Digital Review Aliens Digital UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

I didn’t use the Vudu app on Apple TV. I simply played back Aliens digital files on the iTunes and Apple TV apps and only the theatrical version would play 4K while the Special Edition listed in the Extras played back in HD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I purchased Aliens: SE for $5 on Prime Video yesterday - 4K HDR and DD+ 5.1.

Movies Anywhere and FAH are 4K DV and Atmos.

On Apple TV, it’s 4K DV and Atmos on an Apple TV device, but HD and Atmos on Roku devices. Weird.

What I'm about to say really frustrates the living crap out of me. This digital streaming system is all screwed up. I decided to waste $5 for a little experiment and the following are the results. This morning on Amazon I bought the Aliens: SE for $5 after reading again Todd's post.

After purchase, on my ATV4K unit using iTunes, Aliens: Special Edition shows it in HD. Look at the photo below this paragraph. However, when I playback the digital, it does play back in 4K/Dolby Vision and Atmos and not in HD. Furthermore, the theatrical cut listed as an extra will only playback in HD. By the way, you will notice that the Special Edition digital is no longer available to purchase on iTunes.

Now take a look at another photo below which is the 4K digital that I received once I redeemed my digital code from the 4K/UHD release back in March. The theatrical cut plays back in 4K/Dolby Vision and Atmos as indicated in the photo below. However, the Special Edition that is part of the Extras, only plays back in HD on iTunes. Again, I'm using the iTunes app on my ATV4K unit.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Robert, this is nothing new with Aliens. We've been discussing this for awhile. The bottom line is Vudu, Apple and Movies Anywhere have the theatrical cut in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos but the only place to watch the SE online in DV and DA is Vudu, and that was broken on the Apple TV until yesterday.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Robert, this is nothing new with Aliens. We've been discussing this for awhile. The bottom line is Vudu, Apple and Movies Anywhere have the theatrical cut in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos but the only place to watch the SE online in DV and DA is Vudu, and that was broken on the Apple TV until yesterday.

You don't think I know that? The point of my post isn't Aliens perse, but how the digital system is broken. If streaming veterans like us can get frustrated, what about the streaming novices and their level of frustration.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I see what you're saying now. Fascinating that the Aliens SE is a separate purchase at Amazon but it copies over to MA in DV and DA, meaning there is another way to watch the SE in 4K.

And I agree. I don't understand why the studios don't have one high-quality master (4K, Dolby Vision+Atmos, correct aspect ratio) that is common to all retailers. Having multiple masters creates more work and confusion.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Frustrating indeed.

Only very tangentially related, but I just bought the extended cut of Leon: The Professional 4K via FanFlix's latest bundle deal (figuring I should choose that to ensure I get 4K for that version), and of course, it's not porting to Apple/iTunes which only has one entry (for theatrical plus extended as an extra, which I wasn't sure would be 4K)...

Well, I guess I can at least watch it on MoviesAnywhere (or maybe Vudu) whenever I can't or don't wanna use my 4K disc -- yes, I had also redeemed the disc's DC long ago, but didn't know better back then and redeemed via Vudu when they only had HD(X), so got stuck w/ HD (until now)... And yeah, I used that FanFlix bundle deal to correct a couple other such "mistakes"...

Sigh...

_Man_

 

[Robert Crawford]

Frustrating indeed.

Only very tangentially related, but I just bought the extended cut of Leon: The Professional 4K via FanFlix's latest bundle deal (figuring I should choose that to ensure I get 4K for that version), and of course, it's not porting to Apple/iTunes which only has one entry (for theatrical plus extended as an extra, which I wasn't sure would be 4K)...

Well, I guess I can at least watch it on MoviesAnywhere (or maybe Vudu) whenever I can't or don't wanna use my 4K disc -- yes, I had also redeemed the disc's DC long ago, but didn't know better back then and redeemed via Vudu when they only had HD(X), so got stuck w/ HD (until now)... And yeah, I used that FanFlix bundle deal to correct a couple other such "mistakes"...

Sigh...

_Man_

I can’t tell you how many times I did similar moves on several titles over the last several years.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

If you redeem the digital copy of Aliens it unlocks the theatrical cut in 4K with Dolby Vision and Atmos. The Special Edition will be HD on Apple and Movies Anywhere, but 4K DV and DA on Vudu.

If you buy the Special Edition on Amazon or Vudu, it's also a Movies Anywhere title and will populate to other providers. While Apple doesn't sell this anymore, it will show up in your library. On Apple, Movies Anywhere and Vudu the Special Edition will now be in 4K with the Dolbies while the theatrical cut will be HD only on Apple and Movies Anywhere, but again, Vudu includes it in 4K with DV and DA.

As for bonus features, it looks like all of them are carried over with both versions on Apple and Movies Anywhere.

What a mess. Long story short, no matter what version you buy, Vudu always presents both cuts in 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

 

[KeithDA]

If you redeem the digital copy of Aliens

Here in the UK we stopped getting digital codes with discs years ago....