The 2000 box set is significant because they dropped the Special Edition label.
In some way yes, but on the other hand not really as in that was to be expected. In 1997 they marketed it as a special edition because they showed it in the theaters and it was new and special and they wanted you to believe it. It was an event. Naturally when they released them on VHS in 1997 the title was carried over. After that, it wasn’t never going to be a special edition for GL, but the only edition. It became the original trilogy. I’d be more surprised if it was called special edition all these years. My point is, it’s really not that significant but the way it was meant to be.