I'll bet you five bucks that when Spielberg finally noticed the reflection of the glass in the Indy cobra scene, it was way too late to reshoot. I'll bet it's a total "d'oh!" moment (even though "d'oh" wouldn't be invented for another eight years or so). That method is probably exactly what they'd do today: it's a cheap, effective, practical effect. It just had a tiny flaw. It's obviously preserved someplace in all its reflective glory (I have it in HD, for example), so I don't mind it being digitally fixed up for the DVD box set.

What's more distressing to me is the sound changes -- specifically, Indy's pistol. That was cranked way up for the DVD release, when I figure it should have been left alone. What was wrong with it?

I haven't watched ET on DVD. ET's now CG in places?!? So wrong... But didn't Spielberg release the untouched version at the same time?

Our buddy George could have avoided all the name-calling if he'da just released each film on DVD as a three-disc set: tricked-out 2004 remix version that he loves (and that everyone else could ignore, sorta like Superman IV), lovingly preserved anamorphic 1977 version that the fans obviously love, and a disc of extras (hopefully with some insight into the changes: why and how)

I'd watch a two-hour documentary just on an in-depth looks at ILM's pioneering effects work. Show me the step-by-step differences between shooting motion controlled X-Wings in 1976 and the limitations of optically compositing them, versus building virtual X-Wings and compositing those. Show me the details! Amaze me with the progress made in 30 years! Make me feel wonder that the film could even be made the way they had to make it in 1976! Split screen the exact differences! Let me indulge my (not so) inner nerd!