Culturedog: First, thanks for the mention in the episode. Covering Star Wars home video has been an adventure, both on YT and in book form. Second, and the main reason I'm commenting: Thank you for breaking down specifics on this disc. I've rarely delved into different pressings, so it only recently came to my attention that the 1992 pressing and 1993 were different and the fixed version was in 1993. I was among those under the impression for years that it was simply that the Fox Video branded release was the "fixed one." I had heard it so often (just as you describe near the end of the video) that when I finally got a pair of working LaserDisc players, I never even thought to check my 1992 Fox Video version against 1989. I've recently managed to acquire a Technidisc version (which is on its way to me now). The issue left my head spinning a bit, since I was shocked not to have run into details on this before, but between a few commenters on my channel recently and watching this video, I feel like I know what to expect and to look for when it arrives. When I cover that on my channel, I'll make sure to point people over here as well for the great comparison shots and coverage. Again, thanks for clearing up this misconception for those of us who got caught up in the incomplete information out there.
Nathan! You are most welcome - keep up the good work! Looking forward to the new edition of the book as well. Yeah, this whole Technidisc situation blew my mind as well, and finally led me to put this video together. It is amazing how so many new bits of information can still creep out about old media from decades ago! Since doing this video, I've also learned from the great commenters here and over on facebook that there are 1994 Technidisc copies as well. They still use that same corrected master, but they have a newer date on the mint markings. I'll keep you posted if any further wild developments occur!
Great video! I'm not a hardcore Star Wars fan, but still found this to be extremely interesting and informative. Thanks for taking to the time to put this together.
I'm stunned! I've just stumbled upon you're vids. Nostalgia! I'm so pleased to see someone as keen on laserdisc as me. My collection and equipment has been mothballed for quite some time but with a good deal of effort and a lot of luck I will have my studio/workshop built by this summer and all of my 'treasures' will have home at last. I got into LD when I went into a home theatre centre in Guildford in my Dad's home town in the UK and saw T2 playing on a 60" screen. I sat and watched and the demonstrator missed a button on the remote in the dark and this big shiny platter of magic slid out from a big black box under the screen. Needless to say I was hooked. This was a few years before the end of the LD era. I too naught big hug lots of discs but I did go after items I lusted for. The big one being the collectors box edition of Jason and the Argonauts! £60 pounds UK! But just love it! Got the boxes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, the Fly etc for next to nothing. Anywho! Thanks for vids, the nostalgia, the info, have subscribed and will be popping in again.
Thanks so much! So glad you found my vids! Yeah, T2 on LD was a seismic event! I remember seeing it playing on so many TVs on showroom floors for years. Glad I could help bring some of that nostalgia back. Hope to see you in future comments sections - cheers!!
This is another excellent review from you Culturedog. It is nice that someone finally created an in depth review of the Technidisc Pressing of Star Wars and it was worth the wait. It is nice to see that there are comparisons between the Technidisc transfer and the previous transfer that had been used on the 1989 & 1992 Widescreen Edition of Star Wars on LaserDisc.
Thanks so much! Normally I don't like dropping in too many screencaps or anything because of copyright strikes, but this one pretty much demanded a proper visual comparison. Glad you enjoyed it - cheers!!
I've tried acquiring a copy of the Technidisc pressing of Star Wars but all I have come across are the Mitsubishi pressings from 1992. But I'll score a copy eventually, only time will tell. I've never owned the Original Theatrical Versions of The Star Wars Trilogy on LaserDisc before. But I've got the 2006 DVD 2-Disc Editions that include the Original Versions on the second discs. Back in November I almost bought a Definitive Collection set for $20.00. But the seller let me take a look at it and it was one of the early pressings that was missing seven seconds from The Empire Strikes Back.
That's cool that you have the 2006 2-disc DVDs - those are getting pricier and tougher to find, and the bonus discs are essentially the same master as the Definitive Collection LDs, just with some tweaks here and there. Yeah, my guesstimate of the ratio being 80% Mitsubishi vs 20% Technidiscs might have even been too generous on the Technidisc front. They are definitely tougher to find.
I bought my 2-Disc DVD Editions from 2006 the day they were released. I assumed that one day they'd be worth a pretty penny and they sure are now. They aren't the worst Non-Anamorphic Widescreen presentations I've seen and I really like the 2.0 Surround Mixes they have. They do look very good on a 4:3 CRT TV though. I do think though that Lucasfilm should have performed proper restorations of the Original Versions from the Camera Negatives and and created Anamorphic Widescreen transfers for DVD instead of going back to the 1993 Video Masters created for the Definitive Collection. Hopefully though in the near future we will get official Blu-Ray releases of the Original Versions with stunning transfers.
Dude- thanks for making these videos! I recently inherited a large collection from my grandpa and just bought a laserdisc player yesterday! Your knowledge with these technologies is superb! I couldn’t be more grateful! Cheers
@Culturedog Is there anything wrong with the The Empire Steikes Back fox disc I have to put my tv on wide for it not to be window boxed if I put it on normal it's window boxed
@@CulturedogI also have the definitive star wars box how can I tell if I have the the redone box with the 7 sec put back in I think I remember that once the disc flipped over the scene was therefore Leia was welding but not 100% sure if it was complete
I remember taking 1 or maybe 2 box sets back cuz they had issues and was finally happy with the 3rd one I remember taking back my t2 box back twice too I remember alot of discs had those vertical lines that came straight down finally I said freak it and they had to give me another one cuz when they checked it on there player it was there so I remember alot of laserdiscs having that issue pretty sure u know about that issue since u were also a laserdisc collector
I tried to spot the shrinking aspect ratio, but couldn't see it. Thanks to your video, I now know I have the corrected version out of dumb luck. Thank you for your video.
Another stellar job, Culture Dog! I got a copy of this edition abt a year ago (not sure if it was the Technidisc) but it was so rotted, and I was so pissed, that I pitched it. Love to find one of these, though... On a totally unrelated note, I finally got a copy of THX-1138 for Christmas! Will share pics with Laserdisc Forever soon
Thanks man! Glad to do my part to help out my fellow LD collectors in the great hunt! Nice! So glad I finally have a THX-1138 copy myself! Gonna have to do a video on that at some point.
@@Culturedog looking forward to that one! One an unrelated note, I can't recall if you've touched on this in another video, but have you ever compared the laserdisc of Heat to its dvd/blu counterparts? I was rewatching my LD recently and the sound just torpedoes the dvd release
I haven't yet, but that's a great idea - as Heat is one of my favorite films and there are a few interesting things about the LD. I've got the 2-disc DVD special edition and the Blu-Ray Director's Cut too, so I've got plenty to compare.
Just a heads up! There’s what appears from a pic of the back cover) to be a technidisc Star Wars copy selling in a set on eBay right now for under $30.
Thanks for the shout out! Indeed all the differences in video masters were first discovered on some of our originaltrilogy.com threads by various users. First came the shrinking ratio discovery and then eventually someone found the Technidisc variant and only discovered the different master when he made some screenshots. The audio mix on all is the 1985 home video remix prepared by Ben Burtt for TV and home video and first used on the JSC release. This mix is the 1977 Dolby Stereo but with the dynamic range greatly reduced as to not cause any playback issues-but it does add in 3P0's line about the tractor beam while in the Death Star control room which was only in the 1977 mono mix. What you mentioned about Vader's voice sounding different is true in that just like the various armor/helmet changes, the voice processing was improved in fidelity and mixing due to better technology and a higher budget on ESB. (Like many other things in the sequel as well.) Despite the dynamic range reduction the 1985 audio sounds great in a home theater, and the other benefit to having US SWE discs over the JSC originals is that the PCM tracks are slightly better encoded. The 1993 Definitive Collection mix used the 70mm mix as a base and added new effects and ProLogic steering. The reason it sounds beefier is that it doesn't have the dynamic range reduction of the 1985 mix and was based on the six track print master instead of the four track one. (Though it should be noted the overall sound master is four track anyway.) Also it should be underlined that it is not necessary to seek out the rare Technidisc copies of ESB and ROTJ as they just pressed the same masters as the other plants. It is still unknown where this new master of Star Wars came from but I can only surmise somebody called Lucasfilm back in the day about the ratio problem and they sent over something that had been prepared for something else and was thus not as manipulated as what happened eventually a short while later on the Definitive Collection.
Thanks man! Yeah, my curiosity really gets piqued by the mysterious source of this release! Same here, I haven't bothered to track down Technidisc reissues of ESB and ROTJ for the reason you mentioned. I'm perfectly fine with my old CBS FOX editions of those. Keep up the good work!
After watch both of your videos. Duck claims for the A New Hope Technidisc Disc you have to confirm on the disc itself. On Culturedog, he claims the made in USA label on the outside is enough to confirm. I would like to know if I can confirm while the item is still sealed.
The ultimate proof is always in the mint markings themselves, but as there are only 2 known manufacturers of the "Fox Video" renditions, checking for "Made in USA" should be good enough for identifying a Technidisc.
@@Culturedog is pretty much spot on. However as he mentioned the only way to be 100% sure is to look at the mint markings and of course play the disc itself.
Thank You for this video posting I just purchased off Ebay what I thought was a 1993 Star Wars Technidisc with Made In The USA box as shown here the laser disc cover was badly damaged with water residue on the bottom on both sides that whited out the bottom cover but the laser disc said CBS Fox Video instead of Fox Video as the cover said so its going back to the seller as false advertising so people look out and ask questions before buying .
Thanks for watching it! That sucks that you received the wrong version - buying from Ebay can be frustrating sometimes when you're looking for specific pressings. I hope you find a legitimate Technidisc copy soon!
@@Culturedog What is the best place to look on line for one than doing Ebay ? let me know and Thanks for getting back to me on this I really do appreciate it . Rich
Holy shit, you can really see the letterbox shrinking in the other two discs lol. That would've annoyed the shit out of me if I had bought it back then! Love that Darth Vader gatefold, I heard the definitive collection had rot problems though. You should do more of these LD reviews in the future!
Thanks man! Yeah, there are a bunch of issues with the Definitive box - I really need to make a video on that one. Still love mine though, even if it's not really "definitive". Yeah, I'd never seen anyone post an example of the shrinking ratio before, so I figured I'd take a hit on monetization in the name of historical LD research! Haha
Nice find! The Technidiscs are creeping up in price too, now that the cat's out of the bag and sellers realize they have another sales angle to exploit!
@@Culturedog how much are we talking? bc i had a normal version as well as the technidisc. The person i bought from must have known about it if he had 2 copies maybe?
Yeah, I love being able to adjust the image position. I don't have too many "raised image" letterboxed films, but it is an occasional curve ball. But the DVDO makes it simple to work around it!
Thanks! Yeah, definitely snap some up if you get a chance! They seem to be fairly common, but prices fluctuate wildly. I'm starting to see these U.S. Fox releases going for silly money too.
Great video! I wasn’t even aware of this particular variant but had two Laser discs copies of each of the original trilogy. After watching this video I went to my off site storage and what do know! I actually have this version as well as the CBS version. Thank you for this video and the heads up. My only question is for clarification. Is this the only time they used this corrected master or is this the version found in the Definitive Collection?
Oh nice! It's cool that you had one already! But yeah, the master for the Technidisc pressing was a weird one-off, never to be seen again. The Definitive Collection was a new master altogether (with no shrinking ratio thankfully) and that one was used again for the "Faces" CLV reissues and eventually the bonus discs on the 2006 2-Disc DVD sets.
I had a chance to grab some Special Collection discs recently, but I just wasn't excited about the price tag. I have just the CBS FOX Widescreen LDs & VHS box set of the Trilogy, but for Empire I actually prefer the THX remaster for the more pure whites throughout for Hoth & Cloud City. I have the VHS & 2006 DVDs of the THX editions, but no LDs at this time. At HPBs I only come across the pan-and-scan editions or the versions I already have. I've seen some FOX Video LDs pop up online, but no telling signs of which pressing in those listings. At least now I know what to ask for if I ever see them again.
It takes patience and a lot of searching, but you can eventually find decent affordable copies without the usual silly Star Wars markup. I can understand preferring the Definitive master in some cases but the color drainage and motion smearing just kill it for me. The later Faces repressings avoid the rot issue and some Kuraray copies are supposed to be Super NTSC encoded but I only have the ROTJ Faces.
Yeah, the Japanese Special Collection discs can fluctuate wildly in the open market. Though they are pretty common in Japan, so if you can find a seller who'll pass along the savings without a crazy markup, they're definitely worth snagging. Cheers, man! Keep the videos coming!
I just bought a copy with this same jacket but inside was a Mitsubishi pressing and the discs were never swapped out. What are the odds of that happening?
The closest 1977 version of star wars for me is the old Betamax home video format which I still have doesn't get played. Trying to save it from wear out.
Does the shrinking ratio begin prior to side 3? I found the 2nd disc (side 3) of the technidisc set and I'm wondering If i can pair it with an earlier disc 1 pressing to have no ratio change.
I just got the Technidisc version of A New Hope for $15. I assume Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi do not have any aspect ratio issues, so that means I can buy any copy from any of the plants (Pioneer, Mitsubishi, Technidisc), right?
Nice! Good price too. Exactly, Empire and Jedi are the same transfers across pressings. Jedi is a little different in that the image is shifted up within the video frame to fit alien language subtitles in the lower black bar, but it's like that on all the pressings.
It's kind of funny, when I originally wanted (and bought) a Laserdisc player, it had nothing to do with Star Wars. I was ready to be content with the limited edition DVDs for the theatrical versions. And now I have the JSC laserdiscs anyway. Guess if you own an LD player, you're gonna wind up with Star Wars at some point!
Hey Sam I just checked the mint marks on my technidisc pressing of star wars it shows 5-3-94 that's after the definitive collection I didn't think they were pressed that late?
Oh snap! That's super cool! It's certainly possible - even though the Definitive was out by then, I don't think they finally mothballed these CLV releases until the Faces ones dropped in 1995. Thanks for checking - the plot thickens!
@Culturedog Really really killer video as always, if you dont mind my pun that came from a certain CZcamsr. The4K77 of the Original sounds so freakin awesome, even though if you want to burn it on a 4K disc, im not sure if anybody can burn 4K discs from a computer so far anyway. Do you own the Despecialized Editions of Star Wars? At least with those you can own them physically on Blu Ray if you look them up on Ebay, all the different theatrical audio tracks are so awesome, and i think the picture quality looks better than the commercial Blu Rays, the authentic color timing looks gorgeous. Say Hollywood, maybe you should learn about not messing with color timing, although i have heard that the 4K of The Matrix corrects all the color issues from every other home release, and is the first time you get to see the theatrical color grading, what are your thoughts? So excited to see you back for some killer Laser Action!!
Thanks man! Yeah, I had some digital files of the Despecialized Editions around somewhere - I do appreciate that you can put them on BR discs too. But yeah, I know some peeps who collect high resolution scans of 35mm prints and those suckers take up some major real estate! Haha. I hear the 35mm scan of Raiders of the Lost Ark is awesome too. Definitely going to pick up that 4K of The Matrix sometime soon as well. I've actually skipped every reissue of it since getting the original snapper case DVD back in the day. But it sounds like they did it right on the 4K! I need to get the 4K of John Carpenter's Christine too - saw that Amazon dropped it down to $14 or so.
@Culturedog From what i heard, many many people who saw the Matrix in the theaters have said that the original DVD didn't accurately present the theatrical version, a lot of them said in forums a few years ago that there was actually levels of green in the theaters, but it was not to the excessive level of the Blu Ray, and it's definitely not to the level of the remastered DVD which is actually so green that some shots on the Blu Ray have pretty tame green in comparison. There was also many describing the theatrical color grading having a very bleached out look throughout a lot of the film. I have seen the screenshots of the 4K a couple times which was scanned directly from the original camera negative supervised and approved by the Director of Photography, and those screenshots match up perfectly with what a lot of the people have been saying in the past few years, so that sounds like good news to me.
As I recall, some parts of the Despecialized Editions use upscaled footage from LaserDisc (as well as other sources). I bought the original trilogy on BluRay just so I could legally download the Despecialized Editions. I've never even watched the BluRays.
I like hearing about this, started the hobby not that long ago so I am green as hell lol. I actually kind of like the Japanese off center letterbox, personally I like subtitles large and off the picture which you can do under that format.
Nice - welcome to the LD club! Yeah, I don't know why they didn't just leave the shifted Japanese letterboxing as-is, which they eventually did with Return of the Jedi. But I'm fine with the off-center image and can adjust it with my processor if I need to lower it. Thanks for watching!!
Thanks! Funny you should mention that, I just started picking up some of the different Japanese pressings of Brazil to go with my US copies, so that's definitely something I could put together!
I remember I bought a laserdisc of Texas Chainsaw massacre 2 and it had that crosstalk noise. I thought it was laser rot and returned it. I'd never heard of video crosstalk before today. Is there a way to fix it?
If it's baked into the master, there's not too much to do - though I have heard tales of some high end processors making it less noticeable. Though most of the time it's either the player is slightly misaligned, or (the most common) the disc is warped. If the crosstalk happens mostly as side ends, it's probably disc warp. Which, luckily, you can fix by stacking some heavy gear on top of the disc for a while. I have a record flattener with a heating pouch I can use on LDs too - that really does the trick.
Great video. I’m seriously considering buying my first ever LD player. I don’t want to spend more than about $200 . I was thinking Pioneer. What model would you recommend?
Thanks man! The market's been a little crazy lately, but that price point used to be right around where you could grab a Pioneer CLD-D704 or D703 (same as the D704, just without AC-3) - it seems they've been shooting up lately, but you could still get lucky. Under those would be the CLD-D604, which still has most of the same features. And then closer to $100 would be the mid-90s AC-3 players like the CLD-D504/D505.
Nope - these masters were abandoned once the Definitive Collection dropped. Of course that master has its own issues, but that's a story for another video! :-D
Do you have the 2006 GOUT dvd release of the original Star Wars? I was curious as to why the audio is so lossy compared to the laserdisc counterparts. Is it simply because of the dvd compression ratio?
I don't, believe it or not! I thought about picking them up when they dropped, but I snoozed and then they shot up in price. I still don't own any OG Star Wars films on anything newer than LD! I wonder if they used a low bitrate Dolby Digital 2.0 signal? Those old LD PCM tracks would be tough to beat if that were the case.
@@Culturedog I did a back and forth comparison with one scene from the dvd to the Definitive Collection edition of Star Wars, the gunport sequence as the Falcon escapes from the Death Star. I kept the audio levels in exactly the same place and the LD blew it out of the water, so yes I'd bet on them using a (far) lower bit rate.
I recently gave my 1130-70 copy away to a friend who's an absolute Star Wars nut (I think that's the recognised term when one goes beyond being a fan). Knew there was a reason I had previously decided to keep it. Bet it was the spelling mistake . . . Oh well. It's framed and on a wall in his house now. Drat!
"Hi Boss-Man. ..on the Star wars L.D.'s. I've got the black box-set ..I believe it had the updated computer f.x. on them.. But still prefer to watch the wide screen laserdisc's than the dVd..anytime! ..by the way using 3dimension darbee video processing unit it's made a very big difference in performance to picture quality especially on a large 100inches plus projector screen ..A real big boost!.. del..out!
The Special Edition box with Darth Vader on the front? That's actually a nice set - the AC-3 5.1 surround on that set is great and the picture quality is awesome. I've been meaning to try out a darbee sometime - good to hear you have good results from it!
Would love to see something on the Definitive Collection and 4K77. I have read the 4K77 site, and honestly I don't quite understand where or if it is available to download?
The Definitive Collection is definitely next on my LD chopping block, so that video will be coming soon. I still haven't checked out 4K77, but I plan to soon. It's one of those things where you need to find the torrent, get invited, or already know someone who has it. I have a buddy who's into the 35mm scan scene. I've been reluctant, mostly because of the massive storage space needed, but he said he'd fill up a hard drive for me if I send it out.
"Now you mentioned it Boss.. the Darth Vader L.D. one it is that I have ..Also just received star wars the Phantom men!, L.D. japanese wide-screen version ..the picture quality is just the tops ..(with the darbee on of course!) ..last L.D pick-up for 2018 close out was .Special edition L.B. Enter the dragon A classic movie too! del. .out!
My friend...I am a new subby and i have a couple questions about LDS.. i am considering starting up as collector and to enjoy this format. Is collecting LDS worthwhile as an investment?...I know back in the day it was pretty expensive to own and now I can buy them for a few bucks a pop. Do you see this being a go to for collectors in the future or highly sought after?
Hey man - cheers! Thanks for subbing! There is a lucrative angle to LD collecting, but it's a wildly quirky one. Horror titles are usually a good investment, but some are hotter than others. Then there are some random titles here and there (like Rad or The Keep), a few anamorphically-enhanced discs (T2 THX Squeeze being one), etc. The biggest money is in MUSE Hi-Vision HD LDs and late releases (though not all late releases). But the stuff that should be an obvious win (sought after boxed sets from back in the day, etc.) are often ridiculously cheap now. Which leads to everyone thinking they've struck it rich when they find a Star Wars Definitive Collection boxed set, only to discover it goes for $50 routinely. It's a weird market for sure! It's tough to say what's going to be hot in the future, but late releases are the best gamble.
God dam it. I thought I finish that rabbit hole. :) Still want to get Definitve Edition and Phantom Menace now I got to add this to it. Note to self do not think you jumped out a rabbit hole because you end up back in it.
Culturedog no worries I am cutting down on Starwars buying to one new release for the new movies and finishing the odd set on vhs and getting the last bit of LD then I be happy. As do not think my other half will forgive me if there a big full shelf of Star Wars let alone Disney and Bond movies.
You sound like me. Don't worry, you can always get more shelves. ;) The Technidisc is the way to go, and then arguably you can downsize your other SW LDs. I too still have my various SW VHS sets as well. And don't even get me started on Bond releases.
I just got the 1980s CBS FOX Video LaserDiscs and the bottom base is grey and not black like the 1992 ones. It has stickers that say LD AMERICA A PIONEER CORP.
Culturedog, do you own the Star Wars trilogy on Blu-Ray? If you do, what do you think of the transfers from 2011? I have the Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack from 2013 of the Original Trilogy.
Believe it or not, I don't own the original Star Wars trilogy on anything other than LaserDisc, though a friend did bring his Blu-Ray box set over to my house to watch once and I remember it being pretty impressive looking overall. But yeah, back in the day I used to watch VHS copies taped from pay cable TV, then I finally upgraded to LD in the 90s and never moved beyond those discs. I do pick up the new films in the series on Blu-Ray and UHD though. I was just watching The Force Awakens again the other night.
I thought that Lucasfilm did a pretty good job with the Blu-Ray presentations of the Original Trilogy. The picture quality was surprisingly better than I thought it would be considering that Lucasfilm sourced the transfers from the 2004 restoration that was performed for the 2004 DVD release. I still have my Widescreen VHS copies of the Original Trilogy. I am surprised that I didn't wear them out when I was younger. Hopefully, the Theatrical Cuts will get a restored and released onto Blu-Ray with stunning transfers I've still got some movies on LaserDisc that I don't on either DVD or Blu-Ray. Disney's Robin Hood is one.
I actually haven't bought any of the DVDs or Blu-Rays - I've been patiently waiting for an official high resolution release of the theatrical cut like the 4K77 fan torrent. I'm sticking with the LDs in the meantime. Though I almost picked up the 2006 DVDs with the bonus discs of the original versions, even though those were based off of the laserdisc masters anyway.
@@jeffmacknz It wasn't enhanced for 16:9 TVs and it digitally faked the original title crawl. Those are the two instances I know of. They still go for decent dough though nowadays.
I have the full screen Star War trilogy Laserdisc CAV version of A New Hope from 1985 CLV version of The Empire Strikes Back from 1984 And CLV version of Return Of The Jedi from 1986
Recently been reducing my Star Wars LD collection. It's was, and still is a muddled bunch of early 80's and 90's UK and USA releases. With the Faces and the Definitive collection also on the shelf would sourcing this one add anything (my interests are in finding as little of Lucas's CGI addiction in my Star Wars as possible)? And, an ancillary; is it necessary to have the Faces trilogy if it's sat next to the Definitive Boxset (or vice-versa)? I know it's all subjective but your opinion has some heft.
The Technidisc SW is the best official video edition period in my opinion. You're still getting the main "relatively close to the theatrical cut" video version, with the main change being the ANH crawl and 1985 audio mix. The JSC is full CAV and that's its only slight benefit. The benefit to having Faces discs over the DC box is that they aren't rotters and some Kuraray copies are Super NTSC encoded, but of course they are CLV where the box is CAV.
Yeah, the later, cheaper Faces reissues are indeed Super NTSC Kuraray pressings, so those are tasty enough to ditch the Definitive Box if you can deal without the CAV factor and the special features/book/etc. I still kinda view the Technidisc as an "alternate" rendition for when I'm in a certain mood. Otherwise, I'm totally cool with the Japanese Special Collection master. The JSC is tough to beat, unless you really don't want to deal with the extra side breaks and the subtitles as a potential distraction. The Fox Video releases are awesome if you're looking to avoid the DNR of the Definitive/Faces but don't want to cough up the extra dough to grab the JSC.
@@Culturedog Thanks for your reply. Sometimes the side breaks are what defines the LD experience. As for subtitles, I also have the Japanese release of Inseminoid. Subtitles run vertically down the right hand side of the screen, in-picture. Very strange viewing experience. Had a quick look on the good ol' eBay and it looks like, considering availability, it's probably more likely to come across the JSC than a Technidisc pressing(?). Pricey but oft listed. . . . hmmm . . . bang goes the wife's holiday. :)
No problem! Yeah, I never had a problem with too many side breaks either. I've seen some discs with vertical subs - definitely a trip. I showed a Japanese LD pressing of Blade Runner on a projector at a retro media convention last year, and I think the Japanese subs made it an even cooler experience. Haha, I'm sure the wife will understand! Give my boy Kevin at the Good Squid a look - he's usually got the JSCs in stock and can usually beat the pricing at the 'bay: good-squid.myshopify.com/
That's the original 80s analog audio LD release of Do You Remember Love? I've got a butt-ton of Macross LDs in my older update videos, but I'll do a full-on Macross collection vid once I pick up a few last missing pieces.
Yes and no - the JSC is pretty awesome. I do know some guys who flat-out prefer the Technidisc, but I like it more as an alternative version. I'd probably select the Special Collection more as my go-to copy.
@Culturedog I just noticed that this video has already become one of your most popular videos a few days ago, and i also noticed that you have gain 300 subscribers. I wanted to say congratulations and hope you can make new interesting content. I watched your Week in the Life series and that was one of your very best, and i thought that the Laserdiscotheque was awesome to listen to. I must say without trying to be offensive is that Moyke and Shaun are fun to listen to but they are full on hipsters. My mouth almost dropped when Moyke said in episode 8 "Oh, why am i wasting my time with all these Blu Rays and DVDs when there is streaming?" They take up too much space." And then he says that he brought a even bigger collection of Laserdiscs that took up more space. Why would he complain about DVDs and Blu Rays when there's streaming and then decides to get a bigger collection of Laserdiscs? He does realise as a film fan that you can get tons of movies in their original uncut forms on DVD and Blu Ray that you cant get on Laserdisc or Netflix right? He truly is very wacky. I love the Laserdiscotheque theme, Chuck Norris punching me in the face means something completely different.
Awesome - thanks for checking out my other videos! Yeah, I wasn't anticipating this one blowing up quite the way it did. Which is funny, as it was made more to address this one specific question within the collecting community, and it wound up being a strangely micro-focused entry point into LD for some new viewers. I guess I need to do a proper overview of Star Wars on LD as well! Yeah, Moyke is an enigma - we've spent many a night chatting, trying to convince him that writing off Blu-Ray altogether isn't in his best interests! Haha. It really is a cool time to be a film collector - you've got the big studio stuff on BR and UHD with the great A/V showoff material, but then the boutique imprints are just crushing it with the catalog titles and deep cuts, treating cult films with the level of respect the Criterion Collection would give to an arthouse classic. I love it! Thanks again and watch out for Chuck Norris - he's still out there somewhere! :-)
@Culturedog Yeah, can't wait to see whatever you do next. I hate to do this but there is just this thing i wanted to talk about. What i want to do is that i want to set up a 4K Home Theatre System. But i also want to hook up a good Laserdisc player as a second option to a 4K player. There is a problem though, i am from Australia and the really good Laserdisc players with AC-3 are from america, plus they can play analog tracks as well. I can't play LD players from America which is 110 watts where our power from Australia is 240 watts, it would blow up the player! So i definitely need to get a power converter but there is a catch, do i hook up everything to the power converter including the AC3 demodulator and the Video Upscaler? Do i hook the LD player to the Video Upscaler and then to the projector using HDMI? I just want to know how to do it and what would be the best options. Cheers.
There are some pretty cool 3-outlet stepdown converters out there, so if you end up getting a US player, AC-3 demodulator and upscaler/processor, you should be able to get away with plugging them all into one box. Yeah, I send the video from my player into an upscaler and then HDMI out from that into my projector. I also send all the audio through my upscaler processor too, so I can switch between analog/PCM/AC-3/DTS within that unit - which passes the signal through to my AVR, though I could always send all the audio directly to my AVR instead if I wanted to.
Haha! Maybe I'll do it in a non-Star Wars video some other time just so nobody will expect it. Except for you, because I just told you. Act surprised when it happens!
As I recall Technidisc shut down its LD pressing plant 3 times (maybe it reopened 3 times), but PDO UK bothered me more. Try building a complete set of "Space: 1999" from Image. 23 volumes, each limited to 300 copies. Most that I've found have a hole punched in the jacket, and PDO UK was a terrible plant. While I have a complete set many have the punch-outs. Image was forced to use PDO UK due to insistence by ITC. It's gotten to the point that when I find a rotter I throw the disc out but keep the jacket if it's punch-out free.
@@Culturedog I just checked the LaserDisc Database. 9 Roan titles pressed by PDO UK. 3 have 1 reported case of rot each. Dementia 13, Edgar Wallace Collection, and Karloff Lugosi Collection. The other 6 titles have had no reported cases as of yet. I'll be recording a LaserDisc Update video tonight.
I cannot understand why George Lucas cannot get this movie the way it was in the theater onto disc. The guy who created ILM, and yet Star Wars still has not yet been released the way it originally was seen, and heard in theaters. Have there been other movies such as this that also had similar problems being released onto vhs/ disc, where sound was not the same, picture was not the same?
I have this version and the colors are washed out . I have Empire and Jedi THX remastered which are far superior in color ,contrast ...I never got around to getting the THX remaster. I did see it before and it was great . I was never sold on the SE versions . I do have the despecialized editions which are masterful
I'm still waiting for un altered HD original Star Wars trilogy to be released 🙄 All my 100+ laserdisc movies and my Pioneer DVD/laserdisc combo player had been donated to my local Goodwill few years back. To be honest I'm regretting that I did.
Same here - it's cool that thee are so many fan restorations available, but I'd definitely cough up the dough for an official HD release of the GOUT. I hear you - I thinned out my LD collection considerably about 10 years ago (before I got bit by the collecting bug again) and I'm constantly wishing I'd held on to certain titles. Like the Back to the Future trilogy. Why did I give that to Goodwill? Haha
Disney hasn't released any original trilogy reissues because they don't have the rights to those films. That may change in a month or two when the Fox buyout is expected to finally close.
@@Culturedog What I understand is Disney owns Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi but not A New Hope, Fox owns it. I think in 2020 Disney can buy it?
It's a tangled web, but right now Fox owns home video rights for all three of the original trilogy. In 2020, the rights for Empire and Jedi are scheduled to transfer to Disney. And Fox keeps ANH forever. But... Disney's buying Fox, so in a month or two all that should mean nothing and they'll have 'em all.
I'm curious as to why nobody has made modern ac3 demodulators. It must be easy? I dont know tech but it seems odd that a crap early 90s player like mine can output dts yet not dd. They had the foresight to add optical outs.
Yeah, it's a weird situation. It's easy enough to add-on an AC-3 RF output, but for the longest time only one guy in Germany was manufacturing the boards for it. Though recently there have been some enthusiasts making their own breadboard versions. But the demodulators themselves - I don't know of anyone trying to replicate those. That would be a cool little cottage industry though. And it would help offset the crazy rising prices of vintage demodulators. Though I know there's a specific PD4606A chip used in all demodulators, so not sure how easy/cheap that would be to acquire/replicate. In any case, I'd totally buy one if somebody started making them!
@@Culturedog it was a headache enough when i got my early pioneer dvd it didnt have dts out then the ones that did needed an amp or receiver. Its one reason why home cinema for the masses struggled until well into dvd's life. Now everything just plugs in and goes.
I can do that - I've got a few other late and late-ish releases. Yeah, the implementation of 5.1 formats was super clunky for a few years there. I almost bought one of those Technics DTS decoders from the late 90s with the 6 analog outputs, right before they started added DTS decoders into receivers. That's one of the bummers about the older AVRs that have built-in demodulators and can take a straight AC-3 RF signal from an LD player, only a handful of them were made late enough in the game to also have onboard DTS decoding.
Oh wow. If I remember correctly, this is THE only theatrical edition in digital media. I would love to get all 3 original theatrical edition in 4k remastering XD. Disney you there?
I prefer the old Fox versions over the "definitive" box because the Definitive Box LDs all suffer from DNR -.- Just like the 1995 THX remasters...the image is blurry as hell. The original LDs still have some visible filmgrain and look much better imho. Too bad i on ly own "Empire Strikes Back" as such an original Fox release so far… here in germany it is nearly impossible to get a hold of the first and third Star Wars in this Fox letterboxed release…
@@Culturedog It's just a problem with Laserdisc not having been as huge over here as it was in Japan and the USA. It was an even bigger niche than outside of Europe. So the few folks who sell NTSC discs like Star Wars movies demand insane prices. often only because it's NTSC discs which frankly aren't really worth the extra because they look seriously inferior to PAL discs. I think one of my most expensive LD boxes were the Criterion Collection release of "2001" and the Disney Archive CAV box of "Tron". I'm sure in the US you'd pay only pennies for them. Yeah i sometimes look over to what the US folks are offering online. it's usually a lot cheaper but the import/shipping costs ruin good offers very quickly. It really sucks that i'm pretty much depending on the domestic market and having to endure scalpers… It would only make sense to import from overseas if it would be a few titles more but i don#t need much LDs anymore since my collection is more or less complete. Except for the CBS Fox Star Wars releases of Episode IV and VI :P Those really are the hardest to get discs over here.
Culturedog: First, thanks for the mention in the episode. Covering Star Wars home video has been an adventure, both on YT and in book form.
Second, and the main reason I'm commenting: Thank you for breaking down specifics on this disc. I've rarely delved into different pressings, so it only recently came to my attention that the 1992 pressing and 1993 were different and the fixed version was in 1993. I was among those under the impression for years that it was simply that the Fox Video branded release was the "fixed one." I had heard it so often (just as you describe near the end of the video) that when I finally got a pair of working LaserDisc players, I never even thought to check my 1992 Fox Video version against 1989. I've recently managed to acquire a Technidisc version (which is on its way to me now). The issue left my head spinning a bit, since I was shocked not to have run into details on this before, but between a few commenters on my channel recently and watching this video, I feel like I know what to expect and to look for when it arrives. When I cover that on my channel, I'll make sure to point people over here as well for the great comparison shots and coverage. Again, thanks for clearing up this misconception for those of us who got caught up in the incomplete information out there.
Nathan! You are most welcome - keep up the good work! Looking forward to the new edition of the book as well.
Yeah, this whole Technidisc situation blew my mind as well, and finally led me to put this video together. It is amazing how so many new bits of information can still creep out about old media from decades ago! Since doing this video, I've also learned from the great commenters here and over on facebook that there are 1994 Technidisc copies as well. They still use that same corrected master, but they have a newer date on the mint markings. I'll keep you posted if any further wild developments occur!
Great video! I'm not a hardcore Star Wars fan, but still found this to be extremely interesting and informative. Thanks for taking to the time to put this together.
Thanks man! Love all your Logan's Run videos btw!!
I'm stunned! I've just stumbled upon you're vids. Nostalgia! I'm so pleased to see someone as keen on laserdisc as me. My collection and equipment has been mothballed for quite some time but with a good deal of effort and a lot of luck I will have my studio/workshop built by this summer and all of my 'treasures' will have home at last. I got into LD when I went into a home theatre centre in Guildford in my Dad's home town in the UK and saw T2 playing on a 60" screen. I sat and watched and the demonstrator missed a button on the remote in the dark and this big shiny platter of magic slid out from a big black box under the screen. Needless to say I was hooked. This was a few years before the end of the LD era. I too naught big hug lots of discs but I did go after items I lusted for. The big one being the collectors box edition of Jason and the Argonauts! £60 pounds UK! But just love it! Got the boxes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, the Fly etc for next to nothing.
Anywho! Thanks for vids, the nostalgia, the info, have subscribed and will be popping in again.
Thanks so much! So glad you found my vids! Yeah, T2 on LD was a seismic event! I remember seeing it playing on so many TVs on showroom floors for years. Glad I could help bring some of that nostalgia back. Hope to see you in future comments sections - cheers!!
Great video Sam...very informative...like always... keep them coming boss
Thanks buddy!!
This is another excellent review from you Culturedog.
It is nice that someone finally created an in depth review of the Technidisc Pressing of Star Wars and it was worth the wait. It is nice to see that there are comparisons between the Technidisc transfer and the previous transfer that had been used on the 1989 & 1992 Widescreen Edition of Star Wars on LaserDisc.
Thanks so much! Normally I don't like dropping in too many screencaps or anything because of copyright strikes, but this one pretty much demanded a proper visual comparison. Glad you enjoyed it - cheers!!
I've tried acquiring a copy of the Technidisc pressing of Star Wars but all I have come across are the Mitsubishi pressings from 1992. But I'll score a copy eventually, only time will tell.
I've never owned the Original Theatrical Versions of The Star Wars Trilogy on LaserDisc before. But I've got the 2006 DVD 2-Disc Editions that include the Original Versions on the second discs.
Back in November I almost bought a Definitive Collection set for $20.00. But the seller let me take a look at it and it was one of the early pressings that was missing seven seconds from The Empire Strikes Back.
That's cool that you have the 2006 2-disc DVDs - those are getting pricier and tougher to find, and the bonus discs are essentially the same master as the Definitive Collection LDs, just with some tweaks here and there.
Yeah, my guesstimate of the ratio being 80% Mitsubishi vs 20% Technidiscs might have even been too generous on the Technidisc front. They are definitely tougher to find.
I bought my 2-Disc DVD Editions from 2006 the day they were released. I assumed that one day they'd be worth a pretty penny and they sure are now. They aren't the worst Non-Anamorphic Widescreen presentations I've seen and I really like the 2.0 Surround Mixes they have. They do look very good on a 4:3 CRT TV though.
I do think though that Lucasfilm should have performed proper restorations of the Original Versions from the Camera Negatives and and created Anamorphic Widescreen transfers for DVD instead of going back to the 1993 Video Masters created for the Definitive Collection.
Hopefully though in the near future we will get official Blu-Ray releases of the Original Versions with stunning transfers.
Found this via thestarwarstrilogy forums as a new member and this was very informative. Thank you!
Dude- thanks for making these videos! I recently inherited a large collection from my grandpa and just bought a laserdisc player yesterday! Your knowledge with these technologies is superb! I couldn’t be more grateful! Cheers
Thanks for watching them! Glad they've been helpful! Cheers!
@Culturedog Is there anything wrong with the The Empire Steikes Back fox disc I have to put my tv on wide for it not to be window boxed if I put it on normal it's window boxed
@@CulturedogI also have the definitive star wars box how can I tell if I have the the redone box with the 7 sec put back in I think I remember that once the disc flipped over the scene was therefore Leia was welding but not 100% sure if it was complete
I remember taking 1 or maybe 2 box sets back cuz they had issues and was finally happy with the 3rd one I remember taking back my t2 box back twice too I remember alot of discs had those vertical lines that came straight down finally I said freak it and they had to give me another one cuz when they checked it on there player it was there so I remember alot of laserdiscs having that issue pretty sure u know about that issue since u were also a laserdisc collector
I tried to spot the shrinking aspect ratio, but couldn't see it. Thanks to your video, I now know I have the corrected version out of dumb luck. Thank you for your video.
No problem - glad to help! Cheers!!
Another stellar job, Culture Dog! I got a copy of this edition abt a year ago (not sure if it was the Technidisc) but it was so rotted, and I was so pissed, that I pitched it. Love to find one of these, though...
On a totally unrelated note, I finally got a copy of THX-1138 for Christmas! Will share pics with Laserdisc Forever soon
Thanks man! Glad to do my part to help out my fellow LD collectors in the great hunt!
Nice! So glad I finally have a THX-1138 copy myself! Gonna have to do a video on that at some point.
@@Culturedog looking forward to that one!
One an unrelated note, I can't recall if you've touched on this in another video, but have you ever compared the laserdisc of Heat to its dvd/blu counterparts? I was rewatching my LD recently and the sound just torpedoes the dvd release
I haven't yet, but that's a great idea - as Heat is one of my favorite films and there are a few interesting things about the LD. I've got the 2-disc DVD special edition and the Blu-Ray Director's Cut too, so I've got plenty to compare.
Enjoyed the video Sam. I still miss my laserdiscs.
Thanks! Yeah, they are addictive!
@@Culturedog I just started to seriously get into it and I don't make a lot of money.
JSC FOREVER.
Great vid, Sam.
Thanks brutha!! Yeah, I'm clearly gonna have to knock out some future vids for the Def box and the JSC!
Just a heads up! There’s what appears from a pic of the back cover) to be a technidisc Star Wars copy selling in a set on eBay right now for under $30.
Great vid, really want this pressing now.
Thanks man! Where you been hiding? Haven't seen any sweet LD pickups in a while!
@@Culturedog I should get back into making vids later next month, waiting on our new place to come together so I can rebuild my viewing palace.
Nooice!
Thanks for the shout out! Indeed all the differences in video masters were first discovered on some of our originaltrilogy.com threads by various users. First came the shrinking ratio discovery and then eventually someone found the Technidisc variant and only discovered the different master when he made some screenshots. The audio mix on all is the 1985 home video remix prepared by Ben Burtt for TV and home video and first used on the JSC release. This mix is the 1977 Dolby Stereo but with the dynamic range greatly reduced as to not cause any playback issues-but it does add in 3P0's line about the tractor beam while in the Death Star control room which was only in the 1977 mono mix. What you mentioned about Vader's voice sounding different is true in that just like the various armor/helmet changes, the voice processing was improved in fidelity and mixing due to better technology and a higher budget on ESB. (Like many other things in the sequel as well.) Despite the dynamic range reduction the 1985 audio sounds great in a home theater, and the other benefit to having US SWE discs over the JSC originals is that the PCM tracks are slightly better encoded. The 1993 Definitive Collection mix used the 70mm mix as a base and added new effects and ProLogic steering. The reason it sounds beefier is that it doesn't have the dynamic range reduction of the 1985 mix and was based on the six track print master instead of the four track one. (Though it should be noted the overall sound master is four track anyway.) Also it should be underlined that it is not necessary to seek out the rare Technidisc copies of ESB and ROTJ as they just pressed the same masters as the other plants. It is still unknown where this new master of Star Wars came from but I can only surmise somebody called Lucasfilm back in the day about the ratio problem and they sent over something that had been prepared for something else and was thus not as manipulated as what happened eventually a short while later on the Definitive Collection.
Thanks man! Yeah, my curiosity really gets piqued by the mysterious source of this release! Same here, I haven't bothered to track down Technidisc reissues of ESB and ROTJ for the reason you mentioned. I'm perfectly fine with my old CBS FOX editions of those. Keep up the good work!
After watch both of your videos. Duck claims for the A New Hope Technidisc Disc you have to confirm on the disc itself. On Culturedog, he claims the made in USA label on the outside is enough to confirm. I would like to know if I can confirm while the item is still sealed.
The ultimate proof is always in the mint markings themselves, but as there are only 2 known manufacturers of the "Fox Video" renditions, checking for "Made in USA" should be good enough for identifying a Technidisc.
@@Culturedog is pretty much spot on. However as he mentioned the only way to be 100% sure is to look at the mint markings and of course play the disc itself.
Thank You for this video posting I just purchased off Ebay what I thought was a 1993 Star Wars Technidisc with Made In The USA box as shown here the laser disc cover was badly damaged with water residue on the bottom on both sides that whited out the bottom cover but the laser disc said CBS Fox Video instead of Fox Video as the cover said so its going back to the seller as false advertising so people look out and ask questions before buying .
Thanks for watching it! That sucks that you received the wrong version - buying from Ebay can be frustrating sometimes when you're looking for specific pressings. I hope you find a legitimate Technidisc copy soon!
@@Culturedog What is the best place to look on line for one than doing Ebay ? let me know and Thanks for getting back to me on this I really do appreciate it . Rich
Holy shit, you can really see the letterbox shrinking in the other two discs lol. That would've annoyed the shit out of me if I had bought it back then! Love that Darth Vader gatefold, I heard the definitive collection had rot problems though. You should do more of these LD reviews in the future!
Thanks man! Yeah, there are a bunch of issues with the Definitive box - I really need to make a video on that one. Still love mine though, even if it's not really "definitive".
Yeah, I'd never seen anyone post an example of the shrinking ratio before, so I figured I'd take a hit on monetization in the name of historical LD research! Haha
I just got one the of Technidisc variants in a lot recently. Very pleasant surprise!
Nice find! The Technidiscs are creeping up in price too, now that the cat's out of the bag and sellers realize they have another sales angle to exploit!
@@Culturedog how much are we talking? bc i had a normal version as well as the technidisc. The person i bought from must have known about it if he had 2 copies maybe?
" Hi Boss-Man ..A belated merry Christmas 🎅 & happy new year🍾 too all Sir!
del!
Hey man! Thanks! Belated Christmas and New Year greetings to you as well!!
Cool stuff. The oldest Star Wars LD’s I have we’re pressed in the late 80s ( Special collection ). Luckily my DVDO can handle that lifted screen
Yeah, I love being able to adjust the image position. I don't have too many "raised image" letterboxed films, but it is an occasional curve ball. But the DVDO makes it simple to work around it!
Great info! One day I will one the Japanese Special Collection discs!
Thanks! Yeah, definitely snap some up if you get a chance! They seem to be fairly common, but prices fluctuate wildly. I'm starting to see these U.S. Fox releases going for silly money too.
@@Culturedog A good possible future review... The THX-1138 Widescreen Laserdisc!
I only have one, and despite not exactly needing the other two I can't help it! :)
Awesome video
Great video! I wasn’t even aware of this particular variant but had two Laser discs copies of each of the original trilogy. After watching this video I went to my off site storage and what do know! I actually have this version as well as the CBS version. Thank you for this video and the heads up. My only question is for clarification. Is this the only time they used this corrected master or is this the version found in the Definitive Collection?
Oh nice! It's cool that you had one already! But yeah, the master for the Technidisc pressing was a weird one-off, never to be seen again. The Definitive Collection was a new master altogether (with no shrinking ratio thankfully) and that one was used again for the "Faces" CLV reissues and eventually the bonus discs on the 2006 2-Disc DVD sets.
Just got my Technidisc!!!!!!
I had a chance to grab some Special Collection discs recently, but I just wasn't excited about the price tag. I have just the CBS FOX Widescreen LDs & VHS box set of the Trilogy, but for Empire I actually prefer the THX remaster for the more pure whites throughout for Hoth & Cloud City. I have the VHS & 2006 DVDs of the THX editions, but no LDs at this time.
At HPBs I only come across the pan-and-scan editions or the versions I already have. I've seen some FOX Video LDs pop up online, but no telling signs of which pressing in those listings. At least now I know what to ask for if I ever see them again.
It takes patience and a lot of searching, but you can eventually find decent affordable copies without the usual silly Star Wars markup. I can understand preferring the Definitive master in some cases but the color drainage and motion smearing just kill it for me. The later Faces repressings avoid the rot issue and some Kuraray copies are supposed to be Super NTSC encoded but I only have the ROTJ Faces.
Yeah, the Japanese Special Collection discs can fluctuate wildly in the open market. Though they are pretty common in Japan, so if you can find a seller who'll pass along the savings without a crazy markup, they're definitely worth snagging. Cheers, man! Keep the videos coming!
Any plans on doing The Definitive Collection or the 1995 thx version?
I have my cx mode on all the time my pioneer set it that way and for audio noise I always select digital out
I just bought a copy with this same jacket but inside was a Mitsubishi pressing and the discs were never swapped out. What are the odds of that happening?
The closest 1977 version of star wars for me is the old Betamax home video format which I still have doesn't get played. Trying to save it from wear out.
Does the shrinking ratio begin prior to side 3? I found the 2nd disc (side 3) of the technidisc set and I'm wondering If i can pair it with an earlier disc 1 pressing to have no ratio change.
Yeah it starts shrinking during Side 2, unfortunately.
I just got the Technidisc version of A New Hope for $15. I assume Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi do not have any aspect ratio issues, so that means I can buy any copy from any of the plants (Pioneer, Mitsubishi, Technidisc), right?
Nice! Good price too. Exactly, Empire and Jedi are the same transfers across pressings. Jedi is a little different in that the image is shifted up within the video frame to fit alien language subtitles in the lower black bar, but it's like that on all the pressings.
It's kind of funny, when I originally wanted (and bought) a Laserdisc player, it had nothing to do with Star Wars. I was ready to be content with the limited edition DVDs for the theatrical versions.
And now I have the JSC laserdiscs anyway.
Guess if you own an LD player, you're gonna wind up with Star Wars at some point!
Yes, it's the unwritten law of LD collecting! Your fate is to own at least one Star Wars disc! Haha
My Star Wars laserdisc collection goes: Star Wars - 1992 pressing, Empire Strikes Back - 1989 pressing, and Return of the Jedi - 1990 pressing.
Hey Sam I just checked the mint marks on my technidisc pressing of star wars it shows 5-3-94 that's after the definitive collection I didn't think they were pressed that late?
Oh snap! That's super cool! It's certainly possible - even though the Definitive was out by then, I don't think they finally mothballed these CLV releases until the Faces ones dropped in 1995. Thanks for checking - the plot thickens!
@Culturedog Really really killer video as always, if you dont mind my pun that came from a certain CZcamsr. The4K77 of the Original sounds so freakin awesome, even though if you want to burn it on a 4K disc, im not sure if anybody can burn 4K discs from a computer so far anyway. Do you own the Despecialized Editions of Star Wars? At least with those you can own them physically on Blu Ray if you look them up on Ebay, all the different theatrical audio tracks are so awesome, and i think the picture quality looks better than the commercial Blu Rays, the authentic color timing looks gorgeous. Say Hollywood, maybe you should learn about not messing with color timing, although i have heard that the 4K of The Matrix corrects all the color issues from every other home release, and is the first time you get to see the theatrical color grading, what are your thoughts? So excited to see you back for some killer Laser Action!!
Thanks man! Yeah, I had some digital files of the Despecialized Editions around somewhere - I do appreciate that you can put them on BR discs too. But yeah, I know some peeps who collect high resolution scans of 35mm prints and those suckers take up some major real estate! Haha. I hear the 35mm scan of Raiders of the Lost Ark is awesome too. Definitely going to pick up that 4K of The Matrix sometime soon as well. I've actually skipped every reissue of it since getting the original snapper case DVD back in the day. But it sounds like they did it right on the 4K! I need to get the 4K of John Carpenter's Christine too - saw that Amazon dropped it down to $14 or so.
@Culturedog From what i heard, many many people who saw the Matrix in the theaters have said that the original DVD didn't accurately present the theatrical version, a lot of them said in forums a few years ago that there was actually levels of green in the theaters, but it was not to the excessive level of the Blu Ray, and it's definitely not to the level of the remastered DVD which is actually so green that some shots on the Blu Ray have pretty tame green in comparison. There was also many describing the theatrical color grading having a very bleached out look throughout a lot of the film. I have seen the screenshots of the 4K a couple times which was scanned directly from the original camera negative supervised and approved by the Director of Photography, and those screenshots match up perfectly with what a lot of the people have been saying in the past few years, so that sounds like good news to me.
As I recall, some parts of the Despecialized Editions use upscaled footage from LaserDisc (as well as other sources). I bought the original trilogy on BluRay just so I could legally download the Despecialized Editions. I've never even watched the BluRays.
I like hearing about this, started the hobby not that long ago so I am green as hell lol. I actually kind of like the Japanese off center letterbox, personally I like subtitles large and off the picture which you can do under that format.
Nice - welcome to the LD club! Yeah, I don't know why they didn't just leave the shifted Japanese letterboxing as-is, which they eventually did with Return of the Jedi. But I'm fine with the off-center image and can adjust it with my processor if I need to lower it.
Thanks for watching!!
Love these in depths on various pressings of the same movie! Be awesome to do one on "Brazil" (1985) and its various incarnations on LD ; )
Thanks! Funny you should mention that, I just started picking up some of the different Japanese pressings of Brazil to go with my US copies, so that's definitely something I could put together!
@@Culturedog Greatest movie ever if ya ask me. "The Zero Theorem" though not an LD release, is an amazing flick too!
I remember I bought a laserdisc of Texas Chainsaw massacre 2 and it had that crosstalk noise. I thought it was laser rot and returned it. I'd never heard of video crosstalk before today. Is there a way to fix it?
If it's baked into the master, there's not too much to do - though I have heard tales of some high end processors making it less noticeable.
Though most of the time it's either the player is slightly misaligned, or (the most common) the disc is warped. If the crosstalk happens mostly as side ends, it's probably disc warp. Which, luckily, you can fix by stacking some heavy gear on top of the disc for a while. I have a record flattener with a heating pouch I can use on LDs too - that really does the trick.
Great video. I’m seriously considering buying my first ever LD player. I don’t want to spend more than about $200 . I was thinking Pioneer. What model would you recommend?
Thanks man! The market's been a little crazy lately, but that price point used to be right around where you could grab a Pioneer CLD-D704 or D703 (same as the D704, just without AC-3) - it seems they've been shooting up lately, but you could still get lucky. Under those would be the CLD-D604, which still has most of the same features. And then closer to $100 would be the mid-90s AC-3 players like the CLD-D504/D505.
I have a Pioneer CLD-V2600 that's been sitting in a closet for several years, but still work well.
Do later releases still have this issue? I have the def. collection and the faces trilogy.
Nope - these masters were abandoned once the Definitive Collection dropped. Of course that master has its own issues, but that's a story for another video! :-D
Does the 1993 Laserdisk say a new hope in the crawl ?
Do you have the 2006 GOUT dvd release of the original Star Wars? I was curious as to why the audio is so lossy compared to the laserdisc counterparts. Is it simply because of the dvd compression ratio?
I don't, believe it or not! I thought about picking them up when they dropped, but I snoozed and then they shot up in price. I still don't own any OG Star Wars films on anything newer than LD!
I wonder if they used a low bitrate Dolby Digital 2.0 signal? Those old LD PCM tracks would be tough to beat if that were the case.
@@Culturedog I did a back and forth comparison with one scene from the dvd to the Definitive Collection edition of Star Wars, the gunport sequence as the Falcon escapes from the Death Star. I kept the audio levels in exactly the same place and the LD blew it out of the water, so yes I'd bet on them using a (far) lower bit rate.
I have the uk pal version from the early 80s. With the awful flakey black cover and 'hans solo' spelling error.
Good ol' "Hans Solo"! I remember Kenner getting that wrong as well when they started marketing their action figures.
I recently gave my 1130-70 copy away to a friend who's an absolute Star Wars nut (I think that's the recognised term when one goes beyond being a fan). Knew there was a reason I had previously decided to keep it. Bet it was the spelling mistake . . . Oh well. It's framed and on a wall in his house now. Drat!
"Hi Boss-Man. ..on the Star wars L.D.'s. I've got the black box-set ..I believe it had the updated computer f.x. on them..
But still prefer to watch the wide screen laserdisc's than the dVd..anytime! ..by the way using 3dimension darbee video processing unit it's made a very big difference in performance to picture quality especially on a large 100inches plus projector screen ..A real big boost!..
del..out!
The Special Edition box with Darth Vader on the front? That's actually a nice set - the AC-3 5.1 surround on that set is great and the picture quality is awesome.
I've been meaning to try out a darbee sometime - good to hear you have good results from it!
Would love to see something on the Definitive Collection and 4K77. I have read the 4K77 site, and honestly I don't quite understand where or if it is available to download?
The Definitive Collection is definitely next on my LD chopping block, so that video will be coming soon. I still haven't checked out 4K77, but I plan to soon. It's one of those things where you need to find the torrent, get invited, or already know someone who has it. I have a buddy who's into the 35mm scan scene. I've been reluctant, mostly because of the massive storage space needed, but he said he'd fill up a hard drive for me if I send it out.
I have the very first LD release of Star Wars still sealed, the CBS/Fox edition.
Cool! Does it have any hype stickers or price tags?
@@Culturedog
No, might have a price sticker...I'll have to dig it out.
"Now you mentioned it Boss.. the Darth Vader L.D. one it is that I have ..Also just received star wars the Phantom men!, L.D. japanese wide-screen version ..the picture quality is just the tops ..(with the darbee on of course!) ..last L.D pick-up for 2018 close out was .Special edition L.B. Enter the dragon A classic movie too!
del. .out!
Awww yeah, I love Enter the Dragon! Too cool!
My friend...I am a new subby and i have a couple questions about LDS.. i am considering starting up as collector and to enjoy this format. Is collecting LDS worthwhile as an investment?...I know back in the day it was pretty expensive to own and now I can buy them for a few bucks a pop. Do you see this being a go to for collectors in the future or highly sought after?
Hey man - cheers! Thanks for subbing! There is a lucrative angle to LD collecting, but it's a wildly quirky one. Horror titles are usually a good investment, but some are hotter than others. Then there are some random titles here and there (like Rad or The Keep), a few anamorphically-enhanced discs (T2 THX Squeeze being one), etc. The biggest money is in MUSE Hi-Vision HD LDs and late releases (though not all late releases).
But the stuff that should be an obvious win (sought after boxed sets from back in the day, etc.) are often ridiculously cheap now. Which leads to everyone thinking they've struck it rich when they find a Star Wars Definitive Collection boxed set, only to discover it goes for $50 routinely. It's a weird market for sure! It's tough to say what's going to be hot in the future, but late releases are the best gamble.
@@Culturedog thank you my friend...much appreciated and keep up the excellent uploads...U ROCK!🤘
The Darth Vader impression sounded like Cartman as Bane in South Park. "Well hello there Mister UPS Man"
/koxwue0SPVA
haha didn't think of that, but that's a good one!
So to clarify, not just the 92 Mitsubishi pressing has the shrinking aspect ratio, but the original '89 CBS FOX has the shrinking aspect ratio?
Exactly. They both have the shrinkage.
@@Culturedog Thank you. Do you have a video comparing the quality of laserdisc to DVD, in general?
Thanks, i have the right version!
God dam it. I thought I finish that rabbit hole. :) Still want to get Definitve Edition and Phantom Menace now I got to add this to it. Note to self do not think you jumped out a rabbit hole because you end up back in it.
Haha sorry to be the bearer of bad news!!
Culturedog no worries I am cutting down on Starwars buying to one new release for the new movies and finishing the odd set on vhs and getting the last bit of LD then I be happy. As do not think my other half will forgive me if there a big full shelf of Star Wars let alone Disney and Bond movies.
You sound like me. Don't worry, you can always get more shelves. ;) The Technidisc is the way to go, and then arguably you can downsize your other SW LDs. I too still have my various SW VHS sets as well. And don't even get me started on Bond releases.
duckyousuckr at the moment I still live with folks and I got no shelf space at all. I am not downsizing what I love.
Mesa think not to waste money on Phantom Menace.
I just got the 1980s CBS FOX Video LaserDiscs and the bottom base is grey and not black like the 1992 ones. It has stickers that say LD AMERICA A PIONEER CORP.
Nice review brother. Do yourself a big favour and get a copy of the 4K77 DNR version. It's awesome.
Thanks man! Gonna snag a copy from my buddy - he's got a bunch of other cool 35mm scans too.
Checked my discs, Yes they are
Culturedog, do you own the Star Wars trilogy on Blu-Ray? If you do, what do you think of the transfers from 2011?
I have the Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack from 2013 of the Original Trilogy.
Believe it or not, I don't own the original Star Wars trilogy on anything other than LaserDisc, though a friend did bring his Blu-Ray box set over to my house to watch once and I remember it being pretty impressive looking overall. But yeah, back in the day I used to watch VHS copies taped from pay cable TV, then I finally upgraded to LD in the 90s and never moved beyond those discs. I do pick up the new films in the series on Blu-Ray and UHD though. I was just watching The Force Awakens again the other night.
I thought that Lucasfilm did a pretty good job with the Blu-Ray presentations of the Original Trilogy. The picture quality was surprisingly better than I thought it would be considering that Lucasfilm sourced the transfers from the 2004 restoration that was performed for the 2004 DVD release.
I still have my Widescreen VHS copies of the Original Trilogy. I am surprised that I didn't wear them out when I was younger.
Hopefully, the Theatrical Cuts will get a restored and released onto Blu-Ray with stunning transfers
I've still got some movies on LaserDisc that I don't on either DVD or Blu-Ray. Disney's Robin Hood is one.
Yeah, it looks like the Disney buyout of Fox is going through - it could get interesting on the original trilogy front! I'm hopeful!
So which version do you like the best? Is the Laser disc version closest to what the director wanted us to see or is the blu ray closer
I actually haven't bought any of the DVDs or Blu-Rays - I've been patiently waiting for an official high resolution release of the theatrical cut like the 4K77 fan torrent. I'm sticking with the LDs in the meantime. Though I almost picked up the 2006 DVDs with the bonus discs of the original versions, even though those were based off of the laserdisc masters anyway.
@@Culturedog There were technical issues with the 2006 dvd correct?
@@jeffmacknz It wasn't enhanced for 16:9 TVs and it digitally faked the original title crawl. Those are the two instances I know of. They still go for decent dough though nowadays.
And the LD master they used has a lot of baked-in Digital Noise Reduction problems - like four-eyed stormtroopers! haha
Love to get up and swap the cav lol . Ld uses long bits close to analog I think is semi digital
CAV format, toilet breaks for your convenience!
I have the full screen Star War trilogy Laserdisc
CAV version of A New Hope from 1985
CLV version of The Empire Strikes Back from 1984
And CLV version of Return Of The Jedi from 1986
What is CAV and CLV?
Is that the fifth element in the background?
You called it!
Recently been reducing my Star Wars LD collection. It's was, and still is a muddled bunch of early 80's and 90's UK and USA releases. With the Faces and the Definitive collection also on the shelf would sourcing this one add anything (my interests are in finding as little of Lucas's CGI addiction in my Star Wars as possible)? And, an ancillary; is it necessary to have the Faces trilogy if it's sat next to the Definitive Boxset (or vice-versa)?
I know it's all subjective but your opinion has some heft.
The Technidisc SW is the best official video edition period in my opinion. You're still getting the main "relatively close to the theatrical cut" video version, with the main change being the ANH crawl and 1985 audio mix. The JSC is full CAV and that's its only slight benefit. The benefit to having Faces discs over the DC box is that they aren't rotters and some Kuraray copies are Super NTSC encoded, but of course they are CLV where the box is CAV.
@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Thank you so much. Truly appreciated.
Yeah, the later, cheaper Faces reissues are indeed Super NTSC Kuraray pressings, so those are tasty enough to ditch the Definitive Box if you can deal without the CAV factor and the special features/book/etc.
I still kinda view the Technidisc as an "alternate" rendition for when I'm in a certain mood. Otherwise, I'm totally cool with the Japanese Special Collection master. The JSC is tough to beat, unless you really don't want to deal with the extra side breaks and the subtitles as a potential distraction.
The Fox Video releases are awesome if you're looking to avoid the DNR of the Definitive/Faces but don't want to cough up the extra dough to grab the JSC.
@@Culturedog Thanks for your reply. Sometimes the side breaks are what defines the LD experience. As for subtitles, I also have the Japanese release of Inseminoid. Subtitles run vertically down the right hand side of the screen, in-picture. Very strange viewing experience.
Had a quick look on the good ol' eBay and it looks like, considering availability, it's probably more likely to come across the JSC than a Technidisc pressing(?). Pricey but oft listed. . . . hmmm . . . bang goes the wife's holiday. :)
No problem! Yeah, I never had a problem with too many side breaks either. I've seen some discs with vertical subs - definitely a trip. I showed a Japanese LD pressing of Blade Runner on a projector at a retro media convention last year, and I think the Japanese subs made it an even cooler experience.
Haha, I'm sure the wife will understand! Give my boy Kevin at the Good Squid a look - he's usually got the JSCs in stock and can usually beat the pricing at the 'bay: good-squid.myshopify.com/
More interested in that Macross thing poking its head out of the left corner tbh
That's the original 80s analog audio LD release of Do You Remember Love? I've got a butt-ton of Macross LDs in my older update videos, but I'll do a full-on Macross collection vid once I pick up a few last missing pieces.
Found one of my older update vids with that disc in it:
czcams.com/video/QiZlBgxcU_g/video.html
So you find the 1993 Technidisc pressing to be better than even the 1986 Special Collection release?
Yes and no - the JSC is pretty awesome. I do know some guys who flat-out prefer the Technidisc, but I like it more as an alternative version. I'd probably select the Special Collection more as my go-to copy.
@Culturedog I just noticed that this video has already become one of your most popular videos a few days ago, and i also noticed that you have gain 300 subscribers. I wanted to say congratulations and hope you can make new interesting content. I watched your Week in the Life series and that was one of your very best, and i thought that the Laserdiscotheque was awesome to listen to. I must say without trying to be offensive is that Moyke and Shaun are fun to listen to but they are full on hipsters. My mouth almost dropped when Moyke said in episode 8 "Oh, why am i wasting my time with all these Blu Rays and DVDs when there is streaming?" They take up too much space." And then he says that he brought a even bigger collection of Laserdiscs that took up more space. Why would he complain about DVDs and Blu Rays when there's streaming and then decides to get a bigger collection of Laserdiscs? He does realise as a film fan that you can get tons of movies in their original uncut forms on DVD and Blu Ray that you cant get on Laserdisc or Netflix right? He truly is very wacky. I love the Laserdiscotheque theme, Chuck Norris punching me in the face means something completely different.
Awesome - thanks for checking out my other videos! Yeah, I wasn't anticipating this one blowing up quite the way it did. Which is funny, as it was made more to address this one specific question within the collecting community, and it wound up being a strangely micro-focused entry point into LD for some new viewers. I guess I need to do a proper overview of Star Wars on LD as well!
Yeah, Moyke is an enigma - we've spent many a night chatting, trying to convince him that writing off Blu-Ray altogether isn't in his best interests! Haha. It really is a cool time to be a film collector - you've got the big studio stuff on BR and UHD with the great A/V showoff material, but then the boutique imprints are just crushing it with the catalog titles and deep cuts, treating cult films with the level of respect the Criterion Collection would give to an arthouse classic. I love it!
Thanks again and watch out for Chuck Norris - he's still out there somewhere! :-)
@Culturedog Yeah, can't wait to see whatever you do next. I hate to do this but there is just this thing i wanted to talk about. What i want to do is that i want to set up a 4K Home Theatre System. But i also want to hook up a good Laserdisc player as a second option to a 4K player. There is a problem though, i am from Australia and the really good Laserdisc players with AC-3 are from america, plus they can play analog tracks as well. I can't play LD players from America which is 110 watts where our power from Australia is 240 watts, it would blow up the player! So i definitely need to get a power converter but there is a catch, do i hook up everything to the power converter including the AC3 demodulator and the Video Upscaler? Do i hook the LD player to the Video Upscaler and then to the projector using HDMI? I just want to know how to do it and what would be the best options. Cheers.
There are some pretty cool 3-outlet stepdown converters out there, so if you end up getting a US player, AC-3 demodulator and upscaler/processor, you should be able to get away with plugging them all into one box.
Yeah, I send the video from my player into an upscaler and then HDMI out from that into my projector. I also send all the audio through my upscaler processor too, so I can switch between analog/PCM/AC-3/DTS within that unit - which passes the signal through to my AVR, though I could always send all the audio directly to my AVR instead if I wanted to.
@Culturedog Awesome, thanks Sam.
Nice video. Solid 6 out of 9.
Wait, this one had no Moyke references! Can't a brother get a 6.5?
@@Culturedog, lol. I would have rated it higher if you had snuck in the shrinking AR into your video itself. That would have been really meta.
Haha! Maybe I'll do it in a non-Star Wars video some other time just so nobody will expect it. Except for you, because I just told you. Act surprised when it happens!
As I recall Technidisc shut down its LD pressing plant 3 times (maybe it reopened 3 times), but PDO UK bothered me more. Try building a complete set of "Space: 1999" from Image. 23 volumes, each limited to 300 copies. Most that I've found have a hole punched in the jacket, and PDO UK was a terrible plant. While I have a complete set many have the punch-outs. Image was forced to use PDO UK due to insistence by ITC. It's gotten to the point that when I find a rotter I throw the disc out but keep the jacket if it's punch-out free.
Yeah, PDO UK was a nightmare. I just recently got a few Roan titles that were pressed by PDO UK, so I need to spot check those sometime soon.
@@Culturedog I just checked the LaserDisc Database. 9 Roan titles pressed by PDO UK. 3 have 1 reported case of rot each. Dementia 13, Edgar Wallace Collection, and Karloff Lugosi Collection. The other 6 titles have had no reported cases as of yet.
I'll be recording a LaserDisc Update video tonight.
I cannot understand why George Lucas cannot get this movie the way it was in the theater onto disc. The guy who created ILM, and yet Star Wars still has not yet been released the way it originally was seen, and heard in theaters. Have there been other movies such as this that also had similar problems being released onto vhs/ disc, where sound was not the same, picture was not the same?
This reminds me when i tried to get the DVD9-Release of Star Trek Voyager ... there are shrunken chinese and walmart versions everywhere :(
I have this version and the colors are washed out . I have Empire and Jedi THX remastered which are far superior in color ,contrast ...I never got around to getting the THX remaster. I did see it before and it was great . I was never sold on the SE versions . I do have the despecialized editions which are masterful
I'm still waiting for un altered HD original Star Wars trilogy to be released 🙄
All my 100+ laserdisc movies and my Pioneer DVD/laserdisc combo player had been donated to my local Goodwill few years back. To be honest I'm regretting that I did.
Same here - it's cool that thee are so many fan restorations available, but I'd definitely cough up the dough for an official HD release of the GOUT.
I hear you - I thinned out my LD collection considerably about 10 years ago (before I got bit by the collecting bug again) and I'm constantly wishing I'd held on to certain titles. Like the Back to the Future trilogy. Why did I give that to Goodwill? Haha
@Mike P I have a copy of Harmy Despecialized, it looks pretty good. But it would be cool if we get the official HD release. 👍
Disney hasn't released any original trilogy reissues because they don't have the rights to those films. That may change in a month or two when the Fox buyout is expected to finally close.
@@Culturedog What I understand is Disney owns Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi but not A New Hope, Fox owns it. I think in 2020 Disney can buy it?
It's a tangled web, but right now Fox owns home video rights for all three of the original trilogy. In 2020, the rights for Empire and Jedi are scheduled to transfer to Disney. And Fox keeps ANH forever.
But... Disney's buying Fox, so in a month or two all that should mean nothing and they'll have 'em all.
I'm curious as to why nobody has made modern ac3 demodulators. It must be easy? I dont know tech but it seems odd that a crap early 90s player like mine can output dts yet not dd. They had the foresight to add optical outs.
Yeah, it's a weird situation. It's easy enough to add-on an AC-3 RF output, but for the longest time only one guy in Germany was manufacturing the boards for it. Though recently there have been some enthusiasts making their own breadboard versions. But the demodulators themselves - I don't know of anyone trying to replicate those. That would be a cool little cottage industry though. And it would help offset the crazy rising prices of vintage demodulators. Though I know there's a specific PD4606A chip used in all demodulators, so not sure how easy/cheap that would be to acquire/replicate. In any case, I'd totally buy one if somebody started making them!
@@Culturedog it was a headache enough when i got my early pioneer dvd it didnt have dts out then the ones that did needed an amp or receiver. Its one reason why home cinema for the masses struggled until well into dvd's life. Now everything just plugs in and goes.
You should do a vid on your rarest discs or late releases. i know you have fight club.
I can do that - I've got a few other late and late-ish releases.
Yeah, the implementation of 5.1 formats was super clunky for a few years there. I almost bought one of those Technics DTS decoders from the late 90s with the 6 analog outputs, right before they started added DTS decoders into receivers. That's one of the bummers about the older AVRs that have built-in demodulators and can take a straight AC-3 RF signal from an LD player, only a handful of them were made late enough in the game to also have onboard DTS decoding.
I now strictly watch 4K77
I find the 89' Fox CBS laser disc version to be washed out looking. The Faces edition is much more palatable on the eye.
The older pressings are certainly printed brighter - the Definitive/Faces releases are too dark for some, but I always found them punchy and vibrant.
Oh wow. If I remember correctly, this is THE only theatrical edition in digital media. I would love to get all 3 original theatrical edition in 4k remastering XD. Disney you there?
Good old "Made in the USA"....
📀😎
Estimation or guess, you lost me at guesstimation 6:35
I must have missed the memo about banning portmanteaus from informal speech! I'll throw all of my sporks away as a penance! ;-)
I prefer the old Fox versions over the "definitive" box because the Definitive Box LDs all suffer from DNR -.- Just like the 1995 THX remasters...the image is blurry as hell. The original LDs still have some visible filmgrain and look much better imho. Too bad i on ly own "Empire Strikes Back" as such an original Fox release so far… here in germany it is nearly impossible to get a hold of the first and third Star Wars in this Fox letterboxed release…
Yeah, I'm assuming import costs would be prohibitive and there's probably not much to be found in the wild.
@@Culturedog It's just a problem with Laserdisc not having been as huge over here as it was in Japan and the USA. It was an even bigger niche than outside of Europe. So the few folks who sell NTSC discs like Star Wars movies demand insane prices. often only because it's NTSC discs which frankly aren't really worth the extra because they look seriously inferior to PAL discs. I think one of my most expensive LD boxes were the Criterion Collection release of "2001" and the Disney Archive CAV box of "Tron". I'm sure in the US you'd pay only pennies for them. Yeah i sometimes look over to what the US folks are offering online. it's usually a lot cheaper but the import/shipping costs ruin good offers very quickly. It really sucks that i'm pretty much depending on the domestic market and having to endure scalpers… It would only make sense to import from overseas if it would be a few titles more but i don#t need much LDs anymore since my collection is more or less complete. Except for the CBS Fox Star Wars releases of Episode IV and VI :P Those really are the hardest to get discs over here.