well, THAT didn't take long...

[acroyear]

to decide to exploit the fanbase by making us purchase new copies of the films we already have just to get a new documentary that we don't...The Lord of the Rings:

These Limited Editions feature both the theatrical and extended versions of the film plus an all-new documentary. But they won't be around forever - own all three on August 29th!

I'm not going to bother. If the documentary is worth it, it'll likely end up torrented. I don't need four copies (2 of each type) of the films.

and I thought Star Wars's approach of making us buy new copies of the special editions in order to get the theatricals was annoying as hell...

Comments

[kiltboy]

Considering I don't own any of the LOTR movies in any format, this might just be the time to buy them, finally.

[supergoober.livejournal.com]

Besides, the special editions we already have contain hours upon hours of documentary as it is. How much do we really need???

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

all of them.

duh...

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

Putting on my cataloguer's chapeau:

I really hate it when these new editions come out, they are a freaking nightmare to catalogue. And please don't get me started about George Lucas and inserting the young Anakin into the end of Return of the Jedi.

It's more than we really need.

As a fan, though, I love it. I'm a total extras junkie, often I watch those before I watch the movie, especially if I saw the movie in the theatre.

Thoughts On Star Wars DVDs

[rennfoole.livejournal.com]

and I thought Star Wars's approach of making us buy new copies of the special editions in order to get the theatricals was annoying as hell...

The real question on the "new" Star Wars DVDs is whether ANYBODY WILL buy them. Lucasfilm is releasing 1993 mastered films on DVD in letterbox, not anamorphic, widescreen. So that anybody with a real 16x9 widescreen television monitor will not only have black bands on the top and bottom but also on the sides. It will seem as though you are looking at the films through a small window. These masters are the ones used for the last Laser Disc release. There are some who will be fooled into buying this release but, for those in the know, they will wait until Lucasfilm wakes up and releases them correctly mastered for proper future viewing!

Re: Thoughts On Star Wars DVDs

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

Lucasfilm insists they don't exist. What was scanned in digitally to make the special editions died in the scanning process and most prints still have some damage to them. they effectively would have to spend as much money, or more, to re-construct the original edits working from a print as the guide, as they did to make the 1997 versions, and it'll never be perfect. the master source negative for the prints isn't quite in good enough shape to remaster as-is - to use one of them, if they even exist, would require as much reconstruction as a disney remaster does, and I don't think the sales will be there to pay for it.

a dvd's "zoom" feature can make up a little bit for the lack of anamorph 16x9.

plenty will buy them, 'cause having a digital copy that can actually be played (given that few who had laserdisc players still having working ones) is still better than 15 year old vhs copies (that only have 2.0 sound mixes vs. the 4.1 laserdisc) that degrade with every play and run that risk of a tape-break if abused...

its the same reason people buy a cd of something they already have on cassette or lp, even if the cd isn't a good "remaster" - a cd that never degrades (relatively speaking) is still better than eventually losing a copy 'cause of a scratch or a rip.

Re: Thoughts On Star Wars DVDs

[rennfoole.livejournal.com]

Good points all around. But, I guess having those LDs and a working LD player make me a bit more cynical. LOL

Nonetheless, I think the sales would really be there if the proper restoration was done. Elements could be scanned from many existing prints and reassembled in the computer (some of that work may have already been done in preparation for the SEs). And, the 1993 LD masters could be used for reference to make sure that it all comes out all right. I cannot truly believe that restorable elements do not exist somewhere for films made in the late 70's and early 80's. Many more visually stunning restorations have been done on films much older than 1977. Or, is Lucasfilm not willing to do the research? Again, I believe the sales of said restored DVDs would outweigh the costs. True restoration of those films would both excite and reassure SW fans worldwide who have been recently disappointed by George Lucas. Even if they were a "limited edition" at a premium price to help recover the cost of restoration, I think Lucasfilm would come out way ahead.

Looks Like It's A Moo Point (as Joey would say)

[rennfoole.livejournal.com]

From The Digital Bits today:

And here's a little something that's very interesting: Our friend Arnaud Calistri, who runs the DVDRama.com website in France, e-mailed me yesterday to say that Fox France has confirmed with him that the original versions of the Star Wars films to be released on DVD there will be in anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for widescreen 16x9 TVs). As many of you know, they were announced for release here in the States and elsewhere in non-anamorphic (letterboxed) widescreen only, causing a furor among fans (and rightly so). This news, if true, means one of two things: Either Lucasfilm quickly got their act together when fans complained and created new anamorphic masters for the DVD release everywhere (and it just hasn't been announced here in the States yet), or France is getting better DVDs that the rest of the world. If they DID get their act together, expect Lucasfilm's fan relations guru, Steve Sansweet, to make a massive deal about it the company's Star Wars panel at Comic-Con next week. If they DIDN'T get their act together, and France IS getting better discs, expect fans to make a massive deal about it. We'll ask all the right people to see if we can find out the truth of the matter. Of course, we'll let you know

Of course in translating the French text of the page, it appears that Fox France has given the impression that it is only the French DVDs of the original trilogy will be 16x9 anamorphically produced! This website may be wrong but I am still hoping for a Lucasfilm turnabout miracle.

Okay, 'nuff said about this subject. I've taken up too much of Joe's comment bandwidth! And, I apologize to all, especially to Joe for this carrying on for so long. It's just that it's a subject that gets under my skin occasionally.

Re: Looks Like It's A Moo Point (as Joey would say)

[rennfoole.livejournal.com]

Read that too...damn! LOL As the French say C'est la vie.