STAR WARS original trilogy discs released today - are the original versions in 16.9?

J

JackReynolds

New member
Just a quick question.
I noticed that Lucasfilm have now released the original Star Wars trilogy on individual dvRAB.
Each has 2 discs. disc 1 is the 2004 dvd release.
disc 2 is the "original cinema release" apparently. The backs of the boxes said the original cinema release was 4.3 ratio, as it would've been shown at the cinema in widescreen. next to that it says 2:35:1 ratio which i thought was widescreen.
so are the original versions in widescreen or not???
thanks everyone!!!!!!! :)
 
No the original versions are NOT in anamorphic widescreen. They are basically a 4:3 image with a letterbox format WITHIN it (black bars top and bottom).

If you have a widescreen TV you have to zoom in on the picture (your DVD player will probably do this automatically) and you will lose resolution.

APPALLING.
 
Isn't this meant to be the only time they will be released on DVD?

Somehow I doubt we'll never see the original originals on DVD again. I could see them being added to this rumoured Saga boxset for the 30th anniversary.
 
Don't worry, when he wants a few more quid (give it a few months) he'll polish up the original trilogy to make the picture look as good as the DVD versions of the special editions, only without all the changes.

Wondering how long it'll be till he's so desperate for a quick buck that he releases the Holiday Special (hilariously bad, it was on YouTube if you haven't seen it)
 
The original versions of the films that are on the bonus disc, are basically just created from the 1993 Laser Disc. Picture quality is obviously not DVD quality, but slightly better than VHS, and better than the pirate DVDR's that you'll find for sale on ebay.

And just to rub salt into the wounRAB, Lucasfilm have made the menus anamorphic in this release.

If you're a true fan of Star Wars and films, it's worth spending
 
the original cinema releases were NOT 4x3, that's just for people who have 4x3 tv's, as the WHOLE picture would be formatted in such a way

for 16x9 widescreen tv's, it would be in the normal 2.35x1 widescreen format (with the black bars on top and bottom) .....just normal for a 2.35x1 film
 
well i have to say i'm one of the sad ones that has bought these just for the orig versions.. not got a chance to put them in my player yet and check out the ratio..

if i was reading the back i would be put off though.. they both say the ratio is the same but for the first disc it says enhanced for 16:9 TVs and for the second one it says 4:3 ratio which would put alot of people off

they have 99% of the film in widescreen digitally enhanced anyway so surely they could have done that for the whole second disc anyway
 
Please note that this release is just a cash-in and not worth owning (unless, of course, you don't own the trilogy DVD set and you just want to own a particular movie, say Empire Strikes Back). The 'original' versions of the movies are presented here in a very SUB-STANDARD fashion. It will be well worth waiting for a proper release of them which will inevitably come in the future (most likely on a HD set).

Hopefully they will then digitally remaster the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL CUTS of all three movies and present them to us as they were always meant to be seen.
 
Never going to happen, well, not for the original-original films.

There IS a big, ultimate, 6-film Star Wars anniversary DVD box set planned for 2007/2008. There will be more changes to the films, but probably only just to Episodes 1-3. And don't expect it to be a HD release, as it's just too new.
 
I would too...considering I have the 1997 Special Edition VHS' AND the 2004 DVD release..it would be really sad.

I won't be buying the Theatrical Release DVD because I welcome the changes made and it would be a huge waste of money to a) buy three seperate DVD's I already own (the Theatrical Release also brings the 2004 DVD's and b) buy something I don't really need. :rolleyes:

I would buy the 6-movie boxset (..and trust me people it's on it's way...) simply because there are many changes to come, in my view, especially to the prequels (CGI Yoda in TPM for one) and countless more that I think should be done to the originals, such as improved light saber effects. One thing I really don't want to see is a CGI Yoda in the Original Trilogy, that would cause outrage of "Han Shot First" proportions. :mad:
 
It would be interesting to see what they would do with 1-3 for an deluxe set. I think (unlike the Original Trilogy) they probably could/should CGI at least of Yoda's scene because the puppet really did look rather out of place and the CGI one was done very well.

Also there's a fair few deleted scenes that could and should go back in. Especially in Episode 3.

Having not seen the original versions of 4-6 since they were on TV (and I was about 7 at the time!) I'm not entirely sure how different the special editions I own are - is it just the effects that have been changed? Because, to be honest, that never really bothered me one way or the other!
 
I am very glad to finally own the ORIGINAL version of Star Wars on DVD. I think the disc being non-anamorphic is disappointing, but it's nothing I will lose sleep over because I know the quality is not suppose to be great because it's from a 1993 Laserdisc, but I can live with that because I found the overall quality to be surprisingly acceptable and far superior to any of my VHS editions. I also have the fortunate pleasure of owning a rather good Pioneer high-end DVD player, which has a very useful RARE function on it called ADJUST ASPECT RATIO. This means with my TV set to WIDE, I can stretch out a non-anamorphic picture like Star Wars to appear as if it is being displayed in its correct anamorphic 2.35:1 ratio, although the resolution is not increased, it slightly decreases. It's basically the same thing as zooming in the TV to correct the ratio, but instead my player does it, and rather well too I might add. The plus side is because the player is adjusting the aspect and not the TV, I don't lose any of the subtitles. :D
 
I own the 1997 VHS 'Special Edition' versions, alongside the prequels on DVD. Is it worth me paying out to upgrade to these new DVD's or should I stick with what I have?
 
if you are happy with the VHS version then you aren't getting anything extra except the audio commentary and i don't know anyone that has every listened to one of them!

there is already a Special Edition box set on DVD which is an upgrade to the VHS set you already have
 
I heard a report months ago that the original trilogy was being released in 3D in certain cinemas for the 30th anniversary next year.
That being the case, I would expect their DVD release to follow.
Is it still happening?
 
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