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Help: looking for... Could you point me to adywan's 1997 SE of ESB in HD project?

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 (Edited)

I’m a newb here and I have a few goals in mind. What i would like to accomplish is to acquire THE BEST versions of star wars available. The 3 versions that exist (in my mind) are the ones that i’ve viewed throughout my life. 
 

I would like advice about the best versions of:

Star Wars Trilogy - Theatrical Cut

Star Wars Trilogy - 1997 Special Editions

Star Wars Trilogy - 2004 DVD (have)
 

I’m not really interested in collecting a ton of different versions within these groups. (since i’m a newb, maybe later ha ha)

Now what I DO HAVE already is the 2004 DVD release and the 2006 (Bonus Discs) of the Theatrical Cut. However as everyone knows the bonus discs are non-anamorphic.

Non-anamorphic meaning that IF i had a widescreen TV they would show up weird. Right?? So it’s best to find a anamorphic widescreen version. Please point me in the direction as to which version is The Best. (I know that’s subjective but try to think from my point of view)

Next, in tracking down the 97 special editions I’ve found this torrent over at Demonoid: search -

STAR WARS EPISODE 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 1080P AVCHD 1997 SE THEATRICAL VERSION - ADYWAN REPACK

(why can’t we just post links??? this doesn’t make sense to me)

 

Anyway, I was told here, at this site that their really wasn’t a 97 SE HD broadcast but this guys says otherwise. Inside the link it says:

“”“”"Movies : Sci-Fi : HD 1080p / 1080i : English

Adywan does it again! Here is the NFO file:

STAR WARS EPISODE 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 1080P AVCHD 1997 SE THEATRICAL VERSION - ADYWAN REPACK

VIDEO: 1080p 23.976fps
AUDIO: (selectable using the audio button on your remote)
track 1: English AC3 5.1 @ 640kbps (taken from the laserdisc and not the DVD mix)
Track 2: English AC3 2.0 Directors Commentaries
SUBTITLES: English

Notes:

This is the 1997 SE Theatrical version for the first time in HD and not the updated 2004
version already available. It contains the original Emperor and the 5.1 Dolby Digital theatrical mix
only available on the laserdiscs…

The source used was the German Premier 16GB HDTV broadcast with the English crawl taken from the SkyHD broadcast.

This release has been extensively colour corrected to return the movie closer to what it looked
like pre-2004 ( so no more “blue” colouring to the movie)

A high bitrate .mkv version (about 14GB) will be available soon

Burn WITH iMGBURN to DL-DVD, stick it in your PS3 or Blu-Ray player and enjoy.

ADYWAN"“”“”

 

Now this isn’t just for the empire strikes back, but he has A new hope too:

Search Demonoid for:

STAR WARS - EPISODE IV SE AVCHD COLOUR CORRECTED by ADYWAN

Inside the link it will say:

for ps3 and bluray players only

STAR WARS - EPISODE IV SPECIAL EDITION-AVCHD COLOUR_CORRECTED ADYWAN

TyPe Sc.Fiction
LaNGuaGe English
ReLeaSe DaTe 01.03.2008
ViDeo
FRaMe RaTe TRUE 24fps
ReSoLuTioN 1920 X 1080
Subtitles TRACK 1: ENGLISH.
TRACK 2: DUTCH
HARDCODED ENGLISH SUBS FOR ALIEN LANGUAGE
AuDio
TRACK 1 AC3 640kbps 5.1 DOLBY DIGITAL LASERDISC THEATRICAL MIX
TRACK 2 AC3 192kbps 2.0 DIRECTOR COMMENTARY
TRACK 3 AC3 192kbps 2.0 ALTERNATE COMMENTARY
WORK DONE:

THE COLOUR ON THE 2004 TRANSFER WAS HORRENDOUS. I’VE COLOUR CORRECTED
THE WHOLE MOVIE SO THAT IT IS CLOSER TO HOW IT ORIGINALLY LOOKED, AND
SHOULD LOOK WITH NO DAMN BLUE TINT. HAN IS NOW BACK TO BEING THE ONLY
ONE THAT SHOOTS!!! I’VE REPLACED DREADFUL 2004 5.1 MIX WITH THE 5.1
LASERDISC AUDIO. THIS IS CLOSER TO THE THEATRICAL VERSION OF THE AUDIO
AND DOESN’T SUFFER WITH THE 2004 MIX PROBLEMS OF HAVING THE REVERSED
SURROUND SOUND CHANNELS AND SOUND FX COMING FROM THE INCORRECT SPEAKERS.

AUDIO / SUBTITLE TRACKS ARE SELECTABLE VIA YOUR REMOTE

 

COMING SOON:

THE EMPIRE STRIKES SE BACK AVCHD: THEATRICAL VERSION
RETURN OF THE JEDI SE AVCHD: THEATRICAL VERSION
THE PHANTOM MENACE AVCHD: THEATRICAL VERSION
ATTACK OF THE CLONES AVCHD: THEATRICAL VERSION
REVENGE OF THE SITH: THEATRICAL VERSION

This is an amazing release from Adywan. Just pop it in your PS3 or Blu-ray player and voila, Star Wars in full HD. Colour corrected HD with 2 commentary tracks to boot! This really is as good as it gets. I doubt the official release will be as lovingly restored as this.

STAR WARS EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE - (basic colour correction)
Details:- 1080p True 24fps
AC3 5.1 English Dolby Digital Audio
Ac3 2.0 Directors commentary (selectable with the audio button on your remote)
aC3 2.0 Alternate commentary (selectable with the audio button on your remote)
Chapters
No menus
Greedo doesn’t shoot

Just burn the .img file with imgburn or nero, etc, to a dual layer DVD.

and no they wont be a single layer!

 

I guess he is working on Return of the Jedi.

OK i’ll rap it up now, SOOOO are these the best versions of the 97 SE???

And again please let me know what is the best version of the theatrical cut.

p.s. please don’t just refer me to:

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/OFFICIAL-DVD-INDEX-Star-Wars-Preservation-and-Fan-Edits/topic/2450/

or

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Star-Wars-film-versions-and-best-DVD-sources/topic/6126/

I’ve been there. THANKS SO MUCH THIS SITE IS AWESOME!!!

 


 

Mod Edit: project release info as to adywan’s HD reconstruction project for the 1997 SE of Empire Strikes Back, can be found here:-

adywan’s THE STAR WARS SAGA - 1080P AVCHD DVD-9 for PS3 & Blu-Ray players - Episodes 1, 4 & 5 available - '97 HD ESB

and also in here…

That guy with no name’s ADYWAN’S 1997 SE ESB RECONSTRUCTION IN HD. (Available) thread also has project release info.

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I don't have all the different versions, but I believe the Adywan versions you listed above are considered the best for those films. I have both of them, and they are spectacular.

 

Having said that, I too would be interested in a definitive list of the best versions for the others, especially the original unaltered trilogy.

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Adywan's AVCHD's are not technically the 97 SE, just an approximation using the HD broadcast of the 2004 SE with some edits to revert it back and recoloring that is probably better than the 97 SE.  It's probably as close as we will ever come to an HD 97 SE since Lucas disavows it more than he does the original versions.

If you're truly looking for the best versions, Wookiegroomer has HD copies of all of the movies up on torrents and such, including the 2004 SE.

There aren't an HD copies of the originals (obviously), but there are many efforts to make the best possible anamorphic versions using either the X0 laserdisc or the aforementioned 2006 DVDs.  Neither one is perfect.

Star Wars Revisited Wordpress

Star Wars Visual Comparisons WordPress

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Thanks for the info doubleofive!!!!

Thats good to know that adywan's isn't truely the 97 Special Editions. That's weird that he calls it 1997 Special Editions When he/she is only using it as a color reference. This doesn't make sense to me and is misleading. The 2004 DVDs are NOT the special editions. Last time i checked i didn't see special edition on the box anywhere. I think this is where the confussion comes in. 

When jaba doesn't look like the phantom menace jaba and there is an exteded celebration with out hayden christiansen in ROTJ, then you can call it 97 special edition. (i'm glad i didn't try downloading it yet)

when you say "and torrents and such" what do you mean? I'm a member of demonoid and finally got an invite to myspleen today. I was under the assumption that myspleen is where most people post these things. 

Come to find out hardly anything is being seeded over there. 

What am i missing????

 

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 (Edited)
dickalan said:

 

Thanks for the info doubleofive!!!!

Thats good to know that adywan's isn't truely the 97 Special Editions. That's weird that he calls it 1997 Special Editions When he/she is only using it as a color reference. This doesn't make sense to me and is misleading. The 2004 DVDs are NOT the special editions. Last time i checked i didn't see special edition on the box anywhere. I think this is where the confussion comes in.

My AVCHD's aren't the 2004 DVD's at all. check out my AVCHD thread and you will see that ESB has been returned back to the 1997 version with the original Empror instead of Ian mcdiarmid and insignia badges have been reflipped as they were in '97 along with the theatrical 1997 5.1 audio mix taken from the laserdiscs and not the abomination mix that the 2004 DVDs contain, so not misleading at all as this is the 1997 version in content as none of the 2004 changes are present in ESB and won't be in the rest of the saga when i get around to it. I only labelled ESB as the 1997 theatrical version as ANH had a slight re-edit taking out Greedo shooting first, but that also contained the 1997 5.1 mix.

 

ANH:REVISITED
ESB:REVISITED

DONATIONS TOWARDS MATERIALS FOR THE REVISITED SAGA

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My bad adywan!!! Sorry for the rant. So let me see if i understand correctly...

You used the HD broadcast for most of the movie EXCEPT the 1997 SE exclusive scenes/changes?? AND you used the 97 laserdisc soundtrack correct? 

So was this the source when it wasn't taken from the broadcast?? It seems like the quality would change a lot from the HD broadcast and the 97 laserdisc. It's this one right?? --->

http://imageshack.us/

 

Just for fun...

Here's the best list i found of the changes from theatrical TO 1997 SE and NOT 2004 DVD. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases

excerpt:

1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition

Special coverage on CNN in 1997 notes that Lucas spent $10 million to rework his original 1977 film, which was roughly what it cost to film it originally. Three million dollars of that was spent on the audio track for the special edition. Lucas also spent $2.5 million each on Episodes V and VI. All of the films have newer versions of the 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm production logos.

The following is a partial list of changes:

[edit]A New Hope

Greedo shoots first in the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope.
  • Additional dewbacks and search teams are visible as the Stormtroopers look for the missing droids. An Imperial transport can be seen taking off in the background.
  • A shot of an evening Tatooine sky that pans down to show the opening of the scene in which R2-D2 is wandering through the hills before he is captured by Jawas.
  • A revised Jawa sandcrawler. The sunset progression has been enhanced, having the sky darkened, and at the end, adding stars to the newly darkened sky. The scene where R2-D2 is captured has been tinted red to resemble a sunset.
  • A new digital matte painting of the sandcrawler and extended sky were added when the Jawas are setting up shop in front of the Lars farm. Artificial zooming in is also present. More vaporators have been added, but they disappear in subsequent shots.
  • A new look at Ben Kenobi's hut.
  • Skeletal Remains of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were enhanced.
  • Mos Eisley is bigger and busier.
  • Dash Rendar's ship the "Outrider" can be seen taking off in the background when Luke's landspeeder enters the city.
  • The blur under the landspeeder (created by smearing petroleum jelly on the lens cover to obscure the view of under the landspeeder) is taken out.
  • A short pause of the camera features a Jawa being bucked from its Ronto mount.
  • New aliens are seen in the Cantina.
  • In Han’s last line to Greedo, "Yes, I’ll bet you have", the word "yes" is excised from the audio track, though Han’s mouth is still seen forming the word.
  • In the cantina, Greedo now fires first as Han dodges the shot; then Greedo is shot by Han.
  • CGI version of Jabba the Hutt confronts Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon's launch bay, and new dialogue was recorded in the Huttese language.
  • A new scene in the Mos Eisley docks of the Falcon taking off.
  • The Death Star docking bay is revised to be more consistent with the one seen in Return of the Jedi, most notably in the overhead shot when the Millennium Falcon has landed.
  • The aforementioned line uttered by C-3PO, where he describes the tractor beam's power systems, is put back in. (It was deleted in the previous stereo sound versions.)
  • New superimposed shots of the Stormtroopers in the Death Star.
  • The flashes of blaster impacts on the Imperial officers were removed.
  • When Han Solo is chasing a squad of Stormtroopers on the Death Star, instead of running to a dead end with more Stormtroopers, he ends up at a hangar bay with seemingly hundreds of Stormtroopers and officers. Laser fire was increased in the next scene where Chewbaccaapproaches the corner.
  • "Close the blast doors!" is put back into the scene where Han and Chewbacca, pursued by Stormtroopers, jump through the doors as they close.
  • A scene between Luke Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter, just before the Battle of Yavin, has been inserted.
  • R2-D2 flying in the astromech droid port of Lukes' X-Wing starfighter now has more clearly blue markings - they appeared to be black in earlier editions.
  • New digital shots of the X-wings and Y-wings taking off from Yavin (in the original version, they just appeared as white flashes) and approaching the Death Star.
  • New, additional, and revised dog fighting and attack run scenes during the battle at the Death Star.
  • After Red Leader's unsuccessful trench run, the line "He's on your tail!" was added to the film.
  • When the proton torpedoes enter the exhaust port, a scorch mark where the previous shots hit is present. The scorch mark was present in the original theatrical release, but was removed during pan and scan cropping for the home video releases.[12]
  • The shot of the Rebel fighters flying away from the Death Star has been revised.
  • The Praxis effect shockwave (so named for a similar effect seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) was added to the destruction of the planet Alderaan and that of the Death Star.
  • The matte paintings (or cardboard cutouts) of the members of the assembly on the left and right sides of the Throne Room at the end of the film, when Luke, Han, and Chewie approach the throne, have been digitally replaced with real humans.
  • James Earl Jones is now credited.
  • 'Luke's Theme' is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the Special Edition release credits.

[edit]The Empire Strikes Back
  • The opening battle sequence was cleaned up.
  • New scenes on Hoth with a redesigned wampa ice creature, including showing the full-body wampa screeching in agony following the loss of its limb. Two close-up shots of the original wampa mask are still noticeable.
  • When Luke Skywalker heads to the exit of the wampa's cave, his lightsaber's deactivation sound is heard, even though the blade doesn't retract.
  • The blaster bolts of the TIE fighters have been made more green.
  • A shot of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer has additional TIE fighters; one appears to follow a non-linear path.
  • The TIE fighter that collides with an asteroid and blows up has additional sparking added to it.
  • The Millennium Falcon casts a digitally created shadow on the asteroid. Though the surface seems to grow closer, the shadow remains the same size.
  • The scene where the Slave I follows the Falcon out of the Star Destroyer's floating garbage includes a newly created CG shot of it pursuing the Falcon.
  • At the entrance shot of Cloud City, the Cloud Car was replaced by a Tibanna refinery. (The Tibanna refinery is almost panned and scannedout of the full screen DVD version. The right side of the refinery can be seen briefly in the full screen DVD version if played on a PC].)
  • New and additional shots of Cloud City.
  • Several wall panels have been digitally replaced with windows to show more of Cloud City.
  • Luke's line, "You're lucky you don't taste very good," after R2-D2 is spit out by a Dagobah dragonsnake, is changed back to the original "You were lucky to get out of there."
  • Lando Calrissian says "Attention" twice (instead of once) when he speaks on the Cloud City PA.
  • Shots of people listening to Lando on the PA ordering the evacuation of the city are added.
  • Luke screams as he jumps off the platform in Cloud City (the scream is actually lifted from the Emperor's death scream from Return of the Jedi)
  • Darth Vader's terse-but-forceful line, "Bring my shuttle," is changed to the more benignly-toned "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival," a line originally recorded for A New Hope; a wide-angle CGI visual is added, showing Vader boarding his shuttle. This short added scene is spliced directly into the action surrounding Leia, Lando, and Chewie's attempt to rescue Luke as he dangles from a weather vane below Cloud City. The music track that has become known as "Rescue from Cloud City / Hyperspace" — a track that, in the film's original version, begins from the moment Vader cuts off Luke's hand and continues until Vader storms off of the bridge of the Executor after theMillennium Falcon escapes into hyperspace — is also now spliced, in a manner corresponding to the insertion of the short added scene. Specifically, for approximately 5 to 10 seconds, music originally played at the moment Vader informs Luke of his parentage (itself an earlier part of the "Rescue from Cloud City / Hyperspace" track) is incongruously inserted.
  • A new shot of Darth Vader's shuttle heading toward his star destroyer.
  • A digital hatch has been added to replace the white light that appears when Lando opens the outer hatch to rescue Luke.
  • A new scene with Darth Vader landing in the docking bay of his Star Destroyer is included, taken from an outtake from Return of the Jedi — like the footage of Vader boarding his shuttle, this short scene is similarly spliced directly into the action surrounding the Millennium Falcon's escape from Bespin, and the music accompanying the added footage (both a few short seconds of music taken from the very beginning of "Rescue from Cloud City / Hyperspace" and then a few seconds of the same music that was used during the shuttle-boarding footage insertion) likewise cuts incongruously into "Rescue from Cloud City / Hyperspace."
  • "The Imperial March" is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the Special Edition release credits.

[edit]Return of the Jedi
  • A new Jabba's Palace Band musical number, 'Jedi Rocks' replaces 'Lapti Nek'. Some other footage is added from the extended music video of Lapti Nek. The female alien singer Sy Snootles is replaced with a new CGI version.
  • Additional scene of Oola in the Rancor pit. (Oola is played by Femi Taylor reprising her role fourteen years after the original films. Taylor was cast in the new scenes after her brother had been talking to a friend that was working on the special edition who had mentioned that they were working on scenes featuring the dance scene in Jabba's palace. Taylor's brother mentioned that she was in the original and was in better shape than she was when she shot the original scenes, as a result she was cast, with a number of shots of her new dance moves edited into the original footage with no noticeable difference in her body within the 15 years between the two shots.)
  • Boba Fett is briefly shown flirting with a dancer at Jabba's palace.
  • Additional scenes on Tatooine of a herd of Banthas before heading to the Pit of Carkoon.
  • The Sarlacc now has extra CG tentacles and CG beak at its center.
  • When shooting the sarlacc tentacle, Han says "It's all right, I can see a lot better now" rather than "It's all right, trust me".
  • CGI rope has been added around Han's ankles as he dangles from Jabba's skiff above the Sarlacc.
  • In the original version, a flight of four TIE fighters appear from behind the camera flying toward the Death Star and disappear a second before the scene changes to the Emperor's arrival. This is corrected and the fighters continue heading toward the Death Star.
  • As with the destruction of the first Death Star, the second has a more pronounced explosion.
  • At the end of the trilogy after the Empire is defeated, scenes of celebration on EndorBespinTatooine, and Coruscant are shown. The musical theme "Ewok Celebration" (often referred to as "Yub Nub") during this sequence has been replaced with an entirely new John Williams composition, "Victory Celebration".
  • During the end celebration, a brief shot of Luke hugging Wedge Antilles was inserted.
  • "Parade of the Ewoks" is partially repeated in the ending credits music to make room for the new Special Edition release credits.
Sorry so many questions but does your edit include most of these changes??
So if your 97 SE ANH and ESB has these edits and not the 2004 DVD changes, then you have made my dream come true!! wow what an accomplishment!! you may have made history in the star wars universe!! I'm sure this is old new to you though :) 

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As far as the original theatrical release goes, the best source is unfortunately the GOUT unless the X0 project is ever released/finished.  It's not terribly difficult to create an anamorphic version with DVD Rebuilder Pro (which is technically not a free program, but there are ways around that ... ) and a ripping program like DVD Decrypter/burning program like ImageBurn.

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 (Edited)
dickalan said:

..

Now what I DO HAVE already is the 2004 DVD release and the 2006 (Bonus Discs) of the Theatrical Cut. However as everyone knows the bonus discs are non-anamorphic.

Non-anamorphic meaning that IF i had a widescreen TV they would show up weird. Right??

No, they would not show up "weird".

(why can't we just post links??? this doesn't make sense to me)

There's a very good reason we don't allow posting of links. If you don't agree with our rules, you are welcome to go somewhere else.

And if you're going to copy/paste from demonoid, make sure you just copy the text. I've just had to remove a load of links from your first post.

Guidelines for post content and general behaviour: read announcement here

Max. allowable image sizes in signatures: reminder here

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dickalan said: 
(why can't we just post links??? this doesn't make sense to me)

A wee hint for you.

Pugwash