I just realized that if I put my face really close to my lcd monitor (it's one of those non-glare types, without the ultra-glossy screen you see becoming popular now) the saber clash looks okay. But once you pull your face back a reasonable 2-3 feet or more, the effect becomes obvious!
Couple more pics for comparison (between the original versions and the DVD editions):
Note that the Emperor's lightning has NOT been enhanced, at least I can't tell any difference (except that the new version is darker and sharper), even if those frame captures are not identical.
