What is this website?

My rationale for keeping this site.

Sanjuro (1962)

Mono - 

1993 Toho LaserDisc [TLL 2415]: The worst sounding track here due to heavy noise reduction.

1995 Criterion LaserDisc [CC1370L]: Seemingly no mastering work whatsoever and the most detailed track here. Quite clean, with the occasional tick/pop.

1999 Criterion DVD: Based on the Criterion LaserDisc audio transfer. Moderate noise reduction, but less than the Toho LaserDisc.

2002 Toho DVD: More noise reduction than the Criterion DVD but less than the Toho LaserDisc. This also has a strange midrange boost that makes residual background noise louder.

2003 BFI DVD: Like the Criterion LaserDisc.

2004 Sandrew Metronome DVD: Same mastering as the Toho LaserDisc.

2009 Toho Blu-ray: Like the Toho DVD but lossless.

2010 Criterion Blu-ray: Based on the Criterion LD audio transfer, but with more noise reduction than the Criterion DVD. 

2015 Studio S Blu-ray: Like the Toho DVD but lossless.

2023 Toho UHD Blu-ray: A new mastering. Its EQ is fine and it does a better job of retaining high frequency detail than the Criterion blu-ray, but it's still quite aggressively NRed above 8 kHz to the detriment of subtle ambient sounds.

2025 BFI UHD Blu-ray: Identical to the Toho UHD.

2025 Criterion UHD Blu-ray: Criterion have again returned to their LaserDisc audio transfer and have applied less noise reduction than they did for their DVD and blu-ray. Compared to the LaserDisc, the intermittent ticks and pops have been removed (good), but it begins rolling off above 15 kHz (unnecessary). So all in all, no real perceivable difference. 

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

2.0 - 

 

1998 Criterion DVD: Very good; clear, detailed, no mastering issues. The only release here to have what is presumably the original Dolby Stereo mix.

2009 MGM Blu-ray: The 2.0 track here is a new mix that resembles the 5.1. Fidelity is fine, but the music sequences are narrower than in the original mix and are mixed more like modern music (instruments at nearly the same volume, more aggressive, etc.). The track as a whole has less dynamic range.

 

Content discrepancies (Criterion UHD timecodes):

• 00:07:05: The deep bass has been nearly mixed out from the ambient music
• 00:59:57: In the line "you seriously suggesting...", "you" is missing
• 00:41:31: New car foley
• 01:06:54: The first 1.5 seconds of the long feedback squeal are missing
• 01:20:05: The line "putting it on a farm" uses a different take 

2009 Optimum Blu-ray: Like the MGM blu-ray 2.0 but lossless.

2025 Criterion UHD Blu-ray: Like the Optimum blu-ray 2.0.

Viridiana (1961)

2006 Criterion DVD: Good; minimal hiss reduction, though no real bass detail below 100 Hz.

2014 Divisa blu-ray: Horrible, like most Divisa releases - strong noise reduction, with a big treble boost.

2024 Radiance blu-ray: A lossy transcode of the Criterion DVD.