This is topic "Best Of" Trek DVD's question. in forum General Trek at Flare Sci-Fi Forums.


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Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
Okay, I keep seeing these "Best of Star Trek" DVD's- each with four episodes on them- looking at the back of the box, the pics shown are clearly remastered images, but my question is, are these the versions with the updated effects or just those cleaned up transfers from a few years back?

Anyone know?
 
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
 
They do appear to be the remastered versions for at least the TOS version. The TNG version seems to be untouched.
 
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
 
TNG, DS9, and VGR were produced on video tape, so they haven't been (and probably won't be) remastered.
 
Posted by Wes (Member # 212) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim:
TNG, DS9, and VGR were produced on video tape, so they haven't been (and probably won't be) remastered.

They were filmed on Kodak 7298 film and archived. The raw effects were also filmed on Kodak 7298, but composting and audio post were done on the video, which were what the final episodes were produced on.

It would be an undertaking, but TNG, DS9, and Voyager are in a really good place. Kodak 7298 can be acid-washed and cleaned up, scanned in digitally, and audio can be remastered. The original raw vfx shots can be cleaned up and recomposed or CG can replace them entirely.

There was talk of simply upscaling the visual effects shots from the master video tapes, and I really hope they don't do that, it would be VERY noticeable and blurry next to the remastered HD film. The Next Generation deserves at LEAST the treatment the Original Series had, especially with all these new Star Trek fans.
 
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
 
I was under the impression that while TNG was shot on film, all editing was done on video tape. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems unlikely that (a) they even have the complete original film elements organized and archived or that (b) the massive undertaking of completely reediting and compositing them would be deemed financially worthwhile.

480p is really the native resolution of these programs in the form we know them. I've seen reruns of TNG upsampled and they don't look distractingly blurry; in fact, they look about the same as they did on my old non-HD TV. I think the idea of completely remastering old TV shows in HD is a bit excessive, and redoing the effects in CGI is positively abhorrent.
 
Posted by Wes (Member # 212) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim:
I was under the impression that while TNG was shot on film, all editing was done on video tape. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems unlikely that (a) they even have the complete original film elements organized and archived or that (b) the massive undertaking of completely reediting and compositing them would be deemed financially worthwhile.

480p is really the native resolution of these programs in the form we know them. I've seen reruns of TNG upsampled and they don't look distractingly blurry; in fact, they look about the same as they did on my old non-HD TV. I think the idea of completely remastering old TV shows in HD is a bit excessive, and redoing the effects in CGI is positively abhorrent.

A test episode where the film was given the remaster treatment has already been completed, the only obstacle was the visual effects segments, which only exist on tape.

There's a small article about it here:

http://trekmovie.com/2007/07/27/cbs-testing-remastering-tng/

When I said distractingly blurry, I meant the live action scenes, once re-mastered from film to HD would in theory be even more vibrant, clean, and sharp as the TOS remasters. So when it transitioned to en exterior or effects shot, it would be like jolting from 1080p to 480p.

Film doesn't store pixels, so in theory they could create a new master at 4k and all they would have to worry about is the natural softness from the lenses and focusing when it was filmed, and grain, which can be removed very well (See: TOS Movie BluRay collection). But if if get the same treatment TOS does, the visual effects will be re-done in HD CG.

I enjoyed the new visual effects and mattes in TOS, and would love to see some of the cheesy effects in TNG updated. The original effects can be kept around too, with branching on BluRay (i think the TOS does this, right?)
 
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
 
'Course, the other problem is that there's more than twice the episodes to remaster for a smaller improvement in visual quality.
 
Posted by The Ginger Beacon (Member # 1585) on :
 
I would quite like the SFX to be at least partialy redone for the first 2/3 seasons, minimum. There was so much that was stock or reused footage. And the number of times we saw the Oberth/Gagarin/what-ever-you-want-to-call-it or Miranda classes. Oi.
 
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
 
The Miranda class wasn't overused until DS9. Although, the Oberth class could have used one or two less appearances.
 
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
I also dont think the MIranda was overused on DS9- untill the big fleet action, they never appear: making it's appearance in only four or five or so episodes in almost 200.
Of course, I'd have preferred the Ambassador or some W359 ships...

Prahaps in ten years when they get to re-tooling the effects. [Wink]
 
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
 
And maybe some new efx shots of the Excelsior class, they always used the same one of an Excelsior and the Enterprise-D flying side by side.
And maybe some more Constellation and Ambassador shots(ie flying around in the background when the Big-E docks at a station or something to that effect). Those two ships basically fell off the face of the galaxy mid-way thru the show, though the Excelsior, Miranda, and Oberth classes were still going strong.
 
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
And, damnit, I want to see Spacedock in Earth's orbit!
It's not like it just transformed into Unicron and flew off....
 
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
 
I don't know, the Spacedock type stations seemed to have "grown" in TNG to accommodate the Galaxy class. If The Spacedock is still around and follows suit, Earth might as well have two moons, not to the mention the gravitational effects.
 
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
 
I'd have left the Spacedock the same size it was back in STIII- they can make a modified station for that TNG episode or a new design completely.

I always kinda thought that spacedock in Earth's orbit would be a bit of an eyesore in the night's sky, really.

One other thing I'd like them to do is increase the traffic around such stations to at least TMP levels- workbees, transports, freighters etc. coming and going- Earth in particular- with Starfleet Academy- should be a very busy starbase.
 
Posted by danova (Member # 2183) on :
 
Consider that this star way to be the best!
 
Posted by Sean (Member # 2010) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by danova:
Consider that this star way to be the best!

Huh? [Confused]

I wouldn't mind seeing them remastered, at least the live action footage. Sure, the effcts ould be nice too, but they are still of good quality.

It always seemed to me that when re-watching an episode from the 1st season, and comparing it to an ep from the 7th, he film looks totally different. It always seems that the early episodes are grainier, with a slightly less sharp look to them. Maybe due to lighting...I don't know, but I've always preferred the way the later seasons looked.

And if they were to fix the VFX, I'd love to see some of those instances where a phaser beam shoots out of the weapon at an angle other than where it was pointed corrected.
 


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