Well due to all of the discussions on here, I have been kicking around buying a newer version of one of my favorite movies I have had for a while because the newer version is an SE and includes a bonus disc, but more importantly, the movie is now anamorphic (it was just in Letterbox beofore). Well I did buy it yesterday and on my 16X9 TV, it is an AMAZING difference! ALL of my other movies are anamorphic so I never really had anything to compare it to like I did with this movie. It ws so cool to watch the Letterboxed one and then flip to the anamorphic one...complete and total night and day!
The GOUT was a pointless thing for me to buy in the end so I stayed away from it. I have a newer 16X9 DLP TV and I can't use the Zoom feature if I play the DVD through my component setting. So I would've needed to use the A/V setting to be able to zoom in, losing even more quality on an already sub-par release AND I would've lose most (if not all) of the subtitles too! No thanks! I didn't spend good money on my TV/DVD player/Wires to have to settle and watch my favorite movies of all time, the OUT, in the worst way possible.
I think Lucas is playing a big game here, folks. EVERY single review I have read so far is giving a thumbs up for finally releasing the OUT but a big thumbs down for the quality. I think Lucas did this because A) he plans on double-dipping on fans and B) because his next release is going to wow people, and create even more hype and buzz. He is pulling the classic salemsan trick IMO: he is showing people an old "just okay" item and putting a spin on things to make it seem like if they don't get this, they will be totally out of luck. All the while he knows the new models are on the assembly line, are of much better quality and will definitely wow people when they come out. So the salesman wins twice because all of people who bought the old model will want to buy the new model too, AND he was able to clear old stock and make money!
I HIGHLY doubt a company like LFL is going to let a low-quality release be thier latest buzz for very long. They will be going back on their word soon, acting like they never had plans to restore the OUT until now...I can hear it now: "Due to the overwhelming response of the sales of the 09/12 DVDs and the countless letters, emails, etc., from fans, we have decided to restore the OUT and bring it to you in all of its glory...". You'll then here some puppet from LFL saying, "We really had no idea there was such a demand for the OUT...."
I stand by my theory: if footage from EOD shows scenes from the OUT in anamorphic and that was released in '04, two years ago now, then there is DEFINITELY something in the works for the very bear future!