I always get a chuckle when people refer to a DVD or Blu-Ray rip as a master. Yes, it's true that for the end user, it's the first generation of a video that they may choose to encode to a (usually) smaller file, but it's far from the true master which is multiple terabytes and a color range far beyond UHD.
The analogy may fail in the digital realm, but the term master was never used to refer to consumer tapes or vinyl records. There was "Direct from Master" or "Direct to Disc", but it was understood that this was still at best a 2nd generation reproduction. To me, the only true master in the digital realm is the original file (raw or compressed) and everything else is a 2nd generation copy with necessary losses (resolution, color reduction/grading).
I fully understand the studios reluctance to allow the release of true masters, but with ultra high end home theaters approaching and possibly overtaking some multiplexes in size and quality, and given the willingness to pay a premium, will true master quality video ever be allowed. Again, a jump back to the analog realm, where those with the money and right connections could buy and own 35mm prints of movies, which were of course 2nd generation at best.
Of course, today's technology isn't capable of full 4k and color fidelity, but what about the future as standalone theaters screens continue to shrink in size and quality, and the size and quality of home theaters grows. I look to IMAX as an example, where starting at $1 mil, an IMAX Private Theatre can be built.
The analogy may fail in the digital realm, but the term master was never used to refer to consumer tapes or vinyl records. There was "Direct from Master" or "Direct to Disc", but it was understood that this was still at best a 2nd generation reproduction. To me, the only true master in the digital realm is the original file (raw or compressed) and everything else is a 2nd generation copy with necessary losses (resolution, color reduction/grading).
I fully understand the studios reluctance to allow the release of true masters, but with ultra high end home theaters approaching and possibly overtaking some multiplexes in size and quality, and given the willingness to pay a premium, will true master quality video ever be allowed. Again, a jump back to the analog realm, where those with the money and right connections could buy and own 35mm prints of movies, which were of course 2nd generation at best.
Of course, today's technology isn't capable of full 4k and color fidelity, but what about the future as standalone theaters screens continue to shrink in size and quality, and the size and quality of home theaters grows. I look to IMAX as an example, where starting at $1 mil, an IMAX Private Theatre can be built.