John Woo

> Disk Kino/WCL China import

review: Disk Kino

Both have better encoding than Disk Kino, some shots are better on Shout! Factory, others on Arrow

Shout Factory still has the best video while Arrow did a questionable regrade. Arrow definitely has less grain in most shots, has a worse encode and is cm v2.9 compared to Shout’s cm v4.0.

Shout! Factory/Arrow 4K Blu-ray has the original mono

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode, though the difference in either is not major.

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition.

> US Shout! Factory, better encoding by Engine House and redone opening credits, errors present in Shout! Factory fixed

Mono is from an alternate higher fidelity source than Shout! Factory.

Correct grade and archival extras missing from the Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Both Arrow 4K Blu-ray and Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray are worse.

Criterion USA LaserDisc [CC1397L]: Original Cantonese mono.

Best Cantonese mono still was from Criterion LaserDisc, as the Shout one was boosted with clipping, with some filtering and losing dynamic range over the Criterion LD.

There’s no need for other Cantonese audio, as all 5.1 remixes are extremely bad and not worth including.

For English Dub the Shout offered the best, it was pure mono. All other 5.1 remixed of said dub are also terrible and offer no value, only less fidelity and more echo.

More info.

(caveat: missing extras included on the Kino Lorber US and Plaion Germany UHDs)

Universal UK 4K Blu-ray vs Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray 5.1

The DTS-HD 5.1 from some of the international Blu-rays and the TrueHD 5.1 on the 4K Blu-ray are similar.

Best Buy DVD has a exclusive disc