"Dial M For Murder" Warner Home Video - Region 2, 4, 5- PAL vs. Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC vs. Cine Korea - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Unknown company (Bootleg) 3D version - Region 0

(aka 'Dial 'M' for Murder')

directed by Alfred Hitchcock
USA 1954

Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) makes a decision to murder his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) for her money and because she had indiscretions with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). First he blackmails an old college associate to strangle her, but when things go awry he envisions a way to turn the circumstances to his advantage. Classic Hitchcock with superb cast! Note his occasional use of obtuse camera angles! out of

Gary W. Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 29th, 1954

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DVD Comparison:

Warner Home Video - Region 2, 4, 5- PAL vs. Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC vs. Cine Korea - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Unknown company (Bootleg) 3D version - Region 0 - NTSC

BIG thanks to Dave and Marco of the Alfred Hitchcock DVD Information Site located HERE

(Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL LEFT vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC 2nd vs. Cine Korea - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Unknown Bootleg - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
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Distribution	Warner Home Video - Region 2,4,5 PAL	Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC	Cine Korea Region 0 - NTSC	Unknown Bootleg Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:41:03 (4% PAL Speedup)	1:45:16	1:44:52	1:46:00
Video	1.85:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.93 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.73 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.33 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.63 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Warner (PAL)
Bitrate: Warner (NTSC)
Bitrate: Cine Korea
Bitrate: Unknown Bootleg
Audio	English mono DD1.0, DUBS: French mono DD1.0, Italian mono DD1.0	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)	English (Dolby Digital 5.,1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)
Subtitles	English, French, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Bulgarian, none	English, French, Spanish, None	Korean, and none	Japanese (burned in)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Featurette "Hitchcock and Dial M" (21:35) • Featurette "3D: A Brief History" (7:07) • Theatrical Trailer (2:29) DVD Release Date: November 8th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 28	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Featurette "Hitchcock and Dial M" (21:32) • Featurette "3D: A Brief History" (7:06) • Theatrical Trailer (2:33) DVD Release Date: October 28, 2003 Keep Case Chapters: 28	Release Information: Studio: Cine Korea Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Cast and Crew bios DVD Release Date: 2003 Keep Case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Unknown Bootleg Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: ? Keep Case Chapters: 1

Comments:

ADDITION: PAL edition (November -04) - This is ONLY available in the PAL Boxset (cannot be bought individually in UK, but can be bought individually in Germany with a few optional subtitle and DUB changes).

Many Hitchcock films were composed for both framings and projected theatrically in the US at 1.85:1. As suspected this PAL edition is indeed cropped from 1.33 to 1.85:1, although it has slightly more horizontal information than the R1 transfer. Strange decision to transfer in opposition to the Region 1's!

The image quality is comparable to the Warner NTSC version, perhaps a little softer. The "Stage Fright" packaging lists the DVD as being 1.85:1, but thankfully it's actually 1.33:1. In fact, the DVD covers seem to contain numerous typos and incorrect info (e.g. the Bulgarian subtitles for "Dial M" are not listed). Obviously we still lean heavily toward the Region 1 Boxset.

****

The choice here in all categories (but audio for the 5.1 boost option in the Cine Korea) is obvious... BUT, Interesting stuff... I have been informed that the bootleg 3D edition DVD could in theory use interlaced field to generate left and right eyes frames, creating stereoscopic effect without mess color like 3D filter-glasses.

The wonderful restoration of the Warner brings one to look at the 3-D. If you compare the scenes, of the Warner with the 3D edition, you will find out the restoration sometimes use the right object-glass and others the left objective-glass... interesting.

- Gary W. Tooze

DVD Menus

(Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL LEFT vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT)

NOTE: NO menu on Bootleg version!

(Cine Korea - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Unknown Bootleg - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

	NO MENUS