classics have been brought over to the 4K format, there are still some odd exceptions and plenty of smaller films left out.

As to where to buy your 4K UHDs, there are a few different options. Personally, my favorite place to get 4K movies is at a few of my local used game and movie stores. They tend to have good deals, and stumbling through a random assortment of movies not fed to you via an algorithm means you might discover some hidden gem you forgot about. eBay and Mercari are also good options, but just be careful, as always, when using these sites. And be prepared for some problems.

Your big box stores, like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, might not be very useful in your hunt for new 4K UHD flicks. Not all of them have ditched physical movies and games, but some have, and plenty of others are drastically cutting down on how much they keep in stock at their brick-and-mortar stores. A smarter use of your time is to keep an eye out for deals on Amazon and follow Wario64 to find sales on 4K movies on sites like Gruv.

©Kotaku

What about Blu-ray and DVD?

As I mentioned already, standard Blu-rays and DVDs don’t offer the same high resolution as 4K UHD. But, sadly, a lot of movies haven’t been converted to 4K UHD and some you may hope to acquire likely haven’t even received Blu-ray releases. In cases like that, you’re going to have to buy non-4K discs to enjoy those hard-to-find films. The good news is that even DVDs still look pretty good thanks to devices like the PS5, which upscale them slightly in a way that looks sharp but not artificial. So don’t feel weird buying a DVD. You’ll still get a nice picture out of it, assuming it was transferred well.

And that’s it. I really do think more people should start building up physical movie collections, not just because it lets you take control of your media, but because scrolling through an app or a media server isn’t nearly as fun as flipping through a collection of physical boxes that contain movies. Grabbing one, loading it in, popping the case down, and watching something becomes a production, but in a good way. I find it helps me focus on the film and the act of watching it. I’m no longer passively hitting buttons to watch some random Netflix slop. I’m actively loading up a machine with a movie to enjoy. And I didn’t realize how much I missed that feeling.