Devotion 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Shot digitally but with added artificial grain in post, Devotion appears somewhat gritty. Paramount's encode isn't among the best from the studio, never convincing as film, and usually noisy. That softens things, dimming the overall fidelity. Devotion's native sharpness (pre-grain) does make its presence known, with enough fidelity to go around, even if it's not top-end.

Dimmed via plenty of sepia to suggest the vintage time period, color stays reserved. It's dull by intent, primaries reduced and marginalized from digital grading. Expect dry flesh tones and a limited palette. Come night, obviously digital blues layer the screen totally.

Dolby Vision helps in the sky as sunlight reflects blindingly from the cockpit. Superlative black levels shine too in their own way, delivering on the shadow-y intensity needed to provide Devotion with depth galore.

Audio

Baffling in the decision making, Paramount only includes DTS-HD 5.1 track. Credit where it's due - this is a stellar DTS-HD mix, but Devotion begs for an Atmos soundstage. There's enough bass to go around from the plane engines alone, throbbing and shaking the room whenever engaged. Whenever they pass by the frame, the thrust is satisfying and convincing. Flak cannons provide boom in the air around the pilots. Bombing runs pop from the explosions; this is high-end stuff.

Surrounds perform equally great, aircraft panning, swooping, and passing from every available speaker. While the loss of additional rears and heights is noticeable for those accustomed, Devotion can still surprise when at its best, and that's any action scene.