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DNR

DNR

77 Films

DNR

77 Included Films

Digital Noise Reduction, an image process we usually don't want in blu-ray movies because it essentially erases something important from the picture.

Aliases: digital noise reduction, dnr

Type: Keyword

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber "raw' version or VCI replacement Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber "raw' version or VCI replacement Blu-ray, no comparison available 

See DVDBeaver for the whole fiasco but Kino Lorber's main feature was a DNR mess but it fortunately included the "raw" version. VCI initially had a bitrate < 10 Mbps but have sent out new disc with bitrate around 35 Mbps.

UCLA has a new restoration done in 2015, but no release yet

Additional Info:

Only VCI has optional subtitle and commentaries, while Kino Lorber doesn't

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber "raw' version or VCI replacement Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber "raw' version or VCI replacement Blu-ray, no comparison available 

See DVDBeaver for the whole fiasco but Kino Lorber's main feature was a DNR mess but it fortunately included the "raw" version. VCI initially had a bitrate < 10 Mbps but have sent out new disc with bitrate around 35 Mbps.

UCLA has a new restoration done in 2015, but no release yet

Additional Info:

Only VCI has optional subtitle and commentaries, while Kino Lorber doesn't

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

France Movinside Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Movinside Blu-ray although has contrast boosting, still better than Kino Lorber's aggressive DNR caps

Best English-Friendly:

France Movinside Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Movinside Blu-ray although has contrast boosting, still better than Kino Lorber's aggressive DNR caps

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Disney UK Blu-ray or bootleg 35mm scan having less DNR and digital repaint/recomposit

Best Video:

Disney UK Blu-ray or bootleg 35mm scan having less DNR and digital repaint/recomposit

Best English-Friendly:

Disney UK Blu-ray or bootleg 35mm scan having less DNR and digital repaint/recomposit

Best Video:

Disney UK Blu-ray or bootleg 35mm scan having less DNR and digital repaint/recomposit

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

UK BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxet Blu-ray or US individual Film Masters Blu-ray

Best Video:

UK BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxet Blu-ray or US individual Film Masters Blu-ray no comparison available

Specifically the BFI boxset is better than the Kino Lorber boxset as you can clearly see the DNR in Kino Lorber http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/pioneers_of_african-american_cinema_blu-ray.htm

Best English-Friendly:

UK BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxet Blu-ray or US individual Film Masters Blu-ray

Best Video:

UK BFI Pioneers of African American Cinema boxet Blu-ray or US individual Film Masters Blu-ray no comparison available

Specifically the BFI boxset is better than the Kino Lorber boxset as you can clearly see the DNR in Kino Lorber http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/pioneers_of_african-american_cinema_blu-ray.htm

Tulips Shall Grow poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Puppetoon Productions Blu-ray link

Best Video:

Puppetoon Productions Blu-ray link is 4K scan of Original Camera Negative while has some degree of DNR is still a significant upgrade over previous release

Tulips Shall Grow poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Puppetoon Productions Blu-ray link

Best Video:

Puppetoon Productions Blu-ray link is 4K scan of Original Camera Negative while has some degree of DNR is still a significant upgrade over previous release

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer Blu-ray

Best Video:

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

Best English-Friendly:

New 2016 Pathé France 4K transfer Blu-ray

Best Video:

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

UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray or Blu-ray

Best Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray. See caps
HDR/grading: nice, but some blown out
Encoding: inconsistent, smeared motion
DNR: inconsistent, frozen
Old Paramount Blu-ray is arguably a solid alternative choice

Best Audio:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray mono is different version of the BD mono from the same old 2000 DVD transfer.

Additional Info:

The 5.1 remix on the 4K Blu-ray is an appalling remix done by going wild with artificially generated stems from Park Road Post who were given the surviving mono to separate. The experience is jarring and fidelity to original mix in terms of level balance, directionality and impact is nonexistent. Not only does this sound painfully weird, but the Paramount mixers then did whatever they wanted in terms of LFE, sound pans and effect changes.
The original mono mix was not restored and still needs it badly. The 4K master is filled with frozen grain examples coming and going plus some HDR issues in addition to the usual Paramount problems. It is simultaneously better and worse than the Blu-ray master.

Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray or Blu-ray

Best Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray. See caps
HDR/grading: nice, but some blown out
Encoding: inconsistent, smeared motion
DNR: inconsistent, frozen
Old Paramount Blu-ray is arguably a solid alternative choice

Best Audio:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray mono is different version of the BD mono from the same old 2000 DVD transfer.

Additional Info:

The 5.1 remix on the 4K Blu-ray is an appalling remix done by going wild with artificially generated stems from Park Road Post who were given the surviving mono to separate. The experience is jarring and fidelity to original mix in terms of level balance, directionality and impact is nonexistent. Not only does this sound painfully weird, but the Paramount mixers then did whatever they wanted in terms of LFE, sound pans and effect changes.
The original mono mix was not restored and still needs it badly. The 4K master is filled with frozen grain examples coming and going plus some HDR issues in addition to the usual Paramount problems. It is simultaneously better and worse than the Blu-ray master.

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

UK Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

UK Arrow Blu-ray

Kino Lorber Blu-ray is significantly worse with potential DNR see caps

OOP Olive Films Blu-ray seems to be the same transfer as Arrow but with Quicktime Gamma Bug see comparison

Best English-Friendly:

UK Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

UK Arrow Blu-ray

Kino Lorber Blu-ray is significantly worse with potential DNR see caps

OOP Olive Films Blu-ray seems to be the same transfer as Arrow but with Quicktime Gamma Bug see comparison

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Unrestored: 35mm scans or 1990 Disney LaserDisc

Restored: 1998 Disney LaserDisc/VHS and DVD and Blu-ray versions are edited (colors altered, DNR applied, and animation errors fixed)

Best Video:

Unrestored: 35mm scans or 1990 Disney LaserDisc

Restored: Disney Blu-ray

Best Audio:

35mm scans, possibly?

Best English-Friendly:

Unrestored: 35mm scans or 1990 Disney LaserDisc

Restored: 1998 Disney LaserDisc/VHS and DVD and Blu-ray versions are edited (colors altered, DNR applied, and animation errors fixed)

Best Video:

Unrestored: 35mm scans or 1990 Disney LaserDisc

Restored: Disney Blu-ray

Best Audio:

35mm scans, possibly?

DVD
Best English-Friendly:

Italy Minerva DVD

Best Video:

Italy Minerva DVD:

Even though there is a RaroVideo Blu-ray, it has aggressive DNR and bad encoding so Minerva DVD is still visibly superior, see DVDBeaver caps.

While Minerva DVD has contrast boosting and black crush, it's still much superior to UK Optimum DVD.

Best English-Friendly:

Italy Minerva DVD

Best Video:

Italy Minerva DVD:

Even though there is a RaroVideo Blu-ray, it has aggressive DNR and bad encoding so Minerva DVD is still visibly superior, see DVDBeaver caps.

While Minerva DVD has contrast boosting and black crush, it's still much superior to UK Optimum DVD.

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray, DNR

Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray, DNR

The Searchers poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, 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.

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 DNRhttps://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l

The Searchers poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, 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.

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 DNRhttps://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l

UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Best Audio:

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

Additional Info:

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

Best English-Friendly:

BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Best Audio:

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

Additional Info:

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Demy Set, but terrible DNR from master for all releases

Lola poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Demy Set, but terrible DNR from master for all releases

UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is good, derived from the 1995 Criterion LaserDisc (which would be minimally better due to its lack of filtering) see blah-ray

Sanjuro poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is good, derived from the 1995 Criterion LaserDisc (which would be minimally better due to its lack of filtering) see blah-ray

1080p Blu-ray
Best Video:

UK Screenbound Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The UK disc has supposedly had some revisionist changes done along with DNR. The disc is OOP. Tentative alternative is Criterion DVD

Best Video:

UK Screenbound Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The UK disc has supposedly had some revisionist changes done along with DNR. The disc is OOP. Tentative alternative is Criterion DVD

UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Best Audio:

Toho 1993 LaserDisc

BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Best Audio:

Toho 1993 LaserDisc

BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

US OOP Twilight Time Blu-ray

Best Video:

US OOP Twilight Time Blu-ray > UK Paramount Blu-ray or US Inspired Blu-ray

The UK Blu-ray not only have some DNR applied, it's also squeezed and cropped: see comparison

The color contrast from Twilight Time is however possibly suffering the Quicktime Gamma Bug, but that's an easier issue to fix than DNR or cropped images.

Zulu poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

US OOP Twilight Time Blu-ray

Best Video:

US OOP Twilight Time Blu-ray > UK Paramount Blu-ray or US Inspired Blu-ray

The UK Blu-ray not only have some DNR applied, it's also squeezed and cropped: see comparison

The color contrast from Twilight Time is however possibly suffering the Quicktime Gamma Bug, but that's an easier issue to fix than DNR or cropped images.

1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion, less bitrate but MoC uses too much DNR

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion, less bitrate but MoC uses too much DNR

77 films

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