TSPDT

France Lobster Films Blu-ray though a very weak encoding caps, is a newer master (4K scan of MoMA first gen nitrate print) than Cohen/MoC, which are themselves a newer master than Kino Lorber.

Lobster Films > Cohen/MoC > Kino Lorber

Umbrella/Arrow 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode but the mastering shows signs of DNR albeit only momentarily); all other BDs pretty bad.

But whether in the correct speed/pitch is TBC.

Australia Imprint Blu-ray marginally better than Paramount Blu-ray see caps

Curzon Blu-ray > Germany Plaion or France Potemkine

UK Arrow > US

Criterion 2026 4K Blu-ray (UPC 715515334617) > Criterion 2024 4K Blu-ray > Film4 4K Blu-ray

• Criterion 2026 redid the encoding and none of the blocking issues any more, see disc info and nicolas' review

• Criterion 2024 encode struggles with brighter areas of the image but still superior to Film4

Film4 4K Blu-ray is on a BD-66, both Criterion releases are on BD-100 discs. 

Criterion 2024 release bitrate: 94.67 mbps

Criterion 2026 release bitrate: 93.66 mbps

Film4 bitrate: 62.00 mbps

Disney Blu-ray includes a lossy mastering of the original mono mix, most likely the best sounding version since no LD or VHS included it

The 4K discs in both Criterion and Imprint sets are FiM encodes, but low-passed. The compression is better, but some of the grain is lost. Difference is pronounced in screen caps, but not likely to be noticed during playback, without a reference to compare it to. Comparisons

All discs use the same source transfer. It's not of the highest quality, and it includes some slight distortion, looping, clicks, pops, and hum. Criterion cleaned it up for their release, but unfortunately also lost a lot of fidelity in the process.

MGM NTSC DVD doesn't seem to have some of the more prominent distortion and has slightly different EQ but is otherwise the same.

The Criterion Complete Kubrick and Imprint 1953-1957 sets include remastered BDs. All standalone releases are from an earlier master.
Arrow UK Blu-ray has an exclusive isolated score & effects track. Kino Lorber and Imprint have an exclusive commentary each.

Criterion better encode and gamma than Artificial Eye

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

Criterion 4K Blu-ray second pressing from March 2022 as first pressing has shots in one scene placed in wrong order

(every version since the 2000 DVD release, including the 2010 2D Blu-ray, has animation errors. The majority of those were corrected for the 3D rerelease.) The 4K Blu-ray is merely upscaled from the 2K render.

The 1997 DTS LaserDisc is a virtually untouched transfer of the theatrical 5.1 mix and should theoretically sound the best being that DTS has higher bitrates than AC3. However, the original pressing of the DTS LaserDisc has an error where the right channel is 8.5db lower than the rest. This is an easy fix in a program like Audacity, and if you can find a corrected transfer, like the ones on various fan projects online, it should be the best sounding version of the film.

The AC3 audio on Side 2 of the CLV LaserDisc has the LFE channel muted. This was left intact for the CAV release.

The 2000 and 2005 UK DVD has an error where one of the shots is brightened up way too high (when the rest of the toys hold onto Slinky as he clings onto Woody during the moving truck rescue). Plus the end credits are interlaced (the PSP UMD video is the only way to get that version of the credits without interlacing).

The 4K Blu-ray has a further remixed Atmos track.