ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray January 2017: The Arrow and Shout! Factory packages are similar so we will document the differences;

Like the Shout! Factory, the Arrow image quality is the same for both their own transfers of Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut - on their own separate Blu-ray discs. Technically, Arrow have a, slightly, lower bitrate but the image only show differences by being slightly brighter. You can see by toggling between the full resolution captures linked below. That's it - on the 1080P visuals - just a bit brighter on the Arrow.

Arrow don't offer the surround bumps that Shout! Factory include. There audio transfers are linear PCM - 2.0 channel stereo and sounds crisp and clean. Arrow also include optional English (SDH) subtitles but a slightly different, less bold, font (see samples below). The Arrow Blu-ray, is predictably, region 'B'-locked.

Arrow have most of the, same, interviews of the Shout! Factory which include Steven Bauer (24:00), Gregg Henry (15:47), Tom Bower (8:00), Mel Harris (8:43) and editor Paul Hirsch (10:49) and a trailer and stills gallery are also on the theatrical cut Blu-ray disc. Replacing Shout! Factory's 1/2 hour interview with John Lithgow ('Not One To Hodl a Grudge') though - they have a, brand new, 1/4 hour interview with the lead actor entitled Hickory Dickory Doc. Arrow also add Raising Pino, a brand-new, 35-minute, interview with composer Pino Donaggio and Father's Day, a brand-new, 24-minute, video essay about the multiple versions of Raising Cain by Chris Dumas, author of Un-American Psycho: Brian De Palma and the Political Invisible.

The Second Blu-ray, with the director's cut, is the same as the Shout! Factory - Changing Cain has him explaining his reasoning behind establishing the cut and the 13-minute Raising Cain Re-Cut is a keen new video essay by Peet.

What else do Arrow add? The disc is dual-format so there is a DVD of the theatrical cut available. Their limited edition [3000 copies] has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh plus a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anne Billson.

So the image quality is, essentially a draw, Shout! Factory Blu-rays may get the nudge for the audio - with the surround bump options, but the extras easy go the way of the Arrow - and overall that is the one that we would label the definitive package although both have immense value.

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ADDITION: Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray September 2016: Shout! Factory include the Director's Cut on a second Blu-ray disc in this package. The DC is actually a recut done by a fan of the film, Peet Gelderblom, using a DVD to conform to De Palma's script - essentially featuring scenes reordered. De Palma re-edited it into a more linear form before theatrical release. The DC plays well - flowing a bit better. It is the same HD master, so the two version could have been put on the same Blu-ray via seamless-branching but there may not have been enough room for all the extras - I'm not sure (of course, they also could have had a second disc of extras). So the video quality of the two versions is exactly the same. Both have a max'ed out bitrate and advance handily beyond the 1998 SD that looks softer and has an orangey hue to the flesh tones. The DVD may show a shade more information - the 1080P losing a bit on the bottom and left edge.

NOTE: Peet emailed and said "Hey Gary, just saw the Raising Cain review on DVDBeaver. Seamless branching was never an option for the director's cut. It features long dissolves to different scenes, there's an extra establishing shot and the audio has been edited separately from the video in some transitions. The first disc was already finished when De Palma suggested my cut had to be part of this release, so to have the director's cut on a second disc was the logical choice. Best, Peet " (thanks Peet!)

Audio, for both versions, comes in a very robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround with the option of a lossless 2.0 channel stereo. The effects were notably deep with some separations and the score by Pino Donaggio (Dressed to Kill, Don't Look Now, Blow Out, Carrie, Body Double), adds an ominous flavor to the film experience. This has optional English (SDH) subtitles and it a region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

Solid Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory. It's De Palma - although not premium in the director's overall work. The addition of the reordered DC cut gives it value and I think it's a better, or at least different viewing - setting a more cohesive tone. The new interviews also encourage a purchase. Certainly recommended!