It: Welcome to Derry — The Complete First Season (4K UHD Steelbook) Review: IS A MUST OWN!!! -PhysicalMediaNews.com

A MUST OWN!!!

There are moments in this hobby where a release lands on your doorstep and you just stop whatever you are doing and stare. It: Welcome to Derry — The Complete First Season, presented in a gorgeous Steelbook collector’s edition across three 4K UHD discs, is absolutely one of those moments. SDS, Warner Bros., and HBO Max have done it again, delivering another landmark HBO series to the physical media format in truly spectacular fashion.

Let’s talk about the packaging first, because this set is stunning from the outside in. The front of the Steelbook features Pennywise in all his terrifying, gleeful evil — poster-quality artwork that commands attention on any shelf. Flip it over and you get the kids of Derry rendered in a cinematic, near-photographic poster style that rivals anything you would find hanging in a theater lobby. Open the case and you are greeted by blood-red discs, which is exactly the kind of thematic attention to detail that makes collectors fall in love with physical media all over again. I opted for the Steelbook edition, and it also comes with approximately five index-card-sized illustrated collectors’ poster cards that “welcome you to the town of Derry,” clearly inspired by the show’s opening title sequence. The artwork on these cards is detailed and genuinely lovely. They arrive tucked inside their own protective envelope, the front of which reads: HBO Original and then Welcome to Derry Also included inside the case is an inset booklet whose front features the original series poster art, and whose back serves as a complete disc and episode guide — episode names, synopses, and a full breakdown of bonus features across all three discs are all right there, cleanly laid out and easy to reference. It is a true visual and festive treat — the kind of bonus material that actually earns its place in the box rather than feeling like an afterthought.

All eight Season 1 episodes are spread thoughtfully across the three discs: Disc 1 carries Episodes 1 through 3, Disc 2 picks up with Episodes 4 through 6, and Disc 3 closes the season with Episodes 7 and 8. Each disc also includes its own Extended: Inside Derry featurette accompanying the episodes on that respective disc, so the bonus content is organically tied to the story beats you have just watched rather than dumped onto a single extras disc and forgotten. The set does not feel crammed or compromised. Everything has room to breathe.

Now, to the part that matters most: the presentation. The 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10 transfer is, in a word, phenomenal. This is the kind of transfer that makes you rethink how you experienced the show on streaming entirely. Much like what the 4K disc releases did for the IT Chapter One and Chapter Two films, Welcome to Derry arrives here looking immaculately sharp and deeply atmospheric. The clarity is striking — shadow detail, skin tones, the damp and rotting texture of Derry itself — all of it rendered with the kind of precision that streaming simply cannot replicate. In the same conversation as the Last of Us Season 1 and Fallout Season 1 4K transfers — two of the finest television transfers in recent memory — this set competes at that exact level, and depending on your setup, it may just edge them out.

But the audio is what truly floored me. The Dolby Atmos tracks included here are a pure delight. It is worth noting that the Welcome to Derry score is substantial — practically four full volumes of score have been released commercially, and this is a show that leans heavily and beautifully on its music. On streaming, that immersive, layered audio gets compressed and flattened. On disc, the Atmos track is unlocked and fully realized. Every action sequence, every horror beat, every quiet crunch of tension hits with a physical presence that streaming just cannot touch. The low end is felt. The surround channels are engaged. This is exactly what a home theater setup was built for.

*Please note, while 4 were pictured in the original advertising artwork for this set - only 3 are included in the final version.

Having all eight episodes collected and presented this beautifully feels like the definitive home for this first chapter of the story while we wait for whatever comes next.

Beyond the pure audiovisual experience, the set already has me excited for what I suspect is an inevitable It film 4-5hr Supercut further down the road.

Yes, the Steelbook may be difficult to find in stock right now — it took some hunting. But between the Pennywise and Derry Kids artwork, the blood-red discs, the illustrated collector cards in their protective envelope, the inset episode guide booklet, and one of the best 4K Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos transfers a television series has ever received, this is a set that is absolutely worth the chase! Happy Hunting!!! :)

For the 4K presentation alone, the Atmos track, the packaging, and those collector cards — this one is worth every Penny. No pun intended.

Visual Rating: 5 / 5

Audio Rating: 5 / 5

Packaging Rating: 5 / 5

100% Perfect Release, I have no flaws!