Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 4K UHD (1977-2019)

[Nothing371]

here it is again:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/star-wa...?skuId=6393929

[KillaKiloz]

Any Canadians successfully pre-order this yet? The Best Buy Canada website no longer has it listed, though the American site still has it and the UK Amazon has it as well. Any luck from anyone?

[Jr7936]

UK set is 197.99 shipped to the USA
I can deal with the UK rating logos to save $50

Originally Posted by Viking61

That's the Canadian price .. in Canadian dollars.

US price is $249.99.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/star-wa...?skuId=6393929

[avs commenter]

My rankings

Anh
Esb
Rotj
Tfa
Tlj
Tros
Rots
Tpm
Aotc

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I've watched the changed versions so many times at this point I almost wonder if I'd miss them if I watched the originals. Honestly there's only a handful of changes I hate, the top one being "Jedi Rocks." A lot of the rest I've grown to like, or were never a big deal in the first place, like the wampa or the ropes on Han's legs, respectively.

That said the original versions should absolutely be preserved and available and it's a crime against cinema they are not (legally).

You'd be surprised. I was like that for a long time, too-- after I wore out my 1995 "Faces" VHS tapes, I bought the re-issues of the Special Editions (the one with Episode II sneak preview footage), and then later the DVD release, then the Blu-Ray release. That's about a decade give-or-take of just watching the various altered versions.

I finally caught the original versions again on one of the earlier fan preservation projects (basically an enhanced transfer of the DVD bonus material transfers), and I was a bit taken aback how much better I enjoyed the films, especially the original and Jedi. Aside from the biggest most obvious alterations (Greedo, Jedi Rocks, etc.) it was just a lot of little things that I thought made the films worse, which kept compiling with each release of the films.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by motorheadache95

You'd be surprised. I was like that for a long time, too-- after I wore out my 1995 "Faces" VHS tapes, I bought the re-issues of the Special Editions (the one with Episode II sneak preview footage), and then later the DVD release, then the Blu-Ray release. That's about a decade give-or-take of just watching the various altered versions.

I finally caught the original versions again on one of the earlier fan preservation projects (basically an enhanced transfer of the DVD bonus material transfers), and I was a bit taken aback how much better I enjoyed the films, especially the original and Jedi. Aside from the biggest most obvious alterations (Greedo, Jedi Rocks, etc.) it was just a lot of little things that I thought made the films worse, which kept compiling with each release of the films.

My biggest gripe is the added continuity errors. Like the disappearing windows when we cut back to Han and team after Vader appears in Cloud City, or the pointless expansion of the door of Jabba's palace not following through in the subsequent indoor shots. Those are more egregious than the shoddy CG Jabba, farting CG beasties or blinking Ewoks (although they're on about the same level as NOOOOOOOO).

[Covcraig]

Not sure if it's been mentioned here but was just going through my Amazon UK orders and the place holder art has updated to the same big book edition that best buy are getting

[DiccalfEgnaro]

Sorry if I'm off base here but has it been confirmed this includes the unaltered cut of the OT?

[Neon Rabbit]

Originally Posted by DiccalfEgnaro

Sorry if I'm off base here but has it been confirmed this includes the unaltered cut of the OT?

I don't think any of the bonus material has been confirmed yet, and the inclusion of the original cuts seems highly unlikely at this point. I would be extremely shocked if that turned out not to be the case.

[Snowcow]

Originally Posted by TheSweetieMan

They also have DNR mixed sporadically throughout all three of the original films, too, though.

What points during the original trilogy have DNR? I can see the edge-enhancement used throughout but I'm not really seeing any 'waxy' or grainlesss shots.

[Braktastic]

Originally Posted by avs commenter

My rankings

Anh
Esb
Rotj
Tfa
Tlj
Tros
Rots
Tpm
Aotc

I have to say your rankings are the closest to my own that I've seen online. I would flip RotS with the TRoS, but otherwise spot on.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jayman3

And what sense does it make to waste six discs (across the original saga) when those features could be compiled onto one or two discs.

Sounds like waste to me.

May be a waste, but it's the most economical from their viewpoint. I'm sure that they'll just be new pressings of the film and extras discs from previous Blu-ray releases.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Keep everything the same until she starts to float towards the ship, then cut back to Finn/Poe/Band of Merry Rebels seeing her float towards the ship, then cut back to her as she just approaches the door. So basically, the two main shots of her flying towards the ship and through the rubble are significantly shortened.

I think the point of contention for most people (even though they rarely articulate it) isn't Leia using Force powers, but how it's depicted. It just looks kinda silly, and I say that as someone who doesn't mind it (I did initially, but not so much on subsequent viewings).

I thought it was beautifully done the first time and my opinion hasn't changed on subsequent viewings, it still genuinely baffles me that there's so much hate for that bit (I don't mean you, but the genuine haterz).

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

I didn't say there were of outstanding picture quality. He--, most of the "special interests" DVDs have some of the worst picture quality out there. But what can I do? They're not putting them out on Blu-ray or 4K UHD. So it's either deal with the bad, bad quality or don't watch at all. Guess what? I choose to watch because something sometimes is better than nothing.

I'm good with 4K77 1.4

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I thought it was beautifully done the first time and my opinion hasn't changed on subsequent viewings, it still genuinely baffles me that there's so much hate for that bit (I don't mean you, but the genuine haterz).

Because suspending disbelief in a highly fantasy driven Sci franchise is to diffcult.

[Gold Ranger]

Amazon UK is now 180 pounds
I ordered when it was 150

[Vangeli]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

Amazon UK is now 180 pounds
I ordered when it was 150

It's £150 without the VAT.

[Rizor]

Originally Posted by Snowcow

What points during the original trilogy have DNR? I can see the edge-enhancement used throughout but I'm not really seeing any 'waxy' or grainlesss shots.

The grain has been managed throughout. The remasters of the OT were done in 4K by Lowry Digital/Reliance Mediaworks in 2012. The “Lowry Process” basically consists of their proprietary noise reduction software, sharpening, and then regraining using digital noise to give the film a more consistent, homogenous look. Their software can detect motion within a shot and kind of works around it. This method can lead to digital artifacts that some consider to look...unnatural. It can lead to things like frozen grain and grain that kind of just hovers over the image or has different motion around moving objects. The same company did the 2004 DVDs as well. The 4K remasters look better than the 2004 HD masters (which were used for the Blu-rays) because they were done at a higher resolution in mind and with newer/better technology. Lowry/Reliance (they’ve been sold a few times) was a big deal back in the DVD days but their popularity has fallen off in the HD era, probably because they’re not really known as film purists.

I think the 4K remasters look pretty decent. I had problems at first streaming through my Apple TV (many of the background details/noise looked static or acted really weird) but the noise/grain was handled better through my Nvidia Shield TV. There are some instances where the DNR is stronger however and the detail looks very poor. If you know what you’re seeing, you’ll see the noise reduction methods throughout. I put on the movies and scanned through them to find a few shots I think look more notably “waxy” even if there is a layer of fake grain on top of them. Again, your tolerance for this stuff will vary.

[Show spoiler] Star Wars: A New Hope
- 8:55 - The wide shot C-3PO and R2 after they land on Tattooine in ANH. Detail is quite shit on the droids. This is an optical shot following a transition wipe so it may have an excuse, but the following shot of C-3PO looks quite smeary as well.
- 18:33 to 19:33 - These wide/medium shots of Luke buying the droids. Luke looks denoised and undetailed but they’ve added some digital grain over him.

The Empire Strikes Back
- 1:25:56 - A very DNR’d wide shot of Han and Leia in Cloud City in ESB. Detail is obliterated and some edge enhancement as well. Could be because this is a special effect shot so it has an excuse.
I thought many of the medium/wide shots in of the group in Endor looked pretty bad too.
- 1:28:22 - Many of the Cloud City interiors have edge enhancement, frozen grain and DNR even when 1997 CGI isn’t involved.

Return of the Jedi
- 57:30 - a lot of the forest moon of Endor stuff looks pretty funky to me. Lots of sharp “grain” over waxy faces. These shots of Han, Luke and Leia look rather waxy.
- 1:26:07 - this wide shot of Chewie, Han and the gang looks really waxy, but it’s also part of an optical wipe, so it may have an excuse. But it still looks pretty bad when they cut back to this shot.
- 2:03:34 - The grain is doing something funky in this scene (when Han and Leia talk after the Death Star explodes). It kind of sticks to them. Look at Leia in particular, the grain on her face and clothes travels with her movement.

[Geoff D]

FYI: The diffusion used by DP Gil Taylor softened the hell out of a lot of those 'Tatooine' exteriors, not helped by some inclement weather when they were shooting the stuff with the droids which turned it into a "grey mess" in his own words, and the filtering on top only made it look even smudgier. (His method of diffusion was literally stretching a stocking over the lens!)

Now I ain't saying that it's the same thing as smeary Lowry processing as it's not, BUT it means that the desert exteriors are already up against it in terms of lacking crispness and detail and when they get Lowryfied then they're only gonna look even more funky.

[Nicolawicz]

I hate Lowry.