I love this thread. 😃
Yes, DVB transmissions started around 2004 IIRC, and DVD recorders were available around that year…
The only way to have an high quality OT version - but I strongly doubt it was transmitted - is a D2MAC european satellite broadcast, and a S-VHS (or other high resolution tape recorder) or a MUSE japanese satellite broadcast (using an high def master) and a W-VHS recorder… well, dream is still free - for the moment!
In Italy? Here in the UK, DVB transmissions began in the late 90s. I remember selling the DVB set-top boxes back then during my wonderful time in retail. 😉
https://www.onhistory.co.uk/timeline/1999/
OK, I searched all the web, from the surface to the deep, and still not found an MPEG2 version of EP1… or, better, there was at least a small version, around 9GB, but I guess there should be another - like the Cinemax ones - around 16/17GB… if someone is aware of its existence, please let me know.
Plus, it will be great to have a confirmation that there is an HDTV of the EP1 theatrical version - as it should have been broadcasted, following few scarces sources - while it seems there were no 1997 SE HDTV broadcast record - even if there are rumors that EP4 and EP5 were transmitted in UK, while EP6 was the 2004 version.
I can confirm that ITV aired IV-V-VI in 2002. I recorded EP-V onto VHS via my (SDTV) DVB set-top box during that run. I’ve still got the cassette somewhere. It was the 1997 SE version and they were all cropped to fill 16:9. The post 2004 ITV airings used the 2004 versions and as mentioned before, ITV now airs the post Disney sale versions with the revised Lucasfilm intro.
Here’s a clip from the intro to a recording of the TESB airing.