logo Sign In

Help: looking for... 1997 Special Edition Preservations?

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Although hated my many, I would like to be able to get my '97 Special Edition on digital format.  Is it worth even bothering with VHS to DVD conversion? The quality would probably be pretty terrible, but at least I wouldn’t have to haul the VCR out of storage everytime I want to watch them.  These movies were the first time I was able to see Star Wars on the big screen so there is some sentimental value for me.  Would a Laserdisc rip be that much better than VHS? I’d have to invest in a player and the movies. Or are there '97 Preservations that already exist?

Author
Time

They're on MySpleen, if you ask, someone on the forums might send you an invite.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

97 preservations: TB, GKar, Flunk, Reivax, dark_jedi, jedi/feta, LOOK, 5 Star, DARKSVN

some threads which discuss the topic

http://originaltrilogy.com/FORUM/topic.cfm/1997-SE-DV-Broadcast-Info-Discussion/topic/10964/

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/1997-SE-TB-Digital-Broadcasts/topic/7921/

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/G-Kar-Edition/topic/1978/

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Are-the-1997-Special-Edition-releases-preserved/topic/13262/page/1/

Author
Time

The only NTSC version on myslpeen needs a reseed. I was going to attempt to convert them myself but I'm sure it would come out like complete crap lol. I have the widescreen VHS version, it looks pretty bad even on my old 19" tube tv lol

Author
Time

Well I got my 5 star editions burned.  This is exactly what I was looking for.  It's definitely a step above my VHS copies.  Looks great on my old 19" Zenith lol

 

Author
Time

Is there any "ultimate" set of the 1997 versions?  Maybe NTSC converted from a PAL HD source, combined with the NTSC laserdisc audio?? Thanks

I wish that I could just wish my feelings away...but I can't.  Wishful wishing can only lead to wishes wished for in futile wishfulness, which is not what I wish to wish for. 

Author
Time

Isn't it illegal to hook up a Blu Ray player to an analog tv set? ;)

I look back, and I'm amazed I enjoyed letterbox movies on a screen that size for almost two decades!

Forum Moderator

Where were you in '77?

Author
Time
 (Edited)

SilverWook said:

Isn't it illegal to hook up a Blu Ray player to an analog tv set? ;)

I look back, and I'm amazed I enjoyed letterbox movies on a screen that size for almost two decades!

I'm with you here.  I certainly have gained a respect for the old CRT T.V.'s that I didn't have when I had one.  I still have a 20 inch Samsung in my daughters room and I will take my custom discs in and watch em and I get such a kick out of how good they can actually still look on them.

Don't get me wrong...I love my 42 inch Widescreen T.V. but I am always pleased to go back in time and dig that 20 inch.  As cool as those 5 Star Editions still are they weren't made with LCD in mind....and this is exactly why I'd like to see a clean, straight, no fixes, S.E. Trilogy from Laserdisc. 

:)

Author
Time

Anyone know if the Laserdiscs suffer from the heavy DVNR that plagues the digital broadcasts?

-G

Author
Time

g-force said:

Anyone know if the Laserdiscs suffer from the heavy DVNR that plagues the digital broadcasts?

-G

I hadn't heard that the Digital Broadcasts suffer from DVNR....I've got 3 versions of the S.E. on LD, the U.S. Black Box and 2 Japan Boxes.

I believe I like the Japan ones better.....I'd have to see if there is a difference between those 2 picture wise.

Author
Time

Jetrell Fo said:

g-force said:

Anyone know if the Laserdiscs suffer from the heavy DVNR that plagues the digital broadcasts?

-G

I hadn't heard that the Digital Broadcasts suffer from DVNR....I've got 3 versions of the S.E. on LD, the U.S. Black Box and 2 Japan Boxes.

I believe I like the Japan ones better.....I'd have to see if there is a difference between those 2 picture wise.

 Yeah, it's really unfortunate, because they actually look pretty good otherwise. Report back on your findings!

-G

Author
Time

g-force said:

Jetrell Fo said:

g-force said:

Anyone know if the Laserdiscs suffer from the heavy DVNR that plagues the digital broadcasts?

-G

I hadn't heard that the Digital Broadcasts suffer from DVNR....I've got 3 versions of the S.E. on LD, the U.S. Black Box and 2 Japan Boxes.

I believe I like the Japan ones better.....I'd have to see if there is a difference between those 2 picture wise.

 Yeah, it's really unfortunate, because they actually look pretty good otherwise. Report back on your findings!

-G

I shall.  Just be forewarned....I'm no technical genius...LOL ...so my explanations will probably very basic but I will let you know which set seems to be the most natural looking of the 3...  :)

Author
Time

As much as I want to upgrade that old tv in my bedroom I haven't because some of the preservations really look decent! Prime example is that 5 star set!  I just recently downloaded the G'kar versions but I'm waiting on my region free DVD player to arrive. It will actually convert the PAL signal so it will display properly on a NTSC TV. Looking forward to checking them out!

Author
Time

I seem to remember this issue of DVNR/smearing in relation to the '97SE has come up before fairly recently. If I remember correctly the Laserdiscs both PAL and NTSC do have DVNR smear :( although no where near as bad as the GOUT! I also seem to remember that the smearing in the Digital Broadcasts is mostly the result of the capture cards of the day doing a poor job of capturing rather than actual DVNR smear in the broadcasts themselves.

Original Trilogy in Replica Technicolor Project
Star Wars PAL LaserDisc Project

Author
Time

I posted some examples of the DVNR-smear in the US SE LD here: http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/DVNR-smearing-in-GOUT-not-in-the-master-Or-is-the-1995-release-a-different-master-altogether/topic/11856/page/4/

No matter how badly affected they are by DVNR-smear, the digital broadcasts are at least not as bad as the US LD set. However, some scenes are less affected by it in the LD's and vice versa, but the broadcasts are overall superior.

The TB of ANH and ESB are the best IMO, but they're missing a few frames (something all broadcasts do at different locations) so a combination of sources are needed for best results.

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

Author
Time

^ Yeah, the screenshots I posted in that thread is nothing definitive, it's a possibilty the Japanese LD's have better quality transfers.

We want you to be aware that we have no plans—now or in the future—to restore the earlier versions. 

Sincerely, Lynne Hale publicity@lucasfilm.com

Author
Time

Obligatory and possibly obnoxious second request for whomever was seeding the 5 star set previously (was it you djchaseb?) to hop back on. I've been trying to get them for about a week and I'm at 12% thanks to a short-lived spurt of connection.

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

Author
Time

Ah crap, I'll check tonight man.  If I'm not seeding I will jump back on this evening.

Author
Time

I thought except for that one small dropout because of the rot on the DVD, that the Flunk was the best version of the 1997 special edition of anh.

 

Might have something to do with being from a digibeta station master and not overly compressed its on a dual layer blank from the guy who posted it.

I have compared it to the reivex and they almost look identical except flunk has english title scroll on the rollup, and reivex is much more compressed but both exhibit similar color  too dark in some scenes.

Wonder if that had something to do with how badly faded the negative was only so much correction and color restore could be done.  There is no way it looked better than the actual original release as Lucas claimed.

 

Though most people probably saw a somewhat faded copy anyway before LPP because all eastman prints were shit until then.

 

That is why the Technicolor print of star wars is such a big deal.  It would never fade if stored correctly.

Even the 1985 release prints if they were new would have had fade because of the negative much more prominently there than on the 77 issue, even if the filmstock was stable.  The master used for the film would not be.  So you would have a faded star wars printed onto LPP than would not fade further but would not exhibit the same colors as it had in 1977 before the negative started to fade.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time

Ever since getting this massive 36" Sony Trinitron CRT, every little flaw on LD has become very apparent even if not magnified by a modern display. I recently watched my SE LD set to break in my ac3 demodulator. But I had to watch with my backup player which has a very washed out image. Ugh. The image was not very pleasing to the eye in spots because of some of this smearing. It's there but very sporadic.

Now I really want to find the Technidisc trilogy...

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader