Star Wars: A New Hope - Blu-ray/VHS Comparison

[Clay3613]

@CommentaryX VHS is the devil, Widescreen LaserDisc all the way!

[panthersfan1997]

maybe we're all just shade blind? xD

[eunit33ForLyfe]

@Trekker1801 bro remember this was released way before episode 3 so Anaken's lightsaber should have been green in 3 not blue so yes u may freeze him in Carbonite :D

[GnrlBradley]

@eunit33ForLyfe Well the thing with lightsabers is they run on crystals, which die out after some time. Episode 4 is about 20-30 years after episode 2. So Anakin probably just switched out his color to blue when the green crystal died out.

[Trekker1801]

It should be blue. Anakin's light sabre was blue in Ep. 3 and obi-wan kept it to give to Luke in Ep. 4. The green one was the one Luke built after Vader cuts his hand off (with the sabre still in it) in Ep. 5. Even Vader mentions how he built a new one in ROTJ. So this is a double fuck up! Can I freeze Lucas in carbonite now? Please?

[bobbygecko]

so the lightsaber looks pretty much the same

press 4 and 9

whats the big deal?

[LordEizen]

video comparisons should be with the clips side to side... and

ever wonder what that helmet is really for? xD

[TheAustnod]

Part of me thinks obi-wan did this whole trianing ball thing to mess with luke XD

[TELEVISIONARCHIVES]

The Blu-ray quality is good but it's not worth the $80 to upgrade from dvd. Wait for a price drop .

[squidb8]

So? What's your point, they fixed the color yipee!!!

At least it wasn't red.

[nmycon]

@squidb8 my point is that they DIDN'T fix the colour for these particular shots... It's fixed during some shots in the scene, but not in the clip shown here...

[biskuti81]

Everyone should be fine at this point with the changes. People are hating on George Lucas because of the changes in all the editions of Star Wars especially Blu-Ray but he made the amazing Star Wars in the first place and the goods far outweigh the bads. Think about it or as Obi-Wan would say: "Stretch out with your feelings!" Star Wars will always be awesome, changes or not.

[ReverendSyn]

@biskuti81 WHat he said. God forbid a man handle his property the way he wants. Including the right to change his mind.

And its not like there WASN'T goofy shit before he made the edits. Yes, there was goofy shit. But you know what? That's fine. A real fan takes the bad with the good. Its not like there isnt a DVD set out of the unaltered movies right now. Star Wars fans seriously need to chill the fuck out.

[philateliceun]

It is fucking bullshit that he has a green saber cause later he has a blue saber. They even mention that luke build his own light saber it is explained why he has different colours throughout the movie, That he now already has the green one in the beginning makes no sense and isn't explained anywhere in the movie and is just there to profit from pseudo-nostalgia. FUCK YOU george lucas!!!

[KillSwitch2]

@philateliceun

The green lightsabre wasn't put in to profit from nostalgia, it was a technical glitch from the a/v mastering process the film went through for the dvd you idiot. Jesus...

[kurtb8474]

I saw Star Wars in 1977. Many, many, many times. For 3 years it was just Star Wars...period. I saw it in good theaters, cheap theaters and drive-ins with those clunky metal speakers you hang on your window. The screen and sound quality never subtracted from the excitement. I can watch the original cut right now, over 30 years later, on some beat up VHS tape and enjoy it. It's the story that makes this movie. Nothing else.

[Fetcha200]

When Luke turns on his lightsaber, you can see how the frame was cut.. wow I never noticed it.

[psychonaut25]

The VHS brings back soo much memories :)

[comedyskech]

vhs makes it seem more like a classic

[dsquaredproductions]

In the original Ep. 4 Obi Wan gives Luke his father's (Anakin's) light saber, which he'd taken when he fought Anakin on Mutafar. Anakin's light saber was blue, why is this blade green? I know that in Ep. 6 Luke constructs a green light saber, but that's in Ep. 6 not Ep. 4.

[youngboysnation]

The actual blu ray looks better. So does the lightsaber

[mquiroz90]

@CommentaryX new type looks good to me

[smokeyflea]

I've seen the movies several times, but I'm not fluent.. Why is this a color correction? Is it suppose to change colors like that, and if so, why?

[THdattebayo]

Why is the old lightsaber effect more believable?

[Wizard66]

the 95 Faces VHS looked better. But my copy of Jedi's sound is starting to deteriorate. It keeps switching between Hi-FI sound and mono. Good thing I got the DVD's with the original version (bonus disc)

[talltom1973]

I can remember seeing the first two at a drive in, with my parents. It just blew me away, of course now it looks better. The sound is incredible.  But the old clip looks good, certainly can enjoy it to. Plus it brings back pleasant memories.

[StuartDWright]

@CommentaryX you picked a bad example as, having played your VHS vs Blu-ray captures side by side, I can state that there is no difference. Except for the higher resolution and colour correction of the Blu-ray and your VHS capture being in pan+scan 4:3. So from your example, the Blu-ray version is infinitely better.

[nmycon]

@CommentaryX the unaltered original trilogy films are also availible on DVD and Laserdisc, both of which provide better picture quality than VHS. Laserdisc even beats DVD in terms of sound quality.

If you're looking for the definitive release of the theatrical cuts, check out the 1993 Laserdisc set or the 1995 individual Laserdisc releases.

[maishiranui33]

@nmycon, wait I remember a vhs colection from the late 90's - I had it when I was a kid.

The light saber was blue there, but on both of these it's green!

[nmycon]

@maishiranui33 the lightsaber is most definitely blueish/white in the VHS clip. The green error was introduced in 2004 with the restoration for DVD.

[1devo6587]

@nmycon the new edits are stupid, i mean rely? darth vader saying NOOOOO while throwing the emporer over the rails, un nessary cgi, random edits to clips that didnt needed to be edited, jar jar with a new york accent [really, look it up for your self] why does george lucaus do this, leave it the way it was ment to be seen

[cisforcereal]

Any combination of 1 and 6, 2 and 7, 3 and 8, or 4 and 9 on your keyboard will allow easier insight into just how incredible remastering technology has become.

[Nallenbot]

@cisforcereal Pause it first and it's really clear cut.

[toledini]

Are there torrent versions of the 1984 cut?

We need those spread around.

Fuck Lucas and his damned compulsion for changing crap.

Just start dowloading the old version.

[Ozzyzig2007]

Ah VHS. Thumbs up if you forgot to rewind the film to the start after watching it!

[SiDN64]

I think the grain from the VHS format gives the film more personality.

[nmycon]

@SiDN64 it isn't really grain per say... just the limitations of the VHS format, which is the lowest quality video format ever introduced (if you think of things in terms of digital "resolution," VHS would be rock bottom).

I've watched ANH and ESB on blu-ray so far, rest assured there's plenty of true film grain to be found.

[garamonde]

I want my Original Trilogy VHS set back.

[richard20bris]

Wow, they really put in a lot of effort to fixing Luke's "white" lightsaber in the Blu-Ray, didn't they?

Vader's lightsaber will still be pink (as it was in the DVD versions), no doubt.

[arralszemben]

ok we lost the half of the movie, because the VHS is pan and scan, but VHS forever!!!!!!! DVD and BR is crap forthe children of the computer.

VHS is a lifestyle. The icon of an age, when we waiting for movies, and don't download them. We waiting for weeks, months, we borrow from the neighbours, rent etc... DVD and Brue ray kills the feeling. Too crisp, too sharp, too modern.

[henkman00]

@arralszemben

intresting point of view you have there, i wonder if there are people with the same feeling but then with Beta-Max.

but yeah those were the days :P

[komek]

@arralszemben "Video killed the radio star" :)

[mquiroz90]

@arralszemben vhs is gone man

[darklighter1]

I like the VHS better

[lukass133]

is the same thing the only diference is resolution than tricks.

[Rayyman]

Still ike the VHS better because it's the ORIGINAL!!!!. I didn't really care of it was green or blue and it's true there's no diffference in color.

[TheOneartist]

@Rayyman You know the laserdiscs and DVD's have the original as a bonus, do you? It's widescreen and it's the original.

[BlureTiyers]

This is from DVD for sure. Not the blu-ray.

[nmycon]

@BlureTiyers it is indeed from the blu-ray. You'll be able to check it out for yourself on Friday :D

[bobafettish66]

this ISN"T the bluray i'm in the uk and i've got it and watched it, the lightsaber doesn't appear green at al in this scene, however it appears white when he turns it on when wearing the blast visor, though that was in the original so no one can complain :P

[HerrWeinachten]

The Blu-Ray transfer looks a ton better than the VHS.

[slipknot2k4]

good thing i cancelled my pre-order thanks for the clip

[AKIDPRODUCTION09]

I will rather watch the VHS original starwars than this new crap that is edited

[poshko41]

I heard that they didn't even recapture the original film for the blu ray. They just used the same captured footage from the DVD.

[erichillis]

I got the bluray last Friday, it's awesome

[marvin5078]

any one think ben kenobi looks a little like Ezio when he is 52

[Gianthogweed]

It always bothered me how Luke's sabre just suddenly appeared in ANH instead of extending/retracting in the rest of the movies. Surprised they didn't fix this along with the color.

[anakinthehutt]

Dude, I hope that this Blu Ray rip did come from some unfinished check disc or something...but, I've checked the blog-o-sphere and seen screencaps. (sigh) I think this is what we're getting.

[alexadroog]

VHS doesn't last hence the need of that version on a format that will last.

[typeanoise]

The old version just looks so nostalgic to me. That's the way I remember it. I mean, I will take a blu ray of a theatrical release, but that will never happen cause Lucas is a turd.

[sebulia1]

The blade looks the same; this is sourced from the dvd, not the bluray.

[nmycon]

@sebulia1 it is sourced from the blu-ray. But you're right, it does look the same :P

[theatree84]

Also, your obviously using the dvd version instead of the bluray. They cleaned up the lightsabers so they're the right color for BR

[nmycon]

@theatree84 Do you have any proof that they FIXED the lightsabers? Because I have proof that they're NOT FIXED!

Compare the DVD video to this one, there is quite a difference, but they still didn't fix every shot.

At least take the time to make sure you're right before you make comments like this, you're only making yourself look like an idiot, not me :D

[ValinKrai]

@nmycon It has been stated many times that they have been fixed up. If this is real, you would have no issue providing it in 1080p and with the color space that comes with Blu-ray, and yes, I will know if it is taken from an airing on Spike.

[nmycon]

@ValinKrai stated by whom? Lucasfilms? They're trying to make money, of course they're going to make the fixes sound better than they are.

I downloaded the 720p rip. At the time, that was all that was availible. There is now a 1080p rip floating around. Feel free to download it and post back with your comments on the fix.

I have posted a clip of the scene in 720p.

I guess we'll find out for sure on the 12th.

[burgerking981]

They just changed the laser color

[zackzenron]

After all the changes, why is the lightsaber still green and white. it is supposed to be blue. why can't they fix something that actually should be fixed.

[ThrashMetalForces]

Oh my god! What has humanity come to? The lightsaber is a different color!?

[Adennos]

That Lucas how come he doesn't fix the saber's color is supposed to be BLUE like in episode III, not white or skyblue.

[taterboob]

@Adennos As a kid, I always justified it by saying that the 'saber was broken after years of wear and tear and that Luke fixed it between Hope and Empire.

[Adennos]

@taterboob xD, It's okay.

[yukirinkonoko]

@taterboob I always justified it cause i thought it was like a training lightsaber so they dont swing and kill someone.

[garamonde]

I'll take the VHS version, thank you.

[Makle84]

Is this actually a clip from the blu ray? i mean they can make all these pointless changes but they cant make a simple change that everyone wants. Changing the colour of lukes lightsaber to what it should be is a possitive change! why why why cant they just fix it. Especially when i'll probably end up paying £70 for the boxset!!!

[icraigg]

well this green lightsaber i noticed in the dvd of 2009 i think it was

[PearlJammer07]

I realize that the Star Wars franchise is Georges bread and butter, but if he wants to continue to profit from the original Star Wars trilogy he needs to stop messing with the films. The originals that came out in theaters were great pieces of art. I only had a chance to see the original films on cable TV in the 90's.

[tito22212]

 I'll take the vhs version.

[LordHaidrir]

i think the DVD version was the best with the light saber

[keerkhor]

Why are they comparing a 2011 blu-ray with a beat up old VHS copy circa 1984?

[nmycon]

@keerkhor please read the description

[nmycon]

@Dalek1230 they said they corrected it... watch the video... obviously they didn't completely fix the scene...

[Dalek1230]

@nmycon this aint it,

[nmycon]

check out my new video:

watch?v=id3wGx_sa-M

contains the full Falcon scene from the BD rip

[DarthNuke]

Think about this ladies and gentlemen. It took Jorge 30 plus years to fix that one effect. Yet in that time he had Greedo shoot first, Hayden replace Shaw, and now the dreaded Noooooooo. Jorge truely is a visonary and perfectionist.....

[travisreininger]

Yeah, would rather watch 1984 VHS. No fucking BULLSHIT CGI.

[DarkRider69]

@travisreininger Then do it and stop whining already. I get sooo tired of the raging nerds. The only reason I hate that the blu-ray have come out is that it just causes another extension of the manufactured outrage that started in 1997. We get it. You're angry. You're also very, very tiresome. And a little funny, to be honest.

[travisreininger]

@DarkRider69 I would love to add Star Wars to my BD collection. By comparison, it looks like this Blu-ray looks great as far as PQ. However, I don't care for or see the purpose in the many changes that have been made since '97. Lucas can do whatever he wants, I just wish he would offer a decent theatrical version. Not an 4:3 nonanamorphic letterbox transfer from laserdisc. Take notes from buddies Spielberg (Close Encounters set) & Coppola (Apocalypse Now). Ridley Scott (Blade Runner 5disc set!)

[nmycon]

@travisreininger I couldn't agree more! :D

[HyperGolem]

Gotta respect Alec Guinnes (The original actor of Obi-Wan Kenobi). He hated the fact that he was remembered only by the Star Wars movies, even didn't like making the movie either, but he still did his job so damn well.

[slysnide]

@corruptframe: Those original cuts were released on dvd a few years ago. Though they were considered a special feature on the second disc, the first being the '04 special editions. No real extras were included.

[gosszilla0]

that strange watermark (print damage) at :58 on the VHS/LD versions was corrected for the dvd/blu ray. It appears as Han Solo says, "I've seen a lot of strange stuff".

[KissFan808]

Wtf is that

[NecroHunter93]

i'd rather watch the original vhs!!

[DarkRider69]

@NecroHunter93 Then do it and stop whining already. I get sooo tired of the raging nerds. The only reason I hate that the blu-ray have come out is that it just causes another extension of the manufactured outrage that started in 1997. We get it. You're angry. You're also very, very tiresome. And a little funny, to be honest.

[NecroHunter93]

@DarkRider69 sorry it came off that way, just made a simple comment

[anstormtube]

I don't get it, what's the difference between the VHS & the Blueray version? They all look the same to me

[nmycon]

@hiphOpniac this is indeed the blu-ray transfer.

Some shots aboard the Falcon were fixed. I should have uploaded in at least 720p... but in the last shot of this clip, it's blue, on the DVD it was green.

It seems like they only corrected the shot were the lightsaber was a distinctive shade of green, but if it was only slightly green or white, they left it alone, making it very inconsistent, changing colours between shots.

[hiphOpniac]

@nmycon again. i doubt it if it is i'm sure it will be corrected before the actual release, for all you know this could be an early stage in the blu ray restoration that just now leaked. imo i think lucas arts should have went through all the movies to make the lightsabers look exactly as good as they do in episodes 2 and 3 maybe they did who knows, anyway i doubt they will release it with the final edit looking like this.

[chicoboi500]

cant believe luke is the joker 

[rememberI]

still not a blue lightsaber. NERD RAGE!

[HancockYo]

i still have the vhs and its better than this cgi bullshit

[nmycon]

The blu-ray releases of the three OT films were leaked in 720p. That is where the blu-ray clip comes from. I've simply downscaled it into 480p because the point of this video was not to show off the increased resolution of blu-ray, rather the colour timing of the blu-ray transfer itself, so it shouldn't matter what the resolution is.

Also, the fact that some people think the blu-ray transfer is from the 2004 DVD proves my point. They didn't fix anything!

[nmycon]

I think some people are missing the point of this video. It was intended to show that the lightsaber colour issue present on the 2004 DVD was NOT FIXED for blu-ray, despite an announcement from Lucasfilms that it had been fixed.

Apparently it alternates. In some shots the saber is blue, in others it's white and in others it's blue...

The VHS clip shows that while the saber was a very pale blue, at least it was consistent from shot to shot, and now they've messed with that for blu-ray.

[dannyestici]

Awesome video. thanks for the 1984 souvenir.

[sc3nt360]

i think its interesting how they've added stuff to the sides to make it widescreen :)

[anstormtube]

@sc3nt360 Originally, it was shot (think of it as super-) widescreen. They had to trim it to fit to VHS' non-wide.

So now, they simply had to undo the trims.

[sc3nt360]

@anstormtube really? Well then I stand corrected :P

[mrman26]

A good reminder of how bad VHS sucked

[xxthexxmojoxx]

Chewy! Lol

[127miles]

john lagoie lol

[xHDitoR]

vhs is the real deal !

[DOBBSA87]

I still watch my non-special edition Star Wars VHS's. If the blurriness didn't matter fifteen years ago, it shouldn't matter today.

[Ambidextrometer]

So they went from light blue.. To light green? You know, it was never the blue part I had a problem with...

[juresaiyan]

I miss the old VHS days...

[donaldthescotishtwin]

The "leaked" blu-ray clip was a hoax

[PHILLYandBILLY]

VHS for life!

[MultiHollywoodYoutub]

How can you compare?! we all know which is better XP

[MultiHollywoodYoutub]

They shouldve made the lightsaber look more like the new ones.....but thats all they shouldve done!!!!!

[ellipsis2107]

You've taken your first step into a much larger world

[ellipsis2107]

You've taken your first step into a much larger world

[mikeygigs]

I don't get it...it's supposed to be blue...That whole ridiculous fight at the end of Episode 3 shows that is was supposed to be blue.

This is a small thing, but damn man, its irksome. Has Lucas even seen his own damn movies? Does he even pay attention when they're made?

*Sigh* Yeah, I know, stupid questions...

[mikeygigs]

I don't get it...it's supposed to be blue...That whole ridiculous fight at the end of Episode 3 shows that is was supposed to be blue.

This is a small thing, but damn man, its irksome. Has Lucas even seen his own damn movies? Does he even pay attention when they're made?

*Sigh* Yeah, I know, stupid questions...

[immortalslayer90]

It looks white in both clips to me :/

[AdamWeith]

Seriously? Fans can change lightsaber colors in fan edits, and I have already seen that the lightsaber colors of Luke and Vader in their last duel have been improved.

How could they not be able to improve that white fluorescent lamp of a lightsaber that Luke is wielding?

[GoopLoopScoop]

Press 1 then six for "Controlling Whores"

[lattask8er]

Harrison Ford is a good looking guy either way.

[Danny121208]

call me strange but i actually prefer that old "vhs" look...its star wars...it never should have been changed in my opinion..that old look was just how it looked there was nothing wrong with that

[blablaidontcarewhour]

@Danny121208 Well, there is something wrong with it being cropped to 4:3.

[nmycon]

@blablaidontcarewhour I only have the pre-SE ROTJ in Pan & Scan. It was released in Letterboxed widescreen as well... but long after 1984 (in 1992)

[nmycon]

@nmycon don't know why I typed ROTJ... I meant A New Hope of course :P

[topraman519]

@Danny121208 If you just want the VHS look, go watch the VHS. It's the fans who want the original unaltered trilogy in Blu-Ray quality who are screwed.

[maccagrabme]

@Danny121208 Yes agreed, the vhs has a certain sunday afternoon warmth to it.

[ValinKrai]

@Danny121208 I don't give a crap. Film doesn't look like a low quality magnetic tape. Stop whining, you can't say how it is supposed to look. Maybe if you saw it in a THX theater where you know how it was intended to look, but somehow I doubt it. Get over it. If you care that much, get enough money to convince George to sell the franchise to you.

[Danny121208]

@ValinKrai Stop Whining? what a retarded fuck..check this guy out guys..Really fuckface? youre gonna start somethin? im like one of the few here NOT whining..Youre the bitch thats whining..all i said is the original is fine by me now youre like film doesnt look like a blah blah get over it bitch..people like you is the reason this worlds goin to shit man..STOP WHINING

[ValinKrai]

@Danny121208 I don' doubt you are a fan, but I just don't like people who whine over every single change. It is still the Wars, and as long as we can be a fan of the films that made us what we are today, I can get along. I know I will be proud to present these movies to my kids in Blu-ray quality. If I can get them to sit down for it, I might even show them The Phantom Menace on the same VHS I was introduced to the most important franchise in my life by. I only hope they will love it.

[alphamone]

@ValinKrai

hell, the only reason you dont see more people saying they dont mind all the changes is that they got tired of the fanboys back in 1997, or if not then, in 1999.

[ValinKrai]

Try listening to the Force-cast, they are pretty great host. No whining from them when they present the news.

[TofuInSpace]

@Danny121208

The OT was release from 77-83. The technology back then was what it was. If indeed you desire the "original vision," why do you insist on getting 16:9 widescreen, 1080p resolution, Dolby 5.1+, etc..?

This new technology would be out of place with the "original vision."

And please, continue to hissy fit and curse.. it seems to be what you're best at

[Danny121208]

@TofuInSpace Obviously youre one of those people that have a very low percentage of common sense and/or ability to read...Its really annoying to encounter these "hissy fit" trolls on this site..all i did was state the simple fact that IN MY OPINION the original versions fine..i can watch either..now youre saying im hissy fitting? that guy i was just talking to pretty much apologized because he realized he was getting on my back for nothing..just like you are now..

[Danny121208]

@TofuInSpace I suggest watching Trolls- A Love Song by Oplim77..its a song talking about the random bitch talking people that destroy youtube..and have to get on everyones back just for stating their opinions or doing what they love...so youll probably hate it and dislike the video

[utubeaccount00]

@TofuInSpace you dont understand how film works, they are shot in 16:9 you fucking dunce

[nmycon]

@utubeaccount00 actually Episodes IV-VI were shot in 2.35:1 and I believe the prequels were shot in 2.39:1... DUNCE! :P jks

[Syed2kQuadri]

If you time Pressing 1 then 6 it says "controlling whores" lol

[MrOhjames]

Wow VHS that is cropped beyond belief!!

[gregorysharp]

@MrOhjames Right?! like 2/3 the pic is missing. pan and scan in zoom too it looks.

[ninermanic2011]

cant wait to buy em

[3DpI]

I don't know why, but I like the VHS best. Looks more original.

[flyingninja745]

if you hold down 4, you can see Luke facepalming at Lucas' changes in the Blu-ray edition.

[charliesheenisgod]

i love how its taken 40 years for an HD version of star wars and still in that span of time the lightsaber is still freaking white

[Spaceguy2112]

VHS>Blu ray. If the Blu ray didn't have all those CG added effects, Blu ray>VHS

[TheUnluckyTug02]

So they can make all these edits like adding a Dug to ROTJ and changing Ben's dragon call, YET THEY CAN'T MAKE LUKE'S LIGHTSABER BLUE?!

[SpazFilmz]

I prefer the VHS way more. Blu ray and DVD CGI'd the shit out of them. VHS is all original

[niggly54]

They changed the laser blast color from yellow to redish. I'll just stick to the laser disc quality.

[andyrh68]

Oddly, the VHS version is better at the point where Luke turns the light sabre on - in the blu ray version there is a more noticeable jump between the two takes of ls off / ls on

[Rantincorporated]

I bet in the next format that will ruin blu-ray, George will make that orb thing cgi and make it shoot rapid fire.

[VincentCyr]

what was the blast shield even for? not seeing anything?