Is it possible some DVD's intentionally get a sub-par transfer? (1 Viewer)

I often wonder when some studios release a special edition DVD, that they do not want it to be the end-all, be-all of that particular title and intentionally do a less than steller transfer.
One recent DVD release that comes to mind is Tombstone. This was originally released bare bones & with a poor non 16x9 enhanced transfer. For a couple years, this movie was begging for a special edition. Now that it finally comes out, it's not nearly as good looking as it could or should have been. (Although to be fair, it's much better than the original one.)
Is this done intentionally so they can release an even better looking special edition down the road?
Also, not to change my own subject, but why does THX certify so many of these "type" of DVD's?
Thanks,
Jeff

I've always wondered about the "THX" thing too. There are a number of discs proudly bearing the THX logo that seem of inferior quality when stacked up against a selection of everyday, non-THX discs. Is THX certification just marketing and no substance?

I certainly wouldn't doubt it. The reason that many studios were hesitant to get into DVD in the first place was due to the extremely high quality of the transfer.

They've been using this technique in video games for years. It always made me mad that you had to keep buying sports games over and over again for the same system, because each year they made them better. The programmers knew the capabilities of the system when it was released, but they metered back the quality and features and then released an upgrade every year.

Anyone who worked for a company and intentionally tried to screw up a transfer would get fired quicker than you can say "edge enhancement."