Star Wars On DVD - About time

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

It looks like I get to give my money to Lucas for a fith time (at the movie theatre, the theatrical release on video, the remastered version in the theatre, the remastered video release, and now the DVD release).

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/site/news/newsstory.asp?news_id=15578

I've heard a couple of stories about why it has taken so long. One is that Lucas had a sulk because when the DVD format was being agreed on, support was given to Dolby, rather than his THX (which needs more channels).

The other is that Lucas has had an acrimonious divorce, and the deal with his wife was that she would get half the money from anything he did for 10 years afterwards - which is why it took so long for the Star Wars prequels to be made.

 

[London Geezer]

One is that Lucas had a sulk because when the DVD format was being agreed on, support was given to Dolby, rather than his THX (which needs more channels).

What the heck r u on about? THX is a certification on top of the sound format, to "ensure high quality". It does not exclude the existing sound format. It does not require more channels... I'm not even sure it is a format in itself like DD, DTS or SDDS... A DVD will have DD/DTS 5.1 (or more) with a THX certification to show us it will sound pretty cool. Useless really, but hey some people buy into it...

It's a bit like the "Pininfarina" certification on some Italian cars to denote the high quality of standard.

Unless i banged my head and lived in a coma for the last 10 years that is...

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

One is that Lucas had a sulk because when the DVD format was being agreed on, support was given to Dolby, rather than his THX (which needs more channels).

What the heck r u on about? THX is a certification on top of the sound format, to "ensure high quality". It does not exclude the existing sound format. It does not require more channels... I'm not even sure it is a format in itself like DD, DTS or SDDS... A DVD will have DD/DTS 5.1 (or more) with a THX certification to show us it will sound pretty cool. Useless really, but hey some people buy into it....

Yes you are right, I misremembered. THX is not more channels, but can be post processing applied after Dolby decoding, as well as a general certification of playback quality. I might be thinking something like Dolby generating a sixth channel thorough mixing the two rear channels, wheras THX/Lucas wanted it as a distict track on the DVD, giving all DVDs a true 6.1.

However all DVDs must support Dolby to be called DVDs, whereas they do not have to be THX. The rumour I am referring to is that Lucas supposedly had a gripe that standard Dolby, and not THX had been chosen as the standard DVD sound playback mode.

But that's all besides the point - Star Wars is coming out on DVD!!

 

[London Geezer]

However all DVDs must support Dolby to be called DVDs

That is also incorrect. Oh well...

I am so keeping out of sight from Star Wars related material it's not even funny...

 

[rabidrabbit]

I think it is correct, that Dolby (be it Pro Logic, Digital 2.0 or EX...) is something of a standard DVD sound format.
THX is just a bunch of specifications that an equipment/theatre must meet to get that badge. There's even THX PC speakers.

I might be wrong though... (as I'm often proved to be)

I't about time we'll get SW IV-VI on DVD. I'm not as huge fan any more as I was a few years ago (before prequels), but still they're among my favorite movies.

 

[London Geezer]

I think it is correct, that Dolby (be it Pro Logic, Digital 2.0 or EX...) is something of a standard DVD sound format.
I might be wrong though... (as I'm often proved to be)

I't about time we'll get SW IV-VI on DVD. I'm not as huge fan any more as I was a few years ago (before prequels), but still they're among my favorite movies.

I'm sure i've seen DTS-only DVDs around...

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I'm sure i've seen DTS-only DVDs around...

I've never seen a DTS DVD that didn't also offer Dolby.

 

[London Geezer]

I'm sure i've seen DTS-only DVDs around...

I've never seen a DTS DVD that didn't also offer Dolby.

I have, mostly music DVDs, like concerts and stuff... And they were american imports... They do have a BIG "DTS ONLY" banner on the front, so that people without supporting equipment are warned...

 

[digitalwanderer]

The other is that Lucas has had an acrimonious divorce, and the deal with his wife was that she would get half the money from anything he did for 10 years afterwards - which is why it took so long for the Star Wars prequels to be made.

I'd bet a dollar that this is the real reason for all the delay. 8)

 

[London Geezer]

The other is that Lucas has had an acrimonious divorce, and the deal with his wife was that she would get half the money from anything he did for 10 years afterwards - which is why it took so long for the Star Wars prequels to be made.

I'd bet a dollar that this is the real reason for all the delay. 8)

It actually makes a lot of sense...

 

[Clashman]

Well, the talk of DD in DVD's forced me to check through my entire collection to see if it was true. I did find two DVD's that were not encoded in Dolby. However, both of these were very rare, special edition DVD's of John Sayles' Matewan and a Bill Paxton movie called Traveler, which were both from the same package which was never widely released. Could it have been because they needed to update them to Dolby?

 

[London Geezer]

Well, the talk of DD in DVD's forced me to check through my entire collection to see if it was true. I did find two DVD's that were not encoded in Dolby. However, both of these were very rare, special edition DVD's of John Sayles' Matewan and a Bill Paxton movie called Traveler, which were both from the same package which was never widely released. Could it have been because they needed to update them to Dolby?

What were they coded in? There must have been a format, even if only Dolby Stereo... or Mono (Urgh...). It's still Dolby...

 

[Clashman]

One actually is in mono. The other is in stereo, but nowhere does it imply Dolby, (unless you're suggesting that all stereo audio is Dolby, which I was not aware of).

 

[RussSchultz]

Well, the talk of DD in DVD's forced me to check through my entire collection to see if it was true. I did find two DVD's that were not encoded in Dolby. However, both of these were very rare, special edition DVD's of John Sayles' Matewan and a Bill Paxton movie called Traveler, which were both from the same package which was never widely released. Could it have been because they needed to update them to Dolby?

What were they coded in? There must have been a format, even if only Dolby Stereo... or Mono (Urgh...). It's still Dolby...

Raw, uncompressed PCM (stereo or mono) is the standard means of transporting audio.

Dolby Digital is multi channel AC-3. Its compressed so you can fit more audio over the SPDIF line using the same bandwidth.

 

[London Geezer]

One actually is in mono. The other is in stereo, but nowhere does it imply Dolby, (unless you're suggesting that all stereo audio is Dolby, which I was not aware of).

No it doesn't have to be Dolby, that's the point i was making...

EDIT: Russ explained it well enough i guess...



now back to Star Wars geeky topic...

 

[Natoma]

* Natoma ponders waiting for the Sextology box set

 

[Rodéric]

Original or Special Edition ?

Cause if it's Special George can keep the DVDs for himself, no thanks.

Original however was released on LaserDiscs... kinda like DVD, no ?

 

[John Reynolds]

I agree on the original. I want the Star Wars I saw before I was even a teenager, the one that lacked the Chapter 4 'A New Hope' subtitle.

 

[Razor04]

Original however was released on LaserDiscs... kinda like DVD, no?

LaserDisc is analog...and can't be compared to DVD.

 

[Heathen]

Well I'll be buying regardless, always remember being utterly awed by seeing the Star Destroyer come into view right at the start.