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Best Official release of the OT?

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 (Edited)

What do you consider to be the best official home video release of the trilogy so far?

 

I would have to say the Definitive Edition laserdiscs are the best because they contain the theatrical versions and don't have the weird colour issues of the DVDs.

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I'll go with the laserdisc of the 1997 versions. I hate the changes and it's not perfect but I'd say that's the best they've ever looked and sounded at home, going by the then-current standard of quality.

Weak.

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Baronlando said:

I'll go with the laserdisc of the 1997 versions. I hate the changes and it's not perfect but I'd say that's the best they've ever looked and sounded at home, going by the then-current standard of quality.

Weak.

I agree, these did look and sound pretty darn good compared to the others, except for the pink shift on Tatooine.

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CJackson said:

Official release.

I really suggest you check out some of the restorations some of the users here have made. Check out the works of Dark_Jedi and Harmy. They blow the official releases out of the pond in both picture and audio quality and they are the original theatrical cuts!

Ray’s Lounge
Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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Technically speaking, the GOUT will always win due to the image being at a better encode and from the video master used for the LDs. And the original 77 crawl was spliced in from a print.

But they just aren't that exciting. Especially when it comes to the canned standard Dolby 2.0 audio. I like the LDs much better. For the OT it's either the 93 or 95 Faces discs. The 95s are really just more convenient with less sides and some will argue that the CLV is slightly inferior to the CAV format.

Without the changes and Mos Eisley pink shift, the 97 LDs are stunning for the format.

And if you really want to get down and dirty, the Japanese Special Collections don't have the awful motion smearing on the 93, 95 and GOUT.

So it all depends on what you like the films to seem like, and how much you really like LD.

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As far as official releases of the unaltered original trilogy, the GOUT is best video-wise but the Definitive Collection Laserdiscs are better audio-wise. However, if you don't mind including the Special Edition, I agree with the others who said that the NTSC Special Edition laserdisc set has best overall audio and video quality.

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I've always loved the Executor VHS box set. Huge metal box with hours of bonus material and all kinds of paper work... And it was in 1995!

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

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^I have that one, now that was a lucas sanctioned set I was happy to own.

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captainsolo said:

Technically speaking, the GOUT will always win due to the image being at a better encode and from the video master used for the LDs. And the original 77 crawl was spliced in from a print.

But they just aren't that exciting. Especially when it comes to the canned standard Dolby 2.0 audio. I like the LDs much better. For the OT it's either the 93 or 95 Faces discs. The 95s are really just more convenient with less sides and some will argue that the CLV is slightly inferior to the CAV format.

Without the changes and Mos Eisley pink shift, the 97 LDs are stunning for the format.

And if you really want to get down and dirty, the Japanese Special Collections don't have the awful motion smearing on the 93, 95 and GOUT.

So it all depends on what you like the films to seem like, and how much you really like LD.

 

How much do the Japanese special collections run for on eBay?

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Is it just me or are these preservation suggestions just falling on deaf ears?

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How much do the Japanese special collections run for on eBay?

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TV's Frink said:

Is it just me or are these preservation suggestions just falling on deaf ears?

Seems to be the case.

Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

I think it's George trying to decide which master to use for the blu-ray release of the OT.

Already? He still has a couple months.

Ray’s Lounge
Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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CJackson said:

How much do the Japanese special collections run for on eBay?

 Quite high if I remember correctly. They're not as common as the other LD sets, so I've seen them sell from $50-$100 each. You may wish to check prices on lddb.com.

However, a cheaper alternative you may want to consider, if you just want no motion smearing, are the Special Widescreen Edition laserdiscs. They're slightly lower quality but have no Japanese subtitles. Also, many pressings of ANH have an aspect ratio error.

The cheapest way to get the Japanese Special Collection versions would be to get one of the preservations made here. Arnie.d.'s V8, an excellent transfer of the JSC version of A New Hope, is available on both Demonoid and the a.b.starwars. As for Empire and Jedi, you can get Dark Jedi and Segaflip's old preservation of them on a.b.starwars.

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The Aluminum Falcon said:

The cheapest way to get the Japanese Special Collection versions would be to get one of the preservations made here.

Stop trying to give away preservations!  He wants to BUY the real deal.

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason.

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TV's Frink said:

For some reason.

 Maybe he wants to make his own preservation...

or he just likes holding those big old laserdiscs... :-)

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 (Edited)

I want there to be a more interesting reason.  The Lucas theory is a compelling one...

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Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

I think it's George trying to decide which master to use for the blu-ray release of the OT.

If such is the case, the best official release so far was the 1977, 1980, and 1983 70mm release... ;-)

Anyway, this thread inspired me to start a new thread of my own:

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/What-do-you-think-was-the-best-release-of-the-OT-at-the-time-it-came-out/topic/13043/

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I could live without the Falcon dish if it was restored on Blu-Ray to the original 70mm release quality :-)