Disney started distributing its films on video in 1980, traded as Buena Vista Home Video from 1987 and has used the Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment name since 2007. The label covers Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios titles on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD. Sony has made and distributed its North American discs since 2024, and Disney cut its home-entertainment publicity team in April 2026.
Disney
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent12
- Solid33
- Disappointing3
- Worse Than BD2
How we pick the best Disney releases
125 in 4K
Best video release on UHD Blu-ray or 4K streaming
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Best English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Video:
Disney 4K Blu-ray review
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Censored: Disney 4K Blu-ray
Uncensored: 35mm scan
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
3D Conversion: Disney 3D Blu-ray
Best Audio:
7.1 Remix: Disney 4K Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray
Original Dolby Stereo: 1994 Disney LaserDisc
Audio Notes:
Disney 4K Blu-ray recycles the same 7.1 remix from the past releases, but it's a very faithful remix and sounds better, more detailed, and more dynamic than past mixes.
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Best English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray for the 4K Theatrical Cut or 2002 Vista Series DVD for the Director's Cut
Best Video:
Theatrical Cut: Disney 4K Blu-ray caps
Director's Cut: 2002 Vista Series DVD, alleycat's DC restoration better
Video Notes:
Alleycat's DC restoration better
Best Audio:
Closest to original: 1994 Hollywood Pictures LaserDisc
Audio Notes:
Other LDs are probably the same
Blu-rays only have 5.1 upmixes but probably fine
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Directors: Hamilton Luske & Clyde Geronimi & Wilfred Jackson
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Mono track is on the included Blu-ray; 4K Blu-ray missing original mono. LaserDisc probably better
Director: Angus MacLane
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Disney 4K Blu-ray for Dolby Atmos
58 in HD
Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Best English-Friendly:
2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray
Best Video:
2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Video Notes:
2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit
Best Audio:
All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.
Director: John Lasseter
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Original theatrical render: 35mm scans or 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
Digital render: 2010 3D Blu-ray
Video Notes:
(every version since the 2000 DVD release, including the 2010 2D Blu-ray, has animation errors. The majority of those were corrected for the 3D rerelease.) The 4K Blu-ray is merely upscaled from the 2K render.
Best Audio:
Stereo Mix: 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
5.1 AC3 Mix: 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
5.1 DTS Mix: 1997 Disney DTS LaserDisc level corrected
Additional Info:
The 1997 DTS LaserDisc is a virtually untouched transfer of the theatrical 5.1 mix and should theoretically sound the best being that DTS has higher bitrates than AC3. However, the original pressing of the DTS LaserDisc has an error where the right channel is 8.5db lower than the rest. This is an easy fix in a program like Audacity, and if you can find a corrected transfer, like the ones on various fan projects online, it should be the best sounding version of the film.
The AC3 audio on Side 2 of the CLV LaserDisc has the LFE channel muted. This was left intact for the CAV release.
The 2000 and 2005 UK DVD has an error where one of the shots is brightened up way too high (when the rest of the toys hold onto Slinky as he clings onto Woody during the moving truck rescue). Plus the end credits are interlaced (the PSP UMD video is the only way to get that version of the credits without interlacing).
The 4K Blu-ray has a further remixed Atmos track.
Director: Pete Docter
Best English-Friendly:
Original credits: 2009 Blu-ray/2013 3D Blu-ray
Outtake credits: 2002 Collector's Edition DVD
Best Video:
Original credits: 2009 Blu-ray/2013 3D Blu-ray (preference: the 2009 Blu-ray has rendering errors not on the DVD release or the 3D version but does have the original Disney and Pixar logos caps. Fur textures are differently animated on the 3D version as well) 4K Blu-ray is an upscale.
Outtake credits: 2002 UK Collector's Edition DVD (US release has the outtakes only in the fullscreen version)
Best Audio:
AC3 5.1, Cinema DTS, or half bitrate DTS DVD
Audio Notes:
(only on the UK Collector's Edition)
Additional Info:
Isolated score is on the DVD
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Old Disney Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Old Disney Blu-ray is better than new 4K Blu-ray due to excessive DNR
Director: Tim Burton
Directors: Bill Roberts & Paul Satterfield & Wilfred Jackson & Ben Sharpsteen & James Algar & T. Hee & Hamilton Luske & Samuel Armstrong & Jim Handley & Norman Ferguson & David Hand & Ford Beebe Jr.
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Censored: 2010 Disney Blu-ray
Uncensored: 35mm Scan
Audio Notes:
1991 CAV LaserDisc includes an approximation of the original Fantasound mix in Dolby Surround using the surviving magnetic mixdown, using Stokowski's original mixing notes as a reference. Original aggressive pans and dynamic range are left in tact.
The 2000 DVD uses this same mix in discrete 5.0, but with some unnecessary dynamic range compression + a redub of all Deems Taylor audio with Corey Burton.
The 7.1 mix on the 2010 Blu-ray sounds poor, having been hit with excessive noise reduction, dynamic range compression, original aggressive pans no longer in tact, and the channel usage no longer resembles Stokowski's original intended sound design.
5 with a weaker 4K
Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating
Best English-Friendly:
OG: "4K80" or "D+80" on the high seas. If not, Disney 4K Blu-ray
Special Edition: "4K97_V" or "D+97_V" on high seas.
Upcoming Release:
2027 Original Trilogy restoration/50th anniversary rerelease clips leaked plus release confirmed
Best Video:
OG: "4K80" or "D+80" on the high seas
Special Edition: "4K97_V" or "D_97_VI" on the high seas.
Video Notes:
If not, the 4K Blu-rays are generally considered an improvement over the 2011 Blu-rays. (although both restorations are DNR'ed and have issues).
Best Audio:
OG: LaserDisc audio is the best option for the Dolby Stereo mixes. 70mm six-track mix is included in 4K80 (taken from an actual 70mm print). There are 16mm rips of the mono mix.
Special Edition: Cinema DTS or 1997 LaserDisc for the Special Edition.
Director: John Lasseter
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Original theatrical render: 35mm scans or 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
Digital render: 2010 3D Blu-ray
Video Notes:
(every version since the 2000 DVD release, including the 2010 2D Blu-ray, has animation errors. The majority of those were corrected for the 3D rerelease.) The 4K Blu-ray is merely upscaled from the 2K render.
Best Audio:
Stereo Mix: 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
5.1 AC3 Mix: 1996 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc boxset
5.1 DTS Mix: 1997 Disney DTS LaserDisc level corrected
Additional Info:
The 1997 DTS LaserDisc is a virtually untouched transfer of the theatrical 5.1 mix and should theoretically sound the best being that DTS has higher bitrates than AC3. However, the original pressing of the DTS LaserDisc has an error where the right channel is 8.5db lower than the rest. This is an easy fix in a program like Audacity, and if you can find a corrected transfer, like the ones on various fan projects online, it should be the best sounding version of the film.
The AC3 audio on Side 2 of the CLV LaserDisc has the LFE channel muted. This was left intact for the CAV release.
The 2000 and 2005 UK DVD has an error where one of the shots is brightened up way too high (when the rest of the toys hold onto Slinky as he clings onto Woody during the moving truck rescue). Plus the end credits are interlaced (the PSP UMD video is the only way to get that version of the credits without interlacing).
The 4K Blu-ray has a further remixed Atmos track.
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Old Disney Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Old Disney Blu-ray is better than new 4K Blu-ray due to excessive DNR
Best English-Friendly:
Japan Disney 4K Blu-ray for the original Japanese audio with the best English subtitle translation
US Funimation Blu-ray for the Bandai dub
Manga Entertainment UK Blu-ray for the Manga Entertainment dub
Upcoming Release:
4K remastered US theatrical re-release in 2024 courtesy of GKIDS with either the Japanese audio with Disney's English subtitles or the English dub by Bandai
Not yet confirmed for a US home video release
Best Audio:
Japan "4K Remastered" Disney Blu-ray has the original 6.1 mix
Japan Disney 4K Blu-ray for the DTS:X remix
Funimation US Blu-ray for the Bandai dub
Manga Entertainment UK Blu-ray for the Manga Entertainment dub
Additional Info:
Italy Dynit Blu-ray has the best picture quality but has no English subtitles or original theatrical 6.1 mix.
All "4K Remastered" and 4K Blu-ray releases (including from Disney) are taken from a 35mm filmout rather than the original digital source, and then heavily DNR'd, destroying original detail and making lines smearier than before. The Japan Disney 4K Blu-ray is the least bad presentation of the 4K remaster, being encoded with a very healthy bitrate and HDR10+ metadata, and with a top-notch DTS:X remix, with the original 6.1 mix included on the pack-in "4K Remastered" Blu-ray.
The film has multiple English subtitle translations, and the Disney subtitles done by Linda Hoaglund and Judith Aley with Aura are often seen as the best translation, with these subtitles present on the Japan Disney 4K Blu-ray, making this the definitive option for viewers who want to watch the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
Director: James Cameron
Best Video:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time
Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version
Best Audio:
7 for audio only
The best audio is Disney's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Best Audio:
Japanese audio: 2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/US GKIDS Blu-ray
English dub (Disney): 1998 US Disney VHS has better sounding vocals despite altered music and sound effects, the US Disney LaserDisc has limited audio, and 2003 DVD is a fake 5.1 upmix
Releases from 2010 onward have the original music and sound effects, but distorted vocals
English dub (Streamline): 1996 Japan remastered LaserDisc, available in Ghibli Ga Ippai Collection boxset
Upcoming Release:
Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray announced for a November 25, 2026 release
Best Video & English-Friendly:
2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Best Audio:
Japanese audio: 2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray has 6.1 discrete
English audio: Cinema DTS-ES, 2010 US Disney Blu-ray as an alternative
Best Video:
2014 Japan Hayao Miyazaki boxset Studio Ghibli Blu-ray
Director: Marc Forster
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Best Audio:
Disney 4K Blu-ray
Audio Notes:
Disney 4K Blu-ray has a slightly better Atmos track for the Theatrical Cut
Best English-Friendly:
Best Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray with B&W Extended Director's Cut and Theatrical Cut
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray with B&W Extended Director's Cut and Theatrical Cut see Chris's review
Know a film where the Disney release is the one to buy? Suggest it