Original Trilogy Preservations - VHS / Videotape, CED, & Laserdisc sourced…
All project threads listed in this section are completed projects - unless stated otherwise (an ‘Unfinished Project’ or ‘WIP’ etc).
(Scroll down for ‘Why there is a ‘Original Trilogy Preservation: VHS, CED & Laserdisc sources’ section | Some info on Pay It Forward’)…
VHS / Videotape Information & Discussion threads…
JackLucas’ Info: Does Anyone Have The Old Original Theater Bootleg '77 Tape? - info & discussion thread
7FN’s Info: 1983 UK ‘TVS’ Star Wars premiere - anybody still have a recording? - info & discussion thread
none’s :F:L:I:M:S:I:P:L:A:S:T: D:A:T:A:B:A:S:E: - a superb archive of many Star Wars releases
none’s The Treadwell Collection - mainly VHS sources from back in the day
russs15’s OBITUARY - Star Wars Fullscreen/Pan and Scan versions. R.I.P. - info & discussion thread
russs15’s PAL VHS Archive Collection - info & archival thread - mainly VHS sources
Mitch’s Info: Star Wars Superclass ISD: 1995 Executor Set - info & discussion thread
AntcuFaalb’s Info: 1992 VHS Set - Star Wars Trilogy Special Letterbox Collector’s Edition - info & discussion thread
VHS / Videotape Preservation Projects:-
1977 pre-ANH bootleg
• JackLucas (Released)
• PS78 / AntcuFaalb (Released)
1977 pre-ANH bootleg - widescreen version
• Moth3r (Released)
• MagnoliaFan (Released)
Puggo - Jar Jar’s Yoda’s Shea 1979 Bootleg VHS restoration (pre-ANH lettertbox widescreen) (Released)
Molly’s Prototype Mono Pre-ANH “XP77:4EB” Edit (Released)
Video Collector’s Theater Performance Edition: Empire Strikes Back betamax bootleg preservation (Released) (Betamax)
Video Collector’s Theater Performance Edition: Return of the Jedi betamax bootleg preservation (Released) (Betamax)
Rikter’s BLAK0056 - STAR WARS - The 1982 Video Rental Library VHS Preservation MP4 (Released)
the ugnaught’s Star Wars 1982 Rental Copy Preservation (Released)
Frank678’s SW 1984 NTSC VHS Preservation (Released) - CBS Fox release
Wazzles’ 1995 Pan and Scan - Faces Set - Original Trilogy (Released)
FrankT’s SWT Executor Boxset Preservation (Released) - the 1995 ISD Executor box set
Brooks’ Brooks’s Adventures in VHS preservation (Released) - 1995 THX widescreen VHS box set
RU.08’s Krieg der Sterne Trilogie on Myspleen OUT Image Comparison (Released) - VHS & laserdisc project
SF01’s RAW DV VHS transfers of ISD Executor and maybe more (a WIP) - the 1995 ISD Executor box set : a Work In Progress
CED Preservation Projects (and Information & Discussion threads):-
Jono11’s Info: Original Trilogy on CED preservations? (3 OT CED released projects in here) - information & projects thread
Wookie_Monster’s Info: a CED Star Wars Transfer (with link to info on a released project) - information & project thread
StarWarsFan1976’s Star Wars on RCA CED Format - information & discussion thread
Laserdisc Preservation Projects:-
althor1138’s Star Wars Laserdisc Preservations thread
The Dr Gonzo DVD set (Released) - thread by Rikter
The Cowclops/TR47 DVD sets (Released) - thread by Rikter
The EditDroid DVD set (Released) - thread by ReverendBeastly
skyjedi2005’s Info: My Review of the Four Disc Special Features Editdroid Set
Editdroid’s SW1977 DVD (was: Brand New (not so) Mysterious 720p Anamorphic LD Preservation?) (Released) - thread by zombie84
The ISOMIX set (Released) : The “ISOMIX” feedback thread - both threads by Rikter
Greetings from Wookie Groomer; Split Screen Project (Released) : WookieGroomer OT set (info thread)
The Farsight set (Released) - thread by Rikter
The XØ Project - Laserdisc on Steroids :.
• Laserman’s thread - an unfinished project
• Zion’s thread - an unfinished project
Moth3r’s The Moth3r PAL DVD set (Released)
Zion’s .: The Zion DVD Project :. (Released)
Dr. M’s Reinventing The Wheel Edition (Conversion of Moth3r’s PAL DVDs to NTSC) (Released)
Citizen’s NTSC/PAL DVD & Xvid sets (Released)
Grinder’s PAL widescreen project (Released)
spider’s OT Set - based on the Faces laserdiscs to DVD (Released) : The “SPIDER” Trilogy DVD Info and Feedback Thread
dark_jedi’s Special Collection : UnSubbed Edition (Completed) - 1986 Japanese Special Collection laserdisc release
dark_jedi’s The Official Dark/Sega Special Collection OT LD Release Thread (Not an SE Transfer) (Released)
dark_jedi’s Japanese Special Collection Star Wars Trilogy “Take 2” (* unfinished project *) : a 2009 unfinished project
dark_jedi’s “FACES” (Released) - 1995 Faces laserdisc release project
dark_jedi’s SW “pan & scan” “def. collection” @myspleen (Released) - 1993 Definitive Collection laserdisc release project
The OCP/Dark Jedi Pan & Scan O-OT project (Released)
The Dark/Sega Special Collection (Released)
The Un-Official Dark Jedi Preservation Mega-Thread - info thread by russs15 - featuring much of dark_jedi’s work
The Jedi/Feta Definitive Collection (Released) - thread by boba feta
Arnie.d’s .: The X9 Project :. (Released)
Arnie.d’s STAR WARS V8 - A Final Attempt (Released)
Arnie.d’s Star Wars Edit: DC/Faces audio + 2004 video Hybrid (Released)
Arnie.d’s French Coffret Trilogie LD to DVD transfer (Released)
tellan’s .: The Lancer DVD Project (* unfinished project *) : a 2004 unfinished project
msycamore’s STAR WARS - Special Widescreen Edition (Technidisc) (Released)
Grisan’s Star Wars OT ANH - PAL Laserdisc transfer (Released)
MeBeJedi’s The MeBeJedi DVDs (Released) : The MeBeJedi feedback thread
JawsTDS’ “Faces” '95 THX Laserdisc Preservation (SW & ESB released. ROTJ incomplete)
riftamos’ Original Trilogy “Faces” LD Preservation & Upscale project (Released) - a 2019 project thread
LeeThorogood’s PAL LaserDisc Preservation Project - - '97 SE Finished, '95 THX Finished
csd79’s Star Wars SWE LD preservation (Released) - 1993 Technidisc Set
russs15’s SIX fantastic brand new preservation projects… (Released) - 2005 laserdisc thread
kchrules’ Star Wars (1977) - the 1989 Wide Screen Laserdisc CBS FOX (Released) - a 2018 project thread
spoRv’s Original Unaltered Trilogy restored using Laserdisc editions - A New Hope (Released)
spoRv’s Star Wars: A New Hope [SET ruLes 1.0] - AVCHD & BD RELEASED!
spoRv’s Star Wars: A New Hope [OUT ruLes 2.0] - AVCHD & BD RELEASED!
spoRv’s GUERRE STELLARI [OUT ruLes IT]: A NEW HOPE (Released) (Italian)
Aleksbmw’s Laserdisc revived - pics added - Japan Definitive Collection & Special Collection (WIP) : 2018 work in progress
R2D2’s Preserving “German” Original Trilogy (Released)
RU.08’s Krieg der Sterne Trilogie on Myspleen OUT Image Comparison (Released) - VHS & laserdisc project
Mass5160’s Info: Something that might interest folks here…“ROTJ” Editdroid Laserdisc Footage thread
Projects based on the 1997 Special Edition…
dark_jedi’s 97’ SE laserdisc transfer set including extras… (Released)
LeeThorogood’s PAL LaserDisc Preservation Project - '97 SE Finished, '95 THX Finished
Jetrell Fo’s Star Wars Special Edition Trilogy Japan Laserdiscs (2000 set) (Released)
Master Skywalker’s .:. “MS Star Wars: Special Edition 0.77” PAL Project Release thread .:. (Released)
ZigZig’s Preservation of SE97 Laserdiscs (a WIP) : a 2020 Work In Progress
Jetrell Fo’s The 1997 OT Special Edition Trilogy Preservation Standards Thread (* unfinished *) : 2012 unfinished project
cain spaans’ Special Edition 1997 Laserdisc Preservation (* unfinished project *) : 2013 unfinished project
Also of interest…
althor1138’s The Phantom Menace Japanese Laserdisc Preservation-MKV Available now (Released)
ZigZig’s Star Wars I - The Phantom Menace - ZigZig’s Laserdisc Preservation (Released)
Laserdisc Information & Discussion threads…
• russs15’s Info: The Un-Official Dark Jedi Laserdisc Preservation Mega-Thread - 2009 index thread for dark_jedi LD projects
• schorman13’s Star Wars Laser Disc Audio Archive thread
• Laserman’s How to create your own LD rip of the OT. thread
• Rebelscum’s The laserdiscs vs. The best bootlegs thread
• althor1138’s superb Star Wars Laserdisc Preservations thread
• spoRv’s Star Wars laserdisc database thread
• spoRv’s Laserdisc players - screenshot comparison thread
• spoRv’s Extras on SW laserdiscs and not on DVD or BD… info thread
• Moth3r’s Official Screenshots Thread for comparisons of laserdisc transfers - 2006 ‘The new “official” Screenshots thread’
• Moth3r’s The Definitive Collection Flaw List (1993 Laserdisc Box Set) -information & discussion thread
• Mass5160’s Info: Something that might interest folks here…“ROTJ” Editdroid Laserdisc Footage - info & discussion thread
• SKot’s Star Wars film versions and best DVD sources - info & discussion thread, from 2006, may also be of some interest.
For anyone wondering why there is a ‘VHS, CED & Laserdisc sources’ preservation section / Some info on ‘Pay It Forward’ (PIF)…
Click on the ‘Spoiler tag’ / ‘Expand’ button below to see the text…
Many years ago, soon after the OriginalTrilogy•com first started up, there were… considerable efforts by some members of the site to create and provide quality fan-made releases of the unaltered Original Trilogy on a DVD format (available for free - and adhering to site rules, of course). The best quality sources available at that time were Laserdisc captures - along with numerous preservations of other analogue media such as videotape and CEDs etc, onto a digital formats - hence this section…
Information on laserdisc players, the various Original Trilogy laserdisc releases, technical info on capturing laserdisc content and general technical guides… were all limited. Often it was the sheer determination of members on here - along with numerous trials & errors, breakthroughs, failures and successes along the way… resulting in many quality fan-made releases of the unaltered Original Trilogy being available on DVD. Followed by continuing attempts to further improve upon what had came before.
Such projects even had with choices of PAL or NTSC, letterbox or anamorphic widescreen, multiple audio tracks, interactive menus, commentaries, bonus content - and the occasional ‘easter egg’ - or just ‘bare-bones’ laserdisc captures burnt onto DVD.
Back then, few people had DVD writers, broadband internet, or even hard drives large enough with sufficient spare room to store the three original Star Wars films on. At the time there were very few reliable file-hosting sites capable of storing such large files. Torrent sites were still in their infancy - and like newsgroups… so very slow (+ not ideal for people with limited IT skills or knowledge).
The default way of acquiring these projects was through the ‘Pay-It-Forward’ system (aka PIF). The various fan-projects (preservations, fan edits and documentaries etc) on here were burnt onto DVD discs and packaged into jiffy bags, and then ‘snail mailed’ - via various postal services all across the world…
For some of the more popular / sought-after projects on here, the creators would ‘share the load’ by posting out their projects on DVD to a number of OT members who volunteered to help with this… and who were fortunate to own DVD-rewriters at the time… who in turn would make a number of copies to be sent out to other volunteers - or onto people who had made requests for copies of projects in PMs on here.
In essence, the creation of an effective PIF chain systems across the world – and one that operated very well for a number of years - before the Dark Times; where some people started to abuse it… leech of it for free… get what they wanted and then disappeared. Or others, who became toxic & abusive when asked to be patient in receiving these project being sent to them for free - or when told ‘no’… because they were demanding too many projects without forwarding any on themselves.
A bit like some people on here, even today, who don’t take the time to look around and read-up on how to search for or acquire projects on here - easy-to-find information which is located all over this forum. Or the ‘entitled’ people who become aggressive when challenged or are asked to be patient, but still expect to be helped out and immediately receive projects. Yet give nothing back to the community here - not even a ‘thank you’, a review, feedback, or join in with the conversations on here.
However, a massive shout-out - and eternal gratitude - to everyone in the community who volunteered to be a vital cog in that essential Pay-It-Forward system. One that managed to successfully get projects to many people all over the world for years on end - to people who did greatly appreciate them, and the efforts involved in doing so. Personally, it is something that I was very proud to be a part of. Also, eternal kudos to two of the nicest and most generous guys on here - Word to the Spookies, and to ADM. 👍
Obviously since then, with both technology evolving - hardware becoming cheaper, the internet and broadband faster, the use of computers becoming the ‘norm’ and more widespread, a lot has changed…
For a more concise history of Star Wars Preservation efforts via Laserdisc format on the OriginalTrilogy•com (and also background info & eventually an official DVD release)… this article, written in 2010, from the superb SaveStarWars•com website (by zombie84) may be of some interest:-
http://fd.noneinc.com/savestarwarscom/savestarwars.info/fanpreservations.html
Or, you can also go to the last page of this Star Wars Preservation forum - and start reading through the threads - working your way backwards through the section for more information… 😃
In short… many, many fan-made releases of the unaltered Original Trilogy - sourced from the official released tapes and laserdics etc onto DVD occurred on here throughout the 2000’s. All offering various options from many different sources - such as subtitles, language tracks, audio mixes, menus, commentary tracks, bonus materials, etc - including the ongoing attempts to further improve upon the image quality of the releases.