Best Option for Buying/Watching DS9

[Tosk]

So the Aussie versions are not censored.

The Aussie DVDs are censored. I just compared the Region 2 and Region 4 discs, they are identical. Sons and Daughters runs exactly 43m00s on both.

Aussie Netflix uses the NTSC transfer, it is uncensored and has exactly the same run-time as the NTSC Region 1 DVDs.

OP, please note...I only checked Sons and Daughters (season 6) not To The Death (season 4) so I cannot vouch for it with current first-hand knowledge.

 

[David]

The Aussie DVDs are censored. I just compared the Region 2 and Region 4 discs, they are identical. Sons and Daughters runs exactly 43m00s on both.

Aussie Netflix uses the NTSC transfer, it is uncensored and has exactly the same run-time as the NTSC Region 1 DVDs.

Hmm maybe I’m fooling myself. I saw the entire seasons on DVD multiple times and once on Netflix a few months ago and they seemed the same. I will double check when I can.

 

[Tosk]

And you should. It's always better to check things for yourself. That's why I did so just five minutes ago.

 

[tomswift2002]

Well that sucks.

Even the files that are used for Netflix and iTunes in PAL regions are probably just the 640x480 NTSC files from North America (last I checked, my iPhone and iPad had an option for playing back video on TV's in either NTSC or PAL (via composite/component cables, doesn't really matter with HDMI), and the iPhone or iPad did the conversion right on the device).

 

[David]

Wish we would get a frame by frame remaster of DS9.

 

[c0rnedfr0g]

Your local library might have the DVDs

 

[Qonundrum]

I would go with the Netflix option unless you want the extras. I have the original R4 DVD’s in the chunky cases and Netflix is slightly better quality. Also I have heard the Latter seasons on PAL aren’t as good quality as the NTSC versions even though PAL has higher resolution 576 vs 480 but you have PAL speed up.

I checked https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1307 and https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1357

And the version on Aussie Netflix is the same on the Aussie DVDs and I watched them several times. So the Aussie versions are not censored.

How can streaming be better quality when bit rate is lower, material compressed higher (so more jaggies, color bleed, softness, if the TV is high-def then you want the material to make use of it and not be skimped on or else you're wasting money), and possibly frames removed (to keep streaming size lower)?

We already know that 4K streaming is lesser in quality than a 2K blu-ray disc...

https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12...-media-essential-streaming-dvd-bluray-netflix
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/39-ne...th-khana-blu-ray-vs-online-vs-dvd-vs-vhs.html
http://www.avsforum.com/captain-america-the-winter-soldier-blu-ray-versus-itunes-amazon-and-vudu/
(pay special attention to fine details, gradations, and colors, blu-ray wins over streaming - even if streaming has caught up, it's still blurry and HD is not about selling blurry... amazing that Amazon does better than iTunesHD)
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/tvs-...u-ray-vs-streaming-which-has-the-best-quality
(though wide shots is a bit of a cheat... show some close-ups and from not the most recent movies, which are made muted to begin with, yuck...)


Oh, streaming is renting - like pissing money into a toilet. And along with streaming stutters, the moment the service provider stops showing your show... but people like to get less despite paying more money for it.

 

[tomswift2002]

How can streaming be better quality when bit rate is lower, material compressed higher (so more jaggies, color bleed, softness, if the TV is high-def then you want the material to make use of it and not be skimped on or else you're wasting money), and possibly frames removed (to keep streaming size lower)?

We already know that 4K streaming is lesser in quality than a 2K blu-ray disc...

Also, from what I've seen of the DS9 and Voyager files it looks like CBS has deinterlaced them using software where you are losing horizontal resolution, so you are essentially just watching a video that, especially on a HD TV, is being upressed from a 720x240 image.

Also, there's no such thing as a 2k blu ray disc. While I haven't seen anything streamed in 4k yet, I wouldn't be surprised if it looked no better than a 1080p Blu-ray. Even my most recent 1080p download from iTunes looked no better than a 720p Blu-Ray. But even compared to stuff that I've shot in 720p on DVCPROHD camera's, a Blu-Ray's 1080p looks like an upconverted DVD, due to the amount of compression applied to the video.

 

[David]

How can streaming be better quality when bit rate is lower, material compressed higher (so more jaggies, color bleed, softness, if the TV is high-def then you want the material to make use of it and not be skimped on or else you're wasting money), and possibly frames removed (to keep streaming size lower)?

If you read above it is implied that Netflix are better than the PAL R4 DVDs due to the way they were transferred. Also bit rate may be lower but the codecs ar more advanced than MPEG2.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I have the older set of DVD's and a lot of them skip.
That's my only complaint. That aside I can watch them over and over with no additional fees.

 

[tomswift2002]

If you read above it is implied that Netflix are better than the PAL R4 DVDs due to the way they were transferred. Also bit rate may be lower but the codecs ar more advanced than MPEG2.

The R1 DVD’s are better than Netflix.

 

[Kor]

The Japanese laserdiscs are probably best.

Kor

 

[Tosk]

The Japanese laserdiscs are probably best.

Kor

If you don't want to own all the episodes, maybe. Dead-tech and an incomplete release. Sweet!

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I finally accepted that with Physical Media sales dropping that we won't be getting DS9 on Blu ray. So i looked to get a complete DVD set, I had a couple of the older sets and I know they didnt look great. I found the New versions of those sets the individual season, for around the same price as the complete series set. I liked the original boxes over thos larger tub cases i have one for the Enterprise complete series and getting disks out is a pain.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I finally accepted that with Physical Media sales dropping that we won't be getting DS9 on Blu ray. So i looked to get a complete DVD set, I had a couple of the older sets and I know they didnt look great. I found the New versions of those sets the individual season, for around the same price as the complete series set. I liked the original boxes over thos larger tub cases i have one for the Enterprise complete series and getting disks out is a pain.

I have a boxed set of the entire series.
But like a bone head I bought them used!
They are pretty scratched up.
I'm thinking of buying a 'new' set if they're out there still.
I also need a new season 3 of Next Generation as one of my favorite episodes is scratched.
I'm going to try it though on a different DVD player first.