TOS-Remastered: a waste of time

[ssosmcin]

ST-One wrote:

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Nothing got lost.
The original versions are still available. They are also on the Blu Rays.

Welllll, not quite. Every release of Trek on home video has had changes and alterations, both intentional and not, from the one before. There has never been a 100% accurate, unaltered release of Trek as a series on any video format.

The blu-rays have their own hiccups, mostly to do with the mono sound and goofs on the new/old effects toggle option, but don't let it fool ya - the "originals" are no longer available. Even the previews are different than the NBC run (except the 3rd season).

The only episode on the entire set which is probably exactly the same as when it was first viewed is the unaired version of Where No Man HAs Gone Before. I'm sure many folks are annyoed that it didn't get the same meticulous care as the rest of the series, but I was thrilled: no tweaked sound, no super brightening, no misplaced music - just cleaned up, unenhanced Trek. And damn, those effects look just dandy. ;-)

But, honestly, the closest thing we have to wathcing the show "as it was" is on the VHS and Laserdiscs. And I hope my LD player holds on for a while, since I have the whole series in that format. I bought it new a few years ago, during a wave of Pioneers being manufactured. Cost $1000, but it was worth it. Plays DVDs too. :-)

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Credentials are not a substitute for fairmindedness or taste in any event. Some folks are simply biased in favor of the techniques and technologies of their youth and the world passes them by.

Prior to good videotape releases, most fans had seen the original Trek episodes with bits and pieces cut out of them for syndicated broadcast. So every version since the early 1980s has been an improvement over what we had from about 1970 onward until then.

[Captain Robert April]

I'm gonna find me a mid 60's RCA Victor, another RF converter, and one of those "50's & 60's Commercials" DVDs and work up a true recreation of watching the show back in the day.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Jeff Bond's review of "The Ultimate Computer" at Trekmovie.com contains one of the most cogent and accurate summaries of the successes and failures of this whole project:

Looking at the whole Remastered Project

I certainly agree that the digital mattes were the consistent high points of the new versions. And what he says about the spaceship CG is true of the least successful examples:

It’s a trade of one type of unconvincing approach (heavy matte lines and film grain being the chief vice of TOS) for another in some cases.

Add "notable compositing failures" to the "heavy matte lines" complaint.

[seigezunt]

Forbin wrote:

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You missed the part of my rant where I said not to give me some techno-elite response like "all you have to do is transfer them..."

Techno-elite? I got a dvd burner for $60 at Big Lots. Currently burning all my old VHSs of Iron Chef and the old Howard Stern Show...

[James T. Kirk]

I don't have a problem with the new effects myself. I've seen the episodes without the effects and they do look awesome, and the retro feel is great, but I do love the new effects too - I feel it shows the amount of love people have for this amazing show.

[ncc-1017-e]

James T. Kirk wrote:

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I don't have a problem with the new effects myself. I've seen the episodes without the effects and they do look awesome, and the retro feel is great, but I do love the new effects too - I feel it shows the amount of love people have for this amazing show.

Very well said! TOS looks fantastic on blueray and if you want to watch the episodes with their original effects you can and that is just great! I was very surprise at Paramount when it was anounced that they were including both versions on blueray. I like the packaging too!