The X0 Project aims to create the best ever LD transfer of the original Original Trilogy to DVD. The site offers informative articles on how to do the process yourself, as well as media and updates on our own progress.

Come along for the ride...

They have some good articles on color correcting, I found this chart interesting:



You would think 16 million colors (or 1 billion if that chart is 10-bit RGB) would come close to 'all visible colors' but it's not even close.

Looks like they have a PayPal donation system set up if your into their cause (personally my VHS copies suit me fine if I REALLY need to see the o-OT). I'm bookmarking the site, it will be interesting to see the fruits of their labor.

Didn't see it on the site but any ideas on when they will have a final version complete?

We're still in the "pre-production" phase, so it's hard to say. In realistic terms, I think we'll have ANH done within 6 months, but it could as easily be done in half that time.

The guy writing the articles knows his stuff inside and out. I thought I knew what I was doing, but he makes me look like a junior high kid trying out for the NFL.

Excellent! I still have my old Definitive Edition Laserdiscs around here somewhere, but it would be great to have some really good DVD editions as "backups".

I hate how the guys who know what the fuck they're doing (X0 and that Star Wars Legacy guy) dont allow themselves to get their just, excellent versions out in circulation, yet a bunch of people who have no idea get the lame versions all over the place (particularly for sale at most retail locations for like $49.99).

Props on the project though. I'll donate when I come up on some paypal scratch.

Some great info in there. Cheers for the link!

Don't let the site fool you. We can't openly state that we'll be distributing copyrighted material on the front page of our web site for obvious reasons, but rest assured this will be released.

No doubt. I'm excited to see what you guys come up with.

Incredibly cool!! This is will be in the Star Wars historybooks for fans!

Site updates are forthcoming, including a new issue of the newsletter. Stay tuned...

What is the ETA for completion?

Repost from OT.com:

Cowclops has just released a laser disc rip on Demonoid:
http://www.demonoid.com/torrents/details/176653/

The nfo claims it's the best rip yet. Any thoughts?

It's a valiant effort. I would say it's his best transfer to date, but not the absolute best out there. I think there are some other great transfers (EditDroid for example) that are as good, if not better. My favorite at the moment is Moth3r's PAL transfer. It's much sharper and more detailed than anything else out there.

Damn it.

Are you collaborating with the StarWarsLegacy guy?

From the screenshots I've seen, the new Cowclops release looks worse than his first effort.

Cowclops v2 ANH and ESB are up on alt.binaries.starwars if you want them.



One of the other guys knows him I think, but we're not really collaborating. Mike is kind of doing his own thing and it's a shame he's never going to release his work of art when it's done.. But we're not really doing the same thing he is. We're doing an LD transfer, while he's basically working off the Official DVD and subbing in LD footage where needed.

Zion,

Isn't that what Ocpmovie at OT.com did as well, subbed in original LD footage with the official DVD? He released something called Star Wars: Classic Edition that sounds exactly like what you're talking about. Have you seen it by chance?

Ocpmovie took the Official DVD and subbed in the Cowclops v1 (TR47) DVD wherever needed. I have not seen it so I can't give any opinion on his work. First impressions from his screenshots would indicate that the jump between DVD and LD footage is too staggering, which is probably why I never downloaded it.

If you take a look at starwarslegacy.com, you can see just how meticulous Mike is about fixing every minute detail of the films. I don't know anyone else going into that much detail on an OT project, including us.

What we do promise though is to produce the best ever transfer from an LD player. Note that I use the word "transfer" and not "rip" like a lot of people do. You can't really "rip" anything off an LD because, contrary to popular belief, laserdisc is not a digital format. The data on the disc is analog and is transferred from the disc to the player to the computer as an analog signal. As such, there are many things that can compromise it's quality. Using the X0 player and top-of-the-line capturing equipment, we've been able to eliminate most of that.

Zion,

Opcmovie just sent me a copy of "Classic Edition" so I'll check it out either tonight or tomorrow and see how jarring the LD shots are when inserted back into the film.

Ah... those "let's take the DVD version and mix it with laserdisc footage" projects... beyond doubt the biggest Star Wars-related waste of time in history (other than most fan films, perhaps...) What in heaven's name is the point of those editions? Newsflash: for DVD quality, there is the four-disc DVD set in stores all over the world. If I want the original version of the Trilogy, I want it as it was - with no pixel changed, with Han Solo shooting first, with lasers hitting bodies, without Wooden Cringensen - but also with the lines around the ships and rancor, with the sticksaber and with visible specks of dirt.

The fan laserdisc-to-DVD transfers are all noble efforts and some are remarkably impressive projects, but those "DVD+laserdisc" ones are beyond ridiculous.

Well, actually I watched this last night and it's a pretty damn fine effort. Most of the time you couldn't even tell where the LD footage was inserted and the whole project was done quite well if you ask me. Maybe it doesn't appeal to you, but to dismiss it as the biggest waste of time in Star Wars history is a ludicrous statement. To each their own. I'm still looking forward to the XO project with great anticipation, but for now this is the best "original" version of ANH in my collection.

Come on, man! Are you telling me that if the Special Editions hadn't featured any added/altered footage, but just cleaned up mattes and fixed lightsbers, you would reject them?

Back on topic: I'm very happy with the 2004 DVDs, pink sabers aside, but I'd love to get this release as well, if only for history's sake. And the screenshots have made me a believer.

So Zion, will these be anamorphic? And will Star Wars have the original crawl sans Episode IV? I've been following this project. Quite impressed!

any more screen shots? i wanna stay interested.

Here, here. I find myself going to the XO Project website everyday hoping to see an update.

I hope you guys are still making headway... based on the screenshots thus far, it looks like you should have a very nice finished product.

Updates are coming. I tried to get some time to update the site last week but it didn't happen. Expect some new things up by this weekend. We have a few articles in the works plus some new screengrabs. There is also a new article or two for the newsletter coming so be sure to sign up for that as well.

To answer your question JD, it's definitely going to be anamorphic. But I think we're going to have a letterbox version as well for those who don't have a digital TV or a decent monitor.

I'm trying not to get too fixated on the XO project because the more I think about it the more excited I get. I'm just hoping one day a few months from now I'll go on the website and be pleasantly surprised to find out that it's ready.

We've had a few setbacks that have prevented us from working on this in full force the past couple of months (including a hard drive crash where I lost all my X0 files). We should be kicking into high gear in the next few weeks.

Good to know... I'm rooting for you guys.

Think I'll go sign up for that newsletter now.

Thanx for the update, Zion! Can't wait.

I'm getting a lot of emails and questions about this lately, so I figured this thread could use a little update...



Update on the XØ Project

Specs: DVD9, Anamorphic widescreen and letterbox versions, 2.0 PCM audio (other audio formats/languages are still being discussed, as well as a Divx release)

• ANH should be done by September - before the OUT DVDs are released
• The web site will be updated soon with some screenshots and maybe some video clips showing finished shots
• We are using transfers from both the Definitive Collection laserdiscs (the same source as the OUT) as well as the Japanese Special Collection (pre-THX mastered version for use on shots where the DC's ghosting is painfully noticeable
• Video is being cleaned up frame-by-frame, then color corrected - the work we are putting in is unlike any SW transfer/bootleg DVD release in existance
• This has taken us so long because we have had very little time to work on it and the frame-by-frame cleanup takes A LOT of time and attention to detail
• We are not selling this - do not ask us if we can send you a copy when it's done
• Your favorite newsgroup/torrent site will have the downloads as soon as it's available

A taste of what's to come...
[web]http://www.x0project.com/media.php?i=00019[/web]

That looks really great. I can't wait to see it. You guys should be working for Lucasfilm.

...you would think in an ideal world, LF would contact these guys, throw them a bit of money/resources and get them to do the work and release it officially - done by fans, for fans...that sort of thing?

That would be all kinds of cool, and would make SO much more sense.

I'm hoping the X0 team will consider a DTS 5.1 version in the future.

Thanx for the update Zion. I've been following your progress with much interest and have been impressed with the job you all are doing. I'm looking very forward to seeing the final product. And I'll be first in line at the torrent sites!

I wish there were more test shots. If it's not gonna be done until after this summer can they drop a few print screens into Photoshop and upload em on the site for us?

New vid up on the site.

Web Doc 2 - Flyover

Enjoy.

I have to say; you guys are doing an excellent job.

I admire your commitment

Man this is gonna be cool to compare the quality of the X0 version to the LD master one Lucasfilm is putting out.

Zion, I've always been impressed by your work. God Speed on this new project.

When I heard the about the non-anamorphic nature of the OUT dvds I was crestfallen. Its great to see the fan community picking up the gauntlet and coming to our rescue.

I will check this thread daily. This is all very exciting.

Zion, are you and the other members of the X0 team still expecting to be finished work on ANH before the official OUT DVDs are released?

I have to say, I've been following the X0 project with great interest and anticipation this last year or so, and have been checking the web daily for any new scraps of info about your progress.

Keep up the good work. I know you're probably well aware of this, but what you guys are doing means a hell of a lot to a lot of people. Keep up the good work.