The OFFICIAL STNG-R general discussion thread!

[USS KG5]

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right. It just seemed to me like this project was kind of inevitable after the success of TOS-R and if TPTB wanted Star Trek to remain a viable property in the HD era, so I thought they would have started working on it sooner, but yeah, releasing the sampler disc after Christmas would probably be kind of pointless if they were already that far along.

I imagine they'd just release season one if they had it finished - much more $$$ that way.

One wonders what will happen with other sci-fi shows that could be remastered in this way. Much cheaper and with a big potential audience is the X-Files, though not sure how those Vancouver warehouses will look in HD.

 

[ALF]

That would surprise me, especially given the late announcement that they were unable to locate (so far) 13 seconds from "Sins of the Father."

Oh, they'll have to re-shoot that, then.

 

[Harvey]

One wonders what will happen with other sci-fi shows that could be remastered in this way. Much cheaper and with a big potential audience is the X-Files, though not sure how those Vancouver warehouses will look in HD.

I'd be curious how they would handle the aspect ratio of The X-Files if they converted it to HD. Seasons 1-4 were released in 1.33:1, but I wonder if they were protected for widescreen?

Given the failure of The X-Files: I Want To Believe, I wonder if Fox thinks the series still has enough financial value to justify an HD conversion, even if they are comparably fewer effects in each episode than are found on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I have seen it in syndication, still, which suggests Fox might think so.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I suppose I should check the actual Trek sections of this site more often, I hadn't actually heard of this as anything more than a pipe dream.

Should be interesting to see as TNG has looked really beaten up recently with an image that seems softer than it should for material of its day.

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right. It just seemed to me like this project was kind of inevitable after the success of TOS-R and if TPTB wanted Star Trek to remain a viable property in the HD era, so I thought they would have started working on it sooner, but yeah, releasing the sampler disc after Christmas would probably be kind of pointless if they were already that far along.

I don't know, TNG seems to make the rerun rounds pretty well in this HD age. For a while there it seemed between Syfy, WGN, BBCA and so on that it was on all the time. Whereas I haven't seen TOS since the remastering. I suppose it might make a bigger difference in actual media purchases though.

 

[Harvey]

The last time I had actual TV, in the Seattle market during early 2010, TOS and TNG were in syndication back to back every night on one of the local channels. I don't know how common that is these days, though.

 

[RAMA]

I suppose I should check the actual Trek sections of this site more often, I hadn't actually heard of this as anything more than a pipe dream.

Should be interesting to see as TNG has looked really beaten up recently with an image that seems softer than it should for material of its day.

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right. It just seemed to me like this project was kind of inevitable after the success of TOS-R and if TPTB wanted Star Trek to remain a viable property in the HD era, so I thought they would have started working on it sooner, but yeah, releasing the sampler disc after Christmas would probably be kind of pointless if they were already that far along.

I don't know, TNG seems to make the rerun rounds pretty well in this HD age. For a while there it seemed between Syfy, WGN, BBCA and so on that it was on all the time. Whereas I haven't seen TOS since the remastering. I suppose it might make a bigger difference in actual media purchases though.

It really has been shown a lot lately, but appears to be running out of steam...BBC America runs it less, and its only on syndication here (NY/Phila..the biggest market area in the country) about twice a week. Hey you can only watch gold so long, no matter how pretty. The STNG-R will make it seem like a new experience...one I look forward to.

 

[sojourner]

Well, in BBCA's case, they did seem to have only about 10 episodes they rotated through. It was nauseating.

 

[23skidoo]

Given the failure of The X-Files: I Want To Believe, I wonder if Fox thinks the series still has enough financial value to justify an HD conversion.

I don't think the performance of a movie has any bearing on what they decide to do with the TV show. That's like them not bothering to do TNG because of Nemesis. It's the performance of the TV show that counts, so if there's still broadcast demand and indications that people will buy the Blu-rays, then they'll do it. Presumably there's more demand for X-Files, at least in the US, then there was for, say, Farscape or Space: 1999, both of which got the HD treatment. And as noted, the special effects aren't as complex and there were no laser beams shooting around.

Alex

 

[AviTrek]

I suppose I should check the actual Trek sections of this site more often, I hadn't actually heard of this as anything more than a pipe dream.

Should be interesting to see as TNG has looked really beaten up recently with an image that seems softer than it should for material of its day.

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right. It just seemed to me like this project was kind of inevitable after the success of TOS-R and if TPTB wanted Star Trek to remain a viable property in the HD era, so I thought they would have started working on it sooner, but yeah, releasing the sampler disc after Christmas would probably be kind of pointless if they were already that far along.

I don't know, TNG seems to make the rerun rounds pretty well in this HD age. For a while there it seemed between Syfy, WGN, BBCA and so on that it was on all the time. Whereas I haven't seen TOS since the remastering. I suppose it might make a bigger difference in actual media purchases though.

It really has been shown a lot lately, but appears to be running out of steam...BBC America runs it less, and its only on syndication here (NY/Phila..the biggest market area in the country) about twice a week. Hey you can only watch gold so long, no matter how pretty. The STNG-R will make it seem like a new experience...one I look forward to.

I think online streaming is the component we're forgetting. CBS just sold all of Star Trek to Netflix for big bucks. If Netflix expressed an interest in paying more for TNG-HD, that could be what is driving the whole project. Then the question of DS9/VOY really becomes a question of if Netlfix or a similar competitor wants to pay extra to stream those shows in HD.

 

[ATimson]

Presumably there's more demand for X-Files, at least in the US, then there was for, say, Farscape or Space: 1999, both of which got the HD treatment.

Farscape didn't get the HD treatment, it was upconverted from the PAL video masters. And Space: 1999 was edited on film, being an older show, so it didn't have nearly the volume of work TNG and The X-Files require.

 

[22 Stars]

I, for one, hope that they can get syndicated stations to give at least a few of the shows better air-times than TOS-R got. I was shocked that no one chose to air Amok Time or Doomsday Machine in prime-time as a special, with a wrap around doc or something about the making of TOS-R.

 

[sojourner]

^You were shocked? really?

 

[TheSeeker]

I'm shocked that he was shocked!

 

[22 Stars]

lol I'm shocked that more people weren't shocked!

But seriously folks.... I was working at CBS distribution here in NY at the time, and was sure that at least a sample of TOS-R would get one special airing. Something akin to the 'Cage' special, which was produced by Beckola Prod. between Season 1 and 2 of TNG hosted by Patrick Stewart.

I'm not talking about CBS airing it in primetime, I'm talking about your local MyTV or other syndicated rinky-dink station putting an episode on a Saturday at 7 or something.

 

[USS KG5]

I'd be curious how they would handle the aspect ratio of The X-Files if they converted it to HD. Seasons 1-4 were released in 1.33:1, but I wonder if they were protected for widescreen?

Depends if you could make it proper widescreen or "Buffy widescreen" I guess. I still remember being shocked by some of the goofs on those DVDs because of the aspect ratio.

Given the failure of The X-Files: I Want To Believe, I wonder if Fox thinks the series still has enough financial value to justify an HD conversion,

You could make the same argument about TNG post-Nemesis, both disappointments, though I don't think either lost money.

X-Files 2 seemed so staggeringly unambitious, playing like an extended standalone episode with a big budget, that its hard to believe anyone expected it to be huge. Was just a bit of fun I think.

...even if they are comparably fewer effects in each episode than are found on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I have seen it in syndication, still, which suggests Fox might think so.

I think it probably depends on your point of view. TNG is obviously still considered valuable, but without an HD conversion it will never be syndicated on HD channels in the long-term, once most content is HD people will get used to it and reject the piss-poor visual quality of SD TNG.

So it is spending a few million $$ now, which they will make back from Blu Ray sales, in order to safeguard revenues for the next twenty years or so.

With the X-Files, it was HUGE back in it's day, and someone with an eye on the future and syndication $$$ might well put their hand in their pocket, as an investment.

 

[Search4]

Weren't those physical models?

No, they were all CGI. They were never physical, not even in DS9. Only the Enterprise-E and the Defiant were physical models in FC.



Sorry, the Borg cube was most assuredly physical. I believe the Sphere as well.

And the Defiant, to my recollection was CGI based on a scan of the physical model.

 

[Maurice]

Weren't those physical models?

No, they were all CGI. They were never physical, not even in DS9. Only the Enterprise-E and the Defiant were physical models in FC.



Sorry, the Borg cube was most assuredly physical. I believe the Sphere as well.

And the Defiant, to my recollection was CGI based on a scan of the physical model.

re First Contact: And the Phoenix. And the Vulcan ship. And the escape pods, I think.

EDIT:
The 1701-E was a physical model except for the warp drive and time travel shots
Most of starfleet ships were digital, including Defiant, but I think the Nebula class ship was the old miniature dating back to THE WOUNDED.
The Phoenix was miniature only
The Borg cube and sphere were miniatures only

 

[Tomalak]

With the X-Files, it was HUGE back in it's day, and someone with an eye on the future and syndication $$$ might well put their hand in their pocket, as an investment.

Yeah, in it's day. I'm not so sure it's going to find a huge audience in repeat runs now, as it feels very of it's time, and very dated in a way that a space opera like TNG somehow doesn't.

 

[22 Stars]

Trek has always benefited from the cast and crew in uniforms, and themes to the episodes that are more 'timeless' than a contemporary drama that gets dated more quickly. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't things like hair, make-up and some shows that don't age as gracefully.

 

[Squiggy]

Call me an optimist or a fool if you will, but I'm banking on us being at least half-way through TNG by the end of 2012. If we're not up to season 3, I'll be vey disappointed.

I was under the impression (possibly wrongfully) that at least half of the seasons would be out in 2012. They must have the majority of season 1 completed. From a business standpoint, staggering the releases over the span of several years is not wise. If they stick to that plan, we'll have DS9 and Voyager by 2020 or further..

Personally, I'm not holding my breath for DS9 and Voyager. To my mind the main motivation for the remastering is the income it'll generate long-term in vastly extending the series' life in syndication. I just don't see that DS9 and Voyager have enough pull in the syndication market to make remastering them a financially viable proposition. Though I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

True. Since TNG has more or less been on the air somewhere since it ended it's run 18 years ago and DS9 and Voyager's only real home has been on Spike and Sci-Fi (both of whom only gave each a few years and ended up burning off their contract in overnights)...it doesn't look too good for them.