VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and CD
In 1981, The Grateful Dead Movie was released on VHS video tape. While welcomed by fans, this recording was made from a video backup copy of the movie, and the sound and visual quality were not quite up to the usual high standards of the Grateful Dead.
On November 9, 2004, The Grateful Dead Movie was released as a two disc DVD. The first disc is the movie itself. This version of the movie was carefully restored from the film negative, and is letterboxed to preserve the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It can be played with any of three different soundtracks — the original multi-channel theatrical mix, a new 5.1 multi-channel mix created for the DVD, or a new stereo mix. The second disc contains additional concert footage from the October 1974 Winterland shows, and several documentaries about the making of the movie and the DVD, including then-recent interviews with some former Grateful Dead members. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA on February 21, 2005 under the category of longform video, selling 200,000 units.
On March 15, 2005, the musical performances in the movie, the extra songs on the DVD, and other songs recorded during the same set of concerts were released as a five disc audio CD. Even though it contains much more musical material than the movie, it is called The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack.
On November 1, 2011, Shout! Factory released The Grateful Dead Movie on Blu-ray restored from the original negatives with newly remastered lossless audio. Extras include a commentary on the Blu-ray disc and a second disc in DVD format including 95 minutes of extra songs, and featurettes on the making of the movie. The release is packaged in a slipcase and include a color booklet of liner notes.
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