That's the other big issue.
Even though I'm hopelessly optimistic based on their releasing of a laserdisc master on dvd seven long years ago, I have to remind myself that it's the SE that was released on blu-ray and it's the SE that plays on spike.
Contrast that against E.T., which for several years now has only been played on tv in its original form. Spielberg regretted doing the SE so much, he didn't bother to include it in the blu-ray release last year. While the original cut was included in the first dvd release way back in '02, I remember a single-disc reissue that was the SE-only.
That's actually kinda similar to the situation with Star Wars on video in the late 90's / early 00's. Sure, we didn't have two-pack vhs sets with both versions (impractical), but both versions were out there in equal quality. Also, as far as most of us were concerned (aside from stuff like the ANH crawl and the audio mixes), there were only two versions of the movies: the original and the '97.
Then there was that 2000 vhs reissue with the roman numerals. Uh-oh, what does this portend? Then just a few years later, not only are we denied the original version, we're given yet another revision of the movie!
So, yeah, pretty good comparison considering which formats were dominant when each movie's "special edition" hit home video. It's quite amusing how these two colleagues have totally different views on what they themselves consider their masterworks. Spielberg is embarrased by his Special Edition while Lucas is embarrased by his original version.
Of course, it's a slightly different story with Star Wars' SE, which was a "test-run" for the prequels Lucas realized the original versions would never be compatible with. Of course, he could've chosen to make a more restrained, less effects-intensive PT to better fit with the OT, but that's all in the past.
There's no petition I'm aware of to get the SE of E.T. released on blu-ray. Meanwhile, there's quite a vocal group who want the OOT on blu-ray. Even if Lucas hadn't pulled that GOUT stunt and properly remastered the films, we'd all still be sitting here now in 2013 waiting for it to hit blu-ray. Disney must know this. They can't be that clueless.
It's not like similar things haven't happened. When WB put out Superman Returns, the HD disc formats had just debuted and a marketing opportunity presented itself. When the movie hit video later that year, they not only put it out on all three formats, but did the same for the Donner cuts of I&II. They did not put out III, IV or the theatrical cuts of the first two, although there was an all-out, all movies and versions collection released on standard dvd. Several years later, they finally upgraded this collection to blu-ray.
Blu-ray is still in the early years of its lifespan. Most of the big titles have been released, but there are still plenty that haven't. Just today I was reminded that The Right Stuff still hasn't hit blu-ray. Two of James Cameron's movies aren't hitting the format until next year (The Abyss and True Lies, both of which, it's worth noting, are currently stuck at NON-ANAMORPHIC dvd quality on home video (yeah)). Me, I'm naively hoping Paramount will someday do proper remasters of the Star Trek films, some of my favorites (at least Wrath of Khan got the proper treatment, but that's not enough).
We keep pointing to some quote someone said and then throwing up our arms and screaming "we're doomed." Guys, the situation isn't nearly as hopeless as we're making it out to be.