The organization behind Blu-ray has agreed a 4K movie disc standard. The first players and discs should be on sale before Christmas.

The discs will formally be known as Ultra-HD Blu-ray format. They’ll support resolution up to 3840 x 2160, along with 60fps frame rate and a wider color range than is currently used on Blu-ray.

The format will also support an optional feature called “digital bridge” allowing for authorized ripping to an external hard drive, directly from the player. Movie studios will be able to decide whether to support the feature and, if so, what restrictions to place on playing back the resulting file.

While it’s likely most will insist on some form of internet-connected authorization, the file won’t necessarily have to be played back on a device connected to the original player. Copying to a hard drive will create an exact replica of the original disc files, though there’ll also be an export option that creates a lower-quality, smaller file designed for mobile devices.

Any machine sold as compatible with the format will be required to support backward compatibility with existing Blu-ray discs (known officially as HD Blu-ray.)
Earlier this year, Ron Martin of the Blu-ray Disc Association explained that the new format will be set-up so that as part of the HDMI “handshake” players will discover the capabilities of the TV screen and adjust the picture appropriately. He said that as long as a screen can connect over HDMI, it will always be able to play back a picture from Ultra-HD Blu-ray in some form.

Unsurprisingly, the people behind the format are pushing the idea that discs will be the breakthrough for 4K, arguing that most people’s broadband connections simply aren’t fast and stable enough to guarantee good performance with 4K streaming every time.