I think any TNG-R project, at this point in time, would have to be released on both DVD and Blu-ray in order to be profitable. While you certainly could not get high definition quality out of a DVD, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would pay for the general clean-up of the episodes and the enhanced effects. I doubt a Blu-ray release alone would bring enough sales to justify the effort. Personally, I'd really like to see them both test the waters, and also launch the whole thing, by taking a couple of TNG's most favored episodes -- Best of Both Worlds to start -- and giving them a full high definition remastering and new effects and then releasing them theatrically. The producers have always admitted that some of TNG's two-parters made better movies than the TNG movies did, and wished they could have been more ambitious with the effects. Well, here's their chance.
^^ You're probably right. Such a release would be following the marketing strategy that CBS/Paramount/Whoever employed with the Star Trek Remastered project. I'm not sure about TNG episodes being released theatrically. I'm not sure if the detail would hold up projected on such a large screen. But I enjoyed the big-screen release of "The Menagerie," so perhaps I'm wrong.
Remember, TNG was filmed on 35mm and only edited on video. If they have the original films used, they can redo the whole episode, then add on the new effects.
Give me Best of Both Worlds or Time's Arrow on the big screen. And the ending on BoBW, Picard looking out the window, a tear rolling down his cheek...that'd be a poignant ending to see big-screen. HD! HD! HD! Remaster! Remaster! Remaster! I'm eagerly awaiting news from Paramount. James
Akira, Centaur, Challenger, Cheyenne, Constitution-Refit, Excelsior-Refit, Defender, Freedom, Miranda, New Orleans, Niagara, Norway, Polaris, Rigel, Saber, Shelley, Soyuz, Soyuz alt (board member's version), Springfield, Steamrunner... all classes that can be drawn from if a TNG-R were to be done. I would love to see the fleet the Enterprise D assembled against the Romulans to show a few more ships of different classes, and those 'rendezvous' show a few different ships and angles...and pump up the detail on the D! Show people moving in the windows every so often...have different windows lit up at different points in the show... And for the sake of all the planets they went to - add some atmospheric effects, such as clouds, or birds flying, just something to make it look like more than a backdrop on a soundstage. Those little details will make a lot of difference to those who pay attention to that sort of thing. James
if TNG were filmed on 35 mm, does that mean there's more visual information out to the sides which would enable the crew to re-crop it to 1.78:1 or some other widescreen, without cropping the top/bottom?
I'd hope those people would be able to get over it, especially if they're released like the TOS Remastered was release (two versions with old and new effects).
It's quite as straightforward though, unless they just upres the current effects. The TOS ones were at least on film and just needed to be bunged onto the blu-ray.
I wasn't speaking to the quality of the film stock. Rather, I'm worried about the quality of the production design, make-up, etc., designed for the small screen, might not hold up under the tougher scrutiny of a theatrical presentation. That said, it would be fun to see 'The Best of Both Worlds' or 'All Good Things' on the big screen.
Yeah, they should just upconvert the original effects, and then do new effects. This actually makes some sense since for those who don't want the new effects, they can either not buy them (and keep the old DVDs), or they can buy them and deal with an upconvert.
A lot of the old effects (pre-season 3) look really bad now. Just imagine what they would look like on Blu-Ray. It would be terrible. One thing I hope a TNG remaster would be able to do is fix that horrible full scale mock up of the Type 7 shuttle that looked nothing like the miniature.
Yes, but the directors would have been framing their shots for a 4:3 ratio, which means that if you took the actual widescreen shot, and not one made by cropping the top and bottom of the 4:3 image, you might get things into the picture that shouldn't be there. Like lights or a boom mic or members of the film crew, etc. Or it might just ruin the particular dramatic intent of the framing of the shot.
It's possible that it was protected for 16:9, like Babylon 5 and Quantum Leap, but I haven't heard anything suggesting that, so it's probably wishful thinking on my part.
I find myself hoping that a TNG-R could actually change some of the uniforms. I mean, seriously, wouldn't it be great if it could get rid of the skant? Or the ridiculous unis from the first two seasons (the ones without the collars)?
Hmm. I suppose that's true. I was thinking the time frame of TNG -- 1987-1994 -- was before anyone started thinking about the possibility of 16:9 television presentations. But I guess if Quantum Leap did it, TNG might have as well.
That's what you get when there's already several versions of said season set on DVD already, and the BluRays are still incredibly expensive, especially in the current economic climate. That said, there's several releases I am waiting to be able to afford BluRay before I purchase them else one might not need to bother, if they have it on DVD already (which was somewhat my point earlier). I think when the market lowers it's price and the technology is able to be more widespread (players, the discs themselves, certain types of TVs, etc...) there will probably be an increase in sales. That said, I'm rather fond of the fact the BluRay cases, for the most part all seem to somewhat be a standardized size. I hate the massive box sets for seasons on DVD, especially those foldout ones. I thought releasing on slimcases was cool, then I find some stuff on newer...one disc case, but its a season set (does that make sense?). In anycase, as much as I'd like it, if TNG R (or any version) was relased on BluRay, I have no doubt it'd be a hundred dollars or more, to rich for my blood, which is again, why sales are probably not that great when you can now by a brand new, unused season for 60 or less (depending on the store). That's still a lot of money, but a hell of a lot better then 120 or more dollars they intially charged.
If you're talking FX, I would hope the transporter would become more 3-dimensional. TOS-R missed a bit by not updating the transporter effect by making it look three-dimensional. Just one extra touch.
I think it'll happen for money reasons. They know a lot of Trek fans will buy it. Just comes down to when the technology to do the remastering becomes cheap enough for them to make their desired profit.
Re: CG ENT-D model Indeed - just as on the original TOS model of the Enterprise, they simply look like little featureless lights and not a thing like windows. The windows on the JJPrise look like windows.
Which is why I said just do a simple upconvert for the original effects, AND THEN do the new effects.