This year is the the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter movies, and Amazon is celebrating the occasion with a 4K steelbook collection of all eight films. At the time of writing, only the UK version is up for preorder, but a U.S. listing has finally appeared as well. You still can’t buy it, but there’s an October 6 release date attached and an ‘Add to Autobuy’ option.
The 8-film collection includes all of the orignal Harry Potter movies in steelbook cases and wrapped up in a nice Hogwarts library case that looks like a trunk. Seeing as you can’t actually get your preorders in yet, the listing does not indicate any sort of pricing directly. However, the CamelCamelCamel page indicates that the initial price will be $179.99 when it goes live.
There are 16 discs included with the collection altogether. That means that each film is available in either 4K UHD or Blu-ray (which includes additional bonus features). You’ll also get a a reproduction of the Marauder’s Map, a map of Diagon Alley, eight Wizarding World travel posters, and sticker sheets. All-in-all, it’s a great gift for Potter fans and the best 4K Blu-ray collection released so far.
And while the collection itself is new, it doesn’t appear as if the discs themselves are actually an upgrade over previous versions. If you already own the Harry Potter films in 4K UHD, then the only added benefit of purchasing this collection is the steelbook cases and the other bonuses that come along with it. If you don’t already have the Harry Potter movies included in your Blu-ray collection, however, this is the set to buy.
The 4K Blu-rays are Better Than 4K Streaming
If you already have a premium HBO Max subscription, you might be wondering just how different the picture quality of streaming these movies is compared to watching the actual physical discs. The short answer is that 4K Blu-ray offers better picture compared to streaming. This has a lot to do with bitrate and compression, but the difference is definitely noticeable. If you have a Blu-ray player that’s capable of 4K and regulary watch the Harry Potter movies, owning the actual physical discs will give you the highest possible fidelity.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor’s degree in communication and 10 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics — from TV series to books and the latest Blu-rays.
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