...yet. Hope and Empire are finished. Jedi is almost done.
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1. Disc-specific flaws. This includes laser rot, and can be completely cured by TooT.
2. Version-specific flaws. Don't know if there are actually any errors of this type, but if there are, then they're created between master tape and LD mastering, so that a specific pressing run of LDs all have the same errors.
3. Master tape-specific flaws. I know there are several of these. The same dropout can occur on not only several discs of the same pressing, but on discs of different pressings (but presumably made from the same master tape). For example, there are errors common to both French and German THX discs.
4. Print-specific flaws. Some errors are no doubt introduced by the use of a given print for the telecine session. If the print's dirty, then that dirt's going to turn up on all discs made from that print, which could be a lot. I think the burn marks during the Tantive scenes are an example. But they could also be...
5. Master neg flaws. There are some flaws that were introduced in 1975-1977 as Star Wars was being made. All the effects were done with optical printers, which means there could be up to several dozen elements composited into a given shot. Which means several dozen pieces of film that would have to be shot, processed, handled, edited, and finally composited without any dust present, in order to give a final composite negative without dust. A daunting task. And one that was probably impossible -- and impractical -- for a low-budget space opera, back in an era when "home theatre" meant waiting for a movie to be shown on your 13" TV and audiences just weren't as discriminating as today.
