Plaion Pictures is the German film arm of Austria's Plaion (Embracer Group), based in Planegg near Munich and known as Koch Films or Koch Media until the August 2022 rebrand. Its German-market catalogue leans on licensed Hollywood and European classics, westerns, gialli and cult titles, often issued as numbered Mediabooks with booklets and extras, alongside 4K UHD and Steelbook editions.
Plaion
52 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 36 in 4K16 in HD1 more for audio only1 more announced
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent13
- Solid6
- Superior Imports3
- Good Imports1
Films where Plaion's release is the pick. How picks are made
Also known as: Koch Media
36 of 52 films match · Page 2 of 2
Films where Plaion's release is the pick. How picks are made
Director: Park Chan-wook
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: dvdcompare.net (opens in a new tab)
Best Audio:
Stereo mix: Tartan DVD
5.1 mix: France The Jokers 4K Blu-ray
Atmos: Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray
Additional Info:
Comparison between different extras: https://dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=56142
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Maybe Umbrella Australia 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode), Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray, or Pony Canyon Japan 4K Blu-ray. All other existing 4K Blu-rays have terrible compression: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=21423337&postcount=173
The master is heavily DNR'd.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Italy Plaion 4K Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion Blu-ray or WB DVD depending on the cut.
Best Video:
First Preview (Turner): Germany Plaion Blu-ray
Second Preview (Final Preview): Germany Plaion Blu-ray
Theatrical: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2024 Cut: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
2022 Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Maybe Umbrella Australia 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode), Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray, or Pony Canyon Japan 4K Blu-ray. All other existing 4K Blu-rays have terrible compression: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=21423337&postcount=173
The master is heavily DNR'd.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Italy Eagle Pictures or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray?
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Maybe Umbrella Australia 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode), Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray, or Pony Canyon Japan 4K Blu-ray. All other existing 4K Blu-rays have terrible compression: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=21423337&postcount=173
Best English-Friendly & Audio:
Plaion GER 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Plaion GER 4K Blu-ray caps
Additional Info:
German release from Plaion has better grading and encode than the US Vinegar Syndrome releases.
Both UHDs come with Italian and English audio, as well as English subtitles.
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · hd-dvd.over-blog.fr (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
4K restoration: Koch Media DE 4K Blu-ray
Original digital master: Cannes 2006 Promo HD-DVD
Video Notes:
4K remaster is cropped 2.35:1 from the original 2.55:1 presentation, and has significantly different color grading, as is the case with most WKW supervised restorations. Due to DNR the detail is sometimes lacklustre compared to the old master. CGI scenes appear to be rerendered. A sepia tinted scene was altered to be fully black and white.
Caps: Criterion US BD vs Cannes HD-DVD, HD-DVD vs KR BD vs DVDs vs US BD
Best Audio:
Remixed 5.1: The Jokers FR 4K Blu-ray
Original 5.1: Cannes 2006 Promo HD-DVD
Audio Notes:
The remixed track has different front panning and little LFE use compared to the original.
HD-DVD is by far the best option for the original track, as DVDs and Korean BD suffer from noise gating, limiting and duplicated surrounds. Remixed tracks are all similar, but French disc has slightly better dynamics, particularly on the LFE channel.
Additional Info:
The 2006 HD-DVD is a promotional release made in only 100 copies, handed out to VIPs at Cannes Film Festival. See this blog post for details. The same master can be found on KR BD, though it suffers from interlacing, blended frames and a gamma bug, as well as older DVD releases.
Director: Adrian Lyne
Best Video:
Italy Paramount/Plaion 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Better compression than other 4K Blu-rays
1 for audio only
The best audio is Plaion's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Park Chan-wook
Best Audio:
Italy/Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray for Atmos
Upcoming Release:
Decal Releasing USA 4K Blu-ray - October 2026
Best English-Friendly:
AUS Madman 4K Blu-ray
Best Video:
HDR: GER Plaion 4K Blu-ray
SDR: AUS Madman 4K Blu-ray
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