Are you asking for screencaps of the laserdisc and the new DVD, or the 2004 SE versions vs the new unaltered DVDs?

Ok. Since the local Walmart was selling them individually for $19.99 and Costco had them for $18.99, I decided to get the Best Buy tin (even though I dislike gimmick packaging).

As I expected, the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the non-anamorphic O-OT was a bit overly dramatic. The O-OT on these discs looks far better than the best bootlegs I've seen and certainly acceptable on my Toshiba 34" HDTV widescreen tube, and 12' diagonal picture on my Optoma MovieTime DLP projector.

Film grain is more noticeable (but not distracting) and the detail is not as sharp as the anamorphic SE disc, but I'm quite pleased with this boxset. I have absolutely no interest in the prequel trilogy (no need to wait for the mega-set), and since I haven't purchased these films on officially released DVDs (I have them on the official SE VCD boxset and some bootlegs) I'm happy to have a legit copy.

IMO, this is a "must-buy" for anyone who doesn't own the official DVD releases of these films.

the latter, thanks.

Wasn't there already a link that compared screenshots?

Yes, there is. I think it's at the official Star Wars website, but it could have been a fan site.

I checked out a bit of A New Hope (or, as it says on this release: Star Wars :D ), and it's a clear step up from my laserdisc. As someone else mentioned, less color bleeding, more detail. And it's nice to have the O-OT on DVD finally.

That being said, these need serious clean up work. The image is still a little too soft, and details aren't always as clear as they are on the 2004 versions. The sound also needs a serious clean up, it sounds very murky. That's the perfectionist in me saying that. The realist knows that we may not get any better versions of the O-OT for a long time, and once I sat down to take in the movie, the feelings I got watching the film on VHS so long ago still got to me. Worth a purchase, even with its flaws.

Question: In the Original Editions, why aren't there subtitles for when Greedo talks? I had to turn on the "English Subtitles" in order for them to actually show up.

If you watch on a full-screen TV (letterboxed) you would see them. They are there. They get cut off when you expand the non-anamorphic presentation.

Out Of Stock Bestbuy Set?
 

Now Out Of Stock?

Is it saying out of stock online or something? They may have shipped all the quantities to stores after the pre-orders got filled.

So does the original release offer standard subtitles or captions? Or are only subtitles translating the alien dialogue the only option?

Since if the subs are player generated,on a PC,you could switch where they are played onscreen(normally). But I suspect they would just flip to the top black bar instead of the lower,which would be more annoying.

i believe it had english/spanish/french subs

I got all three with the tin case today at Best Buy during my lunch break. It has been over ten years since I have seen the OOT, it felt so good to see han shoot first, the wolf man in the cantina, the original anakin at the the end of ROTJ, and the original effects of the X-wing attack on the Death Star in Star Wars. It felt kind of weird watching it at first, after George has jamed his vision of the films down our throats since 1997, but I am glad I bought it. Sure it sucks having to buy them when they should have been included in the first set. I sure hope we get to see them cleaned up and anamorphic for the rumored 30th aniversery set, they deserve that respect.

Did anybody see thedigitalbits' editor Bill Hunt on Attack of the Show tonight? Discussing our favorite subject of course, and up against someone who has got to be the biggest fucking tool on the entire planet: Joshua Griffin of theforce.net. I mean, I knew he had his head so far up Lucas' ass he could see his tonsils, but he still managed to amaze me by trotting out the retarded defense of these non-anamorphic transfers by saying the lower quality is better because it takes you back to being a kid when you couldn't appreciate a quality presentation.

Way to toe that party line eh, Griffin?

For anyone that's bought the tin at Best Buy, do the discs come in individual keepcases matching the ones like episodes I-III (so I can take them out of the tin and put them on my shelf), or are they just all bundled together in the tin?

That the first thing I thought of when I was watching Jedi though :shrug:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b221/xage00/SWLE.jpg
Separate Kepcases

Separate keepcases. I switched out my 2004 Widescreens and put them in the tin and put these new ones on the shelf next to the prequels.

I was watching them on a 4:3 tv with no changes to the settings on my part and the subtitles didn't show up. But I did fiddle with the subtitles earlier in the movie, and maybe that triggered something.

Also, did anybody get a layer change or some kind of skip in Episode IV (again in original edition) during when Tarkin finished talking and when they cut to the Falcon going through light speed?

Anybody see anything weird happening on the chapter 11 page of the original Star Wars scene selection menus?

Oh man, I'd love to see this.

Any chance of it being re-aired or online or anything?

I think I own every laserdisc version of the original trilogy, including the Pioneer Japan versions and I have a Pioneer Elite laserdisc player and believe me these DVDs look alot better. I also own at least 10 bootleg/fan made DVDs including several anamorphic versions and this is the best the original trilogy has looked so far and it may stay that way. I wonder how everyone would feel if Lucasfilm did a fake anamorphic treatment of the laserdisc masters and just didnt tell anyone. For me its not a big issue because my Toshiba Widescreen TV has a perfect setting for this situation. I'm not one of those defend everything Lucas does guys, this release could have been so much better, but its also not near as bad as some would lead you to believe.

Its funny when the 2004 dvds were announced I asked in a thread like this one how everyone would feel if he released the original trilogy bare bones using the 93 home video masters and almost everyone said that would make them happy aslong as it was unaltered and OAR. Now 2 years later thats what we have and everyone still complains. We all know Lucas didnt care about these being available but he answered the fans and made them available cheap with some other stuff.

I'm a big Star Wars fan and a collector in general so I will always buy the latest version. Its also a personal ethical issue, I believe if I buy everything the artist officially releases then that gives me the "moral" right to download all the extra stuff. So whenever U2 releases new CDs or DVDs I buy them and I also download all the live DVDs and CDs. When Lucas releases Star Wars stuff on home video, CD or Videogames I buy them and then I get all the fanmade DVDs of stuff that won't see the light of day. So buy this if you are a fan and then get a fanmade anamorphic version. I have one that is anamorphic, the orginal commentary, isolated score and other extras. The fan community have also made available almost every making of, TV special, or Cast interview available on DVD. If you have only seen the stuff released officially you are missing alot of great stuff.

Finally I would like to say that I think the original star wars trilogy has become a no win situation, I don't think its possible to release a version 90% of people would be happy with, maybe in the future he can release 5 disc versions for each film with the theatrical version, 93 version, 97 SE, and 2004 versions plus the software and a guide to editing so everyone could make their own perfect hybrid version.

to get subtitles for greedo and others, but not for all hit subtitle button on your dvd player remote to subtitles en2. this will show only the subs you want not all.

also wanted to mention that I was going to pass on getting these dvds until I went to circuit city and looked at the lithos. The nice checkout lady gave me a large poster with all three lithos on it and three round metal pins of each movie when I purchased these. That made it worth it for me. I got the last large poster, 3 lithos and 3 pins.

They repeat the show late night but I guess it's too late now also. On Fridays they do a "best of the week" show and it might get shown again. Lately,though, they've done a few live Friday shows.

Check their website. They might have it on there.

SE vs. Original
 

I have to say that when I put both in last night and compared them, it was like night and day. Needlessto say I was a little disappointed by the transfer on these LE Originals. There is so much dirt and grain when compared to the SE's. It was frustrating to have hopes dashed like that, but overall I am happy that I have the original movies at least and a nice tin that sits nicely on the display (top) shelf next to the silver SE box and R4 "Serenity" tin.