JURASSIC PARK: HOME VIDEO HISTORY

On today’s episode of Home Video History, we take a look at one of the biggest movies of all-time: JURASSIC PARK! From the first VHS in 1994 to the latest 4K releases in 2022, we cover the entire home video history of every release of this amazing blockbuster movie.
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[@JohnnyBRad]

I was 4 years old when my parents bought Jurassic Park on VHS for our family to watch completely forgetting how intense it was. I was glued to the TV. I was super scared that night but the next morning I asked my Mom if I could watch it again. It's been one of my all time favorite movies ever since and I've owned it on VHS, DVD, Laserdisc, Blu Ray, and I'll probably cave and get the 4k just because. This was an awesome video Jeff!

[@AkAkAkNeil]

I just bought the double-disc Laserdisc this week :-)

[@JohnnyBRad]

@@AkAkAkNeil nice! I’ve got mine displayed on my office wall. It’s a pretty cool piece at this point

[@cwhitchblu]

You’re making me feel old. I was a college student when this premiered in theaters. I owned the original CAV laserdisc box and was there day one when this and Lost World released on dts DVD. Lost count on how many times I have repurchased these titles.

[@stephen8612]

It was my first cinema experience as a 5 year old. I thought we were going to an actual park to look at some dinos!

[@AkAkAkNeil]

@@stephen8612 that's a brilliant memory to have!

[@thegrimyeaper]

Remember I was in a hospital for a week, and the first thing I did when I came out was to watch this in the theater with DTS. First time DTS was even a thing. Not gonna forget that, ever.

[@jasonvoorheesthethird]

I still remember how I felt when I was watching it in the theater, I was blown away by the special effects, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen for the whole movie, and that’s all I could talk about for the next few weeks after I saw it! And I still love that movie as much as I did when I first watched it, in fact I watched it again just 2 days ago and even after all these years, I’m still amazed by the special effects, nothing can beat the T-Rex reveal scene!!

[@chrissheldrick4073]

Amen to that

[@xenomorphlover]

Still the most realistic and visually impressive looking T-Rex to this day...nothing will beat the original thing and this came out in 1993...

[@adamsteinbacher2629]

Couldn't agree more. I LIVED Jurassic Park that whole summer. Read the book several times, listen to the soundtrack CD on repeat. It just blew my young mind.

[@newt6639]

We were lucky to grow up with these movies. Your comments were exactly how I felt when seeing this movie in the theater. It was movies like this that you would talk about the experience for weeks. I will plan on watching this movie again this week!

[@isaacguadalupe7019]

When I was 4 my brothers gave me all there power rangers and toho Godzilla vhs. At the top of the box was Jurassic Park. I watch that film probably more then any film and it deserves all the praise

[@Markaroo]

The 3D version has a super clean transfer. I'm not sure if it's because of the conversion, but there's virtually no grain or anything. It looks pristine.

[@jbird_inc]

The DTS Laserdisc supposedly has the best audio transfer out of all the Jurassic Park releases as it is taken from the theatrical DTS 6-Track and has the best dynamic range which is not seen in any future release.

[@jefffan171]

I still have the DTS Laserdisc THX mastered and to the 2013 3D and 2018 Blu Ray the laser disc I'd far more open natural sounding

[@cwhitchblu]

The Laserdisc was incorrectly mastered for the home market though many prefer it due to overcooked bass and the surrounds being boosted 3 dB. Apparently this is the far field mix for cinemas where the home versions should be near field due to the closer proximity of the speakers.

[@rtp5768]

Surrounds and LFE are too loud on it though.

[@GabeOtto]

This is my favorite movie all time. Thank you, good to know the history.

[@BrettJamesBishop]

The Making of Jurassic Park was also released on VHS in May of 1995. I still have mine! JP still holds the record of how many times I've seen a movie in theaters. 11 times during initial release (not bad for a 10 year old), one time for the 3D release, and three times during the pandemic.

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

Wait wait wait. JP was released in theaters recently??

[@johnny6610]

Saw it at the Theater when was 12, this one and Terminator 2 were the best experiences I had at the movie theater.

[@RetroMediaRoom]

I have almost every single one of these releases including the laser disc. You should definitely keep doing these home video history lessons, very cool 👍

[@ForEternia]

Just bought the 4k this week at target. Man I remember watching it in the theaters. Playing the Super Nintendo game which introduced Dolby Surround sound for the first time in a video game. This movie had an amazing soundtrack. One for the ages for sure. One thing you didn't mention Jeff was that the DVD did come with DTS sound. At least depending which copy you purchased. I still own to this day the DTS version. Thanks again for an awesome video.

[@zelko0768]

True. I believe it was also was uncompressed

[@AJBCJB28]

I know this movie inside and out. It's my number 1 favorite movie of all time. I'm only 21, but I've been watching this movie since I was 2. Thank you for talking about it. Can't wait for Dominion!

[@rsolsjo]

Great video! I made some chapter timestamps, feel free to paste them into the description if you want: 0:00 Intro 0:44 Theatrical Release (1993) 1:34 VHS and Laserdisc (1994) 2:28 NBC TV Broadcast (1995) 3:21 The Making of Jurassic Park Laserdisc (1995) 3:49 Widescreen VHS and Laserdisc (1997) 4:45 VHS and DVD (2000) 5:37 Collector's Edition DVD Box Set (2000) 5:53 Jurassic Park DVD Trilogy (2001) 6:09 15th Anniversary / Adventure Pack DVD (2004) 6:29 Ultimate Trilogy Blu-ray (2011) 6:57 Universal Anniversary Set / Blu-ray (2012) 7:23 20th Anniversary 3D Theatrical Release (2013) 7:50 20th Anniversary 3D Blu-ray (2013) 8:11 25th Anniversary 4K Box Set (2018) 9:20 Standalone 4K Editions (2022)

[@bennettduckworth5102]

One little nitpick: the original VHS was available in Letterboxed in the states on the same day as the original October release. I was able to reserve a copy at Suncoast.

[@kascnef]

I got the full screen version at Suncoast. I also have it on digital HD. hope the 30th anniversary 4k next year has the original dts track

[@Markimark151]

Jurassic Park is one of those movies I purchased brand new at a drugstore on VHS, and eventually I bought it on DVD widescreen, and also bought it on Blu Ray!

[@cheekster777]

Awesome! Thanks Jeff! 🙏🏻

[@keitravissquire]

I saw this film around the age of 4-5. It has stuck with me ever since. I still have my VHS copy. Jurassic Park is the reason that I'm a filmmaker. My favorite film. Thank you for doing this!

[@freddykruger1118]

I found the DTS version of Jurassic park 1 and 2 last year for a couple dollars. They sound amazing

[@sheldonpetrie3706]

When a new independent theater opens up a few years ago, they had a launch party with a free screening of Jurassic Park. It was my first time swing in theaters after being relegated to vhs and dvd (I seem to recall it was one of my first dvds). I remember specifically look for the DTS version even tho I had no way of playing a DTS audio track or a had anything remotely close to a home theater system.

[@paulj5336]

The sound mix for JP on the DTS Laserdisc is beast. That and the 3d blu-ray are my favourite way to watch, other than at a cinema on 35mm. Love this movie.

[@marktubeie07]

Loving these deep dives into individual home video movie releases over the years - keep it up!!

[@axnyslie]

The CGI/practical FX holds up remarkably well over the decades and still one of the best sound designs ever. I was 24 when I saw it in the theaters I remember everyone gasping in awe when the brachiosaurus first appeared on screen. It is no surprise Disney dominated the VHS sales in the 90's

[@haltsmaul.]

Agreed. I found the shark in "Jaws" a bit jarring, but the Trex in "Jurassic Park" still holds up nowadays.

[@HNedel]

Wait, Disney? But this is Universal

[@axnyslie]

@@HNedel Meaning the top VHS sales of all time. Disney has 13 movies in the top 20 with The Lion King #1

[@Kdawg1287]

This movie is and always will be a classic. A gem in visuals, sound, and story telling. A movie that really does belong in everyone’s collection. This was a great watch, had fun watching this and the history of home media.

[@markvandenberg4606]

I was a 12-year-old kid and watched it in the theater on opening day and the two nights thereafter. What a memory. I will hold off on getting this on 4K blu-ray, based on your information. Thanks!

[@andreadill6713]

My mom rented this when I was 6 or 7 when it was new and I LOVED it. I have the vhs, dvd, bluray, and 4k. I literally tear up everytime I see the trailer for the new one.

[@rig-zag]

I remember seeing this on its release date in 93, and have collected the VHS, DVD, bluray and the 3D blu-ray, which is an incredible conversion. I am one of the few diehard 3D bluray collectors left standing, but Jurassic Park is a jewel among any 3D collection.

[@CaptJack88]

I love this series of videos. Keep them going!!!

[@FRandAI]

You missed one. There actually was a DTS DVD release of Jurassic Park. I had it. Apparently, after digging on the web, there were two releases of this DVD. One in which the bass wasn’t up to par, and Universal quietly corrected it. Great work as always!

[@MidnightsEdgeAfterDark]

This is correct, didn't it drop one or two of the special features though to accomadate? Otherwise I'm thinking of Jaws.

[@SunshineLoLypops]

@@MidnightsEdgeAfterDark The Jaws was an intential screw-up. The shortend the Documentary to an hour so they could fit it all on one disc. Then released a 2-disc version with the full doc a few years later. When it came to dvd Universal was basically the 3 stooges.

[@homecinemademo]

This is THE best video you have done. Takes me back to memory lane.

[@jctai100]

really enjoyed this, thx!

[@chrisholmes3791]

I still have my Jurassic Park vhs from when I was a little kid. Whew the nostalgia

[@AaronJohnson-mo8rf]

jeff, great job on the video i liked the part where you mentioned that jurassic park premiered on nbc i believe the first time i saw this film was on vhs but given the jurassic world films are popular, its good to revisit the earlier installments there are moments in the first movie that are humorous and ones that seem like it came out of a sitcom, which im refering to Nedry i was wondering if the next one could be a Home video history of Star wars, apparently that film and its sequels has a deeper history and sometimes a rather confusing one

[@TrainedSniper12]

I still have my suitcase from the opening of the movie from 1993. From when I was 7 years old

[@nickharris5231]

Hell yeah, this series is a great idea, and nice coverage man! It's really cool to hear about things like Laser disc having superior audio to the first DVD, and the cable TV broadcast numbers. I can't tell you how many time I watched Jurassic Park on VHS. Whenever I was home sick from school, it was either Star Wars Trilogy or Jurassic Park/Lost World marathon.

[@thebrotherhoodisdumb]

I saw the 3d theatrical screening of JP and it is still the best 3d movie ive ever seen. Very well done!!!

[@Michael_NL]

These deep dives are so cool! Would love to see more of these from you and the channel!

[@rickworley9081]

There was a widescreen VHS of the movie released on the same day as the first pan-and-scan VHS. I preordered it and bought it, and the guy at Suncoast asked which version I'd prefer.

[@ericlozen9631]

I purchased my first laserdisc player in 1995. This was one of the first LD's I bought. I believe that it cost around $40. I still have it.

[@JackRABBITslim27]

Love this format of movie reviews

[@matthewsmith8952]

This is the best video I've ever watched on this channel. Astounded at the amount of marketing promo footage you managed to unearth. Awesome.

[@robertobuatti7226]

I remember when Jurassic Park released at the theaters back in 1993 it played for over 6 months, now movies are rushed so fast to cinema then to home media, if studios let movies playout more in theaters maybe they would do better at the Box Office. Jurassic Park was one of my first video cassette tapes and is what really got me started in physical media collecting back when it first released in the early 90's to which now I own 7,000 movies spread across Blu-ray, 4K UHD disc and DVD.

[@jimcameron1234]

I still have the DTS LASERDISC

[@rodrigogonzalezbetancourt978]

Fantastic video, as usual. This series is fantastic. Can't wait to see the next one!

[@uceddiemo]

Yes I bought the VHS , played it with my Sansui system with Advent Speakers and a cheap Subwoofer making it a 2.1, we had a Jurassic Party for the kids and I played the movie, the kids got scared, ran out the room and started crying while watching it on a 32” TV, Wow those where the days.

[@rorytaylor626]

I don't think I've seen a more impressive movie in the theaters than watching Jurassic Park when it first came out. It probably helps that I was 15 at the time, so it left a huge impression. So much so that I immediately bought the book and speed read it in a day. That's crazy about the number of people that watched a network broadcast of it 2 years later. That will certainly never happen again.

[@Galgomite]

I saw the 3-D conversion of Jurassic Park in theaters and was very impressed. The tech and techniques were quite mature at the time so many tricks were used (comparison videos are out there on KZbin where you can see changes made to specific assets to solve 3D problems). I picked up the 3-D Blu-ray and it is a favorite with my kids.

[@djxeroic1436]

when i was a kid my parents bought me a VHS 2-pack at Costco that had Jurassic Park and The Making of Jurassic Park. I watched the making of more than the actual movie, it's def one of the movies that made me become interested in how movies are made.

[@filmbuff1991]

They actually did make DTS Collector’s Edition DVD’s of both Jurassic Park and The Lost World in 2000. Both their DTS tracks sound awesome!

[@johnwilliamson2207]

There was a same day VHS release of Jurassic Park in Letterbox format as well, I bought two of them. Also, once Jurassic Park III hit DVD I remember having to send away for the silver and red box to put all three films into, I remember that because my box arrived badly crushed lol.

[@bobcharlotte8724]

Nice stuff! Your presentation is getting really good!

[@CaptinNabil7]

This video just makes me wanna go and rewatch Jurassic Park.

[@jamesmoss3424]

When my stepfather was alive he likes Jurassic Park and he used to have the special edition on VHS 📼.

[@thenewbloodvii8360]

These home video histories were a great idea. Good job!

[@tomthurston9069]

Great video, worth the wait

[@helmsgaming84]

I was waiting for them to put an individual release out on the first film in 4k. Glad to see that they finally did. At this point, though, we're so close to the 30th anniversary that I feel like a proper 4K remaster might very well be on its way, so I'm going to wait for a while longer before I pick it up.

[@Prettorian]

I hear you!....I absolutely hate it when they don't release individual movies...still haven't bought the Indiana Jones 4K because i can't live with the feeling of owning the fourth movie 🤮 and I won't do steelbooks either...

[@scotttild]

@@Prettorian Who wants the 4th movie it was god awful go buy the three movie set.

[@2HackFrauds]

I'm pretty certain when the trilogy got that DVD release after JP3 came out there was also a VHS release of the trilogy. Great video either way, I remember when my family got their first DVD player second hand in the early 2000's someone had left the disc for The Lost World in the player, so for years the disc just rattled around loose in the Jurassic Park box.

[@The98xander]

Great video love this series!

[@anthonychobotdoespopcultur7762]

Awesome video buddy

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

hope to get the new box set soon in 4K and one of my favourite classic sci fi horror adventure movies by Steven Spielberg and I was 6 years old the first time I saw it as a kid in 1995 on vhs and on tv

[@egger7576]

I really enjoy these little vignettes, keep up the good work.

[@PurpleStormProductions]

God I LOVED that 15th Anniversary DVD set, watched all the movies on there for the first time and they were amazing as a kid, I was obsessed with the packaging. Got a chance to see the original in theaters in 3D, and let me tell you, that was an amazing experience that I encourage anybody to go see.

[@Dohsoda]

My family had the first 3 movies on VHS and they were all on heavy rotation in our VCR during my childhood.

[@richardcarmichael8915]

Amazing video. I love this series, please keep this going. Very informative.

[@elijeremiah1058]

My brothers and I watched it every single day after school for a couple weeks when we got it on VHS.

[@RinkelJeroen]

Jurassic Park is by far my best movie theatre experience. We owned it on VHS first. Later I bought the DVD, then the Bluray. I found the bluray very grainy, to the point were it got distracting in the darker scenes. So much grain that I started looking for a better alternative. I found that on iTunes. Now I own the 4K disc and it's the best version I ever had.

[@cwhitchblu]

Jurassic Park has never looked overly sharp on digital video formats. I suspect it’s master is intentionally softened so some of the digital effects of the early days are hidden.

[@baxterwilson368]

This brings back so many memories. My mom pre-ordered the movie at Blockbuster in 1994. I watched the movie on NBC on my tiny handheld TV I’d just bought shortly before and was so excited about. It was a great time to be a kid.

[@pluckyduck11y]

Saw it in theater as a kid, and I remember the wait for the home video release seemed like FOREVER. I swear it seemed like it took over a year for the VHS to come out, which is interminable for a kid

[@ProjectMacbeth]

There was also a white box set in 2014 and it had a slot for Jurassic world when it was released

[@alextan1478]

The VHS & DVD releases of Jurassic Park in full screen was actually open matte, although the CGI shots were pan and scan. There was also a letterboxed edition back when it first came out on VHS in 1994.

[@ganonkenobi]

The first time I saw this movie, my neighbors hooked their vhs cam Corder up to their tv for the original over the air broadcast. They would stop and resume whenever commercials hit.

[@NiGHTS1980]

I still have the original Trilogy on VHS and DVD. Also have the Blu-ray boxset and now the 4K versions. I do not miss watching VHS. And when you grew up watching movies on that format, you really appreciate Blu-ray and 4K like nothing else.

[@cheekster777]

I previously owned Jurassic Park on Laser Disc. It was a great demo disc back in the day especially for surround sound.

[@RyanGosling6]

Thank you!

[@chrisdawson6156]

Absolutely amazing video

[@sugreev2001]

I've owned Jurassic Park on a lot of video formats. Had a Laser Disc (one of the very few that we owned), a VHS tape, a DVD & a Blu-Ray. I still have very fond memories of watching it on my LD player as a kid, with the purpose of scaring my younger cousins staying at my house for a sleepover.

[@alice-14-k6b]

this series of vids is great!

[@doctorxombie]

Excellent history video! Can't wait for your hour and a half history of Star Wars. 😉

[@sinnexit7450]

Anyone remember the scene when the T-rex ate that dude in the toilet? Man, did that the scare me. Great in-depth video, Jeff.

[@rodsmediaroom835]

Awesome video! Just to add a bit of nerdy details for clarification... all retail releases of Jurassic Park on laserdisc are letterboxed (or non-anamorphic widescreen). There was never a full-screen release on that format. And the full-screen release on DVD (which I assume was also the same transfer used on the early VHS releases and for TV broadcast) was actually mostly open-matte, with only the FX shots using CGI being done in P&S.

[@charlievieyra]

Yes I have the '94 release laserdisc with Letterbox and standard Dolby Surround

[@brandonpage7087]

Thanks for this!! I remember seeing Jurassic Park in theaters, upon original release. An absolute masterpiece that still holds up!! I saw all the other films you had listed, & I would love to see future home video history episodes, on all of those.

[@justintime3520]

I watched Jurassic Park on laserdisc so many times as a kid. It was the one I watched the most, and I remember having to flip the disc right before the T-Rex reveal haha

[@K4LKDana]

Another awesome video history, Jeff. I have both the DTS THX 2-disc widescreen extended play CLV release and the 1994 THX release in Standard Play CAV, digital sound, widescreen. Since I have the Pioneer CLD-919 player which can play both sides, I only have to get up to change discs twice (sides 3/4 and side 5).

[@tom-]

the VHS release of Jurassic Park was an event for me, it was released days after my 10th birthday and i had my mom buy the vhs from Target in the morning so i could watch it with Pizza Hut that night, I watched that copy maybe 10 times first year i had it loved Jurassic Park

[@cambodianz]

2:42 *network television* NBC is a television network, not a cable channel. Keep up the otherwise excellent work, dude!!

[@benji6606]

Thank you for this. Lets do back to the future next!!

[@ernestolopez23]

Love these review videos on classic films

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

I saw JP twice on theatrical release. And I remember that it took over a year for the VHS release to come round (as it says in the video, October 94). I also remember watching it for the first time on VHS and feeling a little deflated. The impact was nowhere near the same. Seeing it on the big screen when I was first released was amazing.

[@harrisonplatis3902]

Just had the pleasure of watching this at the Alamo and seeing it on film was just an incredible experience cuz my GF had never seen it before. can’t wait to pop in the 4k

[@LeShark75]

For me the Pal Widescreen Laser Disc was outstanding at the time, wonderful picture and audio. Today, its the 4K disc all the way.

[@tannerbartko1203]

Jurassic Park was actually shot in full screen 4:3 (minus a few CGI shots), then cropped for theaters.

[@stevemoody13]

Love this series! Please keep them coming.

[@cliffhanger639]

I went and watched it 8 times at the Theater because every time I went to the movies with someone that’s what they wanted to see, and because I love it 😁

[@matthewskanes7074]

Great vid! Subbed. Keep up the quality work!

[@Jon0387]

I remember the Jurassic Park DVD had widescreen and full screen versions. It sparked and argued between me and the rest of the family. No one else wanted widespread because they didn’t want black bars. I also remember buying the three movies on dvd. Then I had to mail in for a slipcase and bonus dvd.

[@jameslacey5474]

I had a bit of luck when I moved to Glendale, Ca.in the year 2000 because I worked doing special effects make-up in films, and one day I walked into the Tower Record on Broadway St. and who did I meet? I looked up and to my surprise it was Dennis Muren standing there looking at the CD's. I instantly recognized him, and couldn't resist to approach and talk to him. He was very pleasant and even knew of an effects make-up guy from Chicago, which is where I am from, that we both knew. He also told me he was there because he came in for a meeting for a film he was going to be working on (he didn't mention the name of the film however) I also saw Stan Winston at a Make-up Trade show and talked to him. Sure miss his contributions to film since his passing. Also Jeff, you mentioned how expensive Laser Disc were in the 90's, well when Studio's first released films on to Betamax in the early 80's they cost close to $100.00 if not.

[@modernpeasants7]

Grant “How did you do this?” Hammond “I’ll show you” Goosebumps everytime

[@bravelilttletoaster]

When I saw this video on my "Recommended" stack I kinda thought you would also be going into all the color grading discrepancies between releases, but I'm new to the channel, so I guess your focus is more on sales numbers and collectability (the sound info was pretty interesting though!). If it's up your alley, you might want to consider including that kind of stuff, when it happens, in other At Home History vids. The Jurassic Park situation, from my limited technical understanding, is really interesting!

[@skrimaging]

Awesome video man! I have Jurassic Park on vhs, DVD and Blu Ray. Keep these types of videos coming! Try Disney Aladdin or Lion King next.. there are many releases of those too!

[@michaelschiessl8357]

Crazy that I Still have the DTS ,THX sound laserdisc of Jurassic Park and yes the movie still holds up very very well and of course DVD, Bluray sets and 4k box sets .everything but the VHS..Great video Jeff thanks.

[@batman.darthmaul]

The first widescreen release of the film was not the widescreen VHS or the DTS laserdisc. The very first laserdisc releases of the film were available in widescreen. I owned the CAV 3-disc edition box set, and later the DTS laserdisc version. Laserdisc enthusiasts enjoyed widescreen releases long before those who only watched VHS. Also, Criterion has been issuing films in that format since their founding in 1984.

[@PiperSparkles]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure letterbox was the standard for laserdisc by that point in the 90's. Most P&S Laserdisc titles came out in the 80s.

[@batman.darthmaul]

@@PiperSparkles You know, James Cameron said he actually preferred the Pan & Scan laserdisc of The Abyss over the widescreen version because he felt the pan & scan was just "more involving." I totally disagree with him on that. That movie was shot on a film format called Super 35 and, ironically, some of the picture is chopped off no matter which version you choose, widescreen or pan & scan. Same for Terminator 2.

[@PiperSparkles]

@@batman.darthmaul I am highy aware of that quote, but he also said it during an era before 80"+ 4K UHD screens when a 40" CRT was considered a "big screen" and non anamorphic laserdiscs were the best option to watch widescreen films on home video. Stanley Kubrick also preferred full screen versions of his films but I'm sure if he had lived long enough to see the advancements in technology and the wide availability of large screen sizes for home viewing since he made that statement, he may very well have had a different opinion.

[@batman.darthmaul]

@@PiperSparkles Yes, that's exactly right. I'd be interested to know how each of them feel now that 16:9 is the common format. I think Kubrick in particular would prefer 16:9 today.