[EVA] DVD bitrates and "Holiday Edition" extras?

[Codename V]

Now that the original series DVDs are going out of print, I've been trying to decide which was the one overall best DVD box set to recommend "for posterity" as "the set to hunt down".

ANNcast talked about it going out of print in podcast #100, and their strong suspicion was that its more of a Khara vs Gainax problem than an ADV/Section 23 problem.  As evidenced by the fact that even FUNimation can't get a re-license of End of Eva.  So its more of a Japan-end problem than an ADV problem.  Whatever.

At any rate I didn't double-dip for that "Holiday Edition" repackaging of the TV series box set, which is the last print run they ever had.  It was "Holiday Edition" only in the sense that it was "out in time for Christmas" I guess.

I've heard that it had some basic extras, i.e. "animatics" -- though from what I can glean, they weren't exactly really good "animatics".  Has anyone seen those and what were they like?  Or, was it just video of the storyboards which we've all *already* had access to from the Groundwork of Eva books?

Moreover, I saw some reviews say that Holiday Edition actually had a *lower* quality bitrate than the thinpack?  Can this be confirmed?  In which case, the thinpack is the gold standard for visual quality?

Further, is there any noticeable difference between the bitrate on the "thinpack" and the bitrate in the "full Platinum Edition box set", the one with all the extras?

While the "extras" aren't that great (Sean McCoy's insane ramblings) -- I just peronally like voice actor commentaries so I think the extras are worth it; i.e. having Tiffany & Allison comment on episode 9.   Did it reveal thought Anno put into the show?  No, but it was just fun to have.