I have some questions on my mind concerning the Myst series which I couldn't find an answer to anywhere on the internet. Hopefully someone knows :-)

Are there quality differences between the different versions (in terms of content, resolution, compression, sound, animations, ...)?

"Myst": I know there is the original, the ME, real Myst and real Myst ME. The differences are quite obvious. But are there any differences between the gog-versions and the physical ones (where available)?

"Riven": I heard DVD-ROM Version is the best available with less compressed videos and with more "stills". gog version is based on the CD-ROM version and is missing some animations if I remember correctly. Is this true? Anything else?

"Myst III: Exile"
There is a DVD-ROM and a CD-ROM version of this game. Is there a difference in terms of content/compression/quality in these versions? Is the game exactly the same in the collector's edition? No gog version yet.

"Myst IV: Revelation"
As far as I could see, there is only a DVD-ROM Version of this game (no CD-ROM). Does anyone know which one is THE right version? (Standard, ubisoft exclusive, Just play it, software pyramid, collector's edition)? There are also versions with completly different packaging (for example german one and us) Any differences between the versions? No gog version yet.

"Uru: Complete Chronicles"
There seems to be a DVD-ROM version (no CD-ROM). There is for example the german and us version with completly different packaging. Is there any difference in terms of content? Is there any difference to the gog-version?

"Myst V: End of Ages"
The game seems to be available on DVD-ROM (no CD-ROM). Which is THE right version? Standard, Collector's Edition, Limited edition, ubisoft exclusive, purple hills, hammerpreis, Gamer for ever,...)? There are also versions with completly different packaging (DE, UK, US).
Any differences between these versions in terms of content/compression/quality, and also to the gog-version?

The old physical versions of Myst and Myst ME won't work on modern operating systems as far as I know. I have Myst in a 'Grabit' combipack with Heroes of Might and Magic III (weird combi, but both games are lovely so I had to have it), two physical versions of of Myst ME (the original release and the one -Ubisoft Exclusive- that was released with the CD version of the Myst trilogy) and none of those work in Vista 32bit. I have heard though that if you install an old version of quicktime it WILL work, but I can't corroborate that. Both Myst ME and RealMyst from GoG can be a bit of bother to get to work correctly, but ones they do you'll have no problems but one in MystME. There's a puzzle there (rotation island) that won't work properly in that version and you need a walkthrough to get the information you would recieve from that puzzle. Ones you have that you can still continue. It's a nasty bug as it basically messes up the entire age. I don't know if that's a universal problem or just for some people, but I experienced it too. Please correct me if I'm misremembering things. I recommend RealMyst of RealMystME.

The GOG version of Riven is indeed missing some animations. Nothing major though, buttons not moving when pushed, that sortoff thing. It will not diminish the experience, or your ability to finish the game, unless you allow yourself to get all excited about it. Since you are going back an forth through the gameworld lots and lots of times, you will soon skip through many of the animations anyway. I haven't tried my physical copy (Ubisoft Exclusive) in Vista, but have been told it will not work for the very same reason Myst won't work.

I use the cd version of Exile (original release) that came with my version of the trilogy and it works in Vista without any tinkering needed. It has the option to use direct 3D or software rendering. direct 3D rendering looks far better, and as far as I know that doesn't look any worse than the DVD version.

I use the original release of Revelation (which is indeed a DVD release). It works fine, but I have one complaint. You can't move very quickly because it takes a good second for the game to skip to the next slide, which is really annoying. Especially when you'v just played through all the previous games. I don't know if this is due to the game, this release of the game or my system, but I have heard of this complaint in the past. Otherwise the game works fine.

I can't tell you anything about the other two games. I have them both on Gog and took a quick look at Uru, and everything seems to be in order.

Thanks for your answer!
I got my physical copy of myst: masterpiece edition somewhat working on my windows 7 64bit notebook with compability settings.
But with the quicktime version provided on the disc the sound is messed up (crackling) and I can play it ("options" doesn't seem to work though). With new quick time version sound is fine, but just a black screen with the hand-cursor on the dock can be seen.
Real myst ME works fine for me and I love it, altough it is not very fluid with any graphic setting other than low. Someone send me a highend gaming computer, please :-).
I never played the first real myst, but it seems this one is not as "shiny" as ME, but somehow more true to the original myst.

Anybody else knows more about myst 3-5 + Uru?

Original MYST 256 colors - Masterpiece 24bit

Riven - DVD had less compression

MYST 3 DVD and CD are the same except for some DVD printings had an issue with a sound file missing so a lot of the music wouldn't play.

MYST 4 DVD only

MYST 5 CD's and DVD release are the same except for disc swap during install. The GOG installer adds a language setting during startup,

URU had the original release, a to D'ni expansion and then the path of the shell expansion (Includes d'ni) and then theres URU complete Chronicles that includes everything.

Thanks for your answers.

I couldn't get the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM version (original, not anniversary edition) of Riven to run, but I can confirm the following information (by using riveal):

The "landscape stills" of the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM version of Riven look exactly the same and have the same file size (judging by two different images I compared.)
However when comparing in photoshop, in the german CD-ROM version the book (journal) is slightly less in file size compared to the dvd-rom, also a little bit softer and a tiny bit more saturated., and the font is more bold and bigger in size compared to the english DVD-ROM version.

original file size english DVD_ROM:
http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/uploads/5a2atrusbookdy795us8imr.png

original file size german CD-ROM:
http://img5.fotos-hochladen.net/uploads/5a2atrusbookclc37o0ew9m.png

The videos (mov files) are different in file size and probably in compression. You can't really see the difference when it's in motion and you have to look really hard which version is supposed to be better. CD-ROM version tends to be slightly more "soft".
I also noticed in one version, the sound is sometimes already integrated into the file, and in the other version it is not (not with every file, just sometimes). This could be another reason cotributing to the different file sizes.