BFI 4K Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

BFI 4K Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray

2000 R1 WB DVD (slightly)

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Toho 1993 LaserDisc

BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

BFI Blu-ray

BFI Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion

2001 MK2 DVD

2025 BFI Blu-ray

2025 BFI Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray, a lot better encoding. See caps https://slow.pics/c/DW2jtYxN Criterion seemed to did some additional adjustment to the original grading

Both France Capricci and Japan Blu-ray are worse than Criterion and BFI.

Criterion Blu-ray largely sounds better, but attentuates away some low-frequency ambient noises. BFI Blu-ray has hum, dropouts, pops, noticable patching and beeping.

BFI Blu-ray

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray upcoming
New 4K restoration without Ritrovata color timing

Italy CG Entertainment Blu-ray is 4K resto, but horrible colours. 2019 BFI Blu-ray is the older master but better encode + extra footage than Criterion

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray or 2018 Olive Films/BFI or 2012 Olive Films/Italy Sinister Films Blu-ray, all three are not ideal.

• Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has frozen grain, sharpening, lots of debris, and handles lesser materials. The supposed non-Superscope version is false advertising. It merely reveals more picture information. 

• Criterion CAV LaserDisc is the most consistent due to a lack of image processing.

1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc PCM Mono

Criterion LaserDisc has exclusive commentary. Olive Films Signature Blu-ray and BFI Blu-ray each have exclusive extras. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has exclusive commentary.

Criterion Blu-ray or maybe 2020 Capelight Blu-ray?

Criterion > BFI & 2012 Capelight, not sure about 2020 Capelight

2012 Capelight Blu-ray?

BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available

Unofficial Youtube Streaming

BFI 720p Streaming: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/the-march-of-time no longer available

Unofficial Youtube Streaming