Star Trek TNG Remastered?

[Tomalak]

Captain Euphoria wrote:

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How about just leave it alone as is? TNG was presented in standard definition video. That's how it's SUPPOSED to look. That's how it DOES look. Why not just release full seasons on single Blu-Ray discs and let the Blu-Ray players do the upconverting? I know it's not the same as full HD (believe me, I'm a stickler for this) but that's how the show looks. That's how I remember it looking. Why re-do it? Would you want to re-do the special effects for 2001 simply because you can? What about the old Muppet Show? That was recorded and edited on video tape and it looks exactly like it should -- like it was MADE. Why spend the money?

Well that's fine, the DVDs won't disappear if an HD version could be made, and obviously you won't be required to buy it. However, since it is technically possible to get a lot more out of the show to improve the look on modern high definition televisions, I'd love to see an alternate version.

If it ever is remastered, I doubt I'd be pining for the fuzzy, blurry video look ever again. As long as the original version is always available, I can't understand why anyone would be opposed.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Captain Euphoria wrote:

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How about just leave it alone as is? TNG was presented in standard definition video. That's how it's SUPPOSED to look. That's how it DOES look. Why not just release full seasons on single Blu-Ray discs and let the Blu-Ray players do the upconverting? I know it's not the same as full HD (believe me, I'm a stickler for this) but that's how the show looks. That's how I remember it looking. Why re-do it? Would you want to re-do the special effects for 2001 simply because you can? What about the old Muppet Show? That was recorded and edited on video tape and it looks exactly like it should -- like it was MADE. Why spend the money?

People expect Blu-Ray discs to contain actual high definition content. You *could* release TNG on BR, but in standard def; hell, an entire season could probably fit on one disc. But if you're not going to upgrade the content, why bother?

[Squiggy]

destro wrote:

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I just don't see the need for it. I think most of it holds up quite well.

Eh...if you were around for the original run, I guess the argument can be made. But look at the difference between the original and Remastered:

The Naked Time, original. Broadcast September 29, 1966



The Naked Time, remastered. Broadcast September 30, 2006


And for comparison's sake, here's a shot from early TNG:

Home Soil. Broadcast February 22, 1988

[Tomalak]

And when TNG aired in the UK, it didn't even look that good thanks to the horrible standards conversions the BBC were provided with.

[jefferiestubes8]

Captain Euphoria wrote:

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TNG was presented in standard definition video. That's how it's SUPPOSED to look. That's how it DOES look. That's how I remember it looking. Why re-do it? Would you want to re-do the special effects for 2001 simply because you can?

ST:TOS was presented in standard definition video for syndication for 35 years. It looked better on DVD when released in 1998 and in 2004 but
Paramount knows Trek fans are willing to pay for ST:TOS in HD so they not only did it for the Blu-ray release but for syndication in HD for years to come. Read the reviews of how much people love it looking in HD with the visual effects redone too.

While I think we will definitely see the "Enterprise" series on Blu-ray it will need to have the visual effects re-rendered in HD. They were all done for 16x9 framing at least but still need rerendering. This would happen before TNG gets remastered as entire seasons. I even started a thread on it this month.
'Star Trek: Enterprise seasons Blu-ray spec. features wishlist'
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=92792

A few others think ST:Voyager looks fine the way it is on this thread:
'Remaster the entire Voyager Series...........' I agree. It was mastered to digital videotape and looks pretty good from season 1-season 7 on the DVD. Put it this way it looks way better than the TNG series (picture quality) especially TNG seasons 1 & 2.

TNG was a very popular series and possibly it would get some remastering for HD like fan collectives on Blu-ray but entire seasons are a long shot. TNG on syndication for HD doesn't seem like it would have long life in 20 years from now on an HD tv channel but I may be very wrong.

Zeppster wrote

There will be HD versions of all Trek eventually.

I do not think so. Voyager did not have great ratings and Enterprise didn't either but it is not that difficult to redo Enterprise since it is only the visual effects rerendering and reediting from the original film telecine HD tapes.

[Cyrus]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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I do not think so. Voyager did not have great ratings and Enterprise didn't either but it is not that difficult to redo Enterprise since it is only the visual effects rerendering and reediting from the original film telecine HD tapes.

They will eventually do all of them including Voyager (IMO of course)

Enterprise was always in HD so no extra effort or money needed there, the visual effects were rendered at HD from the start. The show was broadcast in HD in the markets that were ready and has been shown in HD on the HDNet channel the last few years (and looking damn good).

[jefferiestubes8]

Cyrus wrote:

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Enterprise was always in HD so no extra effort or money needed there, the visual effects were rendered at HD from the start.

Wrong.

Millimeter magazine March 2002 issue article titled: "Effective HD Effects"
Ron Moore Enterprise's visual-effects supervisor tells of the show being mastered in 24p HD format. He hoped the team would be in a position to build a pipeline by next season [season 2] to post a show entirely within a 24p HD pipeline.

'Initially however, the HD requirement came before there was any logisitical or financial possibility of ramping up all the show's visual-effects facilities to work exclusively in the 24p world.'
"The obvious problem is paying for it," says Moore. "The cool thing is Paramount is letting us create a high-def master and is airing the show letterbox. The disappointment right now, is that the visual effects are still up-rezzed. Occasionally, we will create an element in HD. This shot has a lot of aliasing and other artifacts we can see at 601 standard def

[ITU-R Recommendation BT.601, more commonly known by the abbreviations Rec. 601 or BT.601 (or its former name, CCIR 601,)
The Rec. 601 signal can be regarded as if it is a digitally encoded analog component video signal.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_digital_video ]

so I went back to the CG house and they gave it to me in high-def. We'll find a way to put it directly onto the final [online] tape, which is a much better way to go. Unfortunately, it isn't feasible to do that with all our shots right now."

Season 1 the visual effects were mostly rendered in standard definition and uprezzed to HD.

if you wish to continue a discussion of remastering 'Enterprise' for HD syndication and Blu-ray please go here to this most relevant thread:
'Star Trek: Enterprise seasons Blu-ray spec. features wishlist'
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=92792

If you wish to continue discussion of TNG series remastering be my guest.

[Cyrus]

jefferiestubes8 wrote:

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if you wish to continue a discussion of remastering 'Enterprise' for HD syndication and Blu-ray please go here to this most relevant thread:
'Star Trek: Enterprise seasons Blu-ray spec. features wishlist'
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=92792

OK

[gastrof]

Captain Euphoria wrote:

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How about just leave it alone as is? TNG was presented in standard definition video. That's how it's SUPPOSED to look. That's how it DOES look. Why not just release full seasons on single Blu-Ray discs and let the Blu-Ray players do the upconverting? I know it's not the same as full HD (believe me, I'm a stickler for this) but that's how the show looks. That's how I remember it looking. Why re-do it? Would you want to re-do the special effects for 2001 simply because you can? What about the old Muppet Show? That was recorded and edited on video tape and it looks exactly like it should -- like it was MADE. Why spend the money?

I suppose then you're just as opposed to TOS having been remastered? Because standard def was how it was originally broadcast. By your logic, there should be no STAR TREK: REMASTERED either.

[Nebusj]

trevanian wrote:

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Also, look at how the show was having to go into reruns every 7 or 8 weeks, because they were so far behind. That is with not having the TOS optical backload situation, so the show could have easily been in an ever-increasing hole (like taking 2 years to get 25 episodes out) if they had been doing it all in a traditional finish process.

But that also reflects changes in how TV schedules worked. In the 1960s and 70s, you had TV shows run, basically, a new episode every week for 26 (or even more) weeks in a row, then go into the rerun (or preemption) cycle. By the 1980s, the rising importance of sweeps months meant there was motivation to put in reruns on weeks nobody was watching (like, between Christmas and New Year's) and save brand-new episodes for February and, particularly, May. It wasn't just Next Generation going into reruns for a month at a time; it was everything.

[neo_wales2000]

Don't see the point, the series is a classic and should be left that way. I have HD/blueray at home and its OK but does not blow me away to be honest; lots of hype involved with it.

[Cyrus]

neo_wales2000 wrote:

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Don't see the point, the series is a classic and should be left that way. I have HD/blueray at home and its OK but does not blow me away to be honest; lots of hype involved with it.

Six times better resolution is not hype. The image quality difference between HD and SD channels is huge.

[JTK2099]

After I saw the new CG model of the Enterprise D in "These are the Voyages . . ." I started thinking about how awesome TNG would be remastered with updated effects. I do imagine it will be done eventually. CBS will want to continue making money off of Trek for many years to come. It may cost a lot but it takes money to make money.

[cybersoldier]

Jiraiya wrote:

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While the FX technology was lightyears ahead of the shoestring-budget FX seen in the original TOS 2 decades before, the FX technology seen in the first few seasons of TNG were kind of klunky when compared to even the remastered TOS FX.

Has anyone heard of a possible remastered edition of TNG?

J

Unless Paramount goes cheap and use DNR like the the blu-ray version of Star Trek I-VI. Paramount has the original negatives, but it depends on the cost who know perhaps season 1 and 2 will get remastered to see the demand if good enough the rest of the seasons may get the remastered treatment as well

[jefferiestubes8]

cybersoldier wrote:

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it depends on the cost who know perhaps season 1 and 2 will get remastered to see the demand if good enough the rest of the seasons may get the remastered treatment as well

If CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment is spending a bunch of money to do it why wouldn't they just do a fan collective on Blu-ray of TNG of 12-14 episodes instead of 24 episodes as an entire season? It is a lower cost business decision for them and the product would cost less for consumers. Casual fans would probably buy it instead of investing in an entire season.
Right now a 40-year old TV series TOS season 1 is on Blu-ray for $69.99-85. (Internet prices)
Could they charge $40. for a TNG Blu-ray fan collective? $45?

If the demand is there they may do full seasons.