Originally posted by: bgx90
Still, I would expect whatever introduced elements exist on the LD's, even if they are just black screens, will also exist on the DVD's, because they said that they were using the masters for the 1993 laserdiscs. That sounds like they are using the movie as edited for laserdisc to make the DVD's. If that were not the case, I would think that they would say they are using the masters for the 1993 release of the movies, rather than the specifically noting that the sources are from laserdisc masters, but the VHS and LD releases had different masters because of the differences in the two media. Also, as I and LFL have both said before but in different words, they aren't putting any effort into these releases at all, so I still expect there to be introduced artifacts from the laserdiscs that weren't on the original film prints or VHS tapes. I still say that these DVD's are no better than bootlegs and are being used as a gimmick to push more copies of "Special Edition" onto fans. I think Lucasfilms is the worst company I have seen in terms of how they value fans and customers.
Well, they'll have to put SOME effort into the DVDs, if the original '77 scroll is going to be on there, (as they're claiming). Still, I would expect whatever introduced elements exist on the LD's, even if they are just black screens, will also exist on the DVD's, because they said that they were using the masters for the 1993 laserdiscs. That sounds like they are using the movie as edited for laserdisc to make the DVD's. If that were not the case, I would think that they would say they are using the masters for the 1993 release of the movies, rather than the specifically noting that the sources are from laserdisc masters, but the VHS and LD releases had different masters because of the differences in the two media. Also, as I and LFL have both said before but in different words, they aren't putting any effort into these releases at all, so I still expect there to be introduced artifacts from the laserdiscs that weren't on the original film prints or VHS tapes. I still say that these DVD's are no better than bootlegs and are being used as a gimmick to push more copies of "Special Edition" onto fans. I think Lucasfilms is the worst company I have seen in terms of how they value fans and customers.
I don't know if the black screens exist on the original LD masters or not, but it wouldn't be hard for them to just edit out the black screens and join the footage together seamlessly. Other DVDs have been made from LD masters, and none of them have side breaks in them.
I don't see why there would be any artifacts that aren't on the VHS tapes- the "faces" VHS tapes and laserdiscs were made from the same transfers, and the LDs are of much higher quality than the VHS tapes.
I do feel that the new DVDs will be higher quality than the bootlegs, since the best source material the bootleggers and preservationists have to work with are laserdiscs, while the DVDs will be made from the LD masters.