http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/hitchcock.htm
U.S.A. 1960

"It wasn't a message that stirred the audiences, nor was it a great performance...they were aroused by pure film."

 So Alfred Hitchcock told Francois Truffaut about "Psycho," adding that it "belongs to filmmakers, to you and me." Hitchcock deliberately wanted "Psycho" to look like a cheap exploitation film. He shot it not with his usual expensive feature crew (which had just finished "North by Northwest") but with the crew he used for his television show. He filmed in black and white. Long passages contained no dialogue. His budget, $800,000, was cheap even by 1960 standards; the Bates Motel and mansion were built on the back lot at Universal. In its visceral feel, "Psycho" has more in common with noir quickies like "Detour" than with elegant Hitchcock thrillers like "Rear Window" or "Vertigo."

Excerpt from Roger Ebert's review on the Chicago Sun-Times located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 8, 1960

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DVD Comparison:

Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL

Big thanks to and Ole of DVDBasen and Dimitri van den Engel for the Screen Caps!

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

     

Distribution

Universal Studios

Region 1 - NTSC

 Universal Pictures (Benelux)
Region 2 - PAL		 Universal Tri-Star (Australia)
Region 2,4 - PAL
Runtime 1:48:16 1:48:16 1:43:52 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.73 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.53 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.78:1 Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.44 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

 

Universal Studios

 

Bitrate:

 

Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection)

 

Bitrate:

 

Universal Tri-Star (Australia)

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), DUB French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

English Dolby Digital 1.0 (96Kb/s)

English Dolby Digital 1.0 (96Kb/s), DUB Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0 (96Kb/s), DUB French Dolby Digital 1.0 (96Kb/s), DUB Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 (96Kb
Subtitles Spanish, English, None English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Russian, Dutch English, French, Greek and none.
Features Release Information:
Studio: Universal Studios

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Documentary 'The Making of Psycho' 95 minutes
• The Shower Scene: with and without music
• Theatrical trailer - un-restored 6:40 minutes (4:3)
• Re-release adverts (4:3)
• Newsreel footage
• Production photographs
• Production drawings (Storyboards by Saul Bass, lobby cards, posters and psycho ads)
• Production notes
• Cast and crew bios
• 8 page foldout booklet including chapter list and 4 pages of film notes

DVD Release Date: March 6, 2001
Keep Case

Chapters 27
 

 Release Information:
Studio: Universal Pictures (Benelux)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Documentary
• The Shower Scene: with and without music 2:28
• Theatrical trailer - un-restored 6:34 (4:3)
• Re-release adverts 1:48 (4:3)
• The Hitchcock Collection DVD advert 1:08 (4:3)
• Newsreel footage 7:43
• Production photographs
• Production drawings (Storyboards by Saul Bass, lobby cards, posters and psycho ads)

DVD Release Date: november 6, 2003
4 -Disc Keep Case

Chapters 27

Release Information:
Studio: Universal Tri-Star (Australia)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Production notes
• Theatrical trailer - un-restored 6:40 (4:3)
• Cast and Filmmaker: Static screen on 6 Actors and one on Hitch

 

DVD Release Date: 2002
Keep Case

Chapters 27

 

 

Comments

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS :

The in R2 released Psycho Collection contains all 4 Psycho films. The classic Psycho, film number 1 in this collection, looks like a direct copy of the R1 disc but misses out on the production notes, cast and crew bios and an 8 page booklet.
The transfer seems to be a NTSC to PAL conversion of the R1 which process causes ghosting (see image below).
The copying of the R1 transfer also causes this release to be letterboxed and, even worse, causes the image to be a lot softer.It's a shame that Universal neglected to put a proper tranfer on this new disc seeing as this collection is quite expensive (a retail price of €67.99 in the Netherlands).

The other movies in the 4-disc set are Psycho II (presented in 4:3, the original aspect ratio is 1.85:1), Psycho III (presented in letterboxed 1.85:1 and has ghosting) and Psycho IV (4:3, original aspect ratio as it was shot for 4:3 TV).
Psycho II and III were also released in R1 but are discontinued.

For Hitchcock's classic film, the R1 is still the best release.

-Dimitri van den Engel

The Region 1 is better in both image and extras. Once again we have a case of how anamorphic images are not always the best ( unless done properly ). I could probably forgive the R2/4 version the slightly less sharp picture if it at least included the 1hour 30 minute documentary that the Region 1 has. This ends up being an easy choice - R1 all the way.

 - Gary W. Tooze

 

 




DVD Menus

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Screen Captures

 

Example of Ghosting from Region 2 'Psycho Collection':

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

(Universal Studios - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Pictures (Benelux) (Psycho Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Universal Tri-Star (Australia) - Region 2,4 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 

Hit Counter

Report Card:

Image:

Universal Region 1

Sound:

-
Extras: Universal Region 1 / Universal Region 2 (Psycho Collection)   (tie)
Menu: -

 

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