I heard the restoration doco is still on the criterion disc, but you can only access it via your PC as its not in the menu system

You heard right!

I just tried a second printing version on a PC and found the file called "VTS_02_1.VOB" contains the restoration demo.

correct, as X said, it's still there, you just can't access it through the normal means. This sort of thing is more common than you might think. For example, when a special feature is taken off a release at the last minute for whatever reason, or there are features on a special edition not on a regular release (when they are released at the same time), etc.... often they are just removed from the menu and no links to that data exist (rather than redesigning the whole disc)......but you can still find it on a dvd-rom.

Looks like Seven Samurai wont be re-released anytime soon


hope that helps scarfacedude.

so anyone have screenshots of the menu

so no one came though with menu shots for the 1st pressing....

sadness ensues

are you aware that "first printing 1998" appears on the bottom of the back covers of versions that have and do not have the restoration demo?

My copy says "First Printing 1998" on the back cover bottom, and mine does NOT have the demo. So when Criterion started taking the demo off, they didn't officially change it to a "Second Printing".

I'm not sure if there is a "Second Printing" of this title... I haven't looked at the ones that they are selling in stores now.

Yeah, people just call it the "second printing" to distinguish it from the original with the restoration demo. You have to look at the region designation, running time, or where the UPC is to tell the difference on the back cover.

I tried playing the "VTS_02_1.VOB" file, but only the audio played.

It may depend on what player you're using. I believe PowerDVD didn't work with it but WinDVD did.

I could not get it to work either (PowerDvd 5 is what I use).

I was using PowerDVD. I'll go ahead and try WinDVD. Thanks.

I took this screen shot using PowerDVD and my personal copy of the movie.

Wow ... you learn something new every day!
I had no idea that the restoration featurette was still accessable on later prints by viewing a particular file using a PC.
I just watched it.
Makes you wonder that if more people knew this they would not pay a higher price for the original pressing on sites like eBay?

Very cool! Just saw it and it just makes me want a new Criterion DVD, imagine if this could look as good as the new M from Criterion.
Was this restoration done for the dvd? Because I always thought that it was a direct Laserdisc port.

your the best

The LD was originally released in 1989. They probably did further digital cleanup for the DVD.

DJ

The re-release was specifically Region 1 encoded. The original pressing that I have is not region encoded. Besides the restoration demo being the issue.

OK, how exactly do you do that? I was trying both PowerDVD and WinDVD to play the file but all I got is the first screen to work for a couple of second. After that the whole thing skip forward back to main menu.

I used Windows Explorer to look at the files on the DVD. I clicked once on "VTS_02_1.VOB" and then right-clicked, chose "Open With..." and chose WinDVD.

Thats exactly what I did. Ah well. May be my pc's codecs screwed up for the umpteenth time somehow.