Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape

If this new news is true, and the picture is as bad as they claim, screw this. I'm not buying it. Beat Lucas by giving him money? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

I think we're going to keep hearing this, because there's some confusion or obfuscation over short- and long-term goals, and pragmatic and moral victories.

For some people, their short term goal is getting the trilogy. Because they want an official copy of it in the "best" format available. My short term goal is saving money; spending it only those things that are of exemplary quality. Because I am poor. Or stingy. Take your pick. In any case, I can derive no satisfaction, even over the short run, by purchasing something I consider substandard. (Exceptions: Beer, if I am already drunk. Pizza, if I am hungry.)

Getting the trilogy is my long-term goal. I am younger than GL, I can wait for him to die, or for the cash flow from the TV show and the 3D rererelease to dry up around 2014-2020. The sooner the cash flow at the Ranch dries up, the sooner Lucas will go back to the O-OT and give it a proper treatment. High sales of the 2006 release will only retard this effect by increasing current revenue, encouraging investment, and increasing future expected profits, sans any good release of the O-OT.

After choosing a goal, we can frame our choices as a pragmatic or moral victory. I think the people who are "giving in" are explaining their choice as a moral victory. "I'll get the O-OT, mail the SE back to George, and that'll show him!" Yes, I admit I was one of the early proponents of the mailback scheme. I still am, if you absolutely must purchase the new release. But that was more for the masturbatorily ironic feelgood warmth of direct consumer action, not out of any belief that it would change things. I'm not out to "prove" anything to Lucas, because I don't think I can. I'm not in this for your rebellion, Princess. I'm in it for me. Sorry. So I may not get the official DVDs, but I consider that a thoroughly pragmatic victory, in line with both my short and long term goals.

To get back on topic, the presentation of this footage is exactly the way I imagined it would be. Well, I thought there wouldn't be any interlacing artifacts, but I guess you can't anticipate everything.