SilverWook said:

I wish I knew. It would have to be something done to the video master since it's obviously the same print. If it's not a digital video master, would they lose a generation adding in the subtitles?

Good question, I'm certainly no expert in the field but I doubt adding in subs electronically would degrade the transfer, but I don't know exactly how they do/did it either, so I guess it's possible. The JSC LD's of Star Wars also seems to display more chroma noise/rainbowing than their US equivalent.

Anyway, I'm starting to like what I see when I'm doing my small test encodes, dirty or not, I think this is gonna be a damn fine transfer. Here's another sample for you: http://www.sendspace.com/file/roskh7

Again, no audio, I'm too lazy for it ;)

I have also found an annoying "flashing white artifact" in the left of the frame which is there largely throughout the film, (you can spot it in the sample I posted) I have no idea what it could be, never seen anything like it before but I guess he is a good friend of this guy:

Here's a few pictures of it:

Doesn't look like regular dirt either.