logo Sign In

Info Wanted: General question on these LD transfers

Author
Time
 (Edited)

The laserdisc picture quality is obviously far superior to VHS, and it is the source for all (or the vast majority) of the bootlegs that have surfaced up to this point. My question is: how is everyone dealing with the fades present at the end of each side of the disc? Do you go back to snatch a couple frames from the widescreen VHS set, brighten the picture so much as to appear normal, or get sneaky and clip a few frames? Because I know that the last option has been used by many, and I wondered if there was a version out there completely true to every single frame.

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

Author
Time
Most of the LD's put the side changes at different points. The different sources use a different LD for the side changes.

Gaps do exist, This can be noted by the Leia welding scene in the TR-47 DVD. This scene is missing 4 seconds of footage.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

Author
Time
Just to clarify, there is no missing footage. There was a 3-4 second gap where the side change was mistakenly not edited together correctly but this was fixed by Rowman for me, and the sets no longer contain the gap.
Author
Time
The SW laserdiscs do not include any artificial fades that were not present in the original films, just straight cuts to black at a scene change. This makes it easy to cut the side changes together. I know what you're talking about, though. Universal used to put artificial fades at the side changes of their laserdiscs. I always hated that.
Author
Time
Ironically, I found the video fades on old Universal titles made it easier for me to hide the side breaks when capturing directly into my DVD recorder. My non-LD savvy friends don't realize there is one.
Forum Moderator

Where were you in '77?

Author
Time
Really? I was pretty sure that at least one edition of the Star Wars Trilogy LD's contained artificial fades at the ends of discs. The man said something like, "Leaving it so it faded out would look bad, so I clipped the last few frames from each side for a smoother transition." He explained that nobody would be the wiser.

That was the reason I became suspicious of the other transfers that were out there. I thought that perhaps all of the Star Wars LD's contained the artificial fades.

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

Author
Time
There isn't a real "fade" on the Def Col or Faces LDs, but there is sometimes a interlaced fade (half the lines show on the last frame.) I don't consider it a distraction, so I leave them in.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

Author
Time
I should have said, "The SW laserdiscs I have owned do not have any artificial fades..." I have only the letterboxed editions. Couldn't say on any of the early pan and scan editions.
Author
Time
The German PAL discs have fades. I think that's maybe what Moth3r was referring to.
Author
Time
The French PAL discs do not have fades, but the ANH disc is missing a screen wipe at the end of side 1 (where Luke and Ben lift the damaged C3PO) and the first frame of side 2 (Ben's house) is missing half the resolution. Side 2-3 is fine and side 3-4 is only missing about 4 frames.

I haven't checked ESB or ROTJ yet.

Guidelines for post content and general behaviour: read announcement here

Max. allowable image sizes in signatures: reminder here

Author
Time
"the ANH disc is missing a screen wipe at the end of side 1 (where Luke and Ben lift the damaged C3PO)"

Does it just cut to the next scene?

"and the first frame of side 2 (Ben's house) is missing half the resolution"

A single frame? That sounds like interlacing to me. Perhaps it's a copy of an interlaced transfer?

Man, it's amazing how many more differences one can find when really inspecting this stuff.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>