The Mandalorian is captured digitally in the ARRIRAW codec (at 4.5K) using Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF cameras, with Panavision Ultra Vista and Caldwell Chameleon lenses, and it’s finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio (with high dynamic range color grading) for its streaming exhibition on Disney+. It’s presented on physical 4K Ultra HD with HDR10 on a 100 GB disc.
The image quality is absolutely fantastic, and a massive improvement over the Disney+ experience. With video data rates consistently in the 60-70 Mbps range, the result is much greater visible fine detail, a notably richer color palette, and a far more dimensional image overall. There’s none of the banding and artifacting sometimes visible in the Disney+ stream. Notably, the HDR experience on disc is more of what you expect from this format (the grade often appeared dim on Disney+), with deeply detailed shadows and more naturally bright and eye-reactive highlights. Honestly, the clarity is so good here—and the sense of depth so much better than streaming—that you can occasionally notice the ‘flatness’ of the StageCraft Volume walls more easily. But that’s a nitpick; a gorgeous 4K image is a gorgeous 4K image.