So I've finally had the chance to sit down and watch the finished version. I definitely like what has been done with this edit, in regards more to the changes with Tarkin, more-so than with Vader.
To put this in context, I watched ESB over and over as a kid, LONG before I ever got a chance to see ANH for the first time. So, to me, the Darth Vader as seen in ESB was how I knew the character. Darth Vader was intimidating, scary, and absolutely in charge of everything, with the Emperor being the only exception. All in all, the ultimate badass villain.
So imagine my shock, seeing Darth Vader taking orders from a guy dressed similar to the ones he would force choke over failure. To my childish mind, it made NO SENSE at all! Over time I grew to accept it, but I will always remember that first impression on ANH when I viewed it.
Even with fanedits such as DE's, and later Ady's, it still somehow never occurred to me that Vader could possibly be made to match, in character, to his portrayal in ESB. So when this project was first announced here, I was excited to see the result.
So, with all that being said, I do like this edit as an alternate way to view ANH (as if I didn't have enough options already). Vader seems more like he is overlooking Tarkin's command, perhaps on orders from Emperor Palpatine, rather than being there to take Tarkin's orders. To me, this DOES match up with ESB more.
Other changes, such as slowing down Vader's movements and speech, aren't as noticeable, but they are there. The subtlety of these changes makes them easy to accept, but if they weren't added into the edit, I wouldn't have minded it either.
Other changes to quicken the pace are well done, and I don't notice them really at all while viewing.
Now here's one issue I have with the edit, and it's more of a technical thing, rather than a creative one. It has been noted that during the process of taking ANH:R from DVD to video files for editing, that the fps has been changed from 23.28 to 29.97, and it does show. The most that I noticed the issue was during the title reveal, as it makes it appear that the STAR WARS title is slightly stuttering as it pulls away from the camera. It's noticeable if you look for it. As time went on, I had forgotten about it and got absorbed into the movie, but that doesn't mean it isn't still there.
Then again, when using a fanedit as your source, you risk the chance of losing video quality in the conversion process. Since ANH:R was so well done for an SD fanedit, that helps in the VQ department, regardless.
Audio-wise, since it is converted to stereo, I feel it is a downgrade from Ady's excellent 5.1 mix. I missed that when viewing the film, since I prefer to watch with my surround system. Still, as a stereo track, it had no errors, and I had no problems understanding the dialogue or having to change the volume during action scenes.
All in all, this is a great edit, despite it's technical faults. I would recomment at least a one-time viewing, to see if you like it. It will not be replacing my copy of ANH:R, but it will exist alongside it in my collection.