- The Region-4 DVD was released by Shock as part of its Distinction Series and runs at 2 hours and 49 minutes, with some noticeable cut scenes throughout the films. This 2-disc set doesn't contain any deleted/alternate scenes.
- Film was cut by its US distributor to 132 mins and released at that length in 1976. In 1990, the director's cut was released in America by Kino International.
- The surviving print of the longer first cut is kept in the Russian State Film Archives - Gosfilmofond near Moscow. It is longer by some 20 minutes. 9 deleted and alternative scenes are included on the Criterion Collection DVD release of the film.
- The Russian state film archive has a longer print that runs about 190 minutes. Deleted scenes from that version include a mirror room scene, which is also presented on the Criterion DVD.
- The DVD from Criterion has many small differences in the subtitles from the VHS version released by Fox Lorber. Most are inconsequential (in the VHS version, Kris's father compares him to "an accountant" while in the DVD he refers to "a bookkeeper") but the VHS version's subtitles are incomplete, simplifying some passages and eliminating simple phrases. Early on, Kris's father refers to "that damned Solaristics" (sic) in the VHS version; the subtitles in the DVD say "These Solarists." (In this scene, the VHS version may be more accurate: the DVD commentary by the film historians refers to the line as "damned Solaristics.") Also, the VHS version has Sartorius saying "All the rest is bullshit," while the DVD has him saying, "Everything else is whim." Also, in the in the VHS version, several of the black-and-white segments (including the film of Burton's debriefing) are sepia-toned, and one color shot goes to black-and-white after Kris passes in front of the camera (the scene is completely black-and-white in the DVD). The scene where Kris sees Hari for the second time is in black-and-white on VHS, but it has an orange, sunset-like tone in the DVD (possibly tinted black-and-white). These differences are clearly not a result of remastering or color-correction. Finally, the VHS version, which is two cassettes, shows the title card for "Solaris: Part One" but doesn't subtitle it, and it does not show the title card for "Solaris: Part Two." The title would appear at the beginning of the second tape.
- There are numerous differences between the Criterion Collection DVD and the DVD released by the Russian Cinema Council (RUSCICO) on the RUSCICO DVD. The scene where Berton is driving on the highway in downtown Tokyo included a B&W shot that slowly and seamlessly fades into full color. This shot is entirely in color on the Criterion Collection DVD. The RUSCICO DVD ends part one right after Kris launches the rocket with Hari in it off the station. The Criterion Collection DVD ends part one right before the launch scene. There are also small changes in the subtitles, most notably in the opening credits. The RUSCICO DVD translates a notation about Bach's Choral prelude being used in the film. On the Criterion Collection DVD this notation is not given subtitles. The RUSCICO DVD has an optional partially dubbed English language track. It includes English audio for dialog not subtitled in either version. There are also some minor changes in the audio itself. The Criterion Collection DVD removes some of the sound reverberation for a few scenes.
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