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Idea: Preserving the 1997 Special Editions of the Star Wars Original Trilogy on DVD-R

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 (Edited)

well folks… i have an interesting question that might very well get shot down here, but since the 2004 DVDs are most likely going to differ from the 1997 “Special Editions”, should there be a project to preseve the 1997 cuts (with the proper 5.1 mixes from the LD, the trailers, the interview featurette, and the Japan exclusive laserdisc preview of Episode 2 - released on vhs in the rest of the work) to DVD-R?

i mean, i think that copies of the definitive laserdiscs have gone about as far as they can on dvdr, should this set also be preserved?

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OK, I've been floating around this forum for a long time now and I am all for preserving the original versions in the best possible format, but this is getting crazy. Pretty much all the talk on these forums is how to preserve this version and that version etc. It kind of goes against the point of this web site. Ultimately we would all love to have the original theatrical versions on DVD. But until that happens, if that happens, I still enjoy watching the trilogy on good old VHS. IT’S NOT THAT BAD! If you take proper care of your videocassettes, store them correctly, exercise them regularly, and if you have a decent VCR, and who doesn't these days, and if your television is set-up and calibrated properly, VHS can be pretty damn good. Of course it's not DVD, but I still enjoy these classic movies as much as I ever did. I still collect the trilogy on VHS. Whenever I find copies, I pick 'em up. Of all the different VHS releases, they are all slightly different (colour correction, etc.) I don't really know what I am trying to say here. Guess I'm just venting!
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Couldn't DISagree more with the above poster.

Never settle for VHS. It's horrible quality and have only watched laser and SVHS for the last few years.

I say bring on the preservation...for those who actually care about the quality of the product.
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Well, maybe your equipment needs a tune-up, because its not that bad.
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As someone who has lived with laserdisc since he was 12 and refused VHS from that point on...i don't think it's a problem with my equipment. lol. It's called lines of resolution and VHS just don't have it.
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Originally posted by: Mr.Coffee
Well, maybe your equipment needs a tune-up, because its not that bad.


LD image quality is roughly comparable to standard 16mm film, VHS is roughly comparable to 8mm film. There are no home video formats comparable to 35mm or 70mm film.

The pulse-FM data structure on an LD (unlike ordinary VHS/Beta), is defined to hold all the information present in the composite video signal. Depending on source material and the transfer to disc, LD is above live TV broadcast quality: For NTSC, this is 425 TVL (luminance lines horizontally for 3/4 of the screen width) and about 482 scan lines, compared to 330x482 for broadcast. For PAL, the numbers are 450x560 and 400x560, respectively.

Compare this to 240x482 for good VHS (recorded, pre-recorded is probably less). Only recently have Super-VHS approached LD capability, and ED-Beta has gone even further with its resolution of 525x482. Of course, pre-recorded material is not widely available in these VCR formats. Even using S-VHS/ED-Beta to tape off-air still only reaches the 330x482 of the broadcast signal (400x560 in PAL countries).

Compared to LD, all consumer tape formats also fall short in time-base stability, chroma resolution, video noise and audio fidelity.

Although the video signal-to-noise ratio (s/n) appears to be about the same for LD and VCR hardware, it is probably not the same for mass-produced pre-recorded material. The LD process (casting or stamping) does not degrade the signal from master to copy. The tape process, magnetic contact printing, does.

All LD players have time-base-correction; mechanical, optical, analog electronic or digital. TBC eliminates the horizontal line jitter and color errors common on tape.


Information Source - RiK

So you really think a tune-up will help?

Word to the soild hard facts.........

VHS sucks.

RiK

“My skill are no longer as Mad as the once were” RiK

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Even on a brand new VCR hooked up to the same TV as my 4-year-old DVD player, the DVD picture far exceeds the VHS. There is no comparison. It's like listening to vinyl versus a CD (granted I do prefer vinyl in some instances).
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
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Are you saying CD sounds better than vinyl? Give your head a shake! When it comes to audio, analogue in better - hands down! Also all you guys are totally blowing this way out of proportion. All I said was VHS is not that bad. Of course LD and DVD are better. What is the point of this web site / petition? I am loosing hope fast.
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Coffee, did you not read my post? I said that CD "is" better meaning that the quality of the final product is better much like VHS vs DVD. Digital will always be better than analog. However, this doesn't always work better to listeners. I also said that in some instances vinyl "works" better. This means that for some groups, their recordings sound better on vinyl than on CD. An example that comes to mind is the Beatles. I cannot listen to the Beatles on CD. It sounds horrible. They work better on vinyl. Even more recent bands like Stone Temple Pilots work better on vinyl. But if you want to archive your stuff and make sure you have the best recorded copy possible, then digital is better than analog. Sound quality is strictly subjective. We can argue that all day long. So why bother? Let's just talk facts, and the fact is that digital (CD/DVD) is better than analog (vinyl/VHS).
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
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Originally posted by: Bossk
Coffee, did you not read my post? I said that CD "is" better meaning that the quality of the final product is better much like VHS vs DVD. Digital will always be better than analog. However, this doesn't always work better to listeners. I also said that in some instances vinyl "works" better. This means that for some groups, their recordings sound better on vinyl than on CD. An example that comes to mind is the Beatles. I cannot listen to the Beatles on CD. It sounds horrible. They work better on vinyl. Even more recent bands like Stone Temple Pilots work better on vinyl. But if you want to archive your stuff and make sure you have the best recorded copy possible, then digital is better than analog. Sound quality is strictly subjective. We can argue that all day long. So why bother? Let's just talk facts, and the fact is that digital (CD/DVD) is better than analog (vinyl/VHS).


Stone Temple Pilots have releases on vinyl? Wow...
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Millhouse - an intruiging suggestion.

Should the new SW DVDs coming out on Sept 21 be as different as the Special Editions were to the Theatrical Versions we may well see someone making/offering them here on DVD.

For some reason, I don't see them being as sought after as the Theatrical Version were/are - though to have all 3 of the major differing versions would be cool.

A little patience goes a long way on this old-school Rebel base. If you are having issues finding what you are looking for, these will be of some help…

Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com | Introduce yourself in here | Useful info within : About : Help : Site Rules : Fan Project Rules : Announcements
How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com; some info & answers + FAQs - includes info on how to search for projects and threads on the OT•com

A Project Index for Star Wars Preservations (Harmy’s Despecialized & 4K77/80/83 etc) : A Project Index for Star Wars Fan Edits (adywan & Hal 9000 etc)

… and take your time to look around this site before posting - to get a feel for this place. Don’t just lazily make yet another thread asking for projects.

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VHS does suck.

Long Live BETA!!! My family still has a single BETA machine hooked up for watching movies from our over 100 tapes, and you'd be surprised what gems we've found:
1. Did you know the DVD and TCM versions of the movie Murder By Death aren't the complete movie??
I do, because many years ago, my parents taped a local TV station playing of the movie.
In one missing scene, Willy, Sydney Wang's son, finds a note in the dead Lionel Twain's hand. He chastises the other detectives for not seeing it there. When he finally opens it up, its a grocery list.

My dad, probably at this very moment, is at home with a Super BETA Hi-Fi he borrowed from where he works, transferring our collection of Twilight Zone episodes to DVD using our new Toshiba DVD/DVR recorder.
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Yep, I've got STPs "Purple" on vinyl. Great album. Their loungy sound works very well on vinyl. You just have to know where to shop to get current bands on vinyl. No big commercial stores will carry it. You have to go the independent record store route.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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Hey Bossk, where do you live? Cause most of the large chains here in Toronto carry current as well as older vinyl. I think almost every band still releases vinyl. AC/DC just release most of there albums on 180gram pressing. Very cool! With the right equipment, and a nice diamond tip needle, there is no comparison! Oh ya, and BETA is awsome! My old beta machine croaked a few years ago. I loved it. The best part was NO MACROVISION!
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My Beta died 5 years ago, now I'm stuck with a bunch of old tapes slowly molding away. I think I used to have some neat stuff on them that's probably gone forever now.
The original Star Wars trilogy: Our cultural history deserves to be preserved and should be available to the public like all great works of art!
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Sony still manufactures BETAMAX. At least they did about a year ago. I still see them at my local Sony store but they are quit pricy!
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Betamax is used in some professional handheld videocameras. Although many of them have switched over to digital within the last few years. Back, say, 3 or so years, all news cameramen used Beta. Better quality than VHS any day of the week. Just a slave to poor marketing and few little recording time on the tapes. That's why it's perfect for news... high quality and short tapes. Doesn't take much tape space to shoot some news report and some B roll. And the tapes are a helluva lot smaller so cameramen can carry them in vest pockets without weighing themselves down too much or taking too much physical space on their person.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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I have copies on Beta, VHS, LD, VCD, DVDR, and I love 'em all!
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Damn! I've only got my three VHS sets and now DVD-R.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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Originally posted by: Mr.Coffee
Sony still manufactures BETAMAX. At least they did about a year ago. I still see them at my local Sony store but they are quit pricy!


Actually, Sony officially announced Betamax's demise on August 28th, 2002. If you have an extensive collection on Beta, either get a new one from a Sony store or check eBay. My SL HF500 from 1984 is my last Beta machine to be working so I'm transferring any important material to DVD.

Back to the topic...

Although I don't like the 1997 Special Editions as much as the originals, I'd like to see the SEs preserved as well to show the progression of change. The current "5 Star Edition," factory pressed, DVD-9, Asian bootlegs look really good, but I think someone can do better.

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We only had a few movies, like Indiana Jones and Grease on BETA.

I've had Star Wars on pan-n-scan SE VHS, widescreen SE VHS, pan-n-scan original Laserdisc, and my *precious* widescreen original laserdiscs.

And soon DVDrs.

My stance on revising fan edits.

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My VHS sets are... 1990 Pan n Scan, THX "Faces" Widescreen, and SE Widescreen.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com