OK I'm being seduced by the Dark Side of the Force (1 Viewer)

[Dave Scarpa]

Namely VHS

I've decided I'm going to try to find these on Widesreen VHS since SATAN ... I mean LUCAS won't release them for several years I'd like to watch them on the tv I own of this generation. The last time Lucas released this did he release a VHS Widescreen Trilogy set? And does anyone have any links to retailers selling it. I found the P&S all over but not the WS. And will these be exceptable on my Mits 65807? I imagine I'd have to use the expand mode to get them in the right ratio.

And god help me I'm considering this for Indiana Jones too.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Don't do it! Find an inexpensive LD player and the THX LDs!

 

[Dave Scarpa]

My buddy had a Beat up player for sale at one point and I passed, I also have a Sony MDP200 but it's hopelessly broken and would cost too much to fix.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Dave :
The last VHS Widescreen release of the OT was in November 2000. (At the time, there were already 8 million dedicated DVD players in use in this country, but the DVD format was for some reason excluded from the release; but I digress.)
Anyway, here's the deal on this last VHS Widescreen release:
1. These are of the '97 SE's; so you have Greedo shooting first and so on.
2. The aspect ratio isn't quite OAR. It's about 2.20:1, evidently to take maximum advantage of the limited resolution of the VHS format.
3. The quality of this release is not considered to be as good as the November 1997 VHS Widescreen release (widely regarded as the best release ever to that format.) In particular there were quality control issues (reversed audio tracks on some of the Episode 4 tapes, more dropouts than what is considered usual for the format on all three, and even less detail and color saturation than was provided with the November 1997 release.) This is one of the problems, of course, with an analog format: There is variation of quality even among the same release.
4. They're currently not available from any retailer (either on-line or B&M) that I know of. I tried to special order them from Suncoast about 60 days ago and was told that they've been sold out for quite some time. The only place they're readily available are on E-BAY as far as I'm aware.
Since you'll probably have to deal with E-BAY, or some other auction site, to get these tapes, I would go for the November 1997 release if you can find them. That release provided a 10 minute documentary and a trailer for the 1997 theatrical re-release before each feature and the quality is outstanding (well, within the limitations of the low resolution analog VHS format.)
BTW, you need to know that there are rumors out there that there may be another release to VHS (and VHS Widescreen) of the '97 OT'S in the next 18 months or so. I doubt the quality will be much better though.

 

[Doug_H]

OH THANK GOD! I thought you were getting a BOSE system!

 

[Dave Scarpa]

"No High's, No Low's it must be Bose !"

Oh god no.

 

[Kevin Matthews]

Where did you get that quote from Dave? I heard a guy say that to someone over six years ago.
I agree.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I used to work in Electronics Retail and we used to all say it about Bose Products. People would come in and rave at the Sound and we would all shake our heads. Bose Speakers just sold themselves and they suck.

 

[Kevin Matthews]

Was it The Sound Room around St.Louis because I think you said it to me. Unless it is just a common joke about Bose.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

If you're going to wade into eBay and try to find an older set, I think you'd be better off still to find a working mid-level LD player and the LDs.
Hell, even the old non-THX widescreen discs were better than VHS!
Dave, you owe it to Star Wars to buy a laserdisc player. Don't diss Star Wars by watching it on VHS.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I can tell you that I'm currently trying to view the VHS Widescreen tapes on my 96" 16:9 FPTV system, and it's not a particularly enjoyable experience. (I own both the '97 Widescreen Release and the 2000 Release; the '97 ANH release was unfortunately slightly damaged by a bad tensioning adjustment on my prior VHS deck - another one of the "joys" of that format! That's why I was trying to purchase another copy of the November 2000 release from Suncoast.)

I've never owned a LD player in my life, and I don't really have room for one in my HT, or I would probably try that route.

In any event, I certainly don't think my current VHS Widescreen tapes are gonna' make it to November 2006 ...

It's going to be a long, tough, hard wait for those DVDs ... *sigh*

 

[Lucas Dang]

Sorry to hear that about not considering an LD player. By far the best thing you could do let alone near twice the resolution.

I didnt know the ws tapes were worth anything or rare. I just gave away my box set the blue box definative collection with book, to my friend's kid who was sick. I've had that set a long time, watched only a few times because i then got into ld. I could always pick up a set of pan and scan version, give it to the kid and get my box set back?

Anyone have an opinion of the quality of the blue box set, pre 97 release?

I sold my last spare ld player for 40$ at a garage sale. I see them at pawn shops all the time. You got to be able to get one for less than 100$. The THX LD sets were mass produced and should be readily available. IF you dont have room in your rack, its still worth dragging out, hooking up to your amp, tv, vcr's front av jacks, and playing just this one set of discs.

 

[Greg O' Connel]

I was in the same situation you're in right now not too long ago. I looked high and low, in both brick and mortar and online stores, and couldn't find the Widescreen trilogy anywhere. The home video gods were smiling on me one day, because I found a new copy of the 1997 Widescreen boxed set (the one in the black and silver box) sitting on the shelves of the FYE (formerly Disc Jockey) store in my local mall. I had checked that store before for the WS trilogy, but it wasn't there. I guess they just found it sitting in their back room, because I know that this version has been OOP for quite a while.
Here's to hoping you have the same luck I did.

 

[Steve Tack]

Amazon has the November 2000 version listed for $70:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...935727-9493714
I bought that one for $30 back when it came out, and it's by far the best looking VHS video quality I've seen. (which isn't saying much, but at least it's not *bad* VHS)
I'd say they are watchable.
For me, a laserdisc player isn't worth the hassle, so I'm OK with limping along with the widescreen VHS copies for three more years. Though I love the films, I realistically "only" watch them about once a year or so - hardly enough to justify going too nuts about it. At that rate, I guess I'll be watching the VHS copies two or three more times (after that the DVD's will *finally* be out!).

 

[Joseph Bolus]

For me, a laserdisc player isn't worth the hassle, so I'm OK with limping along with the widescreen VHS copies for three more years.

I'm in the same boat, but just be aware that it's really going to be four and-a-half more years before the OT gets here. We'll probably be getting the DVD of Episode Three in November 2005, with the OT *finally* getting to DVD for the first time in November 2006.
And believe me, you'll be playing your Widescreen tapes a lot more than you think during the early months of 2005 (just prior to the release of Episode 3)!

 

[Dan Keefe]

Check Walmart...

my local walmart just put out all the SE's last week, obviously to cash in on the hype... didn't check the price though.

dan

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Check Walmart...
my local walmart just put out all the SE's last week, obviously to cash in on the hype...

Dan,
As far as I'm aware, all the Wal-Mart sets are P&S "renditions"; apparently left over from the November 2000 release.
As we all know, it's impossible to view Star Wars in a MARed format. :frowning:

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Yeah Walmart, we know they'll have the WS VHS

 

[Jerome Grate]

Been a long time since I posted, at this point of the game, the only time I would venture in VHS is if it was in widescreen and playing it back on a S-VHS deck with DNR. The disappointing thing about the Widescreen Edition of the Star Wars Trilogy is the color fade in and out on the faces of the characters. DNR makes the trilogy look good but it can't fix the above mentioned problem. Anyway you are not completely on the Dark side just waivering.

 

[John_Berger]

Anyway you are not completely on the Dark side just waivering.

The only way he'd completely succumb to the dark wide would be if the DVDs were available but he still went back to VHS.