As everyone is stating this is an all new transfer (source unknown) and it was only broadcasted on HDTV, some of the members do not have HDTV monitors or if they do they do not have the premium channels, therefore NOT everyone was able to watch it, and these DVD’s are all preservation projects that are meant for private home viewing and I would say that 95% of the titles being worked on, uploaded, traded here (again these are not for public exhibition or sale) CANNOT BE BOUGHT LEGALLY at your local Wal-Mart. And yes, I do have the retail Director's Cut DVD, LD and VHS & I even had the PAL UK DVD (the colors are better on the PAL disc IMHO - I think I loaned this out but didn't get it back) this HD broadcast is being preserved (by me anyway) for the sake of what it is a HD Broadcasted version that’s never been seen before and most likely will not be seen again OUTSIDE HDTV broadcasting. Sure we’ll get a Blu-Ray or an HD-DVD version but it won’t have the HDnet logo nor will it evoke fond memories of the day that a question of honest interest turned a few cool people into complete jerks (so the DVD now has sentimental and preservation value – again for me) – I even have The Broadcast Version of Blade Runner (the one where the opening crawl is voiced over!) and I’ve never found that on VHS, DVD or Laserdisc. It’s an oddity (as are most of these titles) that I would only have as a vague memory as my copy was stolen about 4 years ago by someone that offered to transfer it to DVD for me (funny thing is about 1 month later they started to appear on eBay as part of a 4 disc set – shipped from the same zip code, hmmmm - fucker) but I found a copy via another DVD creator (thanks again Mitch!) – SO you see the HD broadcast version has its place being preserved.
Just think, if the ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY was NOT being preserved by us the fans – and sadly yes bootleggers and eJackers (sadly; they do have there place) the original movies would be lost forever (you have heard that it no longer exists right? – George’s own words more or less) and all the VHS tapes and laserdiscs are now starting to literally ROT themselves OUT of existence. Why? Well it would seem that the movies I grew up on and love dearly were not what the director meant to film nor were they the stories he intended to tell. But yet it was shown in theaters, released for rental, eventually sold on VHS, Beta and Laserdisc, THE re-released countless times but I digress…
The point is; WHAT if this version of Blade Runner finds itself in the same situation AGAIN (don’t forget the studios forced the theatrical – but I do like that one more anyway) and with some of the many legal issues that have surrounded the Blade Runner movies it’s possible that the studio (WB) could be forced to only release the Theatrical Version. Not likely but it is possible and in the event that something of that nature does happen I have this version in my collection.
And as far as the whole PIRACY issues goes...
ARRRGHHHH me matey!