journey to space 4k

Journey to Space - Ultra HD Blu-ray

Produced by K2 Films, Inc. and Giant Screen Films, JOURNEY TO SPACE will both inspire a new generation of young people to dream of new horizons in space, and engender a new appreciation for the accomplishments of the Space Shuttle Program among an older generation who came to take it for granted. NASA’s next era will be its greatest yet. That is the clear “roadmap” painted by JOURNEY TO SPACE. The film absolutely annihilates the perception that the space program died with the end of the Space Shuttle Program by showcasing the exciting plans NASA and the space community are working on, and the challenges they must overcome to carry out audacious missions such as landing astronauts on Mars and capturing asteroids. By using extensive interviews with astronauts Chris Ferguson (Commander of the final shuttle mission) and Serena Aunon (a new astronaut chosen for future flights), as well as a brilliant narration by film and television legend Sir Patrick Stewart, JOURNEY TO SPACE gives a sweeping overview of past space accomplishments, current activities and future plans.

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Although it only runs a brief 41 minutes in length, 'Journey to Space' manages to be both a love letter to the Space Shuttle program and a preview of where NASA is heading next (hint: it's big and red and Matt Damon spent time there) in its short amount of time. While the presentation is slightly disjointed in what it covers, it's one of the better space-themed IMAX movies to be produced...which, of course, also means it has some wonderful imagery.

One of the big selling points of 'Journey to Space' is that it's narrated by former Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart. But, honestly, that's pretty deceptive – as Stewart probably has less than 5-minutes worth of actual narration here. He's featured at the beginning, at the end, and for a few sporadic one-liners here and there. The majority of the documentary is narrated by a trio of people connected to the space program.

First up is former NASA astronaut Christopher Ferguson who tells about his love for the Space Shuttle program and how sad it was for him to see it end. Then, there's Lindsay Aitchison, an engineer and the designer of a new space suit for astronauts that proves to be both functional and highly mobile. Finally, there's astronaut Serena Auñón, who discusses the development of the Orion spacecraft and NASA's plans for a mission to Mars, which viewers are told (generously, perhaps) could happen as early as the 2030s.

While all this stuff is interesting, it does feel a little unfocused. For me, the first part about the Space Shuttle was the most interesting and engaging – but I suppose you can't make an IMAX movie (which, of course, many school kids are going to wind up seeing in science centers and museums around the country) and not provide a little inspiration, so the last half – which deals primarily with sending humans to Mars – deals with that topic and, since we are nowhere close to making that happen yet, includes a lot of computer animated stuff, as opposed to the real-life shots of the shuttle, astronauts in orbit, and space that fill up the early parts of 'Journey to Space'. The dullest part is smack dab in the middle when Serena is telling us about the spacesuit she's working on. Not only isn't the topic all that interesting (unless you're a kid wanting to grow up to build spacesuits instead of be in one), but the visuals here aren't all that exciting either.

The biggest stumbling block – at least at the time of this writing – between adding this one to your collection or just renting it is the price. Shout Factory has released 'Journey to Space' at the same price point as other studios' feature movies (at around the $30 range), and honestly, there's just not enough content here to warrant that kind of investment. Yes ,the documentary looks great and there are several visual versions of it from which to choose, but there's less than an hour of material (including the extras) on this release.

Still, like most documentaries made for IMAX, there are some wonderful visual images here that are sure to show off one's 4k TV capablities. It's just a question for potential buyers whether the amount of content is worth the current price. I'm still recommending this one, but I also recommend waiting a few months for a price drop or a sale.

The Blu-Ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Journey to Space' launches onto home video with this 4K UHD/Blu-ray release, with the Blu-ray containing both 2D and 3D versions of the presentation. The 4K Ultra HD disc and the 25GB Blu-ray come housed inside a black eco-Lite Vortex keepcase, which has one of those plastic flaps on the side that you have to snap open in order to open the case. A slipcover matching the artwork of the keepcase's slick slides overtop. Neither the 4K UHD nor the Blu-ray are front-loaded with trailers, and the main menus look the same on both discs (a window-boxed animation of the Orion spacecraft approaching Mars with the title logo above it), with the exception that the Blu-ray's menu shows up in 3D (for those with compatible TVs). Menu selections run horizontally across the bottom portion of the screen.

The Blu-ray in this release is region-free, despite being marked for Region A on the box and disc itself. Ultra HD discs, in case you didn't know, are all region-free.

Video Review

'Journey to Space' uses footage shot on a number of different film formats, first and foremost IMAX. It is presented in 4K at the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, although it's important to note that the majority of non-IMAX-shot footage is window-boxed in the center of the screen during the presentation.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this release (Shout Factory's first in the Ultra HD format) is that it offers viewers the choice of watching the 4K presentation in either Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) or High Dynamic Range (HDR). The difference between the two being that HDR enhances both the color and contrast of the 4K image. This is the first Ultra HD release to give viewers this option – most likely permissible because of 'Journey to Space's 41-minute runtime. In other words, it's doubtful studios could provide the option for a feature-length movie unless they put each on separate discs.

The great thing about having both HDR and SDR for the documentary is the fact that one can compare the two versions – and the different in color content is dazzling. Assuming one's 4K TV is HDR-compatible (most new models are, but some of the older/earlier sets are not), viewers are in for a real treat as the images provided here are stunning...and stunningly sharp. In fact, it's hard to imagine owners of HDR-compatible sets will ever choose to watch the SDR version, except for comparison purposes. That's how much better the HDR content looks.

The only major problem with this presentation is how inconsistent it can be at times. As noted, there's a lot of different footage from a lot of difference sources, and the lower-quality stuff really suffers (one of the reasons, no doubt, why much of it gets window-boxed here). The highlights are the stuff shot in IMAX, including Space Shuttle launches in both daytime and nighttime. Because of the different sources, however, facial tones and features are far from consistent – as are the amount of details and depth in the footage and images. Overall, though, viewers are going to enjoy this one quite a bit, and despite having a couple of IMAX DVD and Blu-ray releases in my collection, the 4K quality provided here is the closest I've ever felt to having a real IMAX presentation in my home.

I did notice a couple of seconds with motion judder in them – something that other reviewers of other 4K titles have frequently listed as an issue on some of these early UHD releases. The same judder appears on the Blu-ray disc, so – assuming both discs are taken from the same 4K transfer – this appears to be an issue with the overall transfer itself (and the glitch may even go back to the source material) rather than anything specific to only the 4K disc.

Although this review is focusing primarily on the 4K disc, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the 3D version of 'Journey to Space' that is contained on the Blu-ray disc in this set. I'm fortunate enough to have a 4K TV that supports both HDR (as well as the competing Dolby Vision) and 3D and that's actually one of the reasons I chose the 4K TV (an LG model) that I did – so I could still enjoy my 3D Blu-rays, even though – so far – the Ultra HD format isn't supporting 3D at all. Anyway, what the 3D image doesn't have in terms of clarity (at least compared to the 4K image), it more than makes up for in terms of depth and providing a further way viewers can feel immersed in the presentation. As much as I enjoyed watching the 4K HDR version, I can honestly say I enjoyed watching 'Journey to Space' in 3D just as much. If you're lucky enough to have a TV that supports both formats, that's even further reason to pick up this release.

Audio Review

Both the 4k Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs in this release feature an English Dolby Atmos track. Unfortunately, this reviewer does not yet have (nor is likely to get in the near future, as I rent and therefore need to stick with wireless speaker options where surrounds are concerned) an Atmos set up. So until and unless one of my colleagues with Atmos updates this section, I can't comment on how the full-blown Atmos audio sounds.

What I can say is that the downmix (to 7.1 Dolby TrueHD) impresses the most during the several Space Shuttle launches that occur during the documentary. The presentation opens with one such launch and the rumbling and LFE output is pretty fantastic. Sadly, there's not a whole lot of other areas where the audio really makes an impression. Which is not to say the surrounds aren't used at all – they are, but in much more subtle ways...my favorite of which is when an astronaut throws an orange (at least I think that's what it was) at the camera in zero gravity and it "boinks" off the rear right speaker. The dynamic range of the audio is impressive, and there's certainly no glitches to be mentioned, with the possible exception that Patrick Stewart's narration sounds a little more subdued that the other narrators here – not muddy per se, just as if a slightly different method was used to mix in his voice.

In addition to the Atmos track, the Ultra HD disc contains 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in Spanish and French (these are just 5.1 Dolby Digital on the Blu-ray). Subtitles are available in English SDH on both discs.

Special Features

Final thoughts.

A educational look at both the end of the Space Shuttle program and what NASA has planned for a future trip to Mars, the biggest stumbling block for most potential owners of this disc is the price point – which is currently around the same as feature-length Ultra HDs, despite offering much less content. This one is recommended, but it's something you may want to hold off on purchasing until the inevitable day when many of these first 4K releases start hitting the bargain bin.

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Journey to Space Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

• Disc 1: Journey to Space 4K Disc 2: Journey to Space 2D/3D Blu-ray
• (HD) Behind-the-Scenes – 5 minute featurette
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Thx Ralph, 100 on UHD presentation sounds pretty damn good. I guess another one for my amazon wishlist.  

Thanks Ralph for great review. I appreciate it. It has everything I wanted . 100 UHD, 3D blu Ray , Atmos, fantastic documentary. I just ordered it after seeing your review. Really look forward to it. I hope 3D will be included in UHD for the future. I never use HD digital . Also at this forum , when using iPhone , why it doesnot show "like " button? I want to "like" this threat but I cannot do it using iPhone . I am at the other guitar forum, like strat-talk.com, it is pretty convenient to do it , "like, quote" buttons are shown at the bottom of each post . Maybe a suggestion to this forum developer? Thanks Ralph again . As I said before , I count on you for my blu Ray buying. Very well done !!!!  

Intriguing synopsis, but at 41 minutes, and your mentioning extensive interviews with 2 of the space people, how much time was allowed for the rest of the documentary? Sounds like it's a quick compression of so many details? ls this a like an ooh and aah type film?  

Ralph Potts

p5browne said: Intriguing synopsis, but at 41 minutes, and your mentioning extensive interviews with 2 of the space people, how much time was allowed for the rest of the documentary? Sounds like it's a quick compression of so many details? ls this a like an ooh and aah type film? Click to expand...

Ralph Potts said: Greetings, The interviews are more like voice overs showing the details as it plays along. Patrick Stewart narrates but his contribution is really secondary as the meat and potatoes is provided the the astronauts. Regards, Click to expand...

Journey to Space is on my buy list. Nice! Thanks for the review! Ralph, if you've seen it..how does it compare to When we Left Earth? I just hope this isn't as cheesy as "When we left Earth". At some points I was very embarrassed for the astronaut but it is a good overview of the US space program. I've watched it twice from Netflix but will not buy Cheers,  

Great review Ralph! Looking forward to watch this uhd bd.  

Nice review Ralph - it sounds like a reference disc! This may be a dumb question given that your spec summary states 'Region A', but can you confirm if the 3D blu-ray is locked to region A, or if it is multi-region? I have read a review on another site that claims the 3D blu-ray is region free even though the disc and box are marked as region A - it would just be good to confirm before I have one shipped over to the UK!  

Oops, completely forgot about this title... Just ordered and it was the last one in stock...  

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Journey to Space Blu-ray Review

• May 16, 2016

Fantastic Voyage

Journey to Space carries a catchy optimism about space exploration. Rushing through space exploration’s history and charging into the future, the IMAX feature glances the science involved with progress.

While box art coins Patrick Stewart as narrator, his lines are few. Spaces are filled by astronauts and researchers, lacking in marketable presence yet succeeding because of their knowledge base. When speaking over images of the ISS and in-mission shuttles, the pairing works.

In detailing the nature of NASA and international efforts, Journey to Space connects to the sacrifices which have been made for the need to explore. Mournful at times, Journey to Space still looks at progression after the Challenger incident with reverence and awe. Detailing momentum in ship and suit design, the science my be broad yet informative. Attention spans are not strained with minutiae.

Using the high-res source as best possible, incredible images taken from Hubble (and others) span the screen. Mars rover Curiosity produces astonishing sights too, setting up NASA’s planned mission to another planet. Journey to Space concludes by celebrating where humanity as a species is going. Eventually, this IMAX feature will be a grand time capsule when we finally arrive.

Digital and film merge to create Journey to Space , pulled from newer and older sources. Vintage cinematography – in this case, vintage refers to the final shuttle ride through Los Angeles in 2012 – are kept windowed. It’s a usual IMAX trick. Upscaling leaves shimmering and aliasing within those frames.

65mm and 4K digital (with stills sourced from 11K photos) form the rest. Some older cinematography taken during the final shuttle missions host a heavier grain structure. With this much space on the disc, compression is avoided. Journey to Space typically shows a limited grain, gorgeous when presented even at 1080p.

Slightly boosted yet tremendous color strikes immediately. Some pans over Earth’s waterfalls and coastlines boast stunning saturation. Contrast never loses punch and black levels make space appear flawless.

Note Shout Factory has chosen an odd release path. The 3D Journey to Space Blu-ray is only available as part of the 4K UHD release, but the 4K UHD release itself is not in 3D despite a $20 surcharge from the standard Blu. Shout, this makes no sense.

Aside from shuttle launches, Dolby Atmos may be overkill, and for purposes of this review, the same goes for TrueHD 7.1. While ignition creates an awe-inspiring punch in the low-end, surrounds only catch a smidgen of the activity. Attention goes to the score which wraps around cleanly into the rears. A later moment does stretch dialog into the back right, moving toward the front center.

Instances of ADR are noticeable, giving certain dialog an artificial quality. That’s typical of IMAX. Journey to Space is better than most though.

A five-minute making-of goes through the technical details, including cameras, resolution, and 3D conversions. Tech types will enjoy the chat. Afterward, there’s a photo gallery to pursue.

Full disclosure : This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

Patric Stewart only narrates a small portion of Journey to Space , but the images and excitement of space exploration make up for it.

User Review

Click on the images below for full resolution screen captures taken directly from the Blu-ray. Images have not been altered in any way during the process.

Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com . You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki .

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Narrated by Patrick Stewart.

In the past half century, humans have punched through the stratosphere, walked on the moon, and lived continuously in orbit. In the coming decades, our unquenchable curiosity will take our species beyond the cradle of Earth to touch the face of another world. Strap in for the next giant leap. Next stop … Mars!

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'Journey to Space' Hits 4K Ultra-HD, 3D Blu-Ray

A giant-screen documentary on NASA's path to Mars, "Journey to Space," has landed on the small screen — with new 4K ultra-HD, Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray versions out now.

The movie is narrated by Patrick Stewart  with extensive commentary by Chris Ferguson, who commanded the final space shuttle mission, and astronaut Serena Auñón, who has not yet flown in space. It first appeared  in IMAX theaters, as well as on giant screens in NASA visitor centers and science museums, last March.

A new video clip  from the film shows the history of the space station's construction and footage of the astronauts that live and work in it, as well as the projects they're working on while up there.

The film offers a detailed video history of the space shuttle program, especially its later flights, and then forges forward to describe the research and engineering going into preparing for a mission to Mars. The rumbling blasts of shuttle launches and views of astronauts inside the International Space Station might not be as big as their IMAX incarnation, but the views are still vivid and (depending on your sound system) just as immersive. Looking forward, the film also walks through the eventual mission to Mars and the new inflatable habitat, the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft and more in development to facilitate the 2.5-year mission. That segment combines computer-generated scenarios and views of prospective astronauts and engineers hard at work developing and testing out the necessary technological leaps.

"Journey to Space" is sponsored by Boeing and Toyota and produced by K2 Films Inc. and Giant Screen Films.

Email Sarah Lewin at [email protected] or follow her   @SarahExplains .  Follow us   @Spacedotcom ,   Facebook  and   Google+ . Original article on   Space.com .

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Sarah Lewin started writing for Space.com in June of 2015 as a Staff Writer and became Associate Editor in 2019 . Her work has been featured by Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, Quanta Magazine, Wired, The Scientist, Science Friday and WGBH's Inside NOVA. Sarah has an MA from NYU's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program and an AB in mathematics from Brown University. When not writing, reading or thinking about space, Sarah enjoys musical theatre and mathematical papercraft. She is currently Assistant News Editor at Scientific American. You can follow her on Twitter @SarahExplains.

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10 … 9 … “Journey to Space” replicates the thrill of IMAX in 4K Ultra HD

“JOURNEY TO SPACE”

4K Ultra HD, 3-D Blu-ray and Blu-ray widescreen, unrated

Best extra: A short “Behind the Scenes” feature

WATCHING AN IMAX film on a gigantic, five-story screen at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach is one of the most exhilarating cinematic moments you’ll ever experience.

So, when an IMAX documentary arrived on Blu-ray or DVD, I’d usually avoid it. To replicate the huge-screen impact, you’d need to sit so close to your HDTV that your nose would nearly touch the screen. It was tolerable on my old HD front-projection setup, but the projector produced an annoying pixel pattern evident from sitting so close.

Now, it may be worth your time and investment. “Journey to Space” (available Tuesday) is Shout! Factory’s first IMAX documentary on 4K Ultra HD, and it’s a perfect match for any 4K TV setup, including my 4K projector. There’s not a trace of any screen-door pixel structure on my nearly 5-foot-tall screen. (Sitting REALLY close is still required.)

“Journey” is mostly a highlight reel from 30 years of the NASA space shuttle program, with an array of IMAX clips in different resolutions, from 4K, 5.5K, 6K and Red Dragon digital to the “pinnacle” — the original IMAX 15 perforated 65mm large-format negative, says color master John Daro during the lone extra. The clips were mastered in unbelievable 11K resolution then down-converted to 4K.

This unique set includes four versions: two in 4K on one disc and the 3D Blu-ray and 2D Blu-ray on the other. With a quick click, you can select, from the 4K disc, the high-tech HDR (High Dynamic Range) version or the lower-grade SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) for those without HDR.

Hands down the 4K/HDR version, with its expanded brightness and shadows and colors, produces everything that’s advertised. The difference is apparent in the first 30 seconds as the IMAX camera, mounted on a helicopter, sweeps less than a 100 feet from the rocky California coast then banks up a massive waterfall. The HDR version produces a rich and saturated spectrum of colors and brightness. The other versions have their shortcomings.

In the opening segment, actor Patrick Stewart talks of man’s desire to explore space in special craft “to ferry us to the edge of space and back.” A few and brave brilliant souls, he adds, guided the vessels through dangers all in the name of discovery.

“Journey” captures three shuttle launches. It opens with a super-tight frame on the engines just seconds before they light up with an intense orange-and-red glow. A wide shot then shows the launch pad blanketed by white smoke as the Dolby Atmos soundtrack shakes the room. In another super-tight shot of the shuttle Columbia, you see every white-and-black heat shield tile. There’s so much detail you can even read an instruction box labeled, CUT HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE. The shuttle rocks one more second then zooms out of the frame and, in a mid-range shot, races toward space against the blue sky.

Stewart then introduces the International Space Station. The image is breathtaking as the station — longer than a football field and with more space than a six-bedroom house — cruises over a river of white clouds and an unspecified ocean from its “unprecedented outpost in the heavens.” You can count every solar panel. The film loses some momentum when it turns to CGI to create the spacecraft needed for future deep-space exploration and an outpost on Mars and beyond.

Low-grade HD video clips show the shuttle Endeavour on its 2012 farewell tour, flying piggy back on a 747 jumbo jet for a cross-country salute. It’s then placed on a huge truck bed and is moved through the streets of Los Angeles toward its new home at the California Science Center.

A history of the shuttle program also is included, from its conception in the 1970s as the first reusable 220,000-pound “winged delivery truck” to the first launch on April 12, 1981, and final landing July 21, 2011. Did you know it was flown by computers less powerful than our smartphones? Or that, all told, the shuttles made 21,000 laps around the Earth on their 135 missions?

Thanks to a number of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, we also get a look at our nearest celestial neighbors and distant galaxies. It’s a rare moment in which the 3D version outshines the 4K.

Make extra room on your shelf. Shout! Factory will soon serve up more eye candy with the 4K Ultra HD IMAX documentaries “Flight of the Butterflies,” “Rocky Mountain Express,” “Humpback Whales” and “The Last Reef: Cities Beneath.”

— Bill Kelley III

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Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey remains one of the greatest space movies, even as we approach the 55th birthday of its theatrical debut. It’s awe-inspiring, full of clever practical effects. It’s also terrifying, both for its disturbing vision of the great unknown and for showcasing the perils of naughty AI that knows too much, decades before it was something anyone truly had to think about. Maybe you’ve seen this film countless times already, or you’re intrigued after seeing the cheeky, yet heavy-handed references to the film in the opening sequence of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

I’m just here to tell you that you can get a free 4K digital copy of the movie over at Amazon Prime Video, per a recent deal alert from Wario64’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account. Once you’re signed in, you can select “Buy movie” in UHD quality to get it for free. It typically costs $14.99, so grab it while it’s still discounted.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Prices taken at time of publishing.

• $0 at Amazon (4K)

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