This thread is for those who own the Region 2 DVDs of the series.
I always had this thought in the back of my mind, but never really found the time to investigate on this issue.
The problem is that the pilot looks just so different from the other episodes. It looks kind of low-def, old, dirty and de-saturated, almost like a good VHS copy. Does anybody know why they didn't restore it as they did for the rest of the series. It's not a big complaint, because, in a way, it looks good in his own way, but since back in 2002 I bought the DVD I sort of got disappointed by this thing because I expected the pilot to have the same DVD quality. Here I will post two screencaps, one from the pilot and one from the following episodes to make you see the big difference.

Knowing that they released a complete series Gold edition DVD BOX SET last year, I would like to know if by any chance they restored also the pilot or if it's just the same as it looks in the old set. If it's restored, I would consider selling or giving away the DVDs I already got to replace them with the good looking one. Please answer. This thing has been bugging me for years.

PILOT SCREENCAP

RANDOM EPISODE SCREENCAP

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

Yep, all restored

http://www.2000revue.com/tp/article.cfm?articleID=104

Hmmm... Firstly I should say I'm in Australia, so I deal with region 4 DVD's.

That said, and not to confuse the issue but I feel that I have noticed many 'coloration variances' from all media types (meaning either VHS or DVD) between The Pilot & Episode 1.

I always felt that as the series went on, they then kept on building upon the imagery set forth from the pilot.

Maybe this could also be part of what you're noticing.

I need more information on the pilot and its supposed restored quality on the Gold Edition box. I don't know, if there was a website or something were screencaps were available. I tried to look for them on the net, but nothing.

EDIT:

 right now I found two screencaps showing how it was before and now. I AM BITING MY NAILS RIGHT NOW!!! ARRRGH... WHY DIDN'T I WAIT?! AND WHY DIDN'T THEY RESTORE IT BEFORE?

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

I actually prefer the darker, "rainy", more miserable tones of the pilot than the orangey, "sunny" hues that were used for the rest of the show. I think it fits better with the storylines and moods.

Not that i dislike the look of the series, it's just that i get that "peaksy" feeling from watching the pilot more than i do watching ANY other episode. I could watch the pilot over and over.

As a matter of fact, I didn't say I dislike it and I am, like you, one that watches the pilot over and over.

I just had to vent my feelings that treating the pilot episode differently was really a bad move against the audience and the buyers since they restored all the other episodes. It was a specific marketing strategy, it's evident. In fact, I am not in the mood to spend 109 euros to pick up the Definitive Gold Edition DVD Box just for one episode. It's absurd. But I have so much regret. Damn it!

I really wish they had restored the pilot in the first place.

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

I love the way the pilot looks on the R2 disc. There's a lot of natural light in the pilot and the coldness of the print compliments the wind in the trees and the warmth of the interiors. The warm colours of later episodes, particularly season two, looks surreal by comparison.   

Yeah, but looking at these pictures it seems that in the Gold edition it has been restored keeping that look you say. It's just better and probably more high-def.

I still am undecided wether buying it or stay where I am with the first collector's edition.

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

Hi everyone! You can also see in the pictures of Audrey and Julee that in the restored ones there is more information. You can see more of Audrey's arm, Juliee's microphone tripod etc. :)

This pilot (Hong Kong/Republic) was all we had as far as DVD for so long. Yes, the quality sucked, but at least it existed. For the longest time, a Twin Peaks marathons were a weird combo of spotty quality DVD & VHS mixed with the awesome quality Season 1 box set.   (Unless you had the laserdisc set.)  But that was an improvement on the all VHS marathon we had to use before.

I'm just glad those days are over. 

So if you don't have the Gold Box, what format/release are you watching the rest of the series on, mr. silencio? 

 I thought I made this point very clear, 12rainbow... I have the first released edition of the DVDS:

There is the DVD box for season 1, released in 2002 here in Italy, with the pilot (unrestored) and the other 7 episodes (restored)...

Then the divided two volumes of season 2, released after FOUR YEARS, the first half in 2006 and the other half in 2007, all episodes restored:

 Maybe you're confused because in the U.S. when it was first released, you didn't have the pilot, but we in Europe had it, the original way, with no alternate ending, just with Sarah waking with a jolt and Bob reflected in the mirror.

Got it? 

Probably things went like this: in the countries that get the imported DVDs from U.s., they get the original master and if there is some different policy, they add or take out things according to it. In this case, they added the regular pilot episode not caring that it would look so bad compared to the other restored episodes.

The point is: I waited years and years and I bought the DVDs of Twin Peaks as soon  as they got out, never suspecting that they were going to make a complete box with the restored pilot. At that time I didn't even know that in the U.S. and in Canada you didn't have the pilot in the first DVD set. I found it ridiculous to let people buy something without the most important episode, the pilot, but evidently it went like this.

Now what am I supposed to do? Spit 109 euros for the Gold edition and forget the sacrifices I made to buy the first release?! For just one episode?! That's absurd.

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

I am not one to come out in defense of DVD distributors that produce low-quality discs only to turn around later and make better ones of the same show/movie to sell at a higher price.  I agree that it's a really crappy way to treat a fan base.

That said, however, I don't think that's what's going on here.  There are a couple of things being said that are untrue and/or unfair to the distributors who have worked with fans over the past 8 years to get Peaks on DVD.

The pilot in your Euro set, silencio, was remastered independantly from the rest of the series.  I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, folks) that the Euro sets were made off of the R1 Artisan remasters.  Artisan didn't have the rights to the pilot in the US and so couldnt remaster it.  As a result, it was NOT INCLUDED at all in the R1 release that has the corresponding coverart as what you show above.  The Euro distributors COULD remaster it but didnt go for the expensive process that Artisan went in for.

Much of what you are complaining about is due to rights issues over who owned the pilot during what stage of the Peaks DVD phenomena and has nothing to do at all with what you call a "specific marketing strategy."  No one DECIDED not to remaster and/or include the pilot in season 1 box sets.  More accurately, Warner Bros. decided not to sell their property to anyone else and instead sat on the un-remastered footage until its rights expired.  Artisan (and hence, your distributor) was trying to make the best of a bad situation.

I agree that it sucks that you have to buy a whole new set if you want a remastered copy of the pilot.  But really. Get over it.  At least your set HAS a pilot.  We in the states had to do without for YEARS or else get the crappy catalyst logic (Korean) disc to supplement our libraries.  And then we STILL had to buy the Gold Edition if we wanted it all anyway. 

So yes, I agree:  boo hoo, whine, whine.  Either buy it or refuse to out of righteous indignance.  But in either case, do it quickly and shut up.

No need to be patronizing, mr. s. I get it now   Cool boxes.  I saw that screen cap and immediately I thought of the Canadian Chinese pilot we keep griping about here...

But seriously, I feel your pain. I wouldn't pay for the Gold Box if you have a perfectly fine set. But I also don't give a hell about picture resolution or sound quality.

Maybe someone could bootleg you a Region 0 burn of the restored pilot.   It wouldn't be a fancy looking disc, but it would be the picture quality you want. 

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

To be fair we knew about the Gold Box when season two was released on DVD.

I can't believe Universal has been selling season one in the UK since 2002 with no intention of releasing season two. It's so mercenary, words fail me. 

Thank God for multi region DVD players. 

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

I love the "old looking" pilot, for reasons articulated by others above!!!

it just looks so...well, TP is very much a product of the 90s, and it shows in this print,    plus it portrays that gloomy, overcast look... 

 Erm, no we didn't. Why do you think I paid up for S2 if I had known I could have got everything plus extras by waiting a while? Now that was  a marketing scam!

Personally I prefer the cool look to the pilot. I think the the coloration of the series (1 and 2) is far too red. Looks like Dale and friends have just got out from under a sunlamp...

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)