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Writings > DVD Image Comparisons > Gangs of New York


Gangs of New York

Region 1 (USA) - Buena Vista
vs. Region 2 (UK) - Entertainment In Video

 

Details

 

 

DVD

R1 USA
 

 

DVD

R2 UK
 

Disc(s)

 

2x single-sided dual layer (DVD9)

 

2x single-sided dual layer (DVD9)

Running Time

 

Approx. 85 mins + 81 mins = 166 mins (NTSC) (film split across 2 discs)

 

Approx. 160 mins (PAL)

Video

 

2.39:1 anamorphic
Average bit rate:
6.69 Mbps (Disc 1)
7.47 Mbps (Disc 2)
NTSC 720x480 at 24 fps

 

2.39:1 anamorphic
Average bit rate: 6.16 Mbps
PAL 720x576 at 25 fps

Audio

 

English:
Dolby Digital 5.1, 448 Kbps
DTS 5.1, 768 Kbps

French:
Dolby Digital 5.1, 384 Kbps

 

English:
Dolby Digital 5.1, 448 Kbps
DTS 5.1, 768 Kbps

Subtitles

 

English

 

English

Extras

 

Disc 1:
- Audio commentary
- Set design
- Exploring the sets of Gangs of New York
- Costume design
- History of the Five Points
- Five Points study guide
- Trailer
- Teaser trailer

Disc 2:
- Audio commentary (continued)
- Discover Channel Show: "Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York"
- Music video

 

Disc 1:
- Audio commentary

Disc 2:
- Set design
- Exploring the sets of Gangs of New York
- Costume design
- History of the Five Points
- Five Points study guide
- Discover Channel Show: "Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York"
- Music video
- Trailer
- "Making of" featurette

 

Bit Rate

R1 USA - Disc 1

DVD Image Comparison


R1 USA - Disc 2

DVD Image Comparison


R2 UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Screen Captures

Example 1

Mouse over to switch between versions:
USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 2

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 3

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 4

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 5

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 6

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Example 7

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Edge enhancement example (resized to 300%)

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USA | UK

DVD Image Comparison

 

Comments

Unfortunately, this isn't at all clear from the screenshots (except perhaps the enlarged edge enhancement comparison), which make both versions look almost identical, but the US transfer looks quite a lot worse than the UK one, which is itself pretty mediocre. Both have been very heavily filtered and edge enhanced, so there is virtually no fine detail in either, and there are thick halos around highly contrasting objects. The US version shows noticeably more EE than the UK release, which gives it an oddly noisy appearance, although most of the fine grain has been crushed out by compression.

The US release splits the film over two discs, while the UK release has the entire film on the first disc. In a sense, I'm not really sure why this was done, because, had the US version's extras been moved over to the second disc, as is the case with the UK release, then I'm sure there would have been enough space to put the entire film on one disc. The US transfer is slightly better encoded than the UK release, but the higher level of EE balances this out, in my opinion.

For extras, the UK release loses the teaser trailer but gains an exclusive making-of featurette. Personally I give the edge to the UK release, but only just. This is one film that I will definitely be rebuying in high definition.

 

Summary

 

 

USA

 

UK

Video

 

5/10

 

6/10

Audio

 

9/10

 

9/10

Extras

 

8/10

 

9/10

 
 

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