What are the best original versions out there

stormcab

Sith Lord
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Apr 28, 2015
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After all the CGI nonsense of the originals, prequels, and now TFA, I feel I need a digital detox and watch the originals. I only own digital versions of the originals with the CGI updates. Basically I've heard about the despecialized versions online, and Star Wars Revisted. Not quite sure how to watch them. Otherwise, which are the best DVD versions to get. Either fully untouched, or the widescreen digitally mastered ones (no CGI additions, extra scenes, voice/soundtrack changes).

Cheers.
 

eloiasia

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Dec 31, 2015
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There are Limited Edition DVDs that contain 2 discs, one is the remastered version and the other Theatrical one , their where realised back in 2005 and you can find them on ebay, recently because of the TFA hype they all jumped in value but still worth picking up.
 

Grant_C

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I think the DVDs are no good. Lots of issues with colour radiation, blurring etc. You need this:

[youtube]QXifjbxZDAM[/youtube]
 

Dantooine

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Just get the most recent versions of Harmy's Despecialized editions. They're the only way to watch the OT.
 

stormcab

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Brilliant. Nice one guys. Will get to work downloading that tomorrow. I've never seen any versions after the 97 upgrades, but I was close to dying inside when I just heard how they changed Obi Wan's scream as he appears for the first time in ANH. What the actual f***?! It what realm of reality did they think that was anywhere near remotely a good idea??
 

kingshearer

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Dec 23, 2012
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Great video, they've went to some effort getting bits from different sources.
It makes you wonder if the original Star Wars Theatrical print still exists!
He gave the national registry of archival prints the 1997 edition now if he's got the 77' edition that is just plain evil.
Right off to buy the VHS and a second hand player…
 

BlueDog

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Apr 11, 2011
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You'd think it would, a member on RS was selling an original theatrical film copy of ROTJ a while back. It's be cool to own but kinda pointless if you didn't have the equipment to play it.
 

kingshearer

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Hello Bluedog I've just edited my previous message. I now want to see the original Star Wars and VHS must be the way to go and I'm not bothered about the occasional horizontal line etc!!
 

stormcab

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Decent second had VHS players are cheap as chips, literally. I needed one briefly a couple of years back so got on eBay and found a four header starting at 99p and was round the corner from my gym. No one else bid on it and I picked it up later that day. Looked brand new. Touch. It's sitting in my loft doing nothing, but for a £1 I'll just keep it for whatever reason I might across in future.
 

Grant_C

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Disney will have a lot of work to do to re-issue it be caused it's been ****ed with so much. Not even sure if the original prints exsist anymore as Lucas said they were used for the Soecial Editions, but find that hard to believe.

The Blu-Rays are aweful. The colours are a mess. Hoth is freakin blue, Luke's blue saver is green. Background lights blur over foreground objects.

i don't understand how the standards can plummet so low.

I love it when the fans deliver.
 

kingshearer

Jedi Master
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stormcab said:
Decent second had VHS players are cheap as chips, literally. I needed one briefly a couple of years back so got on eBay and found a four header starting at 99p and was round the corner from my gym. No one else bid on it and I picked it up later that day. Looked brand new. Touch. It's sitting in my loft doing nothing, but for a £1 I'll just keep it for whatever reason I might across in future.

I've got a player lined up for £20 , it's a combi DVD and VHS. I can't believe I'm collecting videos again!! Ideally it would be great if I could record the video onto dvd but those recordable combi's look expensive. Looks like the best video's to buy are the releases from 1988 , I've managed to snap up ESB and ROTJ today and the ROTJ was a joblot which included the 1991 widescreen editions of SW and ESB which I'm hoping are untouched too.
I get the feeling that when I start playing them I'll be disappointed with the picture quality but I suppose it's just a bit of cheap(ish) fun.
 

db94

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Grant_C said:
I think the DVDs are no good. Lots of issues with colour radiation, blurring etc. You need this:

[youtube]QXifjbxZDAM[/youtube]


I have tried several times to acquire this but I'm clearly way too stoopid!
If anyone can pm me we could maybe swap contact details and you could help me out 8)

Cheers
 

peekaygee73

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Sep 1, 2014
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Harmy's is the only way to go - I wouldn't waste time with 20 year old VHSs or the poor quality non-anamorphic DVD releases. The Despecialised editions are available in HD and look absolutely stunning. Whoever worked on the Blu-ray releases should watch these to see how the colour balance should look.

db94 said:
I have tried several times to acquire this but I'm clearly way too stoopid!
If anyone can pm me we could maybe swap contact details and you could help me out 8)

Cheers

Start here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yLsvexWBVM8IYSGopKuSfsGk5YIgCwQWd23bqb5ryD4/pub

The introductory guide is great and gives you a number of options for how to download it. If you don't have any joy PM me and I can help you out with the latest versions of SW & ESB, and the recently released 2.0 workprint of Harmy's ROTJ :)
 

theforceuk

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This is a good read if you are interested. :)

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-wars/31764/star-wars-original-cuts-on-blu-ray-the-evidence
 

eloiasia

Youngling
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Dec 31, 2015
Messages
16
Well I just watched the 2006 limited editionDVD theatrical version of new hope and it's ok :) last time I've seen unaltered version was back in early 90' on VHS and this is a similar in few aspects, the picture is very grainy and blurry but over all a good experience, only had to switch the size into cinema option which widens the display.

I can never understand all this additions made by Lucas, as the original version is bloody awesome, sure there are visible flaws here and there but with the technology available back then it is a visual masterpiece. The attention to details on some of the props is breath taking especially the Millennium Falcon and the way they managed to pull some of the shots in space just amazing :)
Overall I'm happy with the purchase and would recommend watching it, it may not be as crisp as the remastered blu rey version but it has certain charm to it and as far as I know it's still the best official release of unaltered version out there, so even for that matter it's worth owning it.

Btw; @the forceuk that was a good read, and who knows we might get an ultimate version in 4K and lets hope it is the unaltered one.
 
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