Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, formerly Warner Home Video, is the disc arm of the Hollywood studio and part of Warner Bros. Discovery. Its catalogue covers Warner's own films plus the pre-1986 MGM, RKO and pre-1950 Warner libraries held through Turner, with a steady run of 4K UHD restorations. Rarer library titles go out through its Warner Archive Collection line.
Warner Bros
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent60
- Solid66
- Disappointing4
Also known as: WB
How we pick the best Warner Bros releases
192 in 4K
Best video release on UHD Blu-ray or 4K streaming
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Mono: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
Stereo remix: 1998 R2 WB DVD ? (more detailed)
Additional Info:
4K Blu-ray is missing featurettes from the old Blu-ray
Director: Miloš Forman
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:
Theatrical: WB 4K Blu-ray
Extended: Warner Bros Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray: Huge improvement in colors and detail. The restoration was done by the Academy instead of WB MPI which explains that there’s no grain management or issues with colors. They also accessed the original credit optical and scanned that one instead of recreating them digitally
Audio Notes:
Theatrical: WB 4K Blu-ray, according to Saentz, the 5.0 is a recreation of the original and subsequently 70mm mix from original elements.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Caveat: both releases do not contain their natively shot expanded IMAX aspect ratios
Best Audio:
Dolby Atmos: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, Warner Bros Blu-ray
Director: Orson Welles
Best English-Friendly:
WB 4K Blu-ray
Best Video:
WB Europe 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
WB Europe 4K Blu-ray slightly better encoding than Criterion (caveat: missing Criterion extras)
Best Audio:
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray (caps; grade on the BD was controversial)
Best Audio:
2006 WB DVD
Audio Notes:
Later Warner Bros Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray are minor downgrades
Director: John G. Avildsen
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros 2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray/ Warner Bros 2023 Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray (replacement disc)
Upcoming Release:
Best Audio:
Original Mono: Ultimate Knockout Collection/Knockout Collection replacement disc
Audio Notes:
Original Mono: Ultimate Knockout Collection/Knockout Collection replacement disc > Knockout collection original.
The Mono mix on the initial release of the Knockout Collection is a stereo fold-down of the 5.1, it also has a missing piano cue. The replacement disc and the ultimate knockout version fixed the error.
Additional Info:
The Steelbook and UK standard edition is the same disc as the 2023 knockout collection.
Director: William Wyler
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
Audio Notes:
The 4K Blu-ray 5.0 is the original mix, but more muffled than LaserDisc and even the previous Blu-ray's gentle remix. The Atmos mix is revisionist.
Additional Info:
The 50th Anniversary box set has some exclusive extras.
1991 LaserDisc is Dolby Stereo matrix encoded from the original six track master and this was later upgraded to a 5.1 Dolby Digital version prepared for the first DVD. The 5.1 version may have had some slight tweaking in the process. This was reused for the DVD CE boxset and then the 5.1 on Blu-ray seems like a slight upgrade of the DVD track. (The first pressing from the UCE boxset had audio defects rampant on the Blu-ray. These were corrected for standalone pressings.) All 5.1s sound roughly the same as the LaserDisc 2.0 in terms of the mix, but the LaserDisc PCM mastering seems like the only one that is direct without any major processing.
Director: Ryan Coogler
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
WB 4K Blu-ray, excellent Atmos mix
127 in HD
Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating
Director: David Chase
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros/HBO Blu-ray
Upcoming Release:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray releasing on 8th December
Director: Michael Mann
Director: Richard Linklater
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB Blu-ray
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros Blu-ray
Upcoming Release:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray teased
Director: Chuck Jones
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Various Warner Bros Bugs Bunny Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Various Warner Bros Bugs Bunny Blu-rayhttp://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/bugs_bunny_80th_anniversary_collection_blu-ray.htm
90 in SD
Best video release on DVD, SD streaming, LaserDisc or VHS · by Letterboxd rating
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros DVD
Video Notes:
While it is included in Warner Bros 50th Anniversary Blu-ray it's still the same DVD version
Additional Info:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray doesn't include this as an extra any more
Director: William A. Wellman
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume 3 DVD
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros DVD
Additional Info:
New restoration is completed
Director: William A. Wellman
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume 3 DVD
Director: William A. Wellman
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume 3 DVD
4 with a weaker 4K
Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Michael Mann
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray
Upcoming Release:
Cineverse 4K Blu-ray announced with a new 4K restoration from the original negatives
Video Notes:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray both have issues, up to preference. UK Optimum/Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better, Criterion is worse
Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better encoded than the Optimum, is in the original 1.85 ratio, and has the original colors
Director: Christopher Nolan
Best Video & English-Friendly:
WB 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
WB 4K Blu-ray has Excessive DNR
36 for audio only
The best audio is Warner Bros'; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Best Audio:
Matrixed Dolby Stereo: 1995 Miramax LaserDisc 2.0
Original 5.1 Discrete Mix: 2012 Japan Warner Bros Blu-ray, 1996 Criterion LaserDisc, 2002 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD
5.1 DTS Mix: 1997 Miramax LaserDisc, 2002 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD
Best Video & English-Friendly:
2025 Taiwan Deltamac 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
2025 Taiwan Deltamac 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (Taiwan 4K Blu-ray is not low passed as the US 4K Blu-ray and has better grain and fine detail retention)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Best Audio:
US Cut: 1999 WB DVD/Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Video Notes:
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored for US Cut; both US and International Cuts are 4K.
Additional Info:
No Blu-ray or DVD release until the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has presented the US in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The International Cut has never been presented in it's OAR of 1.66:1 in any home video releases.
The packaging on the back of the WB 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Best Audio:
Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)/1999 WB R1 DVD
5.1 remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Video Notes:
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored
Director: François Truffaut
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Best Audio:
Dolby Atmos: Sony/Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, Warner Bros Blu-ray
Audio Notes:
Sony Blu-ray only has 5.1, not Atmos
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Sony Global 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Sony Global 4K Blu-ray > WB US 4K Blu-ray
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Best Audio:
5.1: WB 4K Blu-ray, a remix but has higher fidelity
Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Video Notes:
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering Comparison between the Criterion and WB.
Director: John Ford
Best Audio:
1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS
Audio Notes:
Crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas
The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.
Best Video & English-Friendly:
Additional Info:
Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video. The old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.
That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNR: https://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l
Best Audio:
Mono: 1999 WB DVD
5.1: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Best Video & English-Friendly:
1 announced
Warner Bros' release is announced; until it is out, the picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Ken Russell
Upcoming Release:
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray with director’s cut
BFI 4K Blu-ray 20 April 2027 with director’s cut
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