Video Quality
Green Book's UHD may not offer a wholly revelatory viewing experience in comparison to Universal's excellent day-and-date companion 1080p Blu-ray release, but this 2160p/HDR presentation is certainly a clear step forward in terms of both clarity and, in particular, color. The image, which was shot digitally at a resolution of 3.4K, finds more naturally and consistently sharp textures, offering increased skin and clothing detail when compared to Blu-ray. One of the nicest points of comparison comes when Tony first meets Dr. Shirley. The former is wearing a suit jacket above an undershirt with a ribbed collar that shows more distinction and tangible texturing in 2160p, while the latter is wearing an ornate robe that sees its various accents revealed with much improved and flavorful clarity and innate sharpness. Nothing in the image is particularly striking in terms of textural upgrade, but even at an incremental level the adds in resolution are certainly appreciable and appreciated in nearly every scene. The overall increase to color fidelity and intensity, courtesy of the HDR color enhancements, are evident throughout the film. Classic automobiles are a particularly obvious beneficiary, but any daytime scene offers notably crisper, brighter, more intensely saturated colors. The Blu-ray is left looking comparatively flat and pale by comparison in nearly every scene, even in darker shots where the improvements are more fine-tuned rather than breathtaking. Shadow detail and black levels depth are more solidified, while whites are crisper and brighter; take a look at a Kentucky Fried Chicken sign seen at the 50:58 mark for one of the best examples of white intensity and overall improvement. Any of several concert scenes (a good example comes right at the 60-minute mark) serve as fine reference points for the improvements to blacks. Noise is present but not to excess. No additional source or encode flaws are apparent. Fans should be very satisfied with Universal's efforts with this release; modest adds to sharpness and fairly major increases to color intensity and depth alike yield a very well-rounded UHD image.
Credit: blu-ray.com
Audio Quality
With one of the main characters being a musician, it's no surprise that music is a critical component to Green Book. Universal's Dolby Atmos soundtrack supports the film with grandeur and grace alike, delivering a first-rate listen that supports both the generalized sonic atmosphere and the thematically enriching music, often that played by Shirley and his fellow musicians in several concert stops. The film opens with some impressive musical beats flowing off the Copacabana stage. Terrific width, full and balanced surround implementation, and a quality low end depth give a significant verve and enjoyable, immersive presence to music right off the bat. Concert scenes yield wonderfully melodic details as the three instruments present with recognizable individual character and sonic signature while merging into symphonic bliss; the Atmos track effortlessly pulls the listener into any of the several venues along the way. Environmental effects are filling and nicely defined. The tack recreates several distinct locations: bustling city exteriors, a diner, a restaurant, a kitchen, a motel courtyard. Each one finds effortlessly engaging and perfectly balanced location recreation, easily drawing the listener into every stop during the journey. The overhead channels are never used to discrete effect but they do support music and environmental details, with special emphasis on a scene featuring driving rainfall in chapter 15 that offers the most obvious top layer implementation to be found. Dialogue is clear, center-focused, and well prioritized for the duration.
4K Bluray details
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (52.60 Mbps)
Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Audio
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish
Discs
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD-66, 1 BD-50)
Digital
Movies Anywhere
Packaging
Slipcover in original pressing
Embossed print
Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region free