Originally posted by: Go-Mer-TonicWell aside from the obvious resolution issue, I like the way it represents the way it looked in theaters as far as having the grain, scratches and image instability. To me part of the point of having this on DVD is to preserve how we used to have to watch it. Unless you were there when it was first unspooled, these issues were present to varying degrees even in the theater.
That is the big fallacy, it never looked like that in the theaters. Theater projection always looks better then home video, cause of the resolution. As we inch closer to HD-DVD, where the resolution is 1080, it looks more and more like you watching it in the theater.
The way I tell if a DVD is great quality is fleshtones, and overhead shots of a terrain. Just look at the flesh tones when you have to zoom the image, there is no definition in their faces, as it is just a dull contrast that resembles nothing that was shown from 77-83. Then you look at parts of Hoth and Tatooine, where they show the snow from when the squad leader is looking for Solo & Luke, it is so damn grainy it is ridiculous. Then look at when C3PO and R2 are walking on Tatooine at the beginning of SW and the whole backround of sand is just pure grain. And don't even get me started on Dagobah, that is so bland looking with no contrast.
The 04 DVDs are vibrant and bring out what was shown in the theaters, except for the friggin Green Lightsaber in ANH!!!!!! Look at Vaders Star Destroyer in the 04 Versions, they have that blue tint that really jumps out at you, and then the OOT version is this dull grey. Trust me, it was a blue tint back in 1980, not the dull grey.
I am sorry but these look like crap, and I really don't know what to do as a SW fan anymore. On a 4 x 3 TV, alot of this stuff we are talking about probably isnt' that noticeable, so a word of warning to all with 32' Regular TV's and you are enjoying the OOT DVD's, "DONT BUY A HD WIDESCREEN TV!!!!!"