It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 54 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE.

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie  (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsining (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot  (software uniformly simulated HDR),,  Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR),  A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR),  2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

Universal's 4K UHD offers only the exact same DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) as found on the 2012 Blu-ray (as well as some foreign language DUBs). The underutilized score is by Franz Waxman (Untamed, Rebecca, Dark Passage, Bride of Frankenstein, Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard) and includes jazzy elements, there is an excerpt from Leonard Bernstein's 'Fancy Free' for Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy), Waxman's Lisa, Many Dreams Ago (Miss Lonelyhearts - Judith Evelyn), some Paganini and Schubert. It sounds fine, if not an upgrade. There are subtitle options including English SDH, Brazilian Portuguese, French Canadian, Japanese, Latin American Spanish and as with all 4K UHD discs, this Universal package is Region 'Free' (included Blu-rays too!) playable worldwide. 

In the set, the included Blu-rays for Rear Window, Vertigo and The Birds are the exact same discs as the 2012 editions - and actually have those VoB / M2TS file dates - see HERE. So Universal's 4K UHD disc has the same supplements as seen on most of the past digital discs and the last Blu-ray (see our review HERE.) The Blu-ray carries over all the extras are sent over from the Masterpiece Collection and CE (Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary -55 minutes - and A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes - 13 minutes), PLUS the wonderful, professional commentary by John Fawell, author of Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film is here. He has a gentle manner and talks on a varied number of aspects of the film, Hitch's techniques and the production. This is very much worth listening to. The additional featurette are likewise excellent. Many give input, from Scorsese to other prominent directors, in the 25 minute piece Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master. It is a lot of justifiable praise for the Mr. Hitchcock and most seem genuinely enthusiastic about discussing his style and and creative output. The Hitchcock /Truffaut interview excerpts from 1962 run 16 minutes and are shot to the backdrop of scenes and stills from the film Rear Window. Hitch kind of gives commentary with translations from French (Truffaut and a female translator). This is very appealing and I wished it could have been the entire interview - and most won't want the French dialogue. Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock is almost 25 minutes and focuses on the manipulation of audio - orchestral bridges and how it melded with the plots.

Rear Window is arguably Alfred Hitchcock's greatest film. It certainly deserves the moniker 'masterpiece' and seeing it in 4K UHD was a treat - it rises above Blu-ray with the color depth a film-like textures. If you have seen the film many times the improvement is notable and appreciated.

This is another disc, like Vertigo 4K UHD, that will make it's way to our Desert Island selection in the next update. The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K UHD package has immense value and we will review the last two titles, Psycho and The Birds, soon.

Gary Tooze