adding to the above / no doubt repeating some, but anyway, my two cents (alphabetical).
- blufans =
best steelbooks, some of the best lentis, and as others have said also some of the worst on occasion, really good one click packages. they have recently tarted up their OAB range of WWA (World Wide Artwork) steels with amazing but over-sized packages (
see The Sting, Vertigo, etc). also have run a fanatics sub-label for releases out of Hong Kong.
- Cine-Museum = probably
best for original artworks. in general i am not a fan of most of their artworks personally, but you can't fault them for variety. i have bought from them direct and via GB, never had any issues myself, but customer service often cited as an issue, or at least clarity of communication.
- FAC = some of the all time
definitive full slips (
see the Jurassic Parks), a history of crap lentis they are slowly getting better at, some nice packages and steelbooks in general, when they are doing WEA (World Exclusive Artwork), but recently it's all been about size and WWAs. Black Barons is their WWA line, or used to be, but recent FACs have aso been WWA, so... but
they still sometimes knock it out the park, and then some with
their FAC Alita.
- HDZeta = among leading lentis in general,
best one click packages for me (they don't do three steelbooks, they do one 4K, one BD, and one special pack with a book, or other things,
for example), and good glossy steelbooks which they have only just started embossing. have favourites for who they permit GBs for, and their business model is... let's go with unusual.
- Kimchi = have had some good releases in the past, and good for some more arty and leftfield choices.
- Manta =
best overall retailer. have tended to do different things to the others (faux-leather sleeves, glow in the dark steels, alternate film choices), always glossy and bossed steels, good packages, good customer service.
Fight Club was a good example - amazing faux soap OC (that i didn't buy!), OK DL (which i did), weird FS. recently jumping on the MCU and Disney bandwagon a bit of a shame for me, as that market's already oversaturated.
- NovaMedia =
joint best for Asian cinema. good range and variety, and early Novas are some of the best steels ever made. and their
John Wick releases have been superb.
- Plain Archive =
best for art house premiums and
joint best for Asian cinema. soon to be moving into mainly film scores and art books.
- Supreme Team x HDN = on this very site!
best for complete one offs and amazeballs editions.
- WeET Collection = good for full slips and great packages,
best for least delay in announcements >beauty shots > sales.
- World Cinema Library = tenuously authorised special editions,
many of which are genuinely good. few releases, lord knows how you get them other than secondary market (as i have).
i'd also mention the following, no idea whether some people consider some of their packages as premium or not, but to me some are:
- Arrow = not a traditional premium company, but honourable mention for
best at cult film restoration and prints, and some nice packages.
- Criterion =
equal best for classic restorations and a love of cinema.
- Eureka! =
equal best for classic restorations and a love of cinema.
- Powerhouse = best for UK and US restorations and releases of
films that you thought would not get the special treatment.
- SecondSight = like Arrow, honourable mention for remastering films and releasing them in amazing packages (e.g.
The VVitch).