star wars on video

This mammoth 12-disc DVD set is a "kitchen sink" release, hailing from Taiwan in 2005. Not only did they include the bonus disc from the 2004 Original Trilogy set, and the Bonus discs from Episode I and II, this set actually goes so far as to add both the Ewoks TV specials and the two animated compilations. They're only missing the Holiday Special! As soon as Episode III was released, complete sets of all six movies started to appear out of Asia, often with attractive packaging like the one here. By now the Star Wars movies were officially available on DVD, so the bootleggers switched tactics. Instead of simply getting the movies out there, they actually had to beat the legit releases on added content.

All the films are rips of the official NTSC DVDs, apart from Episode III which is a bootleg copy. Every disc is single layered, meaning they are more compressed than the official DVDs. English Dolby Digital audio is present on all the films, and the Audio Commentaries have been carried over. All discs have English and Chinese subtitles, but Korean, Malay and Thai is only present on some of the films. The Ewok telefilms and the animated movies have only English audio and subs.

Episode III is NOT a rip of the official DVD. The image is a little dark and muddy, and appears to be from a leaked early DVD copy or something similar. (The same source was used on the "5K" bootleg, but with a different menu.) There is only English audio, but there are Chinese, Malay, Thai and English subtitles (the English subs are full of errors). The audio track is encoded in Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 and DTS 5.1, but sounds heavily distorted. The end credits are cut off, so you don't get the complete film. The disc's menus are basic, and make no attempt to mimic the look of the official DVDs. The disc art also deviates from the design of the other discs in the set. The bootleggers obviously jumped the gun here, releasing a box set before a good version of Episode III was available.

The discs are stored in two fold-out digipacks inside a metallic, embossed slipcase. Metallic boxes are difficult to scan, but you get the idea. I suspect this particluar set was made to appeal to US buyers, as the box omits all Chinese text, and tries to look official with the FBI warnings, and the Lucasfilm and 20th Century-Fox logos.

Disc 1	Disc 2	Disc 3	Disc 4
Disc 5	Disc 6	Disc 7	Disc 8
Disc 9	Disc 10	Disc 11	Disc 12

Product photo 1

Product photo 2

Product photo 3

Product photo 4

Product photo 5

Assorted screenshots:

Ep. I Main menu	Ep. I Puppet yoda	Ep. II Main menu	Ep. II Anakin's hand

Ep. III Main menu	Ep. III Chapter menu	Ep. III Setup menu	Ep. III Bonus trailer

Ep. III Subtitle sample	Ep. III Kashyyk roof	Ep. III Wipe transition	Ep. III End credits final frame

Ep. IV Main menu	Ep. IV Jabba 2004 version	Ep. V Main menu	Ep. V Matte painting SE

Ep. VI Main menu	Ep. VI Obi-Wan	2004 Bonus disc	2004 Bonus disc

2004 Bonus disc	Ep. I Bonus disc	Ep. I Bonus disc	Ep. II Bonus disc

Ep. I Bonus disc	Ewok adv. Main menu	Caravan of Courage menu	Caravan of Courage sample

Battle for Endor menu	Battle for Endor sample	Droids Animated main menu	The Pirates and the Prince menu

The Pirates and the Prince menu	Treasure of the Hidden Planet menu	Treasure of the Hidden Planet sample	Ewoks Animated main menu

The Haunted Village menu	The Haunted Village sample	Tales from the Endor Woods menu	Tales from the Endor Woods sample