Theory as to why the SW movies are not available on DVD

[Guest Darth Wart]

Lucas is no dummy. He can see what's coming. Currently it's possible to establish a point-to-point connection between two computers and transfer any sort of digital file (currently this is being done with programs such as Napster and Gnutella).

 

Within a year, everybody'll have a DVD burner on their computer, and hard drives will soon be big enough to accomodate the files temporarily. (Although such files are about 10 gigs ea, hard drive space is constantly getting bigger and bigger)

 

I friend of mine in England has a DVD burner ALREADY installed (he claims they're not available in the States).

 

How would you like to have worked on those movies all your life just to have everybody be able to download them for free and watch them on their computers?

 

And I think Lucas sees this coming.

 

Hence, I say he's waiting for the development of added security;

a way to prevent such a DVD file from being loaded into a harddrive and transferred to another.

 

Any other theories?

[Guest Derbunk]

the dvd for episode one is currently being put toghether

 

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Derbunk

Walking fleabag of the Un-Council

 

[This message has been edited by Derbunk (edited April 27, 2000).]

[Guest BigBud]

Yeay, and y are you talking about something like that now.

 

typing so much sooooooo late.

 

We are the only ones here ya know. Do that during the day man.

 

GOOD POST THOUGH< DONT GET ME WRONG>

[Guest Obi-wan Shinobi]

I try to tell myself Lucas did not wait untill we all bought the VHS, before the DVD was announced, but it is hard.

 

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Strength over Fear...

Peace over Anger...

Honor over Hate...

 

[This message has been edited by Obi-wan Shinobi (edited May 08, 2000).]

[Guest lancer one]

Rick McCallum (he gives most, if not all of the prequel information to the Star Wars Insider) said that the reason there aren't DVDs is because Lucas is waiting for the full saga - all six movies - and then releasing them on DVD. Of course by then there will likely be a better format.

[Guest liquidkid]

has nobody read about this on the website? i've heard several times from official sources that since dvd has so much more to offer than vhs, they are waiting to do "something special" with the dvd releases. and since they're making the prequels now, they dont have time to concentrate on the dvds. this has been confirmed and reconfirmed. they have outright said that they're not just waiting so people will buy the vhs versions.

 

 

 

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p.l.u.r. <> J9K-4-LIFE <> MCL

 

JEDI-4-LIFE

[Guest Obi-wan Shinobi]

I read that too, but on a radio station interview last week Lucas said they were working on TPM DVD, and it would be out around Christmas. It will have some of the scenes that ILM did not have time to finsh. I will try and find the link to the interview. He said all this stuff before that famous people car race thingy . It is a funny interview because Sabrina the teenage witch is on the show with him.

 

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Strength over Fear...

Peace over Anger...

Honor over Hate...

 

[This message has been edited by Obi-wan Shinobi (edited May 08, 2000).]

[Guest quite-gone gin]

I read recently at starwars.com that they don't have the time to make a good DVD version right now because they're focusing on developing Episodes 2 and 3. I'd rather them wait until they have the time to make some good DVD's than have a crappy one right now. And from a business standpoint - it's brilliant. Here's what will happen. One year after Episode 3 hits the theaters, Episode 3 will be released on VHS (collector's edition will also be available). Then a year or so after that - we'll hear a great announcement that they will be releasing DVD versions of all 6 episodes. Shortly after that will announce a DVD collection of all 6 episodes (again, a collector's edition will be available for that too, or you'll be able to buy individual episodes).

 

That is how they'll make so much money! By the time it's all said and done, I'll have 4 sets of Ep.4-6 - one original set, the THX remastered set, and the Special edition normal and the special edition widescreen. Add in EP. 1-3 (VHS special edition), then a six-set DVD collection. Anyone else already half-way there?

[Guest Obi-wan Shinobi]

well that is what I thought too, but this was straight from the head dudes mouth.

 

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Strength over Fear...

Peace over Anger...

Honor over Hate...

 

[This message has been edited by Obi-wan Shinobi (edited May 08, 2000).]

[Guest airddragon]

DVD's currentally have double layering. double layering is trrick they use with game CDs and orther things that invlove sound and any other type of data. In double layering two half width CDs are technically burned, but each not burning full areas. This makes burning them impossible as the CD-R or CD-RW eye cannot change its intensity or they don't offer a 10% audio, 15% video, 5% audio, ect. type of formatting (this is required for any digital or electronic form of data). So in other words this protection process is not currentally used by anyone except some few really pissed gaming companies (tired of people burning their CDs) Well just for a little info, a DVD is a type of CD. It was developed from the same theory and data style just using a much smaller laser and quite possibly a different type of plastic coating so the DVD wouldn't melt in the drive (a 1x speed DVD is equivalent to a 32x speed CD-ROM, so that means my really expensive 8X DVD player runs stuff at about 32 time 8 or 256X). Well I hope this sperad a little light into the matter!!

[Guest Shinigami]

according to blockbuster, the episode 1 DVD will come out when episode 2 is in theaters

 

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Duo Maxwell: Uncouncil Hopeful

[Guest Argath]

VHS copying is no harder than DVD pirating; in fact, it's much easier when you consider that VHS's don't use CSS and Macrovision protection to discourage copying. You simply have to copy the video off the VHS to your hard drive, compress it with some sort of encoder, like MPEG-1 or DIVX (unrelated to the stupid Circuit City DIVX discs), and upload it somewhere. Copies of TPM were available for download just days after the movie was released in the theater, so I seriously doubt that piracy is a major concern for Lucas not releasing a TPM DVD.

 

Your friend has either a DVD copier or a DVD-RAM drive. There are currently no drives capable of copying DVD movies, and any that do become available will most likely employ some form of copy protection that will make copying commercial DVD's difficult.

 

[This message has been edited by Argath (edited April 27, 2000).]

[Guest OverShadow]

...

[Guest Kurgan]

And DVD burners ARE available in the US. A writable dvd disc costs 15 dollars.

 

I'm afraid not, not to consumers that is.

 

Kurgan

 

[This message has been edited by Kurgan (edited May 08, 2000).]

[Guest Thermal]

I've seen DVD burners by Creative Labs for a while now, including down the street at Fry's electronics. But the thing is, it's not like a cd burner. It DOES use a DVD disc, but it's encased in a protective "caddy" although I guess many of you are to young to remember the "olden" days when CD-ROMs used to use these. It's basically just a case like MiniDiscs use, you can't remove it really. So the DVD-RAM works like a JAZ drive or something; you can store lots of info on it, but you have to have another DVDRAM drive to put the disc in.

 

As far as the movies go, Argath said exactly what I was thinking. It's just as easy to pirate VHS movies on a computer as it is to with DVD's. All u need is digitizing equipment and a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY fast connection to send it over the Internet. (Which is just a dumb idea to begin with)

 

I don't buy into the "conspiracy" rumors that keep going around SW fan sites. I just seriously doubt that Lucas is sitting at his ranch plotting ways to get the public to give him all of our money. Besides which, I think a lot of SW fans who think this are trying to make themselves feel better about buying two or three copies of the same movie. Like Quite-gon said they're trying "make" us buy different versions but the truth is it's OUR descision to buy them or not, they just supply the product. (I personally bought the Collectors TPM, an original Letterbox collectors set, AND the Special Edition Letterbox set. And if they came out tommorrow on DVD I'd buy them immediately.) As far as the general public goes, Paarents definitely aren't going to buy their children 4 different versions of the same movies so it's mostly just us StarWars fans.

[Guest Kurgan]

Well, I guess the point was, you can't just spend a bit of money and get a DVD burner, then go rent some DVD's and copy them with your burner. I know Argath said that, I was kinda tired when I posted that. ; )

 

You can make a VCD of a DVD, two discs of the movie, and it would be horrible quality.

 

But you can buy it and use it for other stuff, I see. I just hadn't seen any.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

 

Kurgan

[Guest Thermal]

No problemo. You were basically right anyway, there aren't any straight "CD Writer" type DVD burners yet.

 

"It all depends on your own point of view"

Mmmmm...yes,yes...point of view

[Guest Darth Killa]

He has one comming. He is still deciding what to put in extra =-).