Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

The continual degradation of the original films on home video is absolutely inexcusable.

The irony is really biting as Star Wars and the OT not only: set new technical benchmarks for the industry, ushered in Dolby Stereo to a wider audience and helped to end the long reign of mono in conventional 35mm theaters, popularized the re-energized 70mm blowup format for years with Dolby included, instigated the THX quality control program on ROTJ-but also led the way in setting new video standards at least for a brief while. While the Definitive Collection master is riddled with awful problems-they were at least trying to do the best they knew how to in 1993 and using all of the best new technologies available that no one else was at the time.

I still don't own the Blu-rays. All I want is the bonus materials disc. I've seen the Saga set and examined them from friend's copies and quickly said not again. I remember waiting in line back in 2004 for the DVD set, coming home only to unbox the horror. I'd argue that those were among the worst studio releases ever on the format and while the BD set isn't so catastrophically bad in technical terms as the DVDs were, the further alterations are putrid on both artistic and technical levels.

And all that beautiful sound work is just gone. Gone on the outdated 6.1 remix of an error ridden 5.1 EX remix of a truly great and respectful 5.1 remix done for the 97 SE.
Listen to any version of the 97 SE mix and compare it to the BD audio. It's so night and day you'll never be able to go back.

Topping that off is what they did to the prequels. Why in the world do the prequels have issues? There is no reason why they've messed with and yet TPM has an appalling DNR riddled transfer and is again without its thunderous Dolby EX track or theatrical cut.

Any time I even think of SW on video I get extremely depressed. Yes, I know all the reasons why but it still doesn't make it feel any better.

I will admit to some pleasure in people's reactions when I tell them the best release of the film is still the limited 1992/1993 Technidisc CLV letterboxed reissue LD. It's absolutely insane but 100% true in terms of official releases. (ESB and ROTJ is down to JSC or US Fox copies I'd argue. This is the cliffs notes version as I made an entire video on the subject.) TPM's only choice is the Japanese exclusive LD which has the theatrical cut and correct audio but a not so good transfer.


Lastly, I'll also admit to becoming a full mono convert for SW. This happened a few years ago, and in spite of being used to the other mixes and their historical importance-I quickly fell in love with the mono mix and haven't been able to go back.

I was like 15 minutes into the ANH Blu-ray when I saw how saturated this shot was. Totally bummed me out.



Lucas cared more about adding new rocks and screams than making sure the picture was pristine. What did he care? He was on the verge of trading his Star Wars assets for truckloads of money. It would soon be Disney's problem.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I was like 15 minutes into the ANH Blu-ray when I saw how saturated this shot was. Totally bummed me out.



Lucas cared more about adding new rocks and screams than making sure the picture was pristine. What did he care? He was on the verge of trading his Star Wars assets for truckloads of money. It would soon be Disney's problem.

The fluorescent blue panels on R2-D2’s dome are awful.

[JediKnight2]

They even messed up the prequels on the Bluray set (I also don't like the changes, but I'm just talking about the picture quality).
Episode 1 looks DNR'ed as hell, they also applied DNR to episode 2 and even a bit to episode 3.

Episode 2 also has a green blanket tint applied over the whole movie (even the 20th century fox logo and the end credits have this tint).

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

I still don't own the Blu-rays. All I want is the bonus materials disc. I've seen the Saga set and examined them from friend's copies and quickly said not again.

After hearing about the changes, I refused to buy them myself. I ended up getting them as an unexpected gift, when earlier on the same day I had been online trashing them.

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I was like 15 minutes into the ANH Blu-ray when I saw how saturated this shot was. Totally bummed me out.

You think that's bad, you should see the Lawrence of Arabia steelbook.

[mulscul]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

The continual degradation of the original films on home video is absolutely inexcusable.

The irony is really biting as Star Wars and the OT not only: set new technical benchmarks for the industry, ushered in Dolby Stereo to a wider audience and helped to end the long reign of mono in conventional 35mm theaters, popularized the re-energized 70mm blowup format for years with Dolby included, instigated the THX quality control program on ROTJ-but also led the way in setting new video standards at least for a brief while. While the Definitive Collection master is riddled with awful problems-they were at least trying to do the best they knew how to in 1993 and using all of the best new technologies available that no one else was at the time.

I still don't own the Blu-rays. All I want is the bonus materials disc. I've seen the Saga set and examined them from friend's copies and quickly said not again. I remember waiting in line back in 2004 for the DVD set, coming home only to unbox the horror. I'd argue that those were among the worst studio releases ever on the format and while the BD set isn't so catastrophically bad in technical terms as the DVDs were, the further alterations are putrid on both artistic and technical levels.

And all that beautiful sound work is just gone. Gone on the outdated 6.1 remix of an error ridden 5.1 EX remix of a truly great and respectful 5.1 remix done for the 97 SE.
Listen to any version of the 97 SE mix and compare it to the BD audio. It's so night and day you'll never be able to go back.

Topping that off is what they did to the prequels. Why in the world do the prequels have issues? There is no reason why they've messed with and yet TPM has an appalling DNR riddled transfer and is again without its thunderous Dolby EX track or theatrical cut.

Any time I even think of SW on video I get extremely depressed. Yes, I know all the reasons why but it still doesn't make it feel any better.

I will admit to some pleasure in people's reactions when I tell them the best release of the film is still the limited 1992/1993 Technidisc CLV letterboxed reissue LD. It's absolutely insane but 100% true in terms of official releases. (ESB and ROTJ is down to JSC or US Fox copies I'd argue. This is the cliffs notes version as I made an entire video on the subject.) TPM's only choice is the Japanese exclusive LD which has the theatrical cut and correct audio but a not so good transfer.


Lastly, I'll also admit to becoming a full mono convert for SW. This happened a few years ago, and in spite of being used to the other mixes and their historical importance-I quickly fell in love with the mono mix and haven't been able to go back.

The despecialized editions have the ld tracks and 70mm sound as audio options listed on each movie. Not sure if they replicate those tracks entirely, im sure if you google image search you will see the audio track selection/menu

[stvn1974]

I refused to buy the BD sets due to more changes but my mother saw the blue OT set with Vader on the cover and bought it for me after seeing it on a display. She thought it was the theatrical cuts because nowhere on the box did it say Special Editions. She was excited and when she gave it to me I told her about the changes and said she would return in. I thought I might have hurt her feelings but instead she said "f*ck that sh*t, why can't he leave those movies alone?" She took it back later. I love my mom.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by Arawn

After hearing about the changes, I refused to buy them myself. I ended up getting them as an unexpected gift, when earlier on the same day I had been online trashing them.

Keep the bonus discs and bin / gift the rest.

[imsounoriginal]

I can mostly deal with the 1997 and 2004 changes (I grew up with those versions anyway), but the 2011 changes are just nonsense. Once I got those LE DVDs, I never looked back.

[crissrudd4554]

The 2006 bonus discs I think would be more acceptable had they just sharpened/up scaled them and converted them to 16:9. Yes the masters were a tad problematic in places but I doubt the negative reaction they got would have been as harsh had those two things had been done.

[imsounoriginal]

16:9 would've been enough for me, but even as they are, they're watchable enough. Considering the officially released alternatives, I don't see a better option.

[stvn1974]

I will take fuzzy non-anomorphic picture and 2.0 lossy audio over having to hear Vader yell out "No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" any day.

Also, thank goodness for Harmy.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by JediKnight2

Episode 2 also has a green blanket tint applied over the whole movie (even the 20th century fox logo and the end credits have this tint).

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Thank goodness for the non-anamorphic Star Wars Trilogy DVDs and the Fellowship Of The Ring Extended Edtion DVD set.

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by JediKnight2

They even messed up the prequels on the Bluray set (I also don't like the changes, but I'm just talking about the picture quality).
Episode 1 looks DNR'ed as hell, they also applied DNR to episode 2 and even a bit to episode 3.

Episode 2 also has a green blanket tint applied over the whole movie (even the 20th century fox logo and the end credits have this tint).

Let's hope that a 4K release will fix the DNR and tint.

[motorheadache95]

I haven't had to rely on official releases for a while now to watch the UOT (although I do own the official DVD and Blu-Ray releases). I started with enhanced 16:9 color-corrected DVDs sourced from the LE DVD transfers, then went to Harmy's Despecialized, and now 4K 77/83 (still waiting for Empire on that one).

It's really stupid to have to go to such measures to watch the original Star Wars films, but it is what it is. Hopefully Disney does end up offering every version when they release the films in 4K, but if not, it will still open the door for even better fan preservations.

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by JediKnight2

They even messed up the prequels on the Bluray set (I also don't like the changes, but I'm just talking about the picture quality).
Episode 1 looks DNR'ed as hell, they also applied DNR to episode 2 and even a bit to episode 3.

Episode 2 also has a green blanket tint applied over the whole movie (even the 20th century fox logo and the end credits have this tint).

Yeah, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would rebuy the prequel trilogy in a new UHD set if they went back to the original masters and left out all the weird tinkering that was done for the Blu-Ray transfers. Episode I needs the DNR gone, and Episode II needs to get rid of that tint and fix the editing mistakes done in a couple of scenes.

If we go even farther, it would be awesome if they include the original theatrical cut of Phantom Menace and the IMAX cut of Attack of the Clones, both of which improve the pacing of the movies.

[Nitroboy]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

It's really stupid to have to go to such measures to watch the original Star Wars films, but it is what it is. Hopefully Disney does end up offering every version when they release the films in 4K, but if not, it will still open the door for even better fan preservations.

Imagine 100GB UHD discs with branching for every version of Star Wars. 1977, 1981, 1997, 2004, 2011

[imsounoriginal]

I'd be fine with a BD66 of just the original version.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by JediKnight2

Episode 2 also has a green blanket tint applied over the whole movie (even the 20th century fox logo and the end credits have this tint).

Just as Peter Jackson always intended, amirite?

[imsounoriginal]

Don't think that's DNR on Ep. II, it just wasn't shot at a very high resolution to begin with.