These Aren't the DVDs We're Looking For

[cybertalus]

Bad news for Star Wars fans who were waiting for the DVD release of the non-Special Edition versions of the original trilogy. According to this story the DVDs will be "copied from the laserdiscs of the films released in the mid'90s, formatted for the conventional TV screen and not wide-screen 'letterbox' versions."

 

[Ranger REG]

Bad news for Star Wars fans who were waiting for the DVD release of the non-Special Edition versions of the original trilogy. According to this story the DVDs will be "copied from the laserdiscs of the films released in the mid'90s, formatted for the conventional TV screen and not wide-screen 'letterbox' versions."

W00T!!!

 

[Starman]

Bad news for Star Wars fans who were waiting for the DVD release of the non-Special Edition versions of the original trilogy. According to this story the DVDs will be "copied from the laserdiscs of the films released in the mid'90s, formatted for the conventional TV screen and not wide-screen 'letterbox' versions."

WTF?!

[Darth Vader]Noooooooooo!!![/Darth Vader]

If there is some sort of higher power out there, this story isn't true.

 

[Mistwell]

Not a big deal for me. I sometimes like the illusion of a bigger image that comes with pan and scan rather than the black bars at the top and bottom. My focus is on the character speaking, not the wall decor, with these movies. In fact it's probably the movies I have seen the most in pan and scan.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I'll admit that I'll get this anyway, but it really is a big disappointment to me--especially since I held out for these, and haven't bought any other versions of the OT on DVD.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Bad news for Star Wars fans who were waiting for the DVD release of the non-Special Edition versions of the original trilogy. According to this story the DVDs will be "copied from the laserdiscs of the films released in the mid'90s, formatted for the conventional TV screen and not wide-screen 'letterbox' versions."

Uh, yeah that last part is just wrong information.

The films will be in their original aspect ratio of panavision 2.35:1, but NOT anamorphic 16x9. So those of us without TV's capable of doing 16x9 wonnt be affected at all. For those with higher end equipment, well this news just sucks...Digital Bits Link 1
Digital Bits link 2

Anamorphic Widescreen Explained

Hope this clears things up a little bit.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Widescreen

Yeah, if it's pan and scan and the movie was shot wide like 2.35:1 then I simply wont buy it, that simple. Especially if I've seen the movie wide before. All of the remastered Celestial Shaw Bros movies from the 80's that I grew up with in Pan and Scan I have them now in 2.35:1 and it's almost like watching a completely different film. You can only focus on dialog if it's only a character and dialog driven film, but if there's any type of scope the director and the DP intended for you to see more than what youre seeing.

I do understand if you have a 20" TV and are watching a wide film, that's like torture.
I personally prefer to see what the DP intended for me to see rather than what some video dept hack choses what he thinks is important for me to focus on.

I have movies that I've kept on LD because the DVD versions are not what I wanted (STAR WARS OT) or the aspect ratios are all screwey (Extreme Predjudice, on LD 1.85:1 on DVD Pan and Scan. Huh?). When these SW DVD's are released I'll pick them up, just to replace my LD's, the lack of an anamorphic presentation is disapointing though.

 

[cybertalus]

Uh, yeah that last part is just wrong information.

The films will be in their original aspect ratio of panavision 2.35:1, but NOT anamorphic 16x9. So those of us without TV's capable of doing 16x9 wonnt be affected at all.

Thanks for clearing that up. And sorry for the false alarm. Studio Briefing is usually pretty good about getting their facts right and issuing corrections the next day on the rare occasions they don't, so I didn't bother to look elsewhere before I posted the information.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Thanks for clearing that up. And sorry for the false alarm. Studio Briefing is usually pretty good about getting their facts right and issuing corrections the next day on the rare occasions they don't, so I didn't bother to look elsewhere before I posted the information.

No worries D00d. When I read that it just seemed a bit fishy knowing that Lucas is a champion for showing films in thier orignial aspect ratios. So I went to digital bits looking for more info since those guys are pretty on top of things like this.

 

[Starman]

Uh, yeah that last part is just wrong information.

The films will be in their original aspect ratio of panavision 2.35:1, but NOT anamorphic 16x9. So those of us without TV's capable of doing 16x9 wonnt be affected at all. For those with higher end equipment, well this news just sucks...Digital Bits Link 1
Digital Bits link 2

Anamorphic Widescreen Explained

Hope this clears things up a little bit.

Whew. That's better.

Of course, even if Lucas did release them as pan'n'scan, you know that he would release the widescreen version at a later date.