The OFFICIAL STNG Next Level Bluray watch and review thread

[Timo47]

GNDN wrote:

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First shot of the separation sequence (before the sep itself) Is that the same matte of the Enterprise as scene in Sins of the Father? Looks very familiar to the screen caps, but I haven't compared it myself

It's the same. You can easily compare the YouTube video that was posted of the saucer sep with the shot from SotF.
So it looks like that original shot of the Enterprise was lost. Perhaps they once intended to use it in Generations as well?

Speaking of Generations shots: wasn't this shot of the Enterprise (http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/a...ionshd0978.jpg) originally done by ILM as well? Is it in EaF and if so how does it look?

[Trekker4747]

--Enterprise's main impulse engine remains lit even when 'full stop' is ordered (this remains true and consistent for when the star drive section is recaptured)

The impulse engine is always lit. Just because it's lit doesn't mean it's acting a force upon the ship (which probably requires a mass-reduction field around the ship.) It's nothing more than a thermal exhaust port.

[gaghyogi49]

Timo47 wrote:

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It's the same. You can easily compare the YouTube video that was posted of the saucer sep with the shot from SotF.
So it looks like that original shot of the Enterprise was lost. Perhaps they once intended to use it in Generations as well?

Speaking of Generations shots: wasn't this shot of the Enterprise (http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/a...ionshd0978.jpg) originally done by ILM as well? Is it in EaF and if so how does it look?

The shot appears in both "Encounter at Farpoint" (The Enterprise approaching Q's net) and "Sins of the father" (The Enterprise approaching Qo'noS).
It's the original footage that also appeared on "Generations", so they must have been able to retrieve that footage.

[GNDN]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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The impulse engine is always lit. Just because it's lit doesn't mean it's acting a force upon the ship (which probably requires a mass-reduction field around the ship.) It's nothing more than a thermal exhaust port.

Fair enough. Not a nit, and nothing specific to the HD, just a random observation. Seem to recall from TMP that the impulse glow intensifies during acceleration. I know they weren't getting that detailed on a television budget in 1987, (and that the technology would have advanced 78 years or so between installments) but it did catch my eye.

[DarkHorizon]

There are some wonderful little bits of continuity work in "Sins" that simply didn't register in SD - Picard has bits from the robe he wears on his uniform when he returns to the Great Hall, and is bruised from the punch he receives. Lovely little bits of attention to detail.

Also, the difference between the rescanned negative and the upscaled video master is quite astonishing!

[Squiggy]

Regarding the sound mixing in E@F...and I never noticed this before, but there are some times when the dialogue is just off mic. I think the most apparent time is right after Riker sees Troi again and Picard steps into the turbolift. Picard is giving a line of dialogue and he sounds like he's in a closet.

[davejames]

Well, I finally saw the last ep on the disc, Inner Light. I have to admit, this is an episode I never really thought much of at the time (probably just didn't seem action-packed enough for my teenage brain), and I don't think I've seen it all the way through since it aired.

Of course being older, I finally see what all the talk has been about, and it really is a damn good episode. I especially like that Picard doesn't really ever question who he is (like we usually see in these kinds of stories), but is FULLY aware of the truth and simply has to adjust to his new life on the planet.

And I love how Stewart really does make us see the Enterprise in such a strange and different way when he returns, full of crewmates that he hasn't seen in 30 or 40 years (I love that little moment where he has to simply stop and put his hand on the wall of the bridge, as if to convince himself it's real). It's kind of a shame we didn't get a followup episode showing him readjusting to life on the Enterprise, because I imagine that would NOT have been easy to do.

And yeah, the end is pretty powerful and emotional, but for me it's not the flute playing, but the moment before that when he clutches the flute to his heart. The pain and anguish on Picard's face at that moment is almost hard to watch.

As for the picture quality, it looked pretty damn good to me. I kept hearing how it was "grainy all the way through," but it was only the planet scenes that looked that way on my TV. The scenes on the Enterprise were as sharp and crystal clear as can be.

[GNDN]

Ok, just started watching Sins of the Father. Had to stop the disk just to comment on the damn quotation marks again

Really really not liking these. I know it's petty and silly, but really, just look at how the end quote bleeds into the r in Father. WTF is that about?

Full disclosure: Ok, to be honest, I was so absorbed in watching the gorgeous slow fly-by of the Enterprise that I didn't even register the episode title first time. I did a quick rewind to see how it looked, and yuck...

PLEASE CBS!!! Shrink or italicize the quotation marks. It really comes off as sloppy typesetting to me...

Gah, why does such a little thing bother me so much?

[davejames]

The quotation marks don't really bother me, but the font they're using does seem a lot more curvy that it should.

[roliver]

[QUOTE=GNDN;5750248]PLEASE CBS!!! Shrink or italicize the quotation marks. It really comes off as sloppy typesetting to me...
[QUOTE]

It's not a matter of shrinking or italicizing them...it's a matter of actually using proper quotes to begin with. And kerning them as well. It would take all of 10 seconds to properly set each episode title.

[GNDN]

roliver wrote:

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It's not a matter of shrinking or italicizing them...it's a matter of actually using proper quotes to begin with. And kerning them as well. It would take all of 10 seconds to properly set each episode title.

Hehe... 'kern'

Anyway, yeah, you're right. But if the goal was to match the original title style, the quotes were much smaller back then.

[LOKAI of CHERON]

Received my disc today - FINALLY! Just watched EAFP - and - it looks bloody fantastic! I was grinning from ear to ear throughout - bathed in a wonderful glow of pure nostalgia. My only slight disappointment/criticism would be the relatively high incidence of minor print damage, manifesting as brief white speckles.

[M]

GNDN wrote:

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Ok, just started watching Sins of the Father. Had to stop the disk just to comment on the damn quotation marks again

Really really not liking these. I know it's petty and silly, but really, just look at how the end quote bleeds into the r in Father. WTF is that about?

Full disclosure: Ok, to be honest, I was so absorbed in watching the gorgeous slow fly-by of the Enterprise that I didn't even register the episode title first time. I did a quick rewind to see how it looked, and yuck...

PLEASE CBS!!! Shrink or italicize the quotation marks. It really comes off as sloppy typesetting to me...

Gah, why does such a little thing bother me so much?

I'm absolutely with you on this one. The quotation marks they're using are ugly as hell. Don't they have anyone with at least some typographic knowledge amoung their team?

[GNDN]

Sins of the Father

Another great episode and a nice choice for the sampler. Fun to see the evolution of the sets and uniforms and especially the look and characterization of Lt. Worf. This really is a stand-out story and the production of the episode is excellent. From our first real look at the Klingon homeworld to the dark, low-key, high contrast cinematography (even on the Enterprise in scenes featuring Kurn)

Ok, some random notes:
--Really enjoyed seeing the S3 titles in HD. Used to think of them as kinda meh, but now appreciate them at least as much as S1/2
--I already ranted on the quotation marks in a post above so I'll let that one go for now
--The scrolling stars behind the ships in the opening shot pretty well duplicate the original shot, but they may be drifting a little quicker than before. Only off-putting because I suppose we expect something else to be in motion in such a finely rendered shot.
--As Riker and Picard walk to the Transporter Room (very nice long tracking shot worthy of Aaron Sorkin) a crewmember passes by carrying a blue pad. The color just pops! Everything, the lighting, the uniforms, the whole look of the Enterprise is very lush and vibrant
-- The Transporter effect looks more like the original SD than the brighter look of EaF. This holds true for when they beam to the council chamber later in the Ep as well.
--Scuffs on the Transporter Room door are clearly visible
--The costumes, especially the Klingons, look excellent throughout
-- Kurn's hair, on the other hand, looks rather weak esp compared to Worf's
--"I will try some of your burned replicated bird meat" Excellent!!
--Is that Romulan Ale on the dinner table? Not what I would serve a Klingon guest...
--Looks to be black and white push-button salt and pepper shakers, reminiscent of the metallic variety adapted for use as a hypo spray for Trek 09
--A nice touch during the convo between Kurn/Worf in Ten Forward: the stars streaking by at warp out the window are now properly out of focus given the depth of field
--A paper note is handed to Kurn on the homeworld, not some kind of Klingon Padd
--The 13 seconds... noticeable, but not the end of the world. Mercifully short and swept along by the story. Color balance does mesh very well with the rest of the ep as has been noted elsewhere. They really do seem to be going out of their way to announce it though.
--About the disk presentation itself. Love the presence of the Play All button although I haven't used it yet. Curious about there being no chapter menu. There are clearly chapters but I haven't found even a pop-up menu listing the chapter titles or granting random access.
--Also about the disk: You have to choose the language every time you load the disk? Really? One let down consistent between Paramount and CBS is that the blu ray does not remember where it left off after ejecting and that the intro trailers must be skipped one by one and the intro animation is not skippable. Never liked the amount of time it takes to reload Trek blu rays or DVDs. Makes it a pain to do quick comparisons and especially to watch TOS in production order. Oh well, rant for the day over, they still look AMAZING!!

2 down, 1 to go!!!

[roliver]

I'm absolutely with you on this one. The quotation marks they're using are ugly as hell. Don't they have anyone with at least some typographic knowledge amoung their team?

It gets worse when you look at the end credits. Lots of gaps within words. It's like they are using some cheap freeware version of Crillee that doesn't have proper quotes or kerning pairs.

As a side note, I did check the original DVDs to see if they used proper quotes back then, but the SD resolution is so low the quotes are just pixelated blobs.