Hairy Hobbit feet! We always knew the Hobbits had hairy feet, but perhaps we forgot how hairy they were. Along comes this new 4k upgrade and although there are not many closeups of their feet you can almost count the Hobbity hairs when pausing the video. releases. Although the new 4K editions of all six cuts are only available in this collection for now, it's possible that they'll be offered separately in the

The surviving members of the Fellowship, with the help of the Elves, have defended the kingdom of Rohan at Helm’s Deep, as Gollum leads Frodo and Sam ever closer to Mordor. But Sauron is marching an even larger orc army, led by the vile Witch King, to the defenseless city of Minas Tirith. If it falls, so too will Gondor, and all hope for the world of men will be lost. Gandalf races to the city with Pippin to sound the alarm, while Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Merry attempt to convince King Theoden of Rohan to ride to its defense. With the fate of Middle-earth about to be decided in a last, massive battle on the fields of Pelennor, Aragorn must finally accept his destiny. And Frodo and Sam will face the ultimate test of friendship, and their very lives, in their quest to destroy the One Ring. The Mines of Moria. When the Fellowship enters the mines of Moria we are taken deep into caverns and tunnels where the dwarves constructed incredible mazes and halls, the depths of which have been revealed much clearer on 4k TVs. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4k Digital Still Audio Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1 The upgraded audio isn’t as much of a jump as it is in video, as previous Blu-ray editions already featured incredible DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 surround sound. But the Dolby Atmos capabilities expand the potential to distribute sound overhead and behind (with the right speaker system) and add other audio channel to the surround sound format.Head on over to The Digital Bits where they have a long, deep review of this new set worth reading. Remember, the new 4K looks stunning but requires a new 4K disc player + 4K TV. Can an equivalent set be assembled piece by piece? Let’s shop: split between two discs apiece. An even more lavish trilogy collection -- with the possibility of brand-new extras -- is planned for release

Editor’s Note: This review is now complete. A similar review of The Hobbit Trilogy in 4K Ultra HD is also now available here on The Digital Bits.] Watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 4k with HDR is really like watching the film for the first time. Even though you may already have every scene memorized, the visual improvements are like candy for your eyes. Dim your lights, crank up the volume, and make some microwave popcorn for this binge-worthy home theater experience. You might be wondering next: Does this new 4K remaster really make that big of a difference? Is the image and sound really improved over the previous Blu-ray release? The answer to that is: HELL yes. However, if you don’t already have them, you’ll need to get a 4K display, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and a surround sound system that’s compatible with Dolby Atmos. It’s not a story of heroes or superheroes,” he says. “It’s a story of regular people who set out to save their world.”But please, before you watch LOTR in 4k or 4k with HDR, switch to movie or film mode on your Ultra HD TV. Why? There is no need for artificial enhancements with these discs. Perhaps equally as important, remove the smooth motion “soap opera” effect also in your TV’s settings. This is film, not “Days of Our Lives.” Scores On 4k Blu-ray there are some shots that are about as good as you could ever expect. The color is vibrant, details crisp, and the range of contrast impressive. In other shots the transfer quality doesn’t quite hit the same high marks, but that may have to do more with the way certain scenes are presented. For example, Galadriel and Arwen are always given a softer focus than other characters. There are also some shots you can find quips about, for example some of the forced perspective (used to make the Hobbit actors look smaller than other characters) does look a bit odd in today’s standards. Overall though, there are rarely any films that have been given as good an upgrade as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Presented in 2160p resolution with High Dynamic Range compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10, this new 4k Blu-ray edition far surpasses all previous Blu-ray and DVD editions. And, with Dolby Atmos there has never been a better audio experience at home. This is reference quality through-and-through. Perhaps someday the upgraded films will make a run in the theaters again. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4k Digital Still The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf’s Fall Into Darkness. The color range improvement is clearly evident when Gandalf battles the Balrog and the two fall into darkness. Not only is the imagery deep with color, it’s also sharp, making almost every frame a work of art. The visual effects of Balrog hold up wonderfully even after 20 years. Once again, don’t forget that in addition to the films, you also get a Movies Anywhere Digital Copy code, which should be good for all three films in both versions in 4K. But don’t get rid of your previous Blu-ray and/or DVD editions if you wish to retain all of the extras, The Appendices, and other bonus features (because you won’t find any of that content here).