Star Trek: The Next Generation Blu-ray - Sampler Review

[kemcha]

Star Trek: The Next Generation Next Level Blu-ray

Star Trek: The Next Generation The Next Level Blu-ray Review

It looks like TVShowsonDVD.com is reporting that Bill Hunt, from The Digital Bits.com website, has discovered that Paramount just might be moving forward with bringing Star Trek: The Next Generation to Blu-ray.

Apparently, the special effects for the show need to be upgraded to HD quality for broadcast and for the Blu-ray format, like with what they did for TOS. To fund the effort, Paramount could be using the money they they received from their recent Netflix deal to fund this project.

The announcement could be made at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con this July. Check out the whole story here:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Sta...sc-Plans/15388


Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Series Blu-ray

[Troy73]

That would be awesome. If they go back and use the original film elements and re-make the effects shots this show will look better than it ever did on tv or dvd. I hope Paramount feels it's a worth while investment.

[-RONIN-]

I agree with you Troy. I grew up with this show and it's still one of my all time favs. It is worth the investment and deservedly so.

[NicWhit]

Oh my god I think I just pee'd my self.
This will *SO* be day 1 for me if they do that

Please please please "make it so"

[Moviefan2k4]

I've actually met most of the "Next-Gen" cast (except for Stewart, Frakes, and Burton), so having the show in HD, with better FX, would definitely be interesting. However, knowing Paramount's history for overpricing "Trek" on home video, I'll definitely be waiting for quite a while. The original DVD seasons for "TNG" were over $100 each, and I outright refused to abide by that...so, I spoke with my wallet, and wound up waiting several years before grabbing them at about $50 a set. Adding in the four films probably got my overall total close to $400, and I'm not going to shell out double that (or more) for the episodes in hi-def. If that studio wants my money for this, they will have to wait.

[kemcha]

Well, we'll definitely find out for sure in the next two months. The San Diego Comic Con is in July, this year, and hopefully, Paramount will make the announcement there.

[Aristide Massaccesi]

I've owned TNG (as well as the other shows) on VHS and DVD. I recently tried to watch some early TNG episodes on dvd and it looked like shite. So I really hope this rumour is true.

[kemcha]

I started watching TNG when it was first premiered on network television. The first two seasons, I don't really care for because the production does look like cheap crap. But, back then, it was a cool series.

I just want them to clean up the special effects. Particularly, the episode where Tasha Yar is killed off. Those effects were particularly cheesy.

[Blu Bond]

If this is indeed true then 2012 is going to be a BIG year for another major series from tv/movies. Next year will be the 25th Anniversary for ST: TNG and I remember in 2007 they released the entire series as a boxset for the 20th Anniversary. Throw into that the fact that the 2nd of the newest Star Trek reboot for movies is supposed to come to theatres (I heard they might bump it from summer 2012 to fall/winter 2012). Over at the James Bond threads we have discussed at lengths about how MGM/FOX/SONY are going planning to hold back the release of the rest of James Bond on BD to coincide with the newest Bond movie coming out next year and the 50th Anniversary of the first James Bond movie Dr. No. Also another coincidence is the fact that Netflix is streaming the Bond films not on BD on their HD network, and so is Star Trek: TNG. My guess is these studios use the money from selling off their stuf to Netflix and other crappy merchandise (games, books, clothing and all other anniversary crap...including an Enterprise pizza cutter!) in order to fund cleaning up and putting their shows/movies onto BD. Thing is the James Bond ones are already cleaned up and ready to go to BD whereas the TNG is still in the "tinkering" stages and is a much larger volume to upgrade to BD. Obviously these tinkerings have shown promise otherwise they wouldn't allow all this scuttlebutt to leak out. If they don't announce anything this summer at ComicCon or the Star Trek convention then I'd say it's safe to bet it won't be coming for a couple more years (maybe late 2012-2013). Hopefully it won't take until the 30th Anniversary of TNG for it to arrive to BD.

[Hobbun]

I know this thread hasn’t been posted to in awhile, but have to give my say.

TNG is by far my favorite Star Trek series and really hope this makes it to blu-ray. But even still, it has to be done ‘right’. Meaning, a good transfer, very much like how was done with TOS. If they put that much care in TNG, I’ll be there day 1.

[Ason12]

I was just thinking about this thread today. With Comic Con only a little under a month away, we could be seeing an announcement there. Anyone heard anything pertaining to this rumor recently?

[Anth]

While this is superb news.

To be honest I would rather have Deep Space 9 on Blu-Ray first.

This is the pinnacle of the Trek franchise in my opinion.

Can I ask anyone in the know as it is a much newer show than TNG (its first season aired when TNG was in season 6) would these go through an easier transition to HD or do the effects need redoing for this too.

I remember some of the defiant battles in season 6 and 7 would be breathtaking in HD.

[Lope de Aguirre]

Originally Posted by Anth

While this is superb news.

To be honest I would rather have Deep Space 9 on Blu-Ray first.

I agree.

Originally Posted by Anth

Can I ask anyone in the know as it is a much newer show than TNG (its first season aired when TNG was in season 6) would these go through an easier transition to HD or do the effects need redoing for this too.

DS9 (and even VOY which was produced 1995-2001) has the SAME problems like TNG.

All Trek shows which are set in the 24th century were filmend on 35mm film but ALL of the post production (editing, visual effects) were done solely on video.

So yeah the SFX would have to be redone or the show would switch between 1080P and 480i (or p?). And even then they would have to cut the whole episodes again and probably even the sound effects and music would be mixed again just to be sure it matches the "new" cuts.

[Ason12]

Originally Posted by Lope de Aguirre

DS9 (and even VOY which was produced 1995-2001) has the SAME problems like TNG.

All Trek shows which are set in the 24th century were filmend on 35mm film but ALL of the post production (editing, visual effects) were done solely on video.

So yeah the SFX would have to be redone or the show would switch between 1080P and 480i (or p?). And even then they would have to cut the whole episodes again and probably even the sound effects and music would be mixed again just to be sure it matches the "new" cuts.

Which while extremely expensive and time consuming is going to be awesome when completed!

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Lope de Aguirre

So yeah the SFX would have to be redone or the show would switch between 1080P and 480i (or p?). And even then they would have to cut the whole episodes again and probably even the sound effects and music would be mixed again just to be sure it matches the "new" cuts.

Unlike TOS, problem is, most of the SFX shots shared the shot with the actors (digital backgrounds, readouts, those zooming stars outside the windows)--
Reportedly, the 35mm green-screen actor performances are still in a Paramount vault, and WOULD require reconstructing most of every scene from scratch--Leading some to worry whether it would have "washed-out actors" like the Lucas original-SW SE's.

But, the market demands TNG, so we'll find out later whether it was the Netflix deal.
(Paramount took Toshiba's "bribe" to HD-DVD solely to fund the TOS remaster, so they have experience to know they need the angel-backers first.)

[hipster.doofus7]

Originally Posted by The Digital Bits

Multiple sources I spoke with at Comic-Con have also confirmed our report from earlier this year that CBS is hard at work on Star Trek: The Next Generation - Remastered for Blu-ray release starting sometime in 2012. The latest word is that 4 test episodes are currently being worked on for release as a sampler/demo BD disc of the project, and that sampler disc will somehow be available to fans by the end of this year. Watch for additional news in the months ahead.

http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents


As some of you may already know, Star Trek: The Next Generation was mastered only on video tape. This means all the special FX, green screen, and matte work were only done in standard definition. In order for the series to make the transition to HD, they would have to go back to raw film footage, do all the editing from scratch. It's like producing the show all over again.

Things that I'm expecting to happen if TNG goes HD:

• The original SFX done with miniature model work will be replaced with CGI
• The aspect ratio will be re-framed (not necessarily cropped) into 16:9, just like Seinfeld
• Some of the repetitive ship models that kept re-appearing every 4 episodes may be replaced with newer designs

The TOS series was mastered in film, which made it easy for Paramount to offer the unaltered and CGI-enhanced versions both in HD. TNG unfortunately was mastered in video. There's literally no way they can offer the original versions in HD, unless they settle for merely upscaling the standard definition FX and peddling those as HD. I'm pretty sure that TNG in HD will not offer the original versions.

I wonder if Star Trek fans will be ok with all those changes. Will they treat the original source material like it was handed down from God, and go bonkers like some crazy Star Wars fans do with the Special Editions?

[blonde_devil]

upscaling is a bad idea since the resolution is so low compared to bluray that it would just look bad. look at the dvds out there already - they looked great 20 years ago but now, not as good. i am curious what decision they will make on the special effects. like you said, they were composited on video but filmed on 35mm like the trek movies so they could composite them with modern technology and have a good look to them. my guess is that is what they would do but who knows what condition the original stock is in, were the effects filmed as good as the movies were or did they cheat here and there because they knew it wouldn't show on tv and now the effects are not as good, do they want to update/improve the effects like they did with the original series.... wait and see.

i wonder what episodes they will do as a test. if it is only 4, i am hoping "Best of Both Worlds" would be a part of it. It is a good episode, fairly effects heavy - would make a great showcase episode.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

upscaling is a bad idea since the resolution is so low compared to bluray that it would just look bad. look at the dvds out there already - they looked great 20 years ago but now, not as good. i am curious what decision they will make on the special effects. like you said, they were composited on video but filmed on 35mm like the trek movies so they could composite them with modern technology and have a good look to them. my guess is that is what they would do but who knows what condition the original stock is in, were the effects filmed as good as the movies were or did they cheat here and there because they knew it wouldn't show on tv and now the effects are not as good, do they want to update/improve the effects like they did with the original series.... wait and see.

i wonder what episodes they will do as a test. if it is only 4, i am hoping "Best of Both Worlds" would be a part of it. It is a good episode, fairly effects heavy - would make a great showcase episode.

These were not released on DVD until 2002, not 20 years ago as you say above. The complete collection was actually not released until 2007.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

These were not released on DVD until 2002, not 20 years ago as you say above. The complete collection was actually not released until 2007.

I know the dvd's are recent - I was commenting on the picture quality. 20 years ago, the effects looked great on tv but when you watch them now, even on dvd, they are not as impressive.

[Trekkie313]

I'm pretty sure that most of the "model" footage and many special effects shots were archived on some form of medium. They just need to look harder to find it.


It would be sad to see the same smeary, glowing and desaturated picture quality unscaled with some funky CGI.