Version: Japan / U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Studio: Warner
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
VC-1 BD-50 / Advanced Profile 3
Running time: 2:22:33
Movie size: 23,56 GB
Disc size: 31,88 GB
Average video bit rate: 16.42 Mbps
Number of chapters: 40
Subtitles: English SDH / Chinese / French / Japanese / Korean / Portuguese / Spanish

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1423 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 16-bit / 1423kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Japanese 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps

#Commentary by writer/director Frank Darabont
#2 Documentaries: Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption, Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature
#The Charlie Rose Show segment featuring Darabont, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
#Comic Spoof of The Shawshank Redemption
#Stills and Collectibles Galleries
#Theatrical Trailer (HD)

************************************************************ *******

Version: U.K / Region A, B, C
Studio: ITV DVD
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1
Running time: 2:22:32
Movie size: 30,44 GB
Disc size: 42,58 GB
Average video bit rate: 25.98 Mbps
Number of chapters: 12
Subtitles: English

Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 256 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 256kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps

Extras: PAL-SD

#Commentary by Frank Darabont
#Hope Springs Eternal: A look back at the Shawshank Redemption (31m:00s)
#Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature (48m:00s)
#The Charlie Rose Show with Frank Darabont (42m:19s)
#Cast Interviews - Tim Robbins (27m:21s), Morgan Freeman (20m:54s), Bob Gunton (37m:45s), William Saddler (32m:24s), Clancy Brown(15m:41s)
#Stills Gallery
#Shawshank Storyboards
#Original on Location Footage
#Original Theatrical Trailer
#New Theatrical Trailer

Spec Courtesy: House / Kannisto

This thread is useless without pics. :)

The UK disc seemed a little smooth in places. Would like to know if the Warner encode is from the exact same master.

Is the US disc technically an HD DVD port? I know it was probably prepared ages ago, hence the file size. I'm perfectly happy with the UK disc, I won't be dipping again on this one.

This thread is useless without pics. :)

The UK disc seemed a little smooth in places. Would like to know if the Warner encode is from the exact same master.

UK disc....

But apologies for my lousy photography...

I'll take the US TrueHD version WITH the far superior UK case/cover (IMO), thank you! ;)

I will wait until at least a few reliable members have checked out the U.S. release. I have learned my lesson and refuse to pre-order Warner BDs anymore until I can see the specs and quality reviews.

US - it has Chinese subs and lossless

If there is a big difference in PQ I may change my mind.

Very quick and dirty comparison between UK + JP/USA edition;

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk1.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp1.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk2.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp2.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk3.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp3.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk4.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp4.png

Might as well pick up the USA version for the extras subs + lossless (and the book packaging if that floats your boat).

looks like same master for both

Thanks House. Quite surprising to find both looking virtually identical. Btw, why does Morgan Freeman's face looks like Rolland-Garros ?

Theres slightly more grain on the forehead of morgan on the japan release. The UK looks only slightly worse.

In the third cap you can see some additional filtering in the background on the Warner disc, but for all intents and purposes I think they're identical.

The master isn't terrible, but I'll wait for the 4K transfer.

Is the US disc technically an HD DVD port? I know it was probably prepared ages ago, hence the file size. I'm perfectly happy with the UK disc, I won't be dipping again on this one.

That's the first reaction I had too. It looks like all they did was port over an HD DVD master and added a language. I'm going to hold off until I see some reviews of the US release before I choose one for my collection.

I thought all warners new hd remasters are done at 4k?

I thought all warners new hd remasters are done at 4k?
Possibly, but I very much doubt that this is from a recent transfer.

Professional file-size and codec whingers will hopefully be silenced here. For a smaller file size on the US disc, the difference in PQ looks negligible. Having said that, I don't believe in judging anything via screenshots, the discs could look different in motion.

Professional file-size and codec whingers will hopefully be silenced here.
Hah! That's not likely! Just go look at the Transformers PQ comparison thread for an example.

That's the first reaction I had too. It looks like all they did was port over an HD DVD master and added a language. I'm going to hold off until I see some reviews of the US release before I choose one for my collection.

If that were the case, it would have to be a 2 disc set because the Japanese version is over 30gb

US version isn't out until 2nd December!

In the third cap you can see some additional filtering in the background on the Warner disc, but for all intents and purposes I think they're identical.

The missing grain in the Warner release looks bitrate related to me.

I would take the one that is cheapest.

The date stamps on the Japanese Warner BD disc for the .m2ts files indicate December 2007 for some files and January 2008 for some. I guess that's when they have prepared the content. All the folders have 2008/1/24 as their date.

There is more grain on the J release. I would not hesitate picking up the US release since the PQ is identical, plus lossless and extras that will play on my TV.

I'm not exactly blown away by those screen caps. I'm kinda tempted to just hold onto my DVD.

The US version is the coffee table book right (or whatever its called)? Can anyone tell me if the UK version is just the standard HD case and cover etc? Im just wondering because I dont really like those book style cases.

Very quick and dirty comparison between UK + JP/USA edition;

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk1.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp1.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk2.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp2.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk3.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp3.png

http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-uk4.png
http://itsnotlupus.net/pics/shaw-jp4.png

Might as well pick up the USA version for the extras subs + lossless (and the book packaging if that floats your boat).

I think the differences in those screencaps are minimal to say the least when you consider what they might look like in motion it really looks pretty identical to me.

VC-1 at the average bitrate probably equates well to the AVC average bitrate of the UK release.

I don't see any major differences at all...It's not night and day.

I also do not think there is more grain on the Japanese release it looks identical to me but i do see a shifting of the pixels when comparing the screencaps.

The US version is the coffee table book right (or whatever its called)? Can anyone tell me if the UK version is just the standard HD case and cover etc? Im just wondering because I dont really like those book style cases.

Pictures of the UK case...
Unusually, its in the thinner, US style case, not the horrid thicker cases that we usually get over here! :)

Pictures of the UK case...
Unusually, its in the thinner, US style case, not the horrid thicker cases that we usually get over here! :)


Thank you very much. Guess Im going to need to order me this from somewhere. Thanks.

Has anybody now both versions and can compare the PQ? I would be very interested.

Has anybody now both versions and can compare the PQ? I would be very interested.

Likewise, let the comparisons begin! :)

I'll take the US TrueHD version WITH the far superior UK case/cover (IMO), thank you! ;)

i'll take the US TrueHD with the new UK AVC video

I doubt there are many who have seen one, and even fewer who have seen both. Without seeing both, there's no way to know which is better. What if the UK one has more DNR than the US? I think we've all learned that bit-rate, file size, etc don't tell the whole story!

Has anybody now both versions and can compare the PQ? I would be very interested.Likewise, let the comparisons begin! :)

The US version has now been available for a month and still no comparisons??? Please.

The US version has now been available for a month and still no comparisons??? Please.

I can post some comparisons between DVD and US Shawshank, and if someone wants to post the same frame of the UK, that would be cool... Anyone up for it?

Considering it is one of the greatest movies of all time. It probably calls for a Xylon comparison thread:D

I watched the U.S disc recently and thought it looked fabulous on my 1080p Sony projector....112 inch screen.

Terrific film that finally gets it's due for the home.

DURATiON.........: 02:22:33.472
SiZE.............: 28.7 GB
ViDEO CODEC......: VC-1
FRAMERATE........: 23.976 fps
BiTRATE..........: 26866 kbps avg
RESOLUTiON.......: 1920x1080p
AUDiO............: DTS-HD MA 5.1 | 1816 kbps avg
SUBTiTLES........: English, Russian - PGS | VobSub | SRT
CHAPTERS.........: Included and Named

video stream bitrate comparison - - >

GER (26866 kbps)
JP (16419 kbps)
UK (25982 kbps)

I finally compared the US/Can release with the UK release and with my LCD TV, the Canadian looks much better in motion compared to the UK release that has motion blur. But otherwise I would say they are very equal in quality, although the UK has the highest bitrate of all versions (and just DD sound).