Having a physical-media copy in your possession is the only way to actually own anything, as the various game server shutdowns and streaming service content removals or modifications have repeatedly proven.
What I do not understand about both Disney and George Lucas is why they simply refuse to offer the original versions of the films. Like, why?! It's ridiculous.
Yeah, it's a weird aspect of the original Star Wars films. You would think a large corporation would want all the money that would be made off the purchase of the original versions.
That's a very good question my friend. At this point, the two versions should had been available like other post edited, revisited however they will call it films.
I know it sounds crazy. But Lucas actually doesn’t care about money. He considers himself an artist who just happened to make an incredibly successful commercial film. And he just happened to be a smart business man along the way. Lucas doesn’t see the original prints serving his vision anymore. So to him, they literally don’t make sense to be shown. And supposedly, when he sold Lucasfilm and SW, it was in the contract that the original prints/cuts/and releases of the films would not be commercially released. That could possibly change, as often times clauses in contracts are time and length sensitive. And while Disney enjoys profits first and foremost, they see the most value in creating their own SW properties. They don’t see a lot of value in the OT unfortunately. As merch, sure, but not as media. It doesn’t move the needle for them.
For George, it's because with enough alterations he was able to screw his ex-wife out of a decent chunk of royalties she would've received. Marcia deserved better. She was THE editor for the Original Trilogy, and a lot of the creative decisions she made at the time ended up being instrumental to the films' massive success. I imagine George hates that fact; is trying to distance as much as he possibly can, and is forcing the rest of us to come along for the ride. And of course he'd never admit to any of this on camera - but think about it - doesn't viewing things from this lens suddenly make all of his platitudes about how the many pointless CGI changes in the special editions are his way of creating "the original vision and story that I always intended" a whole lot less head-scratching?
Right there with you man I have the Blu-ray box set but whenever I watch the originals trilogy it's always the older DVD releases. I even have a collection of the original VHS releases that are my most treasured items because they are as close to the unaltered versions as possible
I do know about the fan-made restorations. That's where I actually found out about the DVD set I own. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Harmy or 4k77, 80, or 83 versions; however I like to use physical media and I'd need to burn the files on a disc. Since I don't have everything for that, I'm not sure if I want to buy it all just to use it a few times. I'm also not a fan of buying a premade disc of these unless they came straight from the original creator and I know the original creators like Harmy, don't approve of buying it on disc from a 3rd party.
You should always at least try to have the officially-released physical versions of these movies in your possession. It's just a good faith gesture and gives the fan-made restoration community enough ammo to keep doing what they're doing without fear that Lucasfilm/Disney is going to come after them for cutting into profits. I have these Limited Editions as well - picked them up for $15 bucks apiece when they were released. I just had a feeling that they were going to be the only official release of the theatrical cuts outside of that original Ultimate Trilogy laserdisc set (and I was right) However, I downloaded the Team Negative 4K projects of each film long ago and watch those when I need my Star Wars fix.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater You don't necessarily need to burn them to disc, some Blu-ray players will play back MKV files off of a USB stick, That's how I play them back on TVs because it's a bit harder to find 50GB writable discs than 25GB ones. The 4k files might be a bit much unless you find a really good USB stick but the 1080p versions should playback okay and you can always make them more managable by converting them to mp4 files with Handbrake.
About 11 or 12 years ago, I bought the 2006 DVDs individually online. They were not cheap back then either. About three years ago, I bought the 1995 video boxset online.
I remember when the DVDs first released with the "Theatrical" cuts. At that time, I didn't care too much about it but I remember my older cousins and uncles being super excited. All these years later with the fact that Disney / George Lucas has never released them again, I can understand why they were so excited. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater Tempted to get the Special Edition trilogy set from 1997 on video too. They were pretty much the first version I was introduced to. Before 2012 when I got the 2006 DVDs with the theatrical versions, I had the 2004 DVD set--and still do.
The one I have is the one with DARTH VADER on the cover. It has TPM , AOTC , ROTS , ANH , TESB , and ROTJ . Where the original trilogy is concerned, it has both the original versions, and the versions with extra scenes added.
I ripped the original videos, cropped them correctly so they would display right (removed the left/right black bars) and applied a light "unsharp mask" with a high bitrate and they look surprisingly good on my TV. I really can't recommend watching the original cuts straight from the DVD due to the default formatting.
Agreed. This is the Dolby experience we had in theaters and am glad they didn't 5.1 butcher it. I was very fortunate to walk up on the Best Buy tin for retail @ sixty bucks!
I like the idea of examining the importance/personal significance of any individual piece of home media. I actually bought all of these before watching them for the first time with my girlfriend, who had never actually watched any of the Star Wars movies before that. So they also have significance to me.
Thanks. That's the reason why I do these videos and my nostalgia videos. I like to talk about my reasons for owning different things in my home theater.
I haven't watched the DVDs since I got the Laserdiscs 😭 The picture quality isn't as good, but they just completely blow the DVDs out of the water when it comes to the audio.
@@airbendingeagle2358 One huge benefit the DVDs have over the LDs is that you can stick them in an upscaling player and get a surprisingly passable presentation.
I will always remember this from BIG BANG. Leonard, Howard, and Raj are getting ready to watch STAR WARS. And of course, Sheldon is holding things up. And Howard screams: "Sheldon, will you come in and watch STAR WARS with us before George Lucas changes it again?!"
Yeah, I know about them. I wouldn't mind seeing them but I like to watch physical media and I don't want to buy them from a 3rd party as Harmy doesn't approve of that practice.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater You don't have to buy them. In fact, you should never buy them. Team Negative's 4K projects (which are, by far, the most pure versions available) are freely available to download in any form you like - including the iso so you can burn them to Blu-ray. I downloaded the full 4K mkv files and play them from my Plex server. With a little work, you can have physical versions of these movies that actually blow away the official 4K releases in terms of video quality. I'd post the link but RUclips would automatically delete the comment. There's absolutely no reason to suffer through those 30 year-old laserdisc transfers ever again (definitely hang onto them, though).
The theatrical versions are online if you know where to look. Taken from a scan, they are not the despecalized editions. not high resolution but very watchable.
After all conversation here, I decided to download the Harmy Restorations, but haven't had a chance to watch them. I'm curious to see what they're like. I'll always keep my DVD set, but the fan restorations may become my go to viewing experience.
Here, I made a chain-of-custody of what the source was for the 2006 GOUT DVDs. You’re welcome. • 1977: Original negative. • 1981: Copy of original negative (used to make interpositive). • 1985: Interpositive print. • 1985: Video master created from the 1985 interpositive. • 1993: Enhanced video master derived from the 1985 master. • 2006: GOUT DVD sourced from the 1993 enhanced video master.
I also adquired the entire saga from episode I to VI recently, the THX digitally remastered DVD version from 2002-2004 era, to be more precisely. Only for 1,5 € each. Even episode 1 and II were unopened for the first time. The blu-ray and 4k versions doesn't have too much diference in quality compared with those versions indeed.
True, the quality isn't that different between the different formats in my opinion. Add in the theatrical cuts of the films, and I don't think I have a need to get a different set.
Same, I got mine secondhand about two years ago. But I've had a new set of the 2004 dvd platinum release SE of the trilogy since 2008 and "acquired" a laser disc transfer to dvd of the 1997 release of ROTJ. I generally only watch the 2004 version of ANH (with CGI Jabba), 2004 release ESB (with replaced Palpatine) and the theatrical release of ROTJ (with old Anakin force ghost and Yub Nub Ewok song at the end). I ignore the prequel trilogy and the Dismal sequel trilogy. I love watching Rogue One on dvd too.
When you get that laserdisc player, I guess we know what’s on your shopping list. :-) There are some great editions of the original trilogy on the “big discs” to collect, as your point out. Cheers.
Shame it's the best we can do. I would never support the special editions and Harmy's Despecialized is as good as it can get, I know it's no official release though. I still have the VHS releases and these DVDs as well. Great Balor and wrestling collection... subscribed.
I literally just got this set about 2 months ago, the box was in a very used condition, but the dvds and cases are in very good condition. At a pawn shop for like $8… CAD!!! So very good price. My discs are in great shape, I played the bonus discs just to see that godawful quality. But at least it’s theatrical cuts, which the closest I had the those were the ‘95 “faces” set on tape and full screen I myself own several Star Wars sets, either collected over the years and thrift store finds
That's a great deal on the DVD set. I also had the old "Faces" VHS set. That was the first version of the original films that I remember watching. Those tapes are long gone at this point, but I'm perfectly happy with the 2006 DVDs.
I found the Limited Edition original trilogy (the separate versions) on DVD at a local book/movie store for $1.95 each. Guess they didn't know what they had. They look nearly identical to the 1995 laserdisc releases. I'm assuming that's what the DVDs were mastered from.
I wasn't that interested when they first came out. I originally didn't see the reason people made such a big deal out of it. But now all these years later, I understand why everyone wanted the "Theatrical" cuts. I was happy to get a deal on my set a few years ago. Thanks.
I would assume those would be fine transfers, they just wouldn't have the "original" versions. Nothing wrong with it though. Physical media is the way to go in my opinion, no matter the format.
I own that DVD set of the original trilogy and I have to say that it's the best out there. Disney and George Lucas need to be ashamed of themselves for releasing the crap that they have on Disney Plus and the Blu-Ray versions of the original trilogy. The way I see it is at least the 2006 DVD "Special Editions" of the movies are not *half as bad as* the versions that are currently available either on Blu-Ray or Disney Plus. Even in "A New Hope" it went from only Han Shooting Greedo (aka Han Shot First), to Greedo poorly shooting and Han shooting Greedo (because George Lucas didn't want Han shooting Greedo first and looking like a bad guy), to "Maclunkey". I mean... What the actual hell, George and Disney? Sam Elliott put it best in Roadhouse "When a man puts a gun to your face, you got 2 choices. You can die or you can kill the ........" That is why I own the 2006 DVD set of The Original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the Prequel trilogy.
I have those and every 5-10 years I get the urge to watch the theatrical versions but it always just makes me realize that 99% of the changes Lucas made are actually improvements. I don’t know why anyone would prefer the theatrical versions.
I think nostalgia plays a large role in why people want to watch the "original" versions. I know that's why I enjoy watching them. I don't have any issues with the "Special Editions," except maybe with Greedo shooting first. I just like having both versions in my collection and since it seems like small things get added or changed with each release, I'm fine with keeping this set. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater I do understand that. I saw Star Wars in 1977 and watched my VHS copies hundreds of times. Sometime I want nostalgia, but usually I just want the effects to look good.
The changes I don't like: -Star Wars: the scene with Jabba, Greedo shooting, Obi-Wan's creature scream to scare away the sand people, adding digital images (a rock in front of R2-D2, more stormtroopers on the Death Star put in place of a wall) -Empire Strikes Back: showing the Wampa eating, changing Darth Vader's line "Bring my shuttle" to "alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival" -Return of the Jedi: Jabba's band, Darth Vader yelling "No!" when he kills the emperor, the end celebration on Endor, the Sarlaac pit The changes in Return of the Jedi are by far the worst.
Star Wars was boundary-pushing in its day, more than anything else, for its sound and visuals. When we pluck and place that movie within a context in which the boundaries it's pushing up against are replaced with the boundaries of more modern effects standards, we lose an academic and historic element to viewing one of the most significant pieces of pop-culture to grace the Earth. And objectively: That is a crime against the very idea of culture itself. Besides, it's fun to look back and see how far film effects have come since 1977, and likewise, how well a lot of the "primitive" models and best effects shots have aged.
I've never purchased any international releases. I've often heard that releases in other countries vary in quality with some being superior to US releases. Nonetheless, still a good bargain pickup. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater , well i do have all 4 of the released films on Japanese Laserdisc. And that was how i watched them recently from the Definitive Collection to Phantom Menace. Episode II never got a release despite a featurette being on the 2000 laserdisc set. Last month i got the 1997 Special Edition as well but i haven't watched them yet. I also have my VHS copies of Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones US releases first one is letterbox the second pan and scan, no Revenge of the Sith was ever released here on VHS.
Shame that the bonus discs were pan and scan and not wide-screen. Criminal that George Lucas didn't make it wide-screen. I still prefer to watch these versions although I have to use the zoom on my TV get in wide-screen mode. It means the picture quality suffers, but it's still closer to the version I watched at the cinema, and better than my VHS version.
I do the same thing with a zoom mode on my player. As someone else mentioned in a different comment, projectors are more forgiving of lower quality content. So I think these versions are still pretty good on my setup. Thanks.
I think they may have done a re-release of some sort because my boxset has a 2006 date on it. Either way, I think this version is a good one to own. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater They were re-released from 2006 when they sold them individually but in 2008 they put them in those slim cases and sold them in that box set. They also did that with the prequel DVDs and sold them in slim cases in a box set in 2008 also.
I'd also say that they look pretty good on my setup. They're not super HD or anything, but definitely watchable if the equipment is decent. Thanks for the reply.
I have the 1995 VHS box set sealed. I have the 97 box set release of the gold and silver edition sealed. I have the 2004 DVD box set both gold and silver edition sealed. I have the prequel trilogy box set that is 1 sealed and 1 soon to be unsealed. Along with the prequel trilogy box set I also have the original trilogy 2008 Box set 1 unsealed and 2 sealed. I also have the Clone Wars movie and series box set sealed and 1 soon to be unsealed. Except for seasons 6 and 7 I won't watch those because I don't think they are George Lucas's Because those were released after he had sold. Plus I have sealed duplicates of the 4K versions of the original trilogy and prequel trilogy.1 Set to keep sealed and 1 set to open. I mention all this to show that I love the original trilogy theatrical version, the remastered version of the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and the clone wars seasons 1 through 5. all the same, I love them all equally. I have no complaints. Why because those are George Lucas's creations. I laugh at those who complain about the remastered versions of the original trilogy and I laugh at those who complain about the prequel trilogy. I say to myself and they call themselves fans.
That's quite a bit of collecting and I totally understand. I have nothing against the updated versions that George Lucas has done of the original trilogy or the prequels. I enjoy all of them and that's why I own this specific set as it has both versions of the original trilogy. Granted, some more stuff was changed later on, but it's close enough for me. I still prefer to watch the "theatrical" versions, but I don't look down on anyone if they like or even prefer the "Special Editions." Everyone has their own tastes and I'm not here to say what's right or wrong.
@2ndHandHomeTheater I like your comment and I forgot to mention that I have a George Lucas Stormtrooper sealed in its original packaging and the Original trilogy in the Disney 100 tin. Also I do not watch any sequel trilogy crap.
We're all human and a typo is a typo. I'm not a full-time RUclipsr, just someone doing this in his spare time. I do appreciate you taking the time to point that out to me though. Thanks.
Having a physical-media copy in your possession is the only way to actually own anything, as the various game server shutdowns and streaming service content removals or modifications have repeatedly proven.
I agree. That's a big reason a lot of people collect physical media of various sorts. Once you have it, it's yours. Thanks.
What I do not understand about both Disney and George Lucas is why they simply refuse to offer the original versions of the films. Like, why?! It's ridiculous.
Yeah, it's a weird aspect of the original Star Wars films. You would think a large corporation would want all the money that would be made off the purchase of the original versions.
It's suspected it's in Disney's contract with Lucas that can't but no one knows outside of Disney/Lucas.
That's a very good question my friend. At this point, the two versions should had been available like other post edited, revisited however they will call it films.
I know it sounds crazy. But Lucas actually doesn’t care about money. He considers himself an artist who just happened to make an incredibly successful commercial film. And he just happened to be a smart business man along the way. Lucas doesn’t see the original prints serving his vision anymore. So to him, they literally don’t make sense to be shown. And supposedly, when he sold Lucasfilm and SW, it was in the contract that the original prints/cuts/and releases of the films would not be commercially released. That could possibly change, as often times clauses in contracts are time and length sensitive. And while Disney enjoys profits first and foremost, they see the most value in creating their own SW properties. They don’t see a lot of value in the OT unfortunately. As merch, sure, but not as media. It doesn’t move the needle for them.
For George, it's because with enough alterations he was able to screw his ex-wife out of a decent chunk of royalties she would've received. Marcia deserved better. She was THE editor for the Original Trilogy, and a lot of the creative decisions she made at the time ended up being instrumental to the films' massive success. I imagine George hates that fact; is trying to distance as much as he possibly can, and is forcing the rest of us to come along for the ride.
And of course he'd never admit to any of this on camera - but think about it - doesn't viewing things from this lens suddenly make all of his platitudes about how the many pointless CGI changes in the special editions are his way of creating "the original vision and story that I always intended" a whole lot less head-scratching?
Right there with you man I have the Blu-ray box set but whenever I watch the originals trilogy it's always the older DVD releases. I even have a collection of the original VHS releases that are my most treasured items because they are as close to the unaltered versions as possible
Who's going to tell him about Harmy's Despecialized Edition, 4K77 etc? Lol
How do you get copies of those?
I do know about the fan-made restorations. That's where I actually found out about the DVD set I own. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Harmy or 4k77, 80, or 83 versions; however I like to use physical media and I'd need to burn the files on a disc. Since I don't have everything for that, I'm not sure if I want to buy it all just to use it a few times. I'm also not a fan of buying a premade disc of these unless they came straight from the original creator and I know the original creators like Harmy, don't approve of buying it on disc from a 3rd party.
You should always at least try to have the officially-released physical versions of these movies in your possession. It's just a good faith gesture and gives the fan-made restoration community enough ammo to keep doing what they're doing without fear that Lucasfilm/Disney is going to come after them for cutting into profits. I have these Limited Editions as well - picked them up for $15 bucks apiece when they were released. I just had a feeling that they were going to be the only official release of the theatrical cuts outside of that original Ultimate Trilogy laserdisc set (and I was right) However, I downloaded the Team Negative 4K projects of each film long ago and watch those when I need my Star Wars fix.
@@Downhuman74 I still have my VHS box set from about 25 years ago lol
@@2ndHandHomeTheater You don't necessarily need to burn them to disc, some Blu-ray players will play back MKV files off of a USB stick, That's how I play them back on TVs because it's a bit harder to find 50GB writable discs than 25GB ones. The 4k files might be a bit much unless you find a really good USB stick but the 1080p versions should playback okay and you can always make them more managable by converting them to mp4 files with Handbrake.
About 11 or 12 years ago, I bought the 2006 DVDs individually online. They were not cheap back then either. About three years ago, I bought the 1995 video boxset online.
I remember when the DVDs first released with the "Theatrical" cuts. At that time, I didn't care too much about it but I remember my older cousins and uncles being super excited. All these years later with the fact that Disney / George Lucas has never released them again, I can understand why they were so excited. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater Tempted to get the Special Edition trilogy set from 1997 on video too. They were pretty much the first version I was introduced to. Before 2012 when I got the 2006 DVDs with the theatrical versions, I had the 2004 DVD set--and still do.
The one I have is the one with DARTH VADER on the cover. It has TPM , AOTC , ROTS , ANH , TESB , and ROTJ . Where the original trilogy is concerned, it has both the original versions, and the versions with extra scenes added.
I ripped the original videos, cropped them correctly so they would display right (removed the left/right black bars) and applied a light "unsharp mask" with a high bitrate and they look surprisingly good on my TV. I really can't recommend watching the original cuts straight from the DVD due to the default formatting.
Agreed. This is the Dolby experience we had in theaters and am glad they didn't 5.1 butcher it. I was very fortunate to walk up on the Best Buy tin for retail @ sixty bucks!
While I do enjoy some updated audio mixes, I also enjoy the purity of finding what the original theatrical releases had. Thanks for the comment.
I like the idea of examining the importance/personal significance of any individual piece of home media. I actually bought all of these before watching them for the first time with my girlfriend, who had never actually watched any of the Star Wars movies before that. So they also have significance to me.
Thanks. That's the reason why I do these videos and my nostalgia videos. I like to talk about my reasons for owning different things in my home theater.
I got mine signed by Mark Hamill Carrie Fisher and Jeremy bulloch during my first Celebration here in Orlando
That's really cool. I can't say I have any autographed Star Wars merch. Would be neat to have though. Thanks.
I haven't watched the DVDs since I got the Laserdiscs 😭
The picture quality isn't as good, but they just completely blow the DVDs out of the water when it comes to the audio.
I know the Laserdisc versions are highly regarded for the audio quality. They're towards the top of my list when I find a laserdisc player. Thanks.
I admit that the DVD audio on the bonus versions are rather lackluster
@@airbendingeagle2358 One huge benefit the DVDs have over the LDs is that you can stick them in an upscaling player and get a surprisingly passable presentation.
I will always remember this from BIG BANG. Leonard, Howard, and Raj are getting ready to watch STAR WARS. And of course, Sheldon is holding things up. And Howard screams: "Sheldon, will you come in and watch STAR WARS with us before George Lucas changes it again?!"
You can buy a bluray of the harmy despecialized version for less than the cost of those 2006 dvds.
That's true, I actually downloaded them after posting this video. However, I do enjoy having the last studio produced copy of the original trilogy.
Get the despecialized editions
Yeah, I know about them. I wouldn't mind seeing them but I like to watch physical media and I don't want to buy them from a 3rd party as Harmy doesn't approve of that practice.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater You don't have to buy them. In fact, you should never buy them. Team Negative's 4K projects (which are, by far, the most pure versions available) are freely available to download in any form you like - including the iso so you can burn them to Blu-ray. I downloaded the full 4K mkv files and play them from my Plex server. With a little work, you can have physical versions of these movies that actually blow away the official 4K releases in terms of video quality. I'd post the link but RUclips would automatically delete the comment. There's absolutely no reason to suffer through those 30 year-old laserdisc transfers ever again (definitely hang onto them, though).
Could you please tell me what player you have? Cause I bought this exact collection but my BD player is not compatible with it. Thanks in advance!
Sorry for taking so long to respond. It's a Panasonic BD85 Blu-ray Player.
The theatrical versions are online if you know where to look. Taken from a scan, they are not the despecalized editions. not high resolution but very watchable.
After all conversation here, I decided to download the Harmy Restorations, but haven't had a chance to watch them. I'm curious to see what they're like. I'll always keep my DVD set, but the fan restorations may become my go to viewing experience.
Here, I made a chain-of-custody of what the source was for the 2006 GOUT DVDs. You’re welcome.
• 1977: Original negative.
• 1981: Copy of original negative (used to make interpositive).
• 1985: Interpositive print.
• 1985: Video master created from the 1985 interpositive.
• 1993: Enhanced video master derived from the 1985 master.
• 2006: GOUT DVD sourced from the 1993 enhanced video master.
I also adquired the entire saga from episode I to VI recently, the THX digitally remastered DVD version from 2002-2004 era, to be more precisely. Only for 1,5 € each. Even episode 1 and II were unopened for the first time. The blu-ray and 4k versions doesn't have too much diference in quality compared with those versions indeed.
True, the quality isn't that different between the different formats in my opinion. Add in the theatrical cuts of the films, and I don't think I have a need to get a different set.
I have the same versions, picture is ok but the sound is phenomenal. It is the original 35mm 4.2.4. matrix sound mix, and it's great.
Same, I got mine secondhand about two years ago. But I've had a new set of the 2004 dvd platinum release SE of the trilogy since 2008 and "acquired" a laser disc transfer to dvd of the 1997 release of ROTJ. I generally only watch the 2004 version of ANH (with CGI Jabba), 2004 release ESB (with replaced Palpatine) and the theatrical release of ROTJ (with old Anakin force ghost and Yub Nub Ewok song at the end). I ignore the prequel trilogy and the Dismal sequel trilogy. I love watching Rogue One on dvd too.
A true OTR fan. Well done.
I appreciate it. Thanks.
When you get that laserdisc player, I guess we know what’s on your shopping list. :-) There are some great editions of the original trilogy on the “big discs” to collect, as your point out. Cheers.
That's right, along with some other titles I'd like to find. I also think it'd be cool to just own a Laserdisc player for the nostalgia of it. Thanks.
Shame it's the best we can do. I would never support the special editions and Harmy's Despecialized is as good as it can get, I know it's no official release though. I still have the VHS releases and these DVDs as well. Great Balor and wrestling collection... subscribed.
Thanks, I appreciate the comment.
I literally just got this set about 2 months ago, the box was in a very used condition, but the dvds and cases are in very good condition. At a pawn shop for like $8… CAD!!! So very good price. My discs are in great shape, I played the bonus discs just to see that godawful quality. But at least it’s theatrical cuts, which the closest I had the those were the ‘95 “faces” set on tape and full screen
I myself own several Star Wars sets, either collected over the years and thrift store finds
That's a great deal on the DVD set. I also had the old "Faces" VHS set. That was the first version of the original films that I remember watching. Those tapes are long gone at this point, but I'm perfectly happy with the 2006 DVDs.
I found the Limited Edition original trilogy (the separate versions) on DVD at a local book/movie store for $1.95 each. Guess they didn't know what they had. They look nearly identical to the 1995 laserdisc releases. I'm assuming that's what the DVDs were mastered from.
I'm fairly certain that they're pulled from the Collector's Edition Laserdisc. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's what I read.
I got mine when they came out and found back-ups at used dvd stores.
I wasn't that interested when they first came out. I originally didn't see the reason people made such a big deal out of it. But now all these years later, I understand why everyone wanted the "Theatrical" cuts. I was happy to get a deal on my set a few years ago. Thanks.
I am looking for the 2019 Star Wars DVDs. They are the 2011 blu-ray adaptation onto DVD.
I would assume those would be fine transfers, they just wouldn't have the "original" versions. Nothing wrong with it though. Physical media is the way to go in my opinion, no matter the format.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater The screen coloring on them is better than the 2004 versions. Which is why i prefer to buy those.
Present for me as a teen. Thanks mum
Can't beat that as a gift. Sometimes it's the small things.
I'd love to have those DVD with the two editions!!! The only edition i own is the argentinean Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition on VHS 😁
I'm not sure where you live, but you can find the American DVDs online in a few places. I'm not sure about other regions though. Thanks for watching.
Got these from Best Buy back in the day in a special tin case. Will never part with it unless the rerelease on bluray.
I own that DVD set of the original trilogy and I have to say that it's the best out there.
Disney and George Lucas need to be ashamed of themselves for releasing the crap that they have on Disney Plus and the Blu-Ray versions of the original trilogy. The way I see it is at least the 2006 DVD "Special Editions" of the movies are not *half as bad as* the versions that are currently available either on Blu-Ray or Disney Plus. Even in "A New Hope" it went from only Han Shooting Greedo (aka Han Shot First), to Greedo poorly shooting and Han shooting Greedo (because George Lucas didn't want Han shooting Greedo first and looking like a bad guy), to "Maclunkey". I mean... What the actual hell, George and Disney? Sam Elliott put it best in Roadhouse "When a man puts a gun to your face, you got 2 choices. You can die or you can kill the ........"
That is why I own the 2006 DVD set of The Original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the Prequel trilogy.
The original unadulterated versions of course.
I have those and every 5-10 years I get the urge to watch the theatrical versions but it always just makes me realize that 99% of the changes Lucas made are actually improvements. I don’t know why anyone would prefer the theatrical versions.
I think nostalgia plays a large role in why people want to watch the "original" versions. I know that's why I enjoy watching them. I don't have any issues with the "Special Editions," except maybe with Greedo shooting first. I just like having both versions in my collection and since it seems like small things get added or changed with each release, I'm fine with keeping this set. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater I do understand that. I saw Star Wars in 1977 and watched my VHS copies hundreds of times. Sometime I want nostalgia, but usually I just want the effects to look good.
The changes I don't like:
-Star Wars: the scene with Jabba, Greedo shooting, Obi-Wan's creature scream to scare away the sand people, adding digital images (a rock in front of R2-D2, more stormtroopers on the Death Star put in place of a wall)
-Empire Strikes Back: showing the Wampa eating, changing Darth Vader's line "Bring my shuttle" to "alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival"
-Return of the Jedi: Jabba's band, Darth Vader yelling "No!" when he kills the emperor, the end celebration on Endor, the Sarlaac pit
The changes in Return of the Jedi are by far the worst.
@@Criner05 those are pretty much the changes I don’t like as well, but the changes I do like still outweigh them.
Star Wars was boundary-pushing in its day, more than anything else, for its sound and visuals. When we pluck and place that movie within a context in which the boundaries it's pushing up against are replaced with the boundaries of more modern effects standards, we lose an academic and historic element to viewing one of the most significant pieces of pop-culture to grace the Earth. And objectively: That is a crime against the very idea of culture itself.
Besides, it's fun to look back and see how far film effects have come since 1977, and likewise, how well a lot of the "primitive" models and best effects shots have aged.
*the original Star Wars Laser Disc copies!* 💡
I have the US release, but i also have the Pal Australian DVD for ROTJ. I think i paid 6 bucks for that new.
I've never purchased any international releases. I've often heard that releases in other countries vary in quality with some being superior to US releases. Nonetheless, still a good bargain pickup. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater , well i do have all 4 of the released films on Japanese Laserdisc. And that was how i watched them recently from the Definitive Collection to Phantom Menace. Episode II never got a release despite a featurette being on the 2000 laserdisc set. Last month i got the 1997 Special Edition as well but i haven't watched them yet. I also have my VHS copies of Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones US releases first one is letterbox the second pan and scan, no Revenge of the Sith was ever released here on VHS.
I remember owning this in 2005 when I walked into a Sam’s club at 7 years old
I watch the Oohteedee versions where he removed the offensive CGI.
My 12 year old son prefers the laser discs of Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
I would like to see the laserdisc versions of those films. Hopefully I 'll be able to do that down the road. Thanks.
The Deluxe Widescreen versions from 1995 can usually be found on eBay for a reasonable price. And they are 🤌
I have the individual form of all 3
I've seen them sold as a set or as individual discs. I just happened to get the box set as that was the best value at the time.
Shame that the bonus discs were pan and scan and not wide-screen. Criminal that George Lucas didn't make it wide-screen. I still prefer to watch these versions although I have to use the zoom on my TV get in wide-screen mode. It means the picture quality suffers, but it's still closer to the version I watched at the cinema, and better than my VHS version.
I do the same thing with a zoom mode on my player. As someone else mentioned in a different comment, projectors are more forgiving of lower quality content. So I think these versions are still pretty good on my setup. Thanks.
Harmies despecialised editions are the way to go. Watching dvds nowadays is just horrendous quality.
That box set came out in 2008.
I think they may have done a re-release of some sort because my boxset has a 2006 date on it. Either way, I think this version is a good one to own. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater They were re-released from 2006 when they sold them individually but in 2008 they put them in those slim cases and sold them in that box set. They also did that with the prequel DVDs and sold them in slim cases in a box set in 2008 also.
Good to know. I knew they had released these versions in 2006 in some form. You learn something new everyday. Thanks.
@@2ndHandHomeTheater No problem.
They look like crap on a modern TV but great on a vintage Trinitron which all DVDs should be played on.
I'd also say that they look pretty good on my setup. They're not super HD or anything, but definitely watchable if the equipment is decent. Thanks for the reply.
Can't beat physical copies .
I have the 1995 VHS box set sealed. I have the 97 box set release of the gold and silver edition sealed. I have the 2004 DVD box set both gold and silver edition sealed. I have the prequel trilogy box set that is 1 sealed and 1 soon to be unsealed. Along with the prequel trilogy box set I also have the original trilogy 2008 Box set 1 unsealed and 2 sealed. I also have the Clone Wars movie and series box set sealed and 1 soon to be unsealed. Except for seasons 6 and 7 I won't watch those because I don't think they are George Lucas's Because those were released after he had sold. Plus I have sealed duplicates of the 4K versions of the original trilogy and prequel trilogy.1 Set to keep sealed and 1 set to open. I mention all this to show that I love the original trilogy theatrical version, the remastered version of the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and the clone wars seasons 1 through 5. all the same, I love them all equally. I have no complaints. Why because those are George Lucas's creations. I laugh at those who complain about the remastered versions of the original trilogy and I laugh at those who complain about the prequel trilogy. I say to myself and they call themselves fans.
That's quite a bit of collecting and I totally understand. I have nothing against the updated versions that George Lucas has done of the original trilogy or the prequels. I enjoy all of them and that's why I own this specific set as it has both versions of the original trilogy. Granted, some more stuff was changed later on, but it's close enough for me. I still prefer to watch the "theatrical" versions, but I don't look down on anyone if they like or even prefer the "Special Editions." Everyone has their own tastes and I'm not here to say what's right or wrong.
@2ndHandHomeTheater I like your comment and I forgot to mention that I have a George Lucas Stormtrooper sealed in its original packaging and the Original trilogy in the Disney 100 tin. Also I do not watch any sequel trilogy crap.
I also own this
I hate the noooooooo in Jedi
I never bought that set
Definitely worth a pickup if you can find them cheap.
Dvds is plural not possessive. No apostrophe. Come on man, you do this for a living?
We're all human and a typo is a typo. I'm not a full-time RUclipsr, just someone doing this in his spare time. I do appreciate you taking the time to point that out to me though. Thanks.
Why in the hell is your intro so damn long????? Just fucken get to the point bro
I appreciate the feedback, I'm always looking to improve my videos. Thanks.