When I step back and look at it all, I guess it's not that big of a deal once you just remember that the OOT is well preserved on film in various places even if it's not mastered in HD for our viewing in anamorphic dvd or high def blu-ray. There are already some blu-ray and hd-dvd releases of movies such as Chronicles of Riddick and Superman: The Movie that are not their original versions, even though both were released on dvd in their original versions. I wonder if the upcoming Blade Runner dvd will do something like that, include all the versions on the dvd but only include the latest version on the BD and HDDVD. Let's not forget THX-1138. Where's the petition for that OV? Also, Indiana Jones apparently isn't in its original form on dvd either, though not being an Indy historian I couldn't spot a single change if I tried. That's the problem with Star Wars, it's impossible not to notice the changes.

More to the point, technically none of the star wars films are on dvd in their original forms. I kinda like to look at the dvds as the '97-'05 version of the saga. The GOUT is a totally different matter, and I still wish GL hadn't bothered if he was just going to fuck over the fans like that. The sting goes away when you remember that it was also the first individual releases of the OT movies, and maybe it's just a first step on a very long road and not the first and last step on that road. GL won't ignore us as fans if we yell loud enough.

February of '09 is the official switchover date to digital television in the United States. In order to watch tv in the U.S. after that point people will need a box to convert the digital signal into analog (I would assume if they already have cable this would be done for them) or they'll have to get a digital tv set. Either way, analog tv broadcasts will be a thing of the past.

here's my source on that in case you're having trouble believing me.

Doesn't get more official than that.

The GOUT won't be any more obsolete than it already is, which is very, very obsolete.