DVD
Type: Format
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Films where DVD is in a pick or an upcoming release.
Director: John Woo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.
Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Paramount 4K Blu-ray heavily revisionist. Purist option: 35mm scan, Blu-ray, DVD or LaserDisc
The Paramount 4K master is HEAVILY revisionist in that all of the effects and opticals were redone and tweaked with errors and issues. There has been grain management (moments of stagnating grain and haloing) and the encoding isn't great hence the typical Paramount noise in the image. (especially skies) The HDR is a bit bright in the highlights. The Blu-ray is showing its age but does not have any of these digital alterations. It is from the scan done by Laser Pacific and is the highest quality unaltered master we have. The DVD was done by Lowry Digital and had much scrubbing and processing of grain in addition to edge enhancement. The letterbox LaserDisc was the first widescreen release and is very good for its time. There was also a rare SVHS release using the letterbox LaserDisc master.
The 4K Blu-ray audio is seemingly an Atmos remix of the 5.1 found on the Blu-ray which itself is very similar to the DVD 5.1. All are presumably based on the 70mm Dolby six track mix. The Atmos is more processed and moves the sound around more so it is inferior to the older 5.1 iterations. On release, Last Crusade had Dolby 70mm with stereo surrounds, Dolby Stereo SR for 35mm and was mixed in a THX sound theater to ensure the ultimate in technical quality in 1989. The DVD was supposedly made from the 70mm mix and the Blu-ray 5.1 seems to bring that into lossless. This is unconfirmed but each seems to be a healthy and accurate version of the original audio. However, the LaserDisc despite only having matrix PCM stereo is punchier and livelier as a listening experience. Despite not being discrete it arguably sounds better than the 5.1 versions. Some who remember seeing each of the original release versions claim to remember the 35mm Dolby DR as sounding better than the 70mm Dolby. This is a case where both sound great and it's up to fans to decide which they prefer. Both are essential for any Indy collection and the LaserDisc is very cheap. The VHS hifi seems to be the same 2.0 matrix with format differences so it can also be compared against the DVD and Blu-ray 5.1 versions.
DFIC extensive review: https://youtu.be/evsrJOTIjdA?si=wtdWGxZBfhPYTIeW
Bruno Films DVD
Sources: brunofilms.com (opens in a new tab)
Bruno Films DVD or SD Streaming
Director: Tim Burton
WB 4K Blu-ray but with notable color timing issues
Dolby Stereo mix: WB LaserDisc PCM
Original Mix in 5.1 Discrete: 1997 WB DVD, 1.33:1 version for this track uncut
Original mix in 2005 5.1 new transfer: 2005 WB DVD in Dolby and DTS, 2008 WB Blu-ray for TrueHD.
Original mix on VHS, LaserDisc and DVD is significantly warmer and more impactful sounding. These nuances are lost on the 2005 remaster audio found on DVD and Blu-ray which due have a tinge of extra clarity in contrast.
The Atmos mix is excruciatingly bad as it removes original sound effects and wrecks the original sound design. Music is prioritized and dominates in a bad way. The sound library effects used to create a specific sound signature as part of the mix of time period production design is completely lost. Fidelity is also lowered due to noise reduction and processing.
Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
DVD
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab) · web.theculvertheater.com (opens in a new tab)
4k restoration was done in 2023 (see 4K trailer) and is having north america premiere so hopefully a home release is coming soon
Directors: John Musker & Ron Clements
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Original Theatrical Version: Any of the Disney LaserDiscs or Disney Limited Issue DVD (caveat: Limited Issue DVD has compression issues)
Restored Versions: Disney Platinum Edition DVD or Disney Diamond Edition Blu-ray
3D Restored Version: Disney Diamond Edition 3D Blu-ray
The 3D Blu-ray has most of the grain kept
The Disney 4K Blu-ray, while improving slightly on resolution, has significant DNR applied; see Blu-ray
DVD
Sources: filmlinc.org (opens in a new tab) · janusfilms.com (opens in a new tab)
4K restoration is done! and Janus seems to have the rights, but no releases yet.
TV series
Director: Clive Barker
Cabal Cut: Very rare Blu-ray self-released by Clive Barker
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Shout! Factory see caps
Theatrical Cut: Arrow 4K Blu-ray (stereo), Warner Bros NTSC DVD (5.1 remix)
Director's Cut: Arrow Blu-ray (stereo), 5.1 is the same on all discs
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