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Star Wars DVDs - Reviews

Star Wars DVDs - Reviews

 
Old 04-11-01, 01:48 PM
  #51  
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Originally posted by Patrick_C
If you have the Trilogy LD set, look at the credits on the foldout brochure, inside front page. You'll notice more than a passing similiarity between my username and that of the Producer.
Patrick, have you had a chance to look over this latest set of DVD "bootlegs"? If so, what do you think? I know they do not include all the "extras" from the "official" LaserDiscs but I would like to hear your take on the setup and quality in general.

BTW, are you (Patrick) getting the opportunity to be involved in the upcoming DVD releases? A simple Yes/No will suffice for this question... I know if you are that you are probably not supposed to talk about it.
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Old 04-11-01, 01:55 PM
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BadAsh-

Thanks for all the great info. I have been considering buying these discs for the same reason you have stated.

One question though: Do you have any friends of facillities that you could watch these discs on? I'm sorry but with only an Admiral 27" set, there is no way I can take your reviews of the video quality seriously. If you or anyone else can, I'd love to hear a good review of the transfer as watched on some descent equipment. I have always maintained since the format started back in '97, that there is NO WAY you can see what a DVD really looks like on anything less than a 50+" RP big screen or front projection system.
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Old 04-11-01, 01:57 PM
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Everyone always looks to see "new" material. It's what sells the same title over and over (besides a better format & presentation). It's funny, because there is only so much material out there, and, outside of creating "new" documentaries that are essentially retrospectives, there's little that hasn't been seen (outside of the one segment I talked about in the other thread referenced above).

I have only had the chance to look at the DVDs briefly. Obviously, given the source material, they are a bit soft. As noted above, that is also the result of the A to D conversion. The audio response, outside of a few glitches, is surprisingly good.

BadAsh - unfortunately, No. But then again, there's always a much longer story than a single, one word answer can convey.
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Old 04-11-01, 02:19 PM
  #54  
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Originally posted by Green Jello
BadAsh-

Thanks for all the great info. I have been considering buying these discs for the same reason you have stated.

One question though: Do you have any friends of facillities that you could watch these discs on? I'm sorry but with only an Admiral 27" set, there is no way I can take your reviews of the video quality seriously. If you or anyone else can, I'd love to hear a good review of the transfer as watched on some descent equipment. I have always maintained since the format started back in '97, that there is NO WAY you can see what a DVD really looks like on anything less than a 50+" RP big screen or front projection system.
Green Jello, I totally understand where you are coming from. The 27" Admiral is actually a long story... long story short somehow my parents ended up with my 27" Philips Magnavox (with S-Video IN) and I ended up with their cheap 27" Admiral. I'll have to rectify that when I get into my new house this fall. Actually I am trying to find a way to scrape up enough scratch for a Widescreen TV... we'll see.

As for trying the set on a better TV, I have viewed TPM through an S-Video Connection on a 27" Magnavox and the video is slightly worse than what I see through my analog RCA connection. I am going to be visiting my parents house for Easter this weekend and will definitely be taking these new Star Wars DVDs so I'll let you know. While I know that a 27" Philips Maganavox is still nothing to write home about, the S-Video connection may give me a better idea for the quality of the video.

If anyone here has a Sony Wega or a 16:9 Widescreen TV and actually has this new DVD Set, please post your comments here.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the video quality is marginally worse on a premium TV set and connection than what I am seeing on my less than adequate TV. Remember, these are LD to PC rips (MPEG). And as Patrick_C has pointed out this is an Analog to Digital conversion being performed by "bootleggers" who while they are sophisticated are not "specialists" in the field by any means.

[Edited by BadAsh on 04-11-01 at 12:27 PM]
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Old 04-11-01, 02:42 PM
  #55  
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Thanks BadAsh,

I'd just hate to shell out that kind of coin and then have the picture look like crap. Let me know what you come up with.
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Old 04-11-01, 08:52 PM
  #56  
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I was disappointed that The Empire Strikes Back Teaser (exclusively Ralph McQuarrie Sketches) and Pre-Release Trailer (Harrison Ford Narration) weren't included. The only one on the Empire DVD is the third trailer, which has the Imperial March and fast-cutting scenes from the movie. I'm sure the first two trailers were on the laserdisc. Whoever mastered the Empire boot DVD wasn't paying full attention. Perhaps the legit Empire DVD will have all trailers -- including the Special Edition one.

On the Phantom Menace Disc, the trailers and documentary would've been nice extras. I realize the trailers weren't on the LD. The picture had slightly high chroma and contrast.

I found the trilogy DVDs a bit muddy. They start with the THX logo, but it was probably just tacked on. I think the DVDs were created from the pre-THX-cleanup of the original trilogy in 1996.





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Old 04-12-01, 04:54 AM
  #57  
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Originally posted by Disc-Flipper
I found the trilogy DVDs a bit muddy. They start with the THX logo, but it was probably just tacked on. I think the DVDs were created from the pre-THX-cleanup of the original trilogy in 1996.
I think you are right but for some reason I remember Darth Vader's eyes beeing a deep, dark, blackish red in Episode IV but then that was fixed in the THX edition. The version on this DVD appears to have the color corrected but there is no THX logo in the credits. Oh well.
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Old 04-12-01, 10:16 AM
  #58  
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So, bottom line, are these DVDs worth getting? Or should I say, as someone who owns the THX VHS versions of the originals, not the special editions, is the image quality on the DVDs superior to the VHS versions? I would assume so. I want to get the original, non-special edition versions of these films on DVD but I'm afraid that they will never be made commercially available in the US, so I'm planning to buy these imports.
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Old 04-12-01, 10:23 AM
  #59  
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Originally posted by BadAsh
Originally posted by Kevo
I have no interest whatsoever in "unofficial DVDs" and probably never will.
In fact since the "original" trilogy is no longer available in any format for retail sale (only for resale/used), the "original" series released by anyone in any format could be protected under the American copyright law known as "The Berne Act".
That's a complete misreading of this law. Morals aside, you don't have the legal right in the U.S. to bootleg these movies simply because the valid copyright holder (Lucas/20th Century Fox) has not released it on DVD.
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Old 04-12-01, 11:17 AM
  #60  
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Originally posted by bboisvert
Originally posted by BadAsh
Originally posted by Kevo
I have no interest whatsoever in "unofficial DVDs" and probably never will.
In fact since the "original" trilogy is no longer available in any format for retail sale (only for resale/used), the "original" series released by anyone in any format could be protected under the American copyright law known as "The Berne Act".
That's a complete misreading of this law. Morals aside, you don't have the legal right in the U.S. to bootleg these movies simply because the valid copyright holder (Lucas/20th Century Fox) has not released it on DVD.
I would agree and disagree with your statements. I think that if these "bootleggers" would have put out just the movies on DVD and not the "extras" from the LaserDisc they would actually be safe under the law as stated in the "Berne Act". Under this law, you are protected in doing such. There is one problem though, they used copyrighten images on their covers and in the menus of the DVDs.

I'm not a lawyer and don't claim to be. My reasons for mentioning the "Berne Act" was simply in an effort to raise awareness to the fact that there are such laws that if followed correctly can protect such "bootleg" productions.

Personally I feel this set of DVDs is in direct violation of the "Berne Act" and any other copyright law in the United States and abroad. However, this thread, the discussion and the reviews therein are about the quality of the latest DVD transfer and not the legitimacy of the product. I don't think that is a question at all.
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Old 04-12-01, 11:17 AM
  #61  
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I would say the new DVDs are not as good quality as the VHS Original Trilogy THX Editions. But after repeated plays, the VHS will suffer dropouts and degraded signal. The DVDs will preserve the quality - what there is of it. The recent DVD bootlegs are not pristine. You'll definitely need to play with the video adjustments (Brightness, Saturation, Contrast, etc.) every time you pop these babies in. The softness cannot be sharpened. If you're not satisfied, you may want to resell them. I think Lucas is not proud of some of the things in the original versions, and will likely not release them to DVD ever.
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Old 04-12-01, 11:29 AM
  #62  
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Originally posted by Disc-Flipper
I would say the new DVDs are not as good quality as the VHS Original Trilogy THX Editions. But after repeated plays, the VHS will suffer dropouts and degraded signal. The DVDs will preserve the quality - what there is of it. The recent DVD bootlegs are not pristine. You'll definitely need to play with the video adjustments (Brightness, Saturation, Contrast, etc.) every time you pop these babies in. The softness cannot be sharpened. If you're not satisfied, you may want to resell them. I think Lucas is not proud of some of the things in the original versions, and will likely not release them to DVD ever.
Disc-Flipper is correct in his assesment of the video quality... to a certain point of view. The video quality is not LaserDisc but it isn't VHS either. It is somewhere between. Compared to good DVD video quality this new set misses the mark but as at least one person has pointed out, it is better than the current "official" Highlander DVD. Will you have to adjust your television every time you watch these DVDS? Well, only if you are anal and just have to do so. I don't really see a reason to go those extremes.

No offense Disc-Flipper

In terms of video alone, it will beat your non-THX VHS copies and possibly even your THX VHS set especially in longevity. Tape breaks, DVDs can live forever if properly cared for... unless you believe in the whole "DVD-ROT" theory.

If you are looking at the audio quality I would say this DVD set kills the VHS set THX or non.... hands down. Aside from the prevelant audio-sync problems in ESB and the sparse sync problems in ROTJ I feel the DVDs are a definite asset to my collection. I am sure there will be a "fix" released later to take care of ESB... makes me wonder if the "bootleggers" mastered this ESB disc from the original "bad" DVD.

One thing we know is true... George Lucas will never release this version of the movies on DVD. Take that any way you want to. If you really like the "original" set or if you just would like to have the "originals" on DVD for nostalgia reasons alone, I would say this DVD set is worth a purchase.
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Old 04-12-01, 12:19 PM
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Originally posted by BadAsh
Why buy a "bootleg" when legitimate LaserDiscs are available?

This question pops up in every thread that discusses the possibility of DVD "bootlegs" and it is a viable question. The "original" and "Special Edition" versions of the Star Wars Trilogy are available on LaserDisc in many different forms. The problem though is that many if not all of these LaserDisc releases are currently out of print. There is also another big problem I think LaserDisc owners fail to comprehend. LaserDisc as a medium for movies never really caught on, however, LaserDisc owners still feel it is far superior to DVD. This is a format that came out well over 20 years ago and its technology has not really been enhanced all that much since. LaserDiscs while quite large do not hold as much data as a DVD. This requires flipping of the disc or discs to watch a single movie. While there are players out there that can read from both sides, the majority of the players in the hands of consumers do not (due to cost and the fact that LD has never been too popular anyway). In the age of HDTV, Progressive Scan DVD Players, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS, optical audio connections and Component Video many feel that turning to LaserDisc is taking one gian leap backwards. A large percentage of LaserDisc players do not even support Dolby Digital 5.1 and while decoders are available they are typically more expensive than the actual player itself. It is because of these reasons that many DVD fans are unwilling to purchase old and possibly used LaserDisc Players and obtain old and possibly used LaserDiscs (such as Star Wars) just to have the opportunity to watch a movie that has not yet been released on DVD. While it is easy for LaserDisc owners to point out that these and other "bootlegs" are legally available on the LaserDisc format, it isn't always easy or justifiable for a DVD and Technology fan to move back in time to such an old format. What is better, paying $50 for a DVD "bootleg" or buying a used LaserDisc player for $75, a Dolby Digital Decoder for $150+ and then locating a set of the Star Wars LaserDiscs on eBay or another Auction site and paying $100+ for them? I personally would prefer the $50 option as apposed to the $300+ option. Remember, many people are buying DVD "bootlegs" now and expecting to pay for legitimate DVD releases in the near future. $50 isn't much to pay now instead of investing into a dying technology.
I feel the need to address a few points here, since this section seems to dismiss LD as a reasonable alternative to bootlegs.

While I agree mostly with what I think is your main point (that, for most people, buying the SW boots would be cheaper and more convienient than buying a LD player), I think there are some things that need to be mentioned.

1. "LaserDisc owners still feel it is far superior to DVD". I'm not sure what you are trying to say here or what you mean. I think that most LD owners are fairly reasonable people who realize that LD is a great format, but that DVD has the edge in many respects.

2. "This is a format that came out well over 20 years ago and its technology has not really been enhanced all that much since." Actually, it has improved significantly over it's lifetime. Comparing my most recent LD (ironically, EPISODE I) to my oldest (1978's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) is a joke. The Ep. I LD is amazing -- and I suspect that there are very few people out there who would be able to determine that the picture/sound quality wasn't DVD. This isn't "ancient" technology when compared to DVD. A properly mastered and transfered LD made in 2001 has the ability to look (nearly) as good as a modern DVD. DVD is really just a baby-step improvement over LD, especially when compared with HDTV or higher-resolution future formats.

Even if the specs don't change much, mastering techniques and other aspects of a format evolve and improve. Compare a 1997 DVD with a 2001 DVD and you'll probably see what I'm talking about.

3. "many feel that turning to LaserDisc is taking one gian leap backwards" Personally, I would think that getting a bootlegged version of STAR WARS that (when compared to the gorgeous LDs) has inferior audio/video and audio sync glitches would be a giant leap backwards, but maybe that's me.

4. The prices used in your examples are a little weird. This thread seems to be mainly discussing the non-SE versions of the original trilogy. People can easily get sealed copies of the most recent (1995) THX LDs for $30-40 total. Not $100+. Additionally, you mention the costs of adding 5.1 sound to your LD system -- but that is really irrelevant for the original trilogy, since it has never been in 5.1

5. Finally, your numbers do make LD seem more expensive if Star Wars is the only thing you are interested in. However, I know people who get bootlegs for other things too (Godfather, Indiana Jones, etc.) If you are someone who wants these (or LD Criterions, or any of the hundreds of other LD-only releases), LD may be a viable option. It becomes more reasonably priced the more bootlegs you consider.


Again, I fully understand that most people will not be interested in considering a "dead" format like LD. But, I also don't think it is correct to simply dismiss it in this thread, especially when the quality of the LDs are superior to the DVDs -- old format or not. A lot of people want the trilogy in the best quality possible, not simply a "reasonably decent" copy on a new, shiny DVD.

(Great thread, btw. And I appreciate the detailed reviews.)

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Old 04-12-01, 01:20 PM
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bboisvert, you brought up some good points. My comments about the feasability of buying a LaserDisc Player and then purchasing the older "original" Star Wars LDs was mainly focused on the act of doing just that. If a person finds themselves wanting to own several movies readily available on LaserDisc we have a different story. In that case that person needs to look into the price of a player, a possible decoder if needed and the price of the actual LD movie(s) he/she desires. If after adding everything up it still looks feasable then by all means do so. LaserDisc is a format that has been out for well over 20 years and is prooven in the industry. To totally discount it would be a great oversight.

My comments on the topic were originally intended to fend off those individuals that find their way into every such thread to totally dispute the idea of buying such (bootlegs). This thread was not created to discuss the merrits of buying "bootleg" LD rips. This thread was created as a means of providing information on this particular set of DVDs. That is why my reviews are so thorough... hell, I watched each movie with a pad and pencil to take notes just to make sure I could give everyone here the best factual information I could.

bboisvert you mention that my figures (for the cost) of a LaserDisc player and media are off and you are correct. I have since done more investigating and found that some of my numbers were quite a bit lower than actual prices today. And I thought the prices were unreasonable before.

As you have noted, the "Special Edition" LDs are readily available but again as you mentioned the topic of this thread is the non-SEs. Many of the people that are posting to this thread only want the non-SEs. At this time you have a couple of choices, a used set of VHS tapes, a used and quite expensive set of LaserDiscs or these new "bootleg" DVDs. This thread is just a review. The choice in this decision is totally up to you.

bboisvert, I don't mean to attack your statements by any means. As I said earlier, I think you have valid points. I would just like to make sure this thread doesn't turn into a LD vs DVD or LD vs "bootleg" thread. There is no point there and that is a discussion totally beyond the scope of this thread.

BTW, I am glad you liked the thread.

[Edited by BadAsh on 04-12-01 at 11:32 AM]
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Old 04-12-01, 01:36 PM
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Originally posted by BadAsh
As you have noted, the "Special Edition" LDs are readily available but again as you mentioned the topic of this thread is the non-SEs. Many of the people that are posting to this thread only want the non-SEs. At this time you have a couple of choices, a used set of VHS tapes, a used and quite expensive set of LaserDiscs or these new "bootleg" DVDs. This thread is just a review. The choice in this decision is totally up to you.
I think you misread my post. When I was quoting the $30-40 price, I was talking about the non-SEs from 1995. They are not $100+. Here's a set that went for $25 on eBay recently:

[Ebay link removed - by Kenwood]

If you poke around, you'll see that they mostly sell for around $30:

[Ebay link removed - by Kenwood]

[Ebay link removed - by Kenwood]

And, again, I understand that this is a review thread and not a "LD vs. Bootleg" thread.

But if it is, then you probably shouldn't be including a Q&A question that dismisses LD and provides incorrect/misleading numbers. If LD is beyond the scope of this thread, then maybe that's what you should say?

Thanks for your response...

[Edited by Kenwood on 04-12-01 at 01:00 PM]
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Old 04-12-01, 01:39 PM
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Originally posted by bboisvert
I understand that this is a review thread and not a "LD vs. Bootleg" thread.

But if it is, then you probably shouldn't be including a Q&A question that dismisses LD and provides incorrect/misleading numbers. If LD is beyond the scope of this thread, then maybe that's what you should say?
You are probably right. I guess having the whole LD comments in there is just fuel for a fire I never intended to light. I'll remove it.
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Old 04-12-01, 01:44 PM
  #67  
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Addendum to Review

Removed "LaserDisc" discussion from Review. While valid in some respects it only beggs for discussions outside the scope of this thread.
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Old 04-12-01, 02:14 PM
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a comment on the discussion of copyright law: if copyright protection demanded keeping the copyrighted item in question "in print," copyright would be meaningless. think about what this would mean. Disney currently has several animated films on hiatus from being in print. does anyone really think that if someone put out a bootleg copy of one such film, Disney would lost in court? the more obvious question: in this case, would Lucasfilm/Fox lose in court? hardly. under current copyright law, publishing an item isn't even necessary to secure a copyright on it. so how could a lack of availability destroy copyright?

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Old 04-12-01, 02:28 PM
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Originally posted by djtoell
a comment on the discussion of copyright law: if copyright protection demanded keeping the copyrighted item in question "in print," copyright would be meaningless. think about what this would mean. Disney currently has several animated films on hiatus from being in print. does anyone really think that if someone put out a bootleg copy of one such film, Disney would lost in court? the more obvious question: in this case, would Lucasfilm/Fox lose in court? hardly. under current copyright law, publishing an item isn't even necessary to secure a copyright on it. so how could a lack of availability destroy copyright?

DJ
That is a good question but the "Berne Act" somewhat states that such is okay. Did you know that the "Berne Act" protects the release of the "Star Wars Holiday Special" even though George Lucas hates it and wishes with a passion that he could destroy every copy ever made? In such cases, I doubt Lucas would ever take it to court but in the case of the actual Star Wars movies I am absolutely certain Lucas would take that to court (if it became mainstream) and he would definitely win (berne act or not).

In case anyone here has ever been to GetVCDs.com and has ever wondered how they could legally sell Disney movies on DVD that have never been released here in the States, well it is laws such as the "Berne Act" that allows that to happen. In most cases though, the rules govern that such releases may not leave the region they were intended to be sold in which obviously people like GetVCDs are breaking.

I guess my reasoning behind listing information on the "Berne Act" was to raise awareness to such loopholes in copyright legal battles.

Is it right no, do these DVDs follow the law as stated in the "Berne Act" not necessarily.

This thread is not intended to disuss the merrits of the legitimacy of these DVDs but rather to review them. I'll leave the thoughts on legalities up to you.
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Old 04-12-01, 06:50 PM
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Uh, lessee... someone asked me a couple of questions wayyy back up there:

Yes, I'm sure mine are the same discs BadAsh is reviewing. Ep 4 has "The New Hope" on it and it has subtitles that can be turned on and off.

I just went and synced up my laptop with the DVD of Ep 4 and the THX non-widescreen VHS so I could switch between them on my 27" Philips-Magnavox TV. In some sense I should eat my words because the pictures appears *much* better than it did on my projector or on the laptop's LCD screen itself. Which is really to be expected, but I can see now how some people are really impressed with the discs. Not that the picture suddenly becomes flawless, but it's certainly not as blurry as before. There were problems, like lots of banding, but I've noticed that before when playing DVDs from my laptop to the TV so that's possibly not the fault of these discs. The picture was noisy in spots too, but was otherwise not that bad.

All in all I'd probably have to agree with BadAsh's above assessment. They're probably somewhere between VHS and laserdisc in term of resolution. There are a few legitimately produced DVDs that look less than great on large screen projections so there's no reason to expect these discs to. I suppose considering I paid $50 for the THX non-ws trilogy a few years back, paying $40 to get widescreen on a non-degrading format isn't all that bad.
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Old 04-12-01, 08:49 PM
  #71  
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Originally posted by BadAsh
That is a good question but the "Berne Act" somewhat states that such is okay.
simple request: present something to back this statement up. quote a statute and/or relevant case law. don't believe the law as presented by bootleggers. The Berne Convention is an international agreement between countries and not a statute binding on the citizens of the United States. The binding U.S. Federal law is the U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 - 810. I see no exception for "currently unavailable" motion pictures. Do you?

Unless you're willing and able to provide concrete examples of the state of American Copyright law, i suggest you remove your comments concerning the Berne Convention from the main post. They just perpetuate bootleggers' myths.

edited to add:
eBay actually has a nice little summary about the "Berne Act" myth at http://pages.ebay.com/help/community...opyrights.html:

What About the Berne Convention?

Some users have written to us asking whether the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (sometimes mistakenly referred to as the "Berne Act") allows them to list an otherwise infringing item. The short answer is "no." The Berne Convention is an international treaty that the United States agreed to in 1989. By signing the Berne Convention, the U.S. committed to making certain changes to its copyright law. In fact, even before signing the Berne Convention, the U.S. had made all the necessary changes to its law. The Berne Convention itself is not U.S. law and does not excuse activity which otherwise would violate U.S. copyright law.

DJ

[Edited by djtoell on 04-12-01 at 07:06 PM]
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Old 04-12-01, 08:58 PM
  #72  
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Originally posted by dfriend
Uh, lessee... someone asked me a couple of questions wayyy back up there:

Yes, I'm sure mine are the same discs BadAsh is reviewing. Ep 4 has "The New Hope" on it and it has subtitles that can be turned on and off.

I just went and synced up my laptop with the DVD of Ep 4 and the THX non-widescreen VHS so I could switch between them on my 27" Philips-Magnavox TV. In some sense I should eat my words because the pictures appears *much* better than it did on my projector or on the laptop's LCD screen itself. Which is really to be expected, but I can see now how some people are really impressed with the discs. Not that the picture suddenly becomes flawless, but it's certainly not as blurry as before. There were problems, like lots of banding, but I've noticed that before when playing DVDs from my laptop to the TV so that's possibly not the fault of these discs. The picture was noisy in spots too, but was otherwise not that bad.

All in all I'd probably have to agree with BadAsh's above assessment. They're probably somewhere between VHS and laserdisc in term of resolution. There are a few legitimately produced DVDs that look less than great on large screen projections so there's no reason to expect these discs to. I suppose considering I paid $50 for the THX non-ws trilogy a few years back, paying $40 to get widescreen on a non-degrading format isn't all that bad.


I can't wait to get mine.... should be here any day....
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Old 04-12-01, 11:33 PM
  #73  
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Kenwood -- my understanding of the forum rules was that it was fine to post links to closed eBay auctions (i.e. -- not advertise a current auction). Yet I notice that you removed these links from my post.

Can you please let me know what I did wrong, so I can avoid doing it in the future?

Thanks.
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Old 04-13-01, 12:46 AM
  #74  
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Originally posted by bboisvert
Kenwood -- my understanding of the forum rules was that it was fine to post links to closed eBay auctions (i.e. -- not advertise a current auction). Yet I notice that you removed these links from my post.

Can you please let me know what I did wrong, so I can avoid doing it in the future?

Thanks.
I'm really trying to keep this thread OPEN. I'd rather NOT have ebay links, open or closed, posted in this thread. This thread is walking a "tight rope" on staying open. Bad Ash has stayed in email contact with me, trying to make sure his thread stays open. The discussion is going well and has stayed away from the purchasing side. This topic is VERY TOUCHY. Star Wars Threads bring out the worst in people (i.e. pissed at Luca$) You did NOTHING WRONG, but it's just a judgement call on my part. No ebay links. No links to purchasing websites.
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Old 04-13-01, 03:29 AM
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The Berne Act is being misinterpreted here. It is simply never ever allowed to reproduce for sale something that has a valid copyright with a clear and defensive owner.

There is a lot of misinterpretation of the complex Berne Convention (BC) language in regards to unreleased foreign works. These inaccurate interpretations are propagated by many peddlers of bootleg materials on eBay, from websites, and in niche OOP video catalogs. Don't be duped, though. The language they are pulling out the BC is out of context, pulling together elements of 'fair use' and specific valid education uses of items 'not reasonably available'. No where is there anything -- in the BC or in the US Berne Act -- that comes within a legal mile of allowing for the unlicensed copying of Star Wars DVDs.

Although you will never feel reprocussions from this act, it can be nothing but unethical if you value the works you are buying and know the intent of the copyright holder is to not release this version of a recent work.

-Beebs
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