I have all three versions and it seems GOG is right - the difference is negligible, at least judging from the file sizes of the data.

Disc 3 of the CD version shows:
j_Data1.mhk 9/15/1997 2:20pm 305,478 KB
j_Data2.mhk 9/15/1997 5:02pm 305,478 KB

1998 DVD version shows:
j_Data1.mhk 6/13/1998 2:56pm 323,410 KB
j_Data2.mhk 6/13/1998 2:57pm 339,179 KB

2003 10th Anniversary DVD also shows:
j_Data1.mhk 6/13/1998 3:56pm 323,410 KB
j_Data2.mhk 6/13/1998 3:57pm 339,179 KB

Dead GOG.
Since you've got Riven in both formats please add DVD version as an optional download.
Recently you have released some game versions as a bonus with a note that it wont work on all systems. So you can safely release DVD version with a similar note "use it on your own risk".

Regards,

Alex

The VOB files are not used by the game itself.

Now, find a better excuse for not releasing the DVD version.

I'll let this image speak for itself

"The difference in image quality between the CD-ROM and DVD version is subtle but definite."

from the adventureclassicgaming review, can't post links yet

Couldn't you implement an MPEG or MPEG-2 decoder into a Riven DVD-specific GOGWrap application and pipe the VOB files through it during Riven's runtime? In this way, you could control how the external format is being displayed and handled - especially if you used an open-source decoder like or [url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/gplmpgdec/]GPL MPEG-1/2 DirectShow Decoder Filter.

It's a pity that GOG.com doesn't offer the best version possible. Maybe make the DVD image available as an optional download?

Negligently? Have you see that version? It looks much better. It's as big a difference as running Myst 3 under software or hardware ecceleration ... that's big.

I copy this here from my other quality-related thread, since it fits this topic:
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.

I don't know the difference of the files in the gog version, since I don't have it. But I assume gog is the same as CD-ROM version, minus a few animations. And obviously less "stills" than the DVD-ROM version.

I got it to work using th gog-version and the "enhancements" of the DVD-ROM version :-)

http://www.gog.com/forum/myst_series/riven_on_windows_7/page1

So i added GoG version to latest SVN ScummVM and its detected as DVD release =) Strange.

The GOG version includes t_Data1.mhk and t_Data2.mhk (and not t_Data.mhk), and the file sizes of j_Data1.mhk and j_Data2.mhk match those posted above for the DVD versions. So I guess the GOG version was updated at some point to be the DVD version?

Edit: The above refers to the Galaxy version. I've just downloaded the installer from the website and that seems to still be the CD version - it installs only t_Data.mhk (not t_Data1.mhk and t_Data2.mhk), and the j_Data1.mhk and j_Data2.mhk sizes match the CD sizes given above. So if you want the DVD version make sure you use Galaxy to download!

Huh. Good to know.
I wasn't aware that Galaxy could be distributing more updated builds for the games...

Didn't the version of the game that's advertised for ipad have its quality beefed up? I don't want to say it's "remastered" but I was under the impression they had done some touching up and put less compression on the backgrounds.

If so, why are GOG (and I presume Steam) stuck with the CD/DVD version?

Because pc can't run ipad games, duh. And nobody want to port it.

This way past the point when anyone is going to care but I would like to point out that there is no difference between the data on the CD and DVD versions of Riven the only difference is the number of disks. When Riven was originally released it came on 5 CD's if I remember correctly, the greater capacity of DVD allowed it to be on a single disk. Any difference being seen is either subjective or differences in hardware.