If this were the case, then why isn't it happening?
Me thinks we don't know whether or not Paramount actually would make enough from charging more for HD versions versus SD versions. Is there precedence for this kind of thing and a verified difference in $ when a show has been remastered for high def? What about when it comes to Trek? How much more $ is Paramount making from the high def TNG reruns versus the previous SD?
The precedence comes from the days of the switch from b&w to color. Stations and advertisers were willing to pay more for the color seasons of the 1950's
Adventures Of Superman than the b&w seasons, or even with Disney and the color versions of his Disneyland TV series (like the
Davy Crocket serial that he was then able to release to theaters after it had run on TV, just like CBS did with
The Menagerie &
The Measure Of A Man and the other theatrical showings).
I can't find anything in terms of how much CBS is making from like Bell or other networks, but I just looked on iTunes. Here in Canada the SD version of a TOS, TAS, TNG or Enterprise episode in $2.49 per episode. Going to a 720p HD version and they are charging $3.49. Or for the whole season you are looking at $49.99 for SD or $59.99 for 720p HD. By comparison, the 1960's
Twilight Zone, a SD season is $34.95, while an HD season is $39.99. (and here's a really bizarre one, Season 1 of the 60's
Batman is listed for $29.99 in HD for the English version, but the French version of Season 1 is $44.99! in HD).
Again, we don't know how the sales of TNG in HD did---the last report was in December of 2012, when CBS was only part way through the remastering. I was just on the CBS Syndication site and they have all the episodes available in HD for syndication (the only one mentioned as not being available in HD is
Journey's End---The Saga of Star Trek The Next Generation, hence why CBS still lists the series as "Partially Transferred") so if they were not making their money, then why did they finish the series? CBS could've cancelled it after any season.