All the ways you saw Star Trek

[Lowdarzz]

Let's see,

The 1985 syndication, syndication on other channels like the Sci Fi channel, the DVD's with the original efx, the 2006 syndication with the new cgi efx, Netflix and I got the blu rays in 2015.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

5) Pre-recorded VHS, 2 episodes per tape

My VHS tapes had 3 episodes I thought. It was the edition with a little bit of Star Trek memories at the beginning of each tape and the spines read out a quote from Spock "We are the first to reach this far.

9) Other network broadcasts (BBC, The Sci-Fi Channel...)

The BBC mostly, at the traditional BBC2, Wednesday at 6pm slot. Then E4 when the BBC lost or passed on the rights to Enterprise and E4 showed the original series daily before Enterprise.

And most recently CBS action in the UK broadcast the remastered series, but I seem to remember they did something silly with the screen format so they didn't have to show it in 4:3 ration.

10) CED format (like Laser Disc but with a phonograph stylus)

No, but if Paramount/CBS showed it on so many different formats, why did they insist on making a mess of it when they got to DVD and Blu-ray with pricing and packaging?

12) DVD with original fx

13) DVD with CGI fx

Honestly can't remember which it was. Possibly the original fx, else I wouldn't have gone for the HD collection.

14) Blu-ray

HD-DVD, then Blu-ray. And now of course Netflix.

 

[publiusr]

I miss the photonovels

 

[Ovation]

1) Original NBC broadcasts
No
2) 1970s syndication on 16 mm film
Yes
3) Your own copy of a 16 mm film print
No
4) Public showing of a 16 mm film print
No
5) Your homemade audio tapes
No
6) Pre-recorded Betamax, 2 episodes per tape
No
7) Pre-recorded VHS, 2 episodes per tape
Yes
8) Pre-recorded VHS, 1 episode per tape
Yes
9) 1985 syndication, re-mastered and sent to TV stations on video tape
No
10) Your homemade video tapes from TV broadcasts
Yes
11) Other network broadcasts of original fx (BBC, The Sci-Fi Channel...)
Yes
12) CED format (like Laser Disc but with a phonograph stylus)
No
13) Laser Disc
No
14) DVD with original fx
Yes
15) 2006 syndication with CGI fx
Yes
16) Theatrical showing of a remastered episode (this was done from disc, not film)
No
17) DVD with CGI fx
Yes
18) Network broadcast with CGI fx (MeTV or others)
No
19) HD DVD (discontinued format)
Yes
20) Blu-ray
Yes

You might not realize at first glance how many of these apply to you. I didn't.

So 10/20 ways. More variety than I thought. While I own the Blu-ray sets (and HD DVD S1), the 70s syndication represents the most frequent viewing experience for me (WLVI Channel 56 out of Boston).

Also fotonovels (totally forgot about those) and Netflix streaming.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

So many home video formats got a complete release of Star Trek: Betamax, VHS, CED, LD, DVD, HD-DVD, and BD. That has to be every major format there ever was. I bought the whole series only twice, the remastered DVDs and the BD.

The Animated Series apparently never made it to Betamax, CED, or HD-DVD, if this Wikipedia page is correct.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The Animated Series apparently never made it to Betamax, CED, or HD-DVD, if this Wikipedia page is correct.

In the states at least, only VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and now Blu-Ray. Oh, and streaming. Of course, I have them all in every format... I need an intervention

 

[CrazyMatt]

Original NBC broadcasts (1968-69 only, right after The Name of the Game season 1)

1970s syndication on 16 mm film (butchered, of course, on both New York and Philadelphia independent stations)

Public showing of a 16 mm film print (Star Trek convention at Americana Hotel, NYC, January 1975: "Mirror, Mirror"; also a Gene Roddenberry appearance that concluded with showing of B&W print of "The Cage," 1986, College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN)

Your homemade audio tapes (Ha! Never heard of anyone else who did this, before I had a VCR)

Pre-recorded VHS, 1 episode per tape (I own two)

2006 syndication with CGI fx

Network broadcast with CGI fx (MeTV or others)

View-Master reels, adaptation of "The Omega Glory" wherein "women's intuition" is the reason the girl gives Spock the communicator during the Kirk/Tracy fight

Star Trek Fotonovels published by Bantam with notably good color reproductions, late 1970s

All of these count for me as well except the original broadcasts. I was four when Star Trek debuted in Sep of '66, and it's possible I may have seen it sometime when it was first broadcast, but I have no memory of doing that so I won't make that claim.

I attended a "The World of Star Trek" event with GR in Rochester, NY in '77. I don't remember if any episodes were screened at that event, but that's where I saw the blooper real for the first time.

And I also recorded episodes (broadcast in syndication) on an audio cassette recorder. I used to listen to them while I was washing dishes after supper!

I still have the Photonovels, which contained goofy dialog for the early releases and got better before they stopped at a dozen episodes. Now what did I do with that Viewmaster????

 

[ZapBrannigan]

In the states at least, only VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and now Blu-Ray. Oh, and streaming. Of course, I have them all in every format... I need an intervention

Hey, I'm having trouble figuring out the new private message system. Check your Yahoo email, okay?

 

[Armus]

What are the ways in which you ever watched the show? And how did you see it the most times?

1) Original NBC broadcasts

2) 1970s syndication on 16 mm film

3) Your homemade audio tapes

4) Pre-recorded Betamax, 2 episodes per tape

5) Pre-recorded VHS, 2 episodes per tape

6) Pre-recorded VHS, 1 episode per tape

7) 1985 syndication, re-mastered and sent to TV stations on video tape

8) Your homemade video tapes from syndicated broadcasts

9) Other network broadcasts (BBC, The Sci-Fi Channel...)

10) CED format (like Laser Disc but with a phonograph stylus)

11) Laser Disc

12) DVD with original fx

13) DVD with CGI fx

14) Blu-ray

For my part, I'm surprised to note that I've seen / listened to Star Trek in ten ways:
1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14.

By far, the way I saw it most was 2, the 1970s syndication. There were years when it was on five days a week, and I almost never missed it.

I'd be curious to know if anybody here was a Betamax person. And I'll bet nobody had a CED player.

1. 1990-1996 Network affiliate syndicated rebroadcasts
2. Homemade videotapes from a neighbor
3. Individual Episode VHS releases
4. 1999 Sci-Fi Channel rebroadcasts
5. Individual Episode DVD releases
6. 2004 DVD Box Sets
7. Blu-Ray Box Sets

 

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

1. Syndication on Swedish national TV in the mid-70s
2. All the Fotonovels (still have them)
3. Some episodes I saw on a family trip to the U.S. in 1979
4. Another syndication run on a commercial cable channel in Sweden in the early 90s
5. All the 79 episodes from no. 4 recorded on VHS tapes (which I still have in storage somewhere)
6. The remastered DVD box sets (without the new effects)
7. The remastered complete Blu-ray box set

 

[Armus]

I also watched an episode on Hulu once.

 

[Vorpal_Blade]

2,7,8,9,12,13.

 

[Nebusj]

Here is the revised list. Sorry about the re-numbering; just note that posts above this one refer to the prior list.

Let me see how many I can be sure about ...

4) Public showing of a 16 mm film print

I'm not positive but believe I had at a convention.

5) Your homemade audio tapes

Hoo yah.

7) Pre-recorded VHS, 2 episodes per tape

From the library, because who could afford those things?

8) Pre-recorded VHS, 1 episode per tape

From Suncoast Video, because we had a little more money then.

9) 1985 syndication, re-mastered and sent to TV stations on video tape

Yeah, all of them. Often.

10) Your homemade video tapes from TV broadcasts

Yeah, all of them. Often.

11) Other network broadcasts of original fx (BBC, The Sci-Fi Channel...)

Yes, and still do.

14) DVD with original fx

Yes, certainly did.

15) 2006 syndication with CGI fx

This too.

18) Network broadcast with CGI fx (MeTV or others)

Have seen those, too.

So that's nine, maybe ten, display forms.

 

[Kor]

I saw a public showing of the "remastered" version of The Menagerie at a theater around ten years ago. It was a one-night-only event, I believe nationwide in the US.

Kor

 

[BillJ]

So many home video formats got a complete release of Star Trek: Betamax, VHS, CED, LD, DVD, HD-DVD, and BD.

Only the first season was released on HD-DVD.

 

[Indysolo]

So many home video formats got a complete release of Star Trek: Betamax, VHS, CED, LD, DVD, HD-DVD, and BD.

CED only had a handful of episodes released. Nowhere near the complete series.

Neil

 

[Kor]

So how was the picture quality of CED?

Kor

 

[Indysolo]

So how was the picture quality of CED?

Kor

Maybe a little better than VHS. Nowhere near as good as LaserDisc.

Neil

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Maybe a little better than VHS. Nowhere near as good as LaserDisc.

So, not good. In fairness, good enough for the TV sets of its time. The CED story is dramatic and fascinating, and while I'm glad I missed it, I still feel bad for RCA. They invested so much time and money in it.

 

[RAMA]

I recorded them on audio tape.

I think of the different tech too. TV rabbit ears. Cable TV. Vhs. Hifi vhs. Then Hifi vhs with surround sound. Crt up to 27" then 37" flat-screen. The latest is on 65" 4k. Bluray.