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Criterion

Criterion

699 films on Best Blurays

Based in United StatesFounded 1984criterion.com ↗

Based in New York, Criterion has released classic and contemporary films since 1984, giving each title a spine number and adding commentaries, essays and supplements. Many discs use new restorations it supervises, and 4K UHD releases began in November 2021. North American Blu-rays are Region A locked, with a smaller Region B UK line since 2016; Janus Films is a sister company, and Steven Rales has owned both since 2024.

Aliases: cc, criterion

Page 33 of 35

Director: Agnès Varda

Video format: SD Streaming

Best English-Friendly:

SD Streaming on Criterion Channel

Sources: dafilms.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

SD Streaming on Criterion Channel or dafilms.com or various other France streaming services

Director: Pedro Costa

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion DVD

Director: Lee Chang-dong

Best English-Friendly & Audio:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Audio Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray is superior to Japan Blu-ray see comparison 

Best Video:

Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Japan Blu-ray is a newer 4K restoration. It has more details and avoids Criterion's highlight clipping, but most likely suffers the Quicktime Gamma Bug see caps It also doesn't has English subtitles.

Criterion also has the correct OAR at 2.35:1 while Japan Blu-ray is 2.39:1

Director: Cristian Mungiu

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

4k transfer, go with Criterion Blu-ray, Artificial Eye have AR issues https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=305332 

Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Wes Anderson

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray was an upgrade over previous Blu-ray, removed the orientalist yellow tint, but not much besides that https://slow.pics/c/4b9tem5K

Director: Andrew Stanton

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

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> Disney 4K Blu-ray: HDR10 same as the Disney disc, but Criterion's new Dolby Vision layer improves presentation in some aspects, and has very good extras

Audio Notes:

Original DTS-ES 6.1 mix: Both are equal. ES rear centre channel maintained on both releases, but is unflagged on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray.

Dolby Atmos remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Disney 4K Blu-ray.

Director: Steve McQueen

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 2k transfer

Director: Andrea Arnold

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray or Australia Imprint Blu-ray?

Video Notes:

> Artificial Eye and more shorts

Director: Wes Anderson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

2K DI Upscale, see caps

4K Blu-ray is slightly cropped on all sides compared to Blu-ray, but "that appears to be a conscious choice as the compositions don’t seem to suffer. They also slightly expanded the black bars in order to hide the ringing on the borders."

Audio Notes:

Surround levels are 3 dB too high, but the Fox Blu-ray has channel leakage

Director: Mike Mills

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray upscale from 2K DI

Director: Dee Rees

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray director-approved 2K transfer

Director: Terrence Malick

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion, 4k transfer

Best Audio:

DTS-HD 7.1 is on the old Fox Blu-ray for the Theatrical Cut

Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Flow Blu-ray 1080p extras

Director: Wes Anderson

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is 2K DI upscale but better encoded than the previous Blu-ray see caps

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> Artificial Eye Blu-ray, Korea Nova Media 4K Blu-ray release is AI upscaled

Director: Paolo Sorrentino

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Criterion better encode and gamma than Artificial Eye

Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Flow Blu-ray 1080p extras

Director: Wes Anderson

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

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

2K DI Upscale, see caps. SDR grade in HDR container

Director: Jacques Audiard

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No comparisons but StudioCanal UK Blu-ray has burned in subtitles, so likely Criterion Blu-ray is better

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