Criterion didn't begin with
DVDs. The originally produced deluxe editions of
important movies on
laserdisc, by finding the best elements for a film, producing supplementary material - lots of which is currently unavailable on DVD - and presenting it superbly. Without Criterion, there would be no
Special Edition DVDs, or
audio commentaries.
The first Criterion Collection laserdisc to be released is King Kong, and was presented in CAV format with a visual essay on the making of King Kong, and footage from a pre-Kong monster movie. Things did improve.. :)
The URL for a list of Criterion Collection Laserdiscs is : http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/mmathis/criterion/criterion_bytitle.html