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The Duchess (2008)
The Duchess (2008) poster

The Duchess (2008)

Drama, History, Romance • 1h 50m

Director: Saul Dibb

Best English-friendly & video release

UK Pathé Blu-ray for the uncut version

Updated 7 months ago


About the film

A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.

Alternative Titles
Duchess, The

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Director: Sofia Coppola

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2016 Sony US Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray announced

Video Notes:

2016 Sony US Blu-ray (caps)

The US disc has a better encode and original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. French disc is flawed, with chroma bleed and blocking throughout.

Best Audio:

2016 Sony US Blu-ray / 2012 Pathé FR Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

2016 Sony US Blu-ray / 2012 Pathé FR Blu-ray (identical)

Director: Neil Marshall

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray or FR Pathé 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray or FR Pathé 4K Blu-ray share the same disc (caps)

The StudioCanal UHD has a much better encode than the Lionsgate UHD with the same grade. The Vuelta UHD has a decent encode but it is in an incorrect color space and has German overlays.

Audio Notes:

UK disc includes only 5.1.

The 7.1 mix included on the Lionsgate UHD appears to be identical to the 2006 USA BD's LPCM 7.1 track and to be a straight transfer of the theatrical Dolby Digital Surround EX mix (originally matrixed 6.1, with the rear surrounds in the discrete 7.1 presentation being dual mono). The old GER BD has a 6.1 mix but it is a poor remix and the GER UHD has an Auro-3D remix of the 7.1 mix (mostly adjusted surround levels). All other discs offer a 5.1 mix, including the Studio Canal UHD

Director: Jacques Audiard

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Netflix 4K Streaming

Best Video & Audio:

France Pathé 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Netflix 4K Streaming has 4K and Dolby Vision + Atmos.

Audio Notes:

France Pathé 4K Blu-ray has Dolby Atmos audio

Additional Info:

Only English-friendly home video release is a badly-encoded 1080p Australia Madman Entertainment Blu-ray with hardcoded subtitles and 5.1 audio only.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Sony Blu-ray or UK Pathé Blu-ray?

Director: Bruce Beresford

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Pathé France Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Pathé France Blu-ray is a different master and significantly better not only in compression or colors, but also aspect ratio than either US Blu-ray or Germany Blu-ray caps

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Included as extras in Pathé Paris qui dort + Entr'acte Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Pathé Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4k resto. It has both original negative image cut (not tinted) and a first gen tinted cut owned by BFI but not English-friendly

Director: Marcel Carné

Best English-Friendly & Video:

New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer Blu-ray > Criterion/Second Sight with old transfer heavy DNR https://slow.pics/c/z8p3fR0G

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Pathé France Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Pathé France has 4k restoration in Blu-ray

Director: René Clair

Best English-Friendly:

France Pathé Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Pathé Blu-ray, 4k resto

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

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

Audio Notes:

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.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

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Researched and maintained by

tyyuxJojoTheMovieOtter

· last reviewed 7 months ago

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