TOS BluRay set....

[Noname Given]

I really like seeing an old TV show in pillar-box format, and that's good because I have a lot of old shows on DVD. You're actually seeing more of the image this way than you ever saw on a CRT set, with its rounded edges. 4:3 shows look great on DVD.

What I do not like: wide-screen movies that came out on DVD before DVDs were optimized for wide-screen TVs. These movies are not only letter-boxed, but pillar-boxed as well, so the image is like a little island of film surrounded by blacknes on all sides.

That's when you use the 'crop' setting on your HDTV

 

[ZapBrannigan]

That's when you use the 'crop' setting on your HDTV

My TV doesn't have a crop setting or a zoom function. I have to choose between "Screen Fit", 16:19, "Wide Fit", and 4:3. And none of the choices make an old DVD film look bigger without distorting the picture.

And anyway, even if you do have a TV with more screen choices, blowing up a little-frame DVD movie will just give you a blurry image.

 

[Noname Given]

My TV doesn't have a crop setting or a zoom function. I have to choose between "Screen Fit", 16:19, "Wide Fit", and 4:3. And none of the choices make an old DVD film look bigger without distorting the picture.

And anyway, even if you do have a TV with more screen choices, blowing up a little-frame DVD movie will just give you a blurry image.

Very true - but there are some things that they aren't going to redo (or redo well) for Blu-Ray; and others I'm not interested in enough to re buy - so it's a 'compromise' of sorts. But yeah, once you get used to 1080P (or higher - but I've not really seen 4K myself yet) 480P looks blurry even if you don't blow it up.

 

[tomswift2002]

So to be clear about the Blu-rays and (most likely) the upcoming Blu-rays, you can watch both the original special effects or the new special effects? Are both seamlessly cut into the episodes? I don't want to watch the episodes with either versions of the effects and notice an obvious jolt in the video as the Blu-Ray inserts the appropriate footage. Also, are the original special effects restored (ie, cleaned up and the like)?

On the Blu-Ray, right at the menu you can select "Enhanced Effects", which are the 2006-2008 remasters, or you can select "Original Effects" which will launch the episodes with the original 60's effects and mono audio. And then in the episode you are able to switch between the effects like switching from DD5.1 to DD2.0

 

[3D ChessMaster]

Compared to when I first saw Star Trek I can see more often when there is a stunt man or woman involved on the Bluray, though a DVD would have presumably have had enough resolution compared to a 1969 Black and White TV for me to see that anyway. Generally I am impressed how they must have filmed them beyond the level of detail Required for Sixties TVs

 

[MacLeod]

What I do not like: wide-screen movies that came out on DVD before DVDs were optimized for wide-screen TVs. These movies are not only letter-boxed, but pillar-boxed as well, so the image is like a little island of film surrounded by blacknes on all sides.

Never come across that on a DVD, and I've had a WS TV since something like the late 1990's when it was a WS CRT. But perhaps that is down to regional differences as WS TV's took off in the UK earlier than in the USA so R2 releases might be different from R1 releases in that area.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

The original Star Wars trilogy that Lucas released as a sop after his Special Editions came out on DVD were letterbox rips of the Laserdiscs

 

[Noname Given]

Compared to when I first saw Star Trek I can see more often when there is a stunt man or woman involved on the Bluray, though a DVD would have presumably have had enough resolution compared to a 1969 Black and White TV for me to see that anyway. Generally I am impressed how they must have filmed them beyond the level of detail Required for Sixties TVs

Well, that's because they shot on actual film. When they did both the DVD and HD_DVD/Blu-Ray transfers; they did it directly from the best (and restored) filmstock they could find. That said, when the series was produced they still knew what it would look like when Broadcast (hence the sometimes really obvious stunt doubles) and I've sure to this day they NEVER expected the series to be transferred to a medium that has near actual film resolution and shown on 40" - 73" flatscreens where you can pause a single frame at that full resolution.

 

[Harvey]

Well, that's because they shot on actual film. When they did both the DVD and HD_DVD/Blu-Ray transfers; they did it directly from the best (and restored) filmstock they could find. That said, when the series was produced they still knew what it would look like when Broadcast (hence the sometimes really obvious stunt doubles) and I've sure to this day they NEVER expected the series to be transferred to a medium that has near actual film resolution and shown on 40" - 73" flatscreens where you can pause a single frame at that full resolution.

The series was exhibited on 16mm at conventions during the run of the series at least twice, and theatrical exhibition was considered as a way to recoup costs on the first pilot, so there was always a thought of showing the series at resolutions beyond available for television broadcast -- although TV was certainly the focus.

 

[Kor]

I wish TOS had gotten the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." treatment, with certain episodes expanded with new footage and subplots for theatrical release.

Kor

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I wish TOS had gotten the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." treatment, with certain episodes expanded with new footage and subplots for theatrical release.

Kor

Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999 both had "movie" versions stitched together from certain episodes, but I don't know if they were shown in theaters anywhere. And if they were, were they projected in their standard 4:3 aspect ratio? I'd love to know.

 

[HGN2001]

I saw BATTLESTAR GALACTICA as a movie in a theater, and it was 1.78:1 (or possibly 1.85:1) - I forgot to bring my tape measure that day.

 

[Kor]

According to Wikipedia (I know, I know ), the theatrical version of the Battlestar Galactica pilot was in 1.85:1, while the TV version was full-frame.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_a_Star_World#Different_versions

Kor

 

[Ssosmcin]

Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999 both had "movie" versions stitched together from certain episodes, but I don't know if they were shown in theaters anywhere. And if they were, were they projected in their standard 4:3 aspect ratio? I'd love to know.

Alien Attack (made up of Breakaway and War Games) and Destination Moonbase Alpha (The Bringers of Wonder two parter) were shown outside the US in theaters. To my (limited) knowledge, they were in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. They hit VHS in the same ratio. They had special opening and closing credits with music from the Bruton Music Library and were of high quality. Alien Attack had scenes on Earth specially shot for that "movie." The other two "movies" made from episodes, Cosmic Princess (The Metamorph and Space Warp) and Journey Through the Black Sun (Collision Course and The Black Sun) were only shown on TV as part of Gerry Anderson's Super Space Theater syndication package. They had "video credits" with Barry Gray music tracked from the first year and UFO.

 

[BillJ]

Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999 both had "movie" versions stitched together from certain episodes, but I don't know if they were shown in theaters anywhere. And if they were, were they projected in their standard 4:3 aspect ratio? I'd love to know.

I saw the Galactica one on the big screen when I was a wee lad.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Alien Attack (made up of Breakaway and War Games) and Destination Moonbase Alpha (The Bringers of Wonder two parter) were shown outside the US in theaters. To my (limited) knowledge, they were in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. They hit VHS in the same ratio. They had special opening and closing credits with music from the Bruton Music Library and were of high quality. Alien Attack had scenes on Earth specially shot for that "movie." The other two "movies" made from episodes, Cosmic Princess (The Metamorph and Space Warp) and Journey Through the Black Sun (Collision Course and The Black Sun) were only shown on TV as part of Gerry Anderson's Super Space Theater syndication package. They had "video credits" with Barry Gray music tracked from the first year and UFO.

Thanks, good info. I'd like to have seen 1999 projected large like that.

 

[johnnybear]

Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999 both had "movie" versions stitched together from certain episodes, but I don't know if they were shown in theaters anywhere. And if they were, were they projected in their standard 4:3 aspect ratio? I'd love to know.

BG had three movies as such! The original two hour pilot played in cinemas in the UK along with both Mision Galactica:The Cylon Attack, which was The Living Legend two parter and Fire in Space but badly edited! Then Conquest of The Earth which was the opening parts of Galactica Discovers Earth and The Night the Cylons landed plus scenes of John Colicos from The Young Lords!
I saw the last one in 1980 I believe at the flicks!
JB

 

[MGagen]

I saw the Battlestar Galactica movie in the theatre "IN SENSURROUND!"
Don't remember the aspect ratio, but I do remember the annoying rumble they added whenever the ship flew by to justify the "Sensurround" schtick. Oh, and the TV star fields looked like fuzzy cotton balls on the big screen...

 

[tomswift2002]

Never come across that on a DVD, and I've had a WS TV since something like the late 1990's when it was a WS CRT. But perhaps that is down to regional differences as WS TV's took off in the UK earlier than in the USA so R2 releases might be different from R1 releases in that area.

A&E was releasing non-anamorphic widescreen DVD's of their titles up till about 2013. But I've also seen other examples were the studio's created a widescreen master in the 1980's for VHS & Laserdisc release in a 4:3 matte. One of my favorite movies, "The Great Locomotive Chase" (funnily enough a 1956 Disney movie starring Captain Christopher Pike, Jeffrey Hunter) has been released on DVD three times - twice by Anchor Bay and once by Disney--- here in Region 1, and all 3 times they've used the 480i composite master that was created in the 80's for Laserdisc. The 1997 Fox movie, "Home Alone 3" has been released on DVD a number of times, but for some reason they keep reusing a 480i non-anamorphic widescreen master that was probably intended for the film's Laserdisc and VHS releases. And yet this past Christmas I was able to record the film off TV in 1080i anamorphic widescreen and create my own anamorphic 480p DVD.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

A&E was releasing non-anamorphic widescreen DVD's of their titles up till about 2013. But I've also seen other examples were the studio's created a widescreen master in the 1980's for VHS & Laserdisc release in a 4:3 matte. One of my favorite movies, "The Great Locomotive Chase" (funnily enough a 1956 Disney movie starring Captain Christopher Pike, Jeffrey Hunter) has been released on DVD three times - twice by Anchor Bay and once by Disney--- here in Region 1, and all 3 times they've used the 480i composite master that was created in the 80's for Laserdisc. The 1997 Fox movie, "Home Alone 3" has been released on DVD a number of times, but for some reason they keep reusing a 480i non-anamorphic widescreen master that was probably intended for the film's Laserdisc and VHS releases. And yet this past Christmas I was able to record the film off TV in 1080i anamorphic widescreen and create my own anamorphic 480p DVD.

A wide-screen master in a 4:3 matte: that's the problem exactly. A miniature image of the film. And some titles are trapped there. I haven't bought Time After Time (1979) on DVD because I'm afraid that's what I'll get. And I love that movie.

I accept this format when I'm watching Turner Classic Movies (a non-HD channel) if a film is worth it, but I don't want to buy movies that way.