What has it got that previous OT didn't?
I only bought it a few months ago
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Yep, non-anamorphic. Not just the fact the image quality is 1993 laserdisc.
From Wikipedia:
For many years, Lucas has stated that the original, unaltered versions of the trilogy would never be released again, having been released for the last time on VHS and Laserdisc in 1995. However, on May 3, 2006, Lucasfilm announced on the official Star Wars site that due to "overwhelming demand", the original versions would be released on DVD on September 12, 2006. Each film will be released as a two-disc set with the 2004 versions of the films on one disc, and the original, unaltered film on the second disc. The set would only be available until December 31, 2006, then withdrawn from the market. The DVD trailer can be downloaded here.
There has been great controversy surrounding this release, however, since it has been revealed that the DVDs will feature non-anamorphic versions of the original, unaltered films based on laserdisc releases from 1993 (as opposed to newly-remastered, film-based transfers). Since non-anamorphic transfers fail to make full use of the resolution available on widescreen sets, many fans were upset over this choice.
In response to fan outcry over the perceived mis-treament of the original cuts, Lucasfilm representatives stated that new, anamorphic transfers of the original cuts cannot be made because the original negatives of the theatrical cuts (from which the anamorphic transfers would typically be made) no longer exist. This created further anger when fans worldwide discovered that George Lucas himself had during the 1990s ordered that as many of the existing 35 millimeter copies of the film as could be found be destroyed.
In a May 2006 posting, the editor of The Digital Bits, a DVD enthusiast website, noted that one of the supposedly lost 35 millimeter copies is owned by Robert A. Harris, one of the world's renowned film archivists and the owner of Film Preserve, a highly lauded company specializing in the digital transfer and restoration of 35 millimeter film stock. Harris, who is a contributor to the site, submitted a letter stating that he is positive that anamorphic, high definition transfers of the films can be made along with a "master" presentation negative from which new 35 millimeter reels can be made. The letter (a copy of which was sent directly to Lucasfilm) has gone unanswered.
For me, I have moved on from the originals, and embrace the Special Editions & the DVD versions. I won't be buying.
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"I'm not smart so much as I am not dumb." - Harlan Ellison
lucas will never recieve another dime from me for this insult to his fans.
his ego is out of control and this is just an example of what a child he's behaving like. bitter that his new 'original vision' of the OT was floptastic, now he has to be spiteful while profiting at the same time. boycott this release. dont allow him to profit for being an art vandal.
The difference in quality is for all those early-adopters who have the big widescreen tvs and spent a ton of money for them. I can't believe they are so wound up about it.
I have a DVD copy of the OOT years ago when somebody copied the laser disks onto DVDs and sold them on Ebay before the listings were closed.
As I've never bought the SEs DVDs, (only rented them to see the bonus material), I will buy the OOT to see if there is any difference between my laser disk copy, this OOT, my widescreen "faces" VHS, etc. I don't know if I'll keep the SE DVDs which will come in the same package, I don't really like them.
The image will be compressed, because it's only letterboxed for a 4:3 standard TV; everything will have a squeezed look on a 16:9 widescreen TV. If you have the kind of 16:9 TV that can correct this - like my Samsung slimtube - it will look better. But it will only play at the lowest resolution. It won't play normally if you try to up the pixel level to HD standards - 720, 1080.
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"I'm not smart so much as I am not dumb." - Harlan Ellison
Aug 8th, 2006 01:28 PM
It's just some cheap piece of nostalgia, 1997/2004 special editions are FTW.
