In 2013, the German label Nipponart released a new box set of Escaflowne. The important thing: The episodes 1 to 4 and 6 & 7 are now available as regular TV Version and longer Director's Cuts. The quality of said release is enhanced as well.

 

The opening and ending match the ones from the TV Version. In other words, the quality of those is inferior to the rest of the Director's Cut episodes but that is acceptable.

 

Compared are the TV Version and the Director's Cut (both available in the German Collector's Edition box set by Dybex/Nipponart.

 

 

While there are not any differences worth mentioning in the first episode, this is not the case in the second episode. The DC is 112.6 seconds longer. The new scenes are a lovely addition to the episode even though Rumu's longer dialog is a little too much.

2:16 (2:16 TV Version)
After the title, the DC contains an additional scene which shows Amano cheering up Yukari. Hitomi's mother gets up, goes to the window and looks up to the sky.
32.44 sec

3:01 (2:29 TV Version)
Rumu makes a few more comments in the DC.
16 sec

3:29 (2:42 TV Version)
In the TV Version, Guymelef appears later resp. the scene is a little shorter in the DC.
The TV Version is 1.22 sec longer.

03:36 (2:50 TV Version)
Another scene is slightly shorter in the DC.
The TV Version is 0.32 sec longer.

03:42 (2:56 TV Version)
The DC contains different scene. At the end, only the TV Version fades to black.
no difference

TV Version	Director's Cut

3:48 (3:02 TV Version)
Only the DC contains a conversation between Vargas and his three swordmasters. They talk the vanished prince and the consequences that might have.
42.3 sec

12:23 (10:55 TV Version)
New scene in the DC: The camera pans from the swordmasters to Hitomi.
9 sec

15:34 (13:57 TV Version)
The Guymelefs' attack on Farnellia is longer in the DC.
15.84 sec