Star Wars Trilogy VHS Widescreen Edition - Bootleg? (1 Viewer)

[ThomasC]

I won an eBay auction last week for the set released in 1995, and I got it in the mail today. The packaging looks and feels authentic, but when I popped in the tapes, I noticed that the video was off-center and to the left, it was too bright, and the audio didn't sound that great. I can excuse the audio being bad because I'm used to DVD quality audio, but the off-center video and brightness have me worrying.

Here's the link to the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll...tem=2235136582

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Videotapes recorded in Hi-Fi Stereo should actually sound pretty good (near CD quality).

How do the labels on the tapes look?

 

[ThomasC]

The labels on the tapes look authentic. However, the tapes themselves are not the same. At the top of the tape for ESB, it has the "Insert this side into recorder ^ Do not touch the tape inside" thing, but the tapes for ANH and ROTJ don't have that. I know that they "mass produced" this and may have gotten tapes from more than one manufacturer, but who knows, maybe they didn't. The proof of purchase sticker on the box matches up with the catalog numbers on the labels on all of the tapes.

 

[David Von Pein]

The lack of the "Insert This Side Into Recorder" blurb on the tape shell (in itself) is not an indicator of "Bootlegged" material.

I have many legit VHS Tapes that don't have this written on them.
e.g.: Many of FOX Home Video's "Studio Classics" VHS releases lack this wording on the tape casings. And these shells, IMO, seem a little better (sturdier) than most VHS tapes that do contain the words on them.

 

[ThomasC]

David, I wasn't implying that the text might have been an indicator that it was a bootleg, but that the text only appeared on one of the tapes.

 

[David Von Pein]

Oh.
Ten-Four.

 

[Robert Anthony]

They might be authentic, but defective. Hence his selling them on ebay to unknowing consumers.

 

[TommyT]

I was fortunate enough to find these in new condition about 7 yrs ago at a Best Buy that had a box of 'em left. Only complaint was that vol IV had some interference in the image, a sort of 'wrinkle' that started at the middle of the frame & moved to the bottom every few secs.

Never heard of the problems you're talking about.

 

[Ron-P]

I've got that exact same set that I bought new God only knows how long ago. I can double check anything on them you'd like to compare against.

 

[ThomasC]

Well, for starters, please just and see if everything is off-center to the left.

 

[Ron-P]

No, it's not.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

My set is fine, and is kept in a very safe place.

 

[Nick T Robot]

What is this "VHS" you speak of?

 

[Jeannette Walsh]

Well Nick, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away ...

 

[Ron-P]

...in an ebay link in the first post you can see pics...