TNG DVD Transfers

[J. Allen]

Nope, I did not see that.


J.

[B.C.]

Let me start of by saying, I totally agree with the mediocre image quality. While Seasons 1 and 2 seem to look the worst, 3-7 don't look particularly "great" either.

The packaging, while sort of cool at first, just seems clunky over time. The interior digi-pack doesn't slide out of the exterior cardboard book all that easily. You have to unfold the digi-pack to get to the disc you want to watch. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I'd much rather have slim cases. Similar to those used in the fan collectives and most other TV shows on DVD.

I've been kicking around the idea of buying slim cases and my own artwork for the discs. Maybe that's a project better left to when I have an usual amount of free time on my hands.

[Falcor5]

J. Allen wrote:

---

Here's an example of the resolution on my television:

I did not modify this in any way other than to reduce image size:



This is from 3 feet away.
It's what you'd expect from a VHS tape if you had recorded it off of the TV on EP mode.

J.

Wow I dont remember it looking that bad! I will have to get my DVDs out. I have not watched Season 1 in awhile.

[Captrek]

B.C. wrote:

---

The packaging, while sort of cool at first, just seems clunky over time.

What I have read (check out the reviews at Amazon) is that the packaging is very cheap and literally falls apart over time. And stunningly, there is no insert indicating which episodes are on which discs, and that’s a basic necessity in a 49-disc package, so you have to create one yourself, or else deal with a major pain in the ass whenever you want to watch a particular episode and have to find the disc that it’s on. I realize that remastering the video may be impractical, but there are certain minimum standards for packaging of a set like this, and Paramount has failed to meet even those minimal standards. Selling it in this kind of a package is completely disrespectful to the material.

[J. Allen]

I just hope the quality gets better later on. Even so, I love TNG and am thrilled to have the first season on DVD. It's not my favorite by a long shot, but I am a completist, and I will be purchasing these over time, in order, until I have all seven seasons.

J.

[Gep Malakai]

J. Allen wrote:

---

Here's an example of the resolution on my television:

I did not modify this in any way other than to reduce image size:



This is from 3 feet away.
It's what you'd expect from a VHS tape if you had recorded it off of the TV on EP mode.

J.

Holy. SHIT.


We should put together some kind of TrekUnited-type project to raise funds for Paramount to pay for an all-new edit of the show. Seriously. This sucks.

[J. Allen]

Yeah, it's pretty bad. We probably won't see a remastering for a very long time.


J.

[B.C.]

I avoid having to deal with the actual DVDs too much, by ripping each episode onto my server and watching them via my AppleTV.

While I enjoy owning the actual DVDs, and of course paying the people who give me this enjoyment, in my opinion tangible media will become an endangered species. It's just much nicer to be able to take my collection of music, TV shows and movies with me. Whether that be on my desktop computer, on my 50" plasma (via AppleTV), on my laptop, or on my iPod.

captrek wrote:

---

What I have read (check out the reviews at Amazon) is that the packaging is very cheap and literally falls apart over time. And stunningly, there is no insert indicating which episodes are on which discs, and that’s a basic necessity in a 49-disc package, so you have to create one yourself, or else deal with a major pain in the ass whenever you want to watch a particular episode and have to find the disc that it’s on. I realize that remastering the video may be impractical, but there are certain minimum standards for packaging of a set like this, and Paramount has failed to meet even those minimal standards. Selling it in this kind of a package is completely disrespectful to the material.

[Malcolm Orr]

Just watched 'Lower Decks' and the image on it is, for the most part, excellent - the newer Ent-D is markedly better than the older one used in some shots. The clarity on the PS3 is great.

Then I put in series 2, 'Q Who' and it was still watchable, less detailed and higher contrast. Doesn't put me off. Some of the intermediate seasons have some grain, but otherwise it's OK.

I wonder if the DVDs are 'as good' as the master versions or whether they are poorer copies, or recorded more compressed. Many scenes should be amenable to upscaling with pretty good results.

[JoeD80]

J. Allen wrote:

---

Wow. That's a shame. I can watch TOS episodes in crystal clear high definition, the colors are sharp and bold, the lines crisp and detailed, yet TNG which was some 21 years later, looks old and outdated in quality. I guess they didn't think too far ahead on that one.

It's because TOS exists on film. You can just pick any resolution from there. TNG exists on videotape at the low resolution used by 80's/90's televisions, and flaws are accented with higher resolution devices.

[jefferiestubes8]

CaptainStoner wrote:

---

As for the audio, I find I'm tweaking it a lot, trying to get the 5.1 track to sound decent though I'm using (4) 3-way speakers, so no center and no subwoofer hooked up.

Dolby Digital 5.1 relies on the center speaker for all dialogue and sound FX for every production. Occasionally you get non-essential dialogue source panned to L or R or even to a surround channel but you need to purchase a center speaker, really.
Budgets aside this sole thing will anchor your viewing experience to the dialogue coming from your screen.
Try a pawn shop to get a used one and/or a subwoofer speaker...

[J. Allen]

Some good points above by several posters.

So my friend comes over and watches an episode of TNG with me and I remark on the quality. He says it just reminds him of when the show was originally on cable and says I've become spoiled to DVD and HD. He's right.

However, his idea that it looks like how the show appeared on our local cable stations back in 1987/88 gives me an idea to simply pretend that's what I'm watching once more. Not a bad way to convince me, I might add.

J.

[Hober Mallow]

J. Allen wrote:

---

Some good points above by several posters.

So my friend comes over and watches an episode of TNG with me and I remark on the quality. He says it just reminds him of when the show was originally on cable and says I've become spoiled to DVD and HD. He's right.

However, his idea that it looks like how the show appeared on our local cable stations back in 1987/88 gives me an idea to simply pretend that's what I'm watching once more. Not a bad way to convince me, I might add.

J.

That would be fine, except that it doesn't look the way it did when I was a kid watching it on an analog TV. The more video technology improves, the more the flaws in the image quality become more and more obvious.

[J. Allen]

Hober Mallow wrote:

---

That would be fine, except that it doesn't look the way it did when I was a kid watching it on an analog TV. The more video technology improves, the more the flaws in the image quality become more and more obvious.

Well, our local cable station and FOX affiliate sucked anyway.

J.

[GalaxyX]

Who cares about Region 2 packaging? Real people live in Region 1.

LMAO!!!! Too awesome!!!

Anyway, I never bothered to buy the DVD's because TNG was overplayed for like a decade on a ton of Networks. I got to see every single episode just watching TV

The crazy prices they were asking for the DVD sets (over $100 when they came out) was just ridiculous.

Now they are trying to sell them again with another repackaging. Paramount, why don't you just REMASTER the series like you did with TOS???

You dumped some good cash into Star Trek IX but it payed off for you, TNG would be the same.