# Star Wars original trilogy FINALLY released on digital! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2015, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106 "2015-04-08T09:52:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/21 "2015-04-09T20:19:35Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ve bought quite a few copies of Star Wars over the years, and bootlegging the Despecialized Versions has been the best viewing experience of the movies I’ve had. > > It’s a shame it has to be illegal to see a clean, HD copy of the original movies. I think (per SDMB rules) that it’s probably ok to discuss what versions of the Despecialized Versions are worth watching, as long as there’s no discussion about where/how to get them. I’ve recently discovered that the Despecialized Versions exist and there’s a cubic ton of them. Do you recommend any specific titles/editors? ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/22 "2015-04-09T20:49:10Z")
You want “Harmy’s Despecialized” version, no question. Google for the web page and your jaw will drop at the shear amount of work that has been done to piece together the best possible print of the original theatrical cut. The restoration notes alone are a small novel’s worth of reading. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/23 "2015-04-09T23:37:58Z")
Seconding Harmy’s Despecialized. Metric fuckton worth of effort. That is one committed fan. It’s just staggering the amount of time and work and careful thought that has gone into this thing. It’s totally worth every second. I’d find him and pay him for it if I could. Also, for what it’s worth, I also recommend watching in Machete order, which makes the earlier ones actually bearable. Machete order actually kills off Ep 1, and goes straight from Empire to Clones. Works amazingly well, and rids the series of a lot of Anakin/Amidala age-related skeeviness. Very happy to see the digital versions, and it makes me confident that barring some really weasely nit-picking in the contract by Lucas, the Disney Legion of Lawyers will have the original editions out as soon as legally possible. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/24 "2015-04-10T02:16:49Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Digital download. How ridiculous is it that they improperly shorten that to digital rather than to download? Incredibly ridiculous that’s how. Yeah, DVD, Bluray, both digital, both with Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/25 "2015-04-10T02:42:30Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > How ridiculous is it that they improperly shorten that to digital rather than to download? > > Incredibly ridiculous that’s how. > > Yeah, DVD, Bluray, both digital, both with Star Wars. Do you like cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/26 "2015-04-10T02:54:36Z")
> [@Hodge](#): > > You want “Harmy’s Despecialized” version, no question. Google for the web page and your jaw will drop at the shear amount of work that has been done to piece together the best possible print of the original theatrical cut. The restoration notes alone are a small novel’s worth of reading. > [@Lasciel](#): > > Seconding Harmy’s Despecialized. Metric fuckton worth of effort. That is one committed fan. It’s just staggering the amount of time and work and careful thought that has gone into this thing. It’s totally worth every second. I’d find him and pay him for it if I could. > > Also, for what it’s worth, I also recommend watching in Machete order, which makes the earlier ones actually bearable. Machete order actually kills off Ep 1, and goes straight from Empire to Clones. Works amazingly well, and rids the series of a lot of Anakin/Amidala age-related skeeviness. Thanks to you both for the recommendation! ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/27 "2015-04-10T05:12:52Z")
damn now my laserdiscs are worthless ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106/28 "2015-04-10T11:53:03Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > damn > > now my laserdiscs are worthless I thought your disks were the good versions closest to the theatrical release? And btw, I remember being a kid in the 80’s and really wanting a Laser Disk machine. Those disks just looked so damn impressive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-original-trilogy-finally-released-on-digital/717106.md?page=1)