Season TWO OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

[throwback]

mr. peany,

I have seen the same thing. I never understood what people meant by grain in a film before. Now I do. For me, it's looking at a program on a TV set that is capturing a lesser amount of the signal and there is a light scattering of snow between me and the image.

[Start Wreck]

Grain is not noise, it is the texture of the film.

They did use different film stock in season 2, so maybe that's why it's more noticeable.

[Trekker4747]

davejames wrote:

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Really? It's certainly no high point, but I can still think of at least a dozen episodes that are harder to sit through than Okona (Masks, Code of Honor, Night Terrors, Angel One...)

Indeed, I like the Okona episode. Yeah the Data subplot is abysmal and THAT I don't like but I can watch it a lot more than I can Masks, Shades of Gray, or Beverly's Masturbating to her Grandma's Pornographic Diary episode.

[GNDN]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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Indeed, I like the Okona episode. Yeah the Data subplot is abysmal and THAT I don't like but I can watch it a lot more than I can Masks, Shades of Gray, or Beverly's Masturbating to her Grandma's Pornographic Diary episode.

Oh, trust me, I'm not rushing out to re-watch Shades, Masks or Sub Rosa anytime soon, and Angel One is a definite low point of season one. But partway through Okona I simply realized I was getting no entertainment value out of it whatsoever. The Data/Guinan scenes hold some cringeworthy watchability but hardly a reason to push play. Even Angel One had some amusing Riker/Yar moments.

It would have been interesting to see how Yar could have developed over the course of seven years. There was some great untapped potential to that character, even if it hadn't been realized by the writers or the actress.

Shades of Gray has some nice character moments on the planet. Riker is interesting to watch as he succumbs to his infection and I do like Data and Geordi's efforts to retrieve the sample. Pulaski also fares well. Once Riker is in sickbay I'm pretty well done, but the set-up alone is better than most of the other episodes listed above in their entirety.

I'm also restricting myself from watching any TNG other than the blu-rays as they are released, so I'm revisiting episodes that I haven't otherwise watched in quite some time and have only watched S1 and 2 stories recently

It really is something remembering when this was all there was of TNG. I taped each ep as it aired originally and savored every one. There were disappointments, sure, but it was also Star Trek. Nice to watch these seasons on their own merits and not in comparison to what would come later.

[JJohnson]

For the Season Two region free, it looks like it has extra audio (mostly interested in the German audio). Does anyone have a copy with German on it? Will that work in a US Blu-Ray player, and not sound 'sped-up' at all?

Amazon.co.uk has quite a few region free discs with German audio...I might have to become a regular there.

[Trekker4747]

Region Free means just that, region free. It'll play in any player without issues.

[LitmusDragon]

I'm pretty sure the US version has German audio as well. I know when I ripped it to my media PC there were about a dozen audio tracks.

I can't seem to find confirmation online, but when I get home I will check and post back here. If that's helpful.

[davejames]

mr.peany wrote:

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Grain doesnt usually bother me, but I've noticed a unusually large amount of grain in scenes shot on the bridge, some of which borders on noise. Also, some scenes, again shot on the bridge, seem excessively sharp. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yeah, anytime we're in a slightly darker room, I've noticed the grain is a lot heavier. Seems like they must have used some different kind of film for those scenes.

[BriGuy]

BrEnDoN wrote:

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I'm perfectly 'informed', thank you. I just have a different preference and I'm glad I can choose which way I want to watch it...

No, your preferences are yours and your own. Your knowledge on the subject of OAR is lacking. There is a difference. You're free to watch it as you like, as I said (which you conveniently edited out of quoting me.) But if you want to twist and distort the image to fill your TV screen... again, your choice.

It's no different than those who wanted "full frame" versions of widescreen movies to fill their 4:3 TV screens. But of course you've been told this already, and don't seem to care. In the end, it doesn't matter.

P.S. Interesting that you took my mention of "the uninformed" as meaning you specifically, when I didn't mention you or address you at all. At least you're aware you are looking at the subject (and the TV show) wrong. Good. If some part of you recognizes that, perhaps you'll figure it out.

[Borjis]

Review up at highdef digest:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/5231...ek_tng_s2.html

[BriGuy]

Start Wreck wrote:

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Yes, the directors' intent was to frame each shot according to the proportions of a 4:3 television screen.

Indeed.

I started thinking of any 4:3 TV shows that were reformatted or changed for widescreen. The first one that hit me is the Friends bluray release. I don't have it, but read it's been changed to a widescreen format despite originally being full frame. A review says that required some cropping and such to edit out equipment and people not meant to be seen.

Based on the review, the result is occasional odd camera angles and framing issues.

[Scotty]

davejames wrote:

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Yeah, anytime we're in a slightly darker room, I've noticed the grain is a lot heavier. Seems like they must have used some different kind of film for those scenes.

No it's the same film. Grain is just more visible in dark scenes.

[shatastrophic]

As far as it being grainy I'm glad you guys have been talking about it. I didn't notice it this bad in S1. Didn't know if it had anything to do with the HTV thing or if that is how it was originally. It was especially bad in Contiagon...it still looks wonderful but yeah really grainy...

[jimbotron]

Borjis wrote:

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Review up at highdef digest:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/5231...ek_tng_s2.html

I beat you by one page

[jimbotron]

BriGuy wrote:

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Reviewer also seems to take issue with those who watch with a finger on the pause button.

I've watched the entire season. Trust me, you will spot the problems whether your finger is on the pause button or not. But once you do spot something, you might be using the pause button to go back like I did.

The misaligned lighting passes do not really show in motion (which is a relief), but the bad lighting, blurriness, and cropping do.