VHS
Type: Format
Page 2 of 3
Films where VHS is in a pick or an upcoming release.
2022 Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc included in 4K Blu-ray set
Sources: x.com (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Same master, but less bitrate starved.
1980s Paramount VHS
The encode on the BD is preferable to the UHD. Same master, but less bitrate starved: https://x.com/SadHillDevan/status/1530057783885721607?s=20 and see caps
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps
1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS
2012 Blu-ray
Media VHS Tape
Media VHS Tape is the only release to date to include the original mono mix of the film, but it is in very poor quality
Director: Don Siegel
WB 4K Blu-ray despite extreme frozen grain in moments, overzealous HDR brightness in outdoor sequences, color timing shifts in some shots
Original Mono Mix: 1990's LaserDisc stereo remix folded back to mono, original VHS and Beta Hifi, WB 4K Blu-ray mono
Director: Steven Spielberg
"Director's Cut" (Theatrical cut with minor changes): Universal 4K Blu-ray
Theatrical Cut: VHS
TV Cut: Fan restoration
1993 MCA LaserDisc (with EQ adjusted)
Second Sight 4K Blu-ray/France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray (preference)
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
(Carlotta 4K Blu-ray has some better shots than Second Sight 4K Blu-ray and is more accurate to the theatrical grade: https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=18250&d2=18597&s1=210919&s2=219265&i=4&l=0&a=1)
LaserDisc/VHS likely will have less filtered and correct audio. MPI 4K Blu-ray’s mono appears to be correct content-wise.
Directors: Greg MacGillivray & Jim Freeman
Sources: archive.org (opens in a new tab)
Streaming https://archive.org/details/to_fly_1976 from LaserDisc
Lumivision LaserDisc (LVD9113)
Various old VHS
Also playing at museums
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Original 4-Track Mix: MGM 1990 LaserDisc
General release mono mix: CBS Fox VHS Hi-Fi but time compressed
5.1 remix of 4-track mix: MGM Blu-ray (a lossless version of the remix from the Ultimate Edition DVD)
The 5.1 track on the earlier THX LD/DVD and SE DVDs is not the same as the later remix, and appears to be more faithful the original mix (likely a simple upmix). The UE DVD remix has a lot more surround activity.
Director: Ralph Bakshi
2010 Warner Bros Blu-ray
HBO VHS Tape
2025 reprint is the exact same master as the 2010 disc
251 min cut (Extended): Fox Blu-ray
229 min cut (Theatrical): WB Blu-ray
139 min cut (US theatrical): VHS
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
251 min cut (Extended): Fox Blu-ray. Eagle Pictures has forced Italian subs in some parts
229 min cut (Theatrical): WB Blu-ray
139 min cut (US theatrical): VHS
Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray, caps
The 4K includes both theatrical and extended cuts. It's overall a solid upgrade over previous discs, but some will strongly dislike the color grading.
There are some issues with encoding and grain management.
Nic's review:
Some definitely messed with it as there’s grain management going on that resulted in magnetic, squishy grain movement. Both cuts (4K discs) are affected and it doesn’t look like an encoding issue to me as the bitrates don’t drop down to single digits á la Paramount or StudioCanal. During opticals, the lowest I’ve noted on the Extended 4K was around 30 MB/s vs. ~5 MB/s more for the theatrical cut.
Darker scenes are mostly (but not always) better but when it gets brighter, particularly in exteriors or scenes like the Jennifer Connelly dance scene at minute 38, I can’t unsee the digital tinkering as it does some damage texturally.
I compared it with the Eagle Pictures and Warner Bros Fox Blu-ray of the extended cut and they all look fine without grain management like that. Eagle Pictures’s Blu-ray is an older one if anyone’s curious and credited to another authoring house than 64Biz, which did the 4K.
Other than that, except for some encoding-related chroma noise that peeks through in the DV layer, Eagle Pictures did everything right. They corrected the framing to 1.85, kept the original English titles, the English restoration note, subtitles, HDR/DV is gentle and respectful of the source black levels are better than on the Warner Bros/Fox Blu-ray. Without that grain management, this would’ve been the all-timer release we all longed for.
229 min cut: Warner Bros LaserDisc
251 min cut: Fox Blu-ray (24-bit, Eagle Pictures is 16-bit, not audible)
229 min cut: Warner Bros LaserDisc (missing 2 minutes, but original mono mix was never released on DVD/Blu-ray)
Extended edition adds scenes cut from the theatrical, but from a much lower quality source. It's intended to approximate the original cut, but to what extent that is true is debatable.
US theatrical cut is infamously bad, was panned at release and never re-released on home video.
Director: John G. Avildsen
Sony 2022 boxset or 2024 VHS packaging 4K Blu-ray
Sony 2022 boxset or 2024 VHS packaging has Dolby Vision, 2019 Sony 4K Blu-ray is HDR10 only.
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray (any)
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray (any)
4K restored scan of 16mm theatrical print
Fansubs are included with the 4K scan
1986 VAP rental Hi-Fi VHS
Audio capture of the Hi-Fi VHS included with the 4K scan
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