Lucasfilm reveal Star Wars DVD Box Art

[Sprite Machine]

Why is there no anamorphic version? Most films on DVD seem to be anamorphic and are far more practical for someone like me who watches movies on both widescreen and normal tellies.

[taiAtari]

I'm pretty sure the widescreen version is anamorphic, otherwise it would be the letterbox version. Although there is some confusion with these terms. It's pretty rare for big new releases to be letterboxed though (except for some region 3 discs).

[Sprite Machine]

I'm pretty sureThe widescreen version is anamorphic, otherwise it would be the letterbox version.

Hmm... so why is there a 'non-widescreen' version if the widescreen version is anamorphic (and thus facilitating normal TVs too?)?

[taiAtari]

Hmm... so why is there a 'non-widescreen' version if the widescreen version is anamorphic (and thus facilitating normal TVs too?)?

Erm, so they can see the movie fullscreen. Do you mean a pan and scan option instead of anamorphic? Anamorphic means storing a movie 'stretched' so widescreen tv's don't sufffer decreased resolution, they will look letterboxed on a 4:3 telly.

[Calashnikov]

Hmm... so why is there a 'non-widescreen' version if the widescreen version is anamorphic (and thus facilitating normal TVs too?)?

Some people just hate black borders.

*cough* *cough*

[Sprite Machine]

Erm, so they can see the movie fullscreen. Do you mean a pan and scan option instead of anamorphic? Anamorphic means storing a movie 'stretched' so widescreen tv's don't sufffer decreased resolution, they will look letterboxed on a 4:3 telly.

I thought anamorphic was when there were essentially two versions of the film on the disc, so that when you play it on a widescreen telly you get the full widescreen picture, and when you play it on a normal telly it cuts bits off (pan and scan?).

All the 'anamorphic' movies that I have seem to do this, with no squashing or stretching in sight.

[superfunk]

Here's a comprehensive guide to screen ratios/anamorphic widescreen:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/officialfaq.html#3.5

[Sprite Machine]

Here's a comprehensive guide to screen ratios/anamorphic widescreen:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/officialfaq.html#3.5

Right so, from what I can gather from that, anamorphic DVDs offer the full widescreen experience when viewed on a 16:9 display, and can support normal displays as well using either auto-pan-and-scan (which doesn't always give the same desired artistic cropping effect) or a studio pan-and-scan (which would require the same film to be recorded to disc twice). I'm guessing the former wasn't desired in this case in order to give non-widescreen viewers a decent 'cropping' and the latter wasn't desirable perhaps due to lack of DVD space, making a seperate non-widescreen version a more sensible option. Makes sense, I guess! (Unless I've completely misunderstood).

[Major Britten]

I am just dissapointed that they are not releasing two disk sets for each of the films (like the first two) now its going to look a bit odd on my shelf with 3 seperate DVDs for the first 3 (when episode 3 is released of course ) and a seperate little box for the first 3 films. Not only that but the color scheme will be totally different also.

Unless of course lucas plans on remastering the first trilogy AGAIN and release that on two disk dvds when he has finished episode 3.

[superfunk]

Unless of course lucas plans on remastering the first trilogy AGAIN and release that on two disk dvds when he has finished episode 3.

What do you think?

[Rygal - Reader of Threads]

I look forward to reading the same Star Wars version arguments in next weeks thread. Incidently, the Darth Vader box art is just lovely.

[Sng]

People would buy a full screen version? Arrrrrgh.

[bidge]

Phelan, you disapoint me mate. Wjhat happened to I won't be buying the special editions. Same goes for all of you who signed the petition.

Original trilogy

I won't be buying this version.

Rumour on Spymac at the moment is that he will be releasing the Original Trilogy on region 1.

Can't find the link, but they were using Newspaper links to prove their case.

[dr_lha]

Widescreen and 'normal' editions? That's surprising

Not really, they did the same thing with the Indiana Jones boxset, Lord of the Rings and many other DVD releases in the US. Remember widescreen TVs aren't common in the US as the only real widescreen TVs you get here are plasma TVs and HDTVs. You don't get "normal" widescreen TVs like in Europe.

Plus rule 1 of Star Wars is "release in as many versions as you possibily can".

[Sabreman]

The Vader side looks really clumsy, with the title in his eye. Terrible design.

[Jammy]

I won't be buying this version.

Rumour on Spymac at the moment is that he will be releasing the Original Trilogy on region 1.

It would be lovely to think he's listened to the fans...

And to be honest, I'm quite sure that the original theatrical releases will see the light of day in 2 or 3 years, when he realises he can make a shitload of cash from selling them. In the meantime, I'm happy with my hooky laserdisc transfers of the original versions...

[DC Lemon]

Why don't you all go and buy the pirate copies off ebay?