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Re:Napster sparked a file-sharing revolution 25 years ago by miah_ on Saturday June 01, 2024 @12:02PM (#40546833)
There isn't always a studio behind a videos release. Sometimes the only remaining copy of a show is found in somebodies VHS collection and its filled with static and audio pops. These often get a standard 'as-is' release and then somebody in the community will clean it up, upscale the video, and fix the audio for a 'proper' release. Same goes for audio, sometimes its a old bootleg tape of a show that gets digitized and cleaned up.

This is before even getting into 'fan edits' where people will re-add cut scenes, or do other edits to films. For an example of that, search for 'Topher Grace Star Wars Prequel'.

Re:Napster sparked a file-sharing revolution 25 years ago by rightbyte on Saturday June 01, 2024 @12:12PM (#40546918)
> For an example of that, search for 'Topher Grace Star Wars Prequel'

A funny detail in The Obi Wan series are the prequel lookbacks that, if you don't remember how bad they are, make them seem like mediocre movies instead.

Re:Napster sparked a file-sharing revolution 25 years ago by steve1977 on Saturday June 01, 2024 @12:09PM (#40546883)
But in most of those cases I wouldn’t really speak of „official“ versions.
Re:Napster sparked a file-sharing revolution 25 years ago by Fezzik on Saturday June 01, 2024 @02:05PM (#40547828)
For a great example of fan edits, compare Harmey’s Despecialized Editions of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 to the butchered final copies that George tried to make be the only available versions; the Despecialized versions are astonishingly superior in content and audio/video quality.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Edit...