andy_k_250, you are a bit off. Laserdiscs contain analog video information just like vhs tapes. The data is stored optically but NOT digitally. Therefore there is no existing 1993 digital capture that can be used for the DVDs. It also means a new dvd struck from the old source will still contain much more data/resolution than the LD does (see my extremely nerdy dissertation on the X0 thread).

On the other hand LFL did do some early computer filtering techniques to clean up the picture. This is possibly part of the print that the '93 discs were taken from. It means any crap artifacts from it will still be present, and dirt/scratches that weren't removed will still be there too. I think THAT is what they mean by 1993 technology.

My real worry is that the film has to have degraded somewhat in the last 13 years. I can't imagine anyone went out of their way to preserve it. Who would figure that the original negatives would "no longer exist"?

I don't think Lucas has put out anything non-anamorphic in years (if at all) on dvd. I wouldn't worry too much there. Letterboxing was merely a function of early DVD transfer laziness. I don't really think we'd see a non-THX transfer, let alone letterboxed.

My bet says we are going to see an "Official (non)Fan Laserdisc Preservation Project" using film source to DVD instead of film source to laserdisc captured to PC to DVD. This also explains 2.0 audio. I'll bet on the same audio mix as the LDs too. The only question is my mind is the original crawl, if present has to be some other unknown source.