AvP said:

pittrek said:

you can't buy cases for 5 DVDs, only for 6

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-PACK-NEW-STANDARD-BLACK-5-WAY-DVD-CD-CASES-/140443441394?pt=UK_Home_Garden_CD_DVDStorage_SM&hash=item20b314d8f2

Wow. I have to show it to a certain person in a certain shop, who was arguing with me that no such thing exists :)

SilverWook said:

pittrek said:

Is this broadcast recording different from the official LD / VHS ?

I had one big "problem" with these sets, I plan to "release" them as 2 5-DVD sets, but you can't buy cases for 5 DVDs, only for 6 :-) So original / alternate  versions of these 2 movies would be the perfect DVD 6 for every set :-)

Been a while since I've watched either version, but the one visual difference is the closing credits. Broadcast version credits run over a freeze frame of the Endor sky, LD/MGM home video release is over a black screen.

OK so if I understand you correctly, there are 3 different versions of the first movie, and the only (known) difference is in the opening/closing credits, correct ?

Would / could you do a transfer of both versions please ?

The broadcast version is already in the can, so to speak. I'll try to get to the Laserdisc after I do the HBO betamax tape of Star Wars for Reave's preservation. Suddenly I'm up to my neck in new projects. ;)

This is one list of possible differences.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089110/alternateversions

I have a problem with episode 11 - The Three Lessons.

This episode was never released on VHS AFAIK, so we searched a lot to get a nice version from somewhere. Fritz was so good that he provided me with the recording from "On The Run Video" - http://shop.ontherunvideo.com/product.sc?productId=124&categoryId=3

I have resized it, removed the logo (well at least I tried), but I noticed immediately that it's too short. Luckily I have also my old DivX source downloaded from a torrent (that means I have no idea where it comes from).

The DivX source has the standard length (cca 22 minutes), so I of course thought I will simply use it to fill the gaps in the OTR version, but then I realised that the DivX versions is a DIFFERENT CUT ! It's notable during the opening credits, the title and the writer are shown in a completely different spot ! Also, some sections are 4 frames longer on one source, while others are 4 frames longer on the second source.

Well since I'm not doing it only for myself, I would like to read your opinion what should I do next. The possibilities are

1) To make a combination of both sources, where the old DivX source will be used ONLY for complete "scenes" and not just the short 4-frames parts

2) To use the "On the run video" version with the other episodes and to use the old DivX source with the bonus features

3) To use the DivX source with the episodes, and the OTR version as a bonus.

What do you people prefer ? I am thinking about number 2.

Also, I'd still need some covers and disc labels :-)

Pittrek, my man.

I know it's more work, but I would go for option 1. I'm not going to watch the episode twice to get the whole story, so I'd much rather you made a "complete" episode using both sources.

I have to say I probably I agree with Video Collector.  It's more work, but it seems like the best option for a complete watching.  If you felt so inspired, you could include both versions or the parts where they vary on the bonus disc, but I'm okay without that.  I simply lean towards the most complete episode in spite of slight visual differences.

As always, thanks for your continued effort.

It was a HUGE amount of work, so I made it the simple way. There were many short cuts on the "On The Run" video, and with "short" I mean 4-8 frames. But in some scenes, the OTR video was a few frames LONGER. I don't understand it, did every TV station edited each episode differently ? Was this a common practice in US TV ?

I mostly ignored these brief cuts, otherwise I would work on it MUCH longer. However always, when a whole "scene" was cut from the OTR video, I have added the missing bit from the AVI source.

So, anybody want to do some cover ? :-)

If you can provide me with some raw scans (400dpi) i take a shot at it.

Raw scans of what exactly ?

The VHS covers.

Is this good enough ? http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6HI2CXY5

If not, I hope VideoCollector is able to better scans from his tapes

Nope, far too small :)

Oh where is Godzilla  Fritz when we need him ? :-) If he won't read this I will send him a mail if he can make bigger scans

Cheers, i need them at least 400 dpi and the covers to be scanned out of the cases. :)

pittrek said:

Oh where is Godzilla  Fritz when we need him ? :-) If he won't read this I will send him a mail if he can make bigger scans

Ha ha, Godzilla, eh?

I'll be doing the covers for this set myself. Disc art also.

Pittrek, what will be the layout of the discs? How many episodes per disc? How many discs? (I need an episode list for each disc. Also, the bonus features list for each disc.)

Are we going for 2-disc covers or singles? 6-disc covers?

Anything else you want on there? Image restoration by Pittrek, etc?

If I can get it ready in time, we can add the cover/disc art files to the actual DVDs as DVDROM material.

Fritz

Disc 1

The Cries of the Trees

The Haunted Village

Rampage of the Phlogs

Disc 2

To Save Deej

The Travelling Jindas

The Tree of Light

Disc 3

The Curse of the Jindas

The Land of the Gupins

Sunstar vs. Shadowstone

Disc 4

Wicket's Wagon

The Three Lessons

Blue Harvest

Disc 5 is not done yet, I want to do it today. It will include the episode Asha, and some bonus - I am sorting right now all the stuff I received, part of it will go to the Season 1 box set, the rest will go to the Season 2 box set.

All episodes come from your VHS tapes, I've just done a bit of cleanup + I added back the opening and closing credits to each episode. The exception is of course the episode "The 3 Lessons", which is re-created from your OTR video + the unknown DivX source.

Technical data

Video : PAL mpg2 with avg. bitrate 8Mbps, interlaced with top field first

Audio : Dolby Digital 2.0 (AC3 256 kbps)

I'd like to put it on myspleen next weekend

Also I would prefer to keep them in one case, which means either in a 6-DVD case, or in a 5-DVD case. Or do you have other preferences ? Maybe it would be a good idea to do 2 variants ? One for the people who want to keep every disc in a separate case, and one for the people who want to keep it all together ? Or is it way too much work.

PS sorry for the Godzilla reference, I just loved the animated show when I was a kid, and "Where is Godzilla when we need him" was used almost as often as "I have a bad feeling about this" :-)

Okay, I'm going for the 6-disc case with a 27mm spine.

http://www.genesysdtp.com/index.htm?6dvddetails.htm

There are 5-disc alternatives, but I believe those cases are less common.

One big case is less work than 5 separate ones anyway. It will be hard enough finding good artwork for 1 case. :-) If any of you out there have High-Rez images for Ewoks to share, please PM me or post them here. I will credit the contributor(s) on the cover.

I may do single case versions based on the UK VHSs down the line.

Did we land on a particular moniker for the collection yet? Otherwise I'll just put "The Animated Series Restoration" or something on there.

WIP cover:

@AvP: I didn't mean to run you over or anything. If I send you scans of the UK tapes, would you be willing to do the single-disc cases based on those?

Looks like a professional cover and far better than the most recent Lucasfilm cover art like the BD Release of the 6 movies.

I always wondred what happened to these shows original negatives after they closed down and were unsuccessful.

Did Lucasfilm recover them or were they thrown in the dumpster/destroyed?

One word to the cover : WOW !

skyjedi2005 said:

Looks like a professional cover and far better than the most recent Lucasfilm cover art like the BD Release of the 6 movies.

 

I always wondred what happened to these shows original negatives after they closed down and were unsuccessful.

Did Lucasfilm recover them or were they thrown in the dumpster/destroyed?

I can't imagine Nelvana actually tossing them out. Although they've lost a couple things like the alternate version of Rock and Rule over the years.

Ewoks got a revamped second season Droids never got, so it wasn't unsuccessful in that regard.

Video Collector said:

@AvP: I didn't mean to run you over or anything. If I send you scans of the UK tapes, would you be willing to do the single-disc cases based on those?

Yea, no problem. Could you also send me the same fonts please.

skyjedi2005 said:

Looks like a professional cover and far better than the most recent Lucasfilm cover art like the BD Release of the 6 movies.

Ha ha. Thanks.

But if this WAS an official cover, it would have to have STAR WARS plastered all over it. And that parchment background wouldn't fly. What's that old Ewok font doing on there? Make it more modern, I tell you! And there has to be more images on the back, from whichever episode, doesn't matter. And the UPC, you forgot the bloody UPC! More action-oriented front, but not violent, mind. And where are the Duloks? Put some Duloks on there! And it's for kids so just a little more gaudy. And some taglines would be good. Put a forest in there, there HAS to be a forest! In fact, make it look like this:

You're fired, you hack!!

Us custom cover designers have it easy, I tell you.

A small update : I decided it will be best to do a separate torrent for each disc (that should be much faster for my upload speed). The first torrent will be on myspleen this Friday afternoon or Saturday :-)

The covers are more or less finished.

Pittrek, I just need to know what bonus material goes on disc 5 of season 1. If these are done by friday you can include them in the torrent.

I may add some images to the backs once I know how much text to fit.