Writings > DVD Image Comparisons > Panic Room

Panic Room

Region 1/3/4 Special Edition (USA) - Columbia Tristar
vs. Region 2 (UK) - Columbia Tristar
Region2 Special Edition (UK) - Columbia Tristar

Details

Bit Rate

R1/3/4 USA

R2 UK

R2 UK SE

Screen Captures

Example 1

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 2

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 3

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 4

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 5

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 6

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Example 7

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R1/3/4 USA | R2 UK/R2 UK SE

Update, February 25, 2006 (UK R2 SE): For the UK special edition, Columbia Tristar wisely chose to retain the original PAL image master rather than using the new one created for the US special edition. Compare the bit rate graphs of the two UK releases: the bare-bones version has a slightly higher overall bit rate due to the inclusion of a DTS track, but the actual shape of the graphs are identical. The result is that the two transfers are almost exactly the same. I was able to see slight differences in the encoding in a couple of shots, but haven't bothered including them here since in real life you're never going to notice this when you're actually watching the film. Basically, if you want the best transfer and all the extras, the UK SE is the way to go. That said, if the best transfer and DTS audio is your preferred combination, go for the bare-bones UK release.

Comments

The screenshots in this comparison are considerably less useful than I would have liked, since the big difference between the two - the noise reduction and encoding - can only be seen in motion. Panic Room is a difficult film to compress since so much of it takes place in gloomy half-light, and the US special edition definitely comes off the weaker of the two, with noticeable grain-freezing, blocking and "flickering" patterns visible in the grayscale. The UK DVD has also been noise reduced, but the effect is handled a lot more assuredly, and given that I'm not convinced the film was meant to be grainy in the first place, I don't mind this instance of image tampering. In fact, the UK disc is one of my favourites ever as far as image quality goes - these screenshots don't do it justice. Note also that the US transfer seems to be slightly cropped at the top and on either side, although once you take overscan into account the difference is negligible.

The UK disc also wins in terms of the audio, offering a DTS mix while the US version has only Dolby affairs (in three languages). In terms of extras, though, the US release is the clear winner. You could probably argue that Panic Room is not the sort of movie that requires such a lavish array of bonus materials - it is, after all, simply a fast and fun popcorn thriller rather than a masterpiece - but they do provide a very interesting look at the making of the film and are of a consistently high standard. Basically, it comes down to whether you want a superior audio-visual preentation or an excellent array of extras. A real fan would probably want to own both.

Not compared here is the R1 US "Superbit" release (which, to my eyes, is even worse in terms of encoding than the US special edition, despite the "Superbit" label).

Summary