Sourced from the D2 gout master tapes without question.
That does not mean Lucas could spend millions of dollars to do a restoration of the originals for blu ray, he just does not want to. The guy is a billionaire believe me he can afford it he already spent millions on a 3D process for 3d jar jar and episode 1,lol.
As Robert Harris once stated it may be difficult to restore the oneg to the shape it was in pre special edition but would be worthwhile. Those missing segments would have to be replaced with footage an internegative or interpositive i believe. I think Lucas still has the YCM color seperation masters and is just lying to us because he does not want us to have the originals in as good quality as the 2004 edit.
Of course it is also entirely possible that the story of the negative being in awful shape when then went back to it is true, but Lucas did further damage to it to create the special edition when his original intention was just to repair the damaged segments, clean up the effects like matte lines and such, and produce a cleaner soundtrack on modern equipment. The greedo shooting first thing was done later.
Again as a privately owned Business by Lucas it was his and Lucasfilms reposnsiblity to see to the storage of such an asset as the original camera negative. For a rich dude to let it sit in a vault unseen for twenty years go back and find out it was stored and or cared for impoperly is pathetic but not unheard of in Hollywood. But this was not Hollywood Lucas owns the negatives to his own films and is solely repsonsible they they are kept in their original state. Recutting the oneg has to be the biggest crime in cinema history.
Supposedly the First film was in the worst shape because they continued to print off the negative which is something you never do. You are supposed to create dupes for those purposes you never should print straight off the negative for a home video release, Harris has said people who do that should be fired.
Harris was able to bring back Lawrence of Arabia, and the Godfather back to their original state he could do the same for star wars. All Lucas had to do is give the guy a call.
Though i doubt the guy would he is such a stubborn ass. Calling Harris now would be like Lucas admitting he was wrong, something that is not allowed in Lucasland. He is either right or you can hit the road. So much for absolutes , only the sith remember believe in absolutes,lol. Call him Darth Lucas and call it a day.