The OFFICIAL STNG-R general discussion thread!

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

I'm sure it depends very much on how well the TNG BluRays sell.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

Theres no doubt in my mind they will. But even putting Blu-ray sales aside, studios are doing what it takes to make their older shows future-proof no matter what.
I'll bet that every scripted show that wasn't shot on videotape will get a HD-makeover within a couple of years. People in 5 or 10 years won't accept shit analogue videotape SD-quality television no more than we'd accept black and white TV today.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

If it was possible for any show it would be STNG. I never thought it wouldn't get done.

 

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Yeah, speaking today, with hindsight ... assuming they have access to usable film plates of the space shots and don't have to redo those in CG, the effort per episode might actually not be that much higher than with TOS, even with the higher number of effects shots. Throw in the massive audience and it seems like a no brainer now.

Edit: Speaking of which, I'm faced with a dilemma: On the one hand I'd prefer for them to retain the original model shots rather than go CG for outer space, OTOH if they don't, they won't get the pipeline tuned up for DS9, where they'd absolutely need it.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

Wait, what? Who has trouble accepting and enjoying shows that were filmed in black and white still being shown in black and white??

 

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Errrrr, young people might? Everyone who hasn't lived through the days black and white was the norm might?
Perhaps it wasn't the best of analogies, I just know that I quickly have gotten used to sharp HD images and wouldn't be too far off I think to assume a new generation will take it for granted. (as we take color for granted )

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

People who aren't film majors/willing to accept old stuff as is.

Anyway, I just hope that if they keep the model stuff, they redo all the battles in CGI for at least the first few seasons. Those battles were pretty terrible.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

I haven’t lived through the days when black and white was the norm, but I still enjoy black and white shows like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy and have no desire to see them colorized.

However, I agree with your conclusion despite disagreeing with the premise. The reason is that I think converting to HD is more beneficial to the image than colorization. Casablanca on BluRay looks a hell of a lot better than TNG on DVD.

It’s also worth noting that the difference between extant TNG and remastered TNG should be much greater than the difference between SD and HD, because extant TNG isn’t even a good image by SD standards.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

'Twilight Zone' looks gorgeous in HD.

 

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Sadly, I know a lot of otherwise intelligent, sane people who don't like "old" movies, and never watch black and white movies...my wife and other relatives included. These are adults I am talking about, imagine how kids are today.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

I'm *only* 32 and not exactly a film major, but come on, Adam's Family, Twilight Zone, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, early Gilligan's Island, I grew up with that stuff (and I've always had a colour TV), they're classics, I can't imagine anyone not appreciating how fun and great those can be.

Maybe kids just aren't exposed to these at an early enough age to appreciate them? If they first see these as teenagers after having the HD blu-ray experience (which I don't find all that great, honestly, the picture never changed the acting or story) then there's no hope.

Come on parents, keep your kids educated!

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

Sadly, many people have their viewing habits, which these days include color, naturally, 16:9 and so forth, and that will prevent them from appreciating that films and TV shows used to be made with different standards. Even I, as a film major, have to admit that I find films made after the mid-50s (when the old Academy standard, 1.33:1, fell into disuse in favor of widescreen aspect ratios) more enjoyable to watch, more cinematic. But that is simply due to what I'm used to, as I keep reminding myself. I would not ask for, nor would I want, rereleases of classic movies from before that time in a way that better suited my viewing habits. There will invariably be people who do not want to watch "old stuff" - whether it's because of an unfamiliar aspect ratio, or being black-and-white, or silent, or because it shows its age in the way the story is told.

There are many people who refuse to take TOS seriously because it's "so 60s" to them. If it hasn't happened already, young folks ten or so years from now will look upon TNG much the same way: It's "so 20th century"! No amount of cropping the picture to fit modern widescreen TVs will change that. If we accept that, there's really no reason to meddle with the aspect ratio at all. What I am willing to entertain, though, is a scenario in which the original film offers additional information, so that we're really talking about expanding the image rather than cropping it.

I do have faith in any event that those responsible make the right choices in this matter. I look forward to December 15 and the first few episodes on BD. TNG needs it badly - I recently watched an episode on DVD. That may have been perfectly fine for 2002, way before a majority of people had LCD TVs, but now? Ouch. The color balance is horrible, to say nothing of the resolution.

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

I caught 'Manhunt' last week. My friend and I immediately remarked how 80s it was. That's inevitable really, programmes look their age. Already something like 24 is looking curiously early-2000s. But anything you can do to remove potential barriers - such as presenting in 16:9 and HD - probably won't hurt.

 

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Those shows are old even to the parents of today's kids.

 

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Unpopular opinion warning !

There's nothing wrong with digitally renovating old material. If colouring B & W can be done so that it doesn't look fake (this is the clincher) so be it !

To sell to the average punter with a nice new HD widescreen, the TNG Blurays are going to have to be widescreen too.

 

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Why do people say that?? Except for a few odds and ends scattered through the early years, the show has such a different setting that I feel it's almost timeless, much more so than the 60s era TOS. I think this is borne out through the poll I posted from the ST.com site where the majority of fans thought STNG aged the best of all ST series.

RAMA

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

For me it's really the sets. That bridge really is timeless. Every time I see it, suspension of disbelief kicks in and I buy the place.

 

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Those shows are starting to fall by the wayside already..there's a style to the acting and filming from earlier eras that many people don't like. My wife thinks 60s movies are over-acted, and don't even mention 50s films. I've gotten her to watch "Rear Window" which she enjoyed though.

 

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Of course the "attitude...the "feel" of the show differs...that's one of the things I "buy" about ST and STNG in particular...Battlestar Galactica(2000s) never made an attempt to make it feel like a real future...a time in which accelerated technological and social changes felt tangible.

Possible STNG-R announcement: Sept 28th. 3 days and counting...

 

Re: The OFFICIAL STNG-R discussion thread!

If they're redoing the space shots in CG, I wonder if they're going to use Gabe Koerner's mesh from TATV as the basis, given that the 6ft shooting miniature was auctioned off and is presumably now unavailable as reference material. IIRC Koerner's mesh was based on new photographs made of the miniature.