Season ONE OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

[Ghostface1701]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I don't know if this has already been mentioned but apparently another model shot of the Enterprise-D, which was still missing in "Encounter at Farpoint", has been found. The shot is seen in "11001001". Here's a comparison between the reconstructed CG version (from the teaser disk) and the original model shot (seen in "11001001":

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138777

Screenshots courtesy of trekcore.com.

I thought the CG model was pretty impressive when I first saw it, but the detail on the real model blows it out of the water!

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/articles/dg3.cfm

You were officially a consultant with the show.

Well, actually I was supposed to be a producer, but they kept whittling my duties. And my title. And my pay. And I finally got the very clear message that Gene's lawyer didn't like me. And that whatever Gene promised me, the lawyer was going to take away. And the lawyer was afraid that Gene was going to lose control of the show. So what he was doing was significantly undermining everybody that might be a threat to Gene, so that he could stay in control. And he appointed himself chief of staff. And the result was that we had a lawyer running the show. A lawyer who had no knowledge of how to do television. No knowledge of what Star Trek was supposed to be. And he was re-writing scripts. And I said, "Gee, this is going to be the worst possible situation to be on. How can we do a real Star Trek when we've got a guy here who's thinking only in terms of how much money he can make?" He thought he was protecting Gene, but in his efforts to protect Gene, he was hurting Gene. I was the second or third person to leave, but there were 30 other people who followed me out the door in that first season alone.

Thanks for this link. I've been a TNG for over 20 years, and I'd always believed Berman was Roddenberry-approved. My mind boggles at what Trek would be like without the interference of these men in suits.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I don't know if this has already been mentioned but apparently another model shot of the Enterprise-D, which was still missing in "Encounter at Farpoint", has been found. The shot is seen in "11001001". Here's a comparison between the reconstructed CG version (from the teaser disk) and the original model shot (seen in "11001001":

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138777

Screenshots courtesy of trekcore.com.

Thanks for that! As far as I can tell, it was first found and re-used in "Lonely Among Us", albeit flopped. Courtesy of TrekCore:

Full res: http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7172/lonelyamongushd288.jpg


***

I'm still not entirely sure why these found shots were not replaced in episodes like "Encounter at Farpoint" and "Code of Honor". I thought their philosophy was to use whatever they could find that was original (e.g. the 13 seconds they finally located for "Sins of the Father"). According to the time stamps on the stream folders on the Blu-rays, they were authored around late May. Seems like plenty of time to drop the shots back into the episodes and re-render/re-encode.

And now they have a second chance with the replacement program -- though I doubt we'll see a fix there either. Not going to keep me up at night or anything... but strange nonetheless.

 

[BillJ]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Thanks for this link. I've been a TNG for over 20 years, and I'd always believed Berman was Roddenberry-approved. My mind boggles at what Trek would be like without the interference of these men in suits.

Well, Gerrold was only there for six months. So no one honestly knows what types of twists and turns the relationship between Roddenberry and Berman took.

 

[cbspock]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

People are complaining about a missing phaser blast in Heart of Glory, the scene is editing slightly different, you see the shot from the gun, then it cuts to the security guy getting hit. The sequence looks better now, with the beams coming from the right place.

-Chris

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

TNG Season 1 is a horror show compared to Season 1 of Star Trek. Oh and for the 60s, the effects even looked better than season 1 of TNG. Why just light the warp engines on ENT-D when the Enterprise had a cool looking effect in model.

Well I think everyone agrees that TOS had the best first season of any Trek.

But for my money Where No One, Big Goodbye, 11010011, Heart of Glory, and Conspiracy are still some of the best episodes of TNG that were ever made-- and up there with the best eps of Trek period.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

People are complaining about a missing phaser blast in Heart of Glory, the scene is editing slightly different, you see the shot from the gun, then it cuts to the security guy getting hit. The sequence looks better now, with the beams coming from the right place.

-Chris

So wait, you're saying that rather than forgetting to add an effect, they actually fixed a continuity error? I guess I have to watch the DVD and Blu-ray again.

 

[BillJ]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

TNG Season 1 is a horror show compared to Season 1 of Star Trek. Oh and for the 60s, the effects even looked better than season 1 of TNG. Why just light the warp engines on ENT-D when the Enterprise had a cool looking effect in model.

Well I think everyone agrees that TOS had the best first season of any Trek.

But for my money Where No One, Big Goodbye, 11010011, Heart of Glory, and Conspiracy are still some of the best episodes of TNG that were ever made-- and up there with the best eps of Trek period.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. In addition, TNG effects work of 1987 are far better than the TOS work of 1966. TOS effects look amazing for their time and TNG effects look amazing for their time.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Season 1 on DVD always looked crappier than the rest of the DVD set. Now the season 1 blu, makes all those seasons on DVD look like crap.

I actually think with the bluray sets, the opposite is going to be the case. The season one lighting is so much better than in later seasons, that I think season one (and maybe season two) is going to benefit the most from this remaster. On the sampler, "Farpoint" looked better by far than "Sins of the Father" or "Inner Light." It's like we had to wait all these years to really reap the benefits of the season one lighting, but it's totally made the season one remaster for me.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I think calling Gene an "idiot" is needlessly harsh. His views and direction was certainly different than what others had and maybe not suited for a 1980s TV audience and sensibilities but much of his vision for the series and the "universe" of Trek lasted throughout TNG (though mostly went away in DS9 and in Voyager.) I'd probably liken him to George Lucas in a way that he "had a good idea" that was best brought out by people who were better writers and directors. But Gene an "idiot" no way, he's the one that brought everything to life when it comes to Trek. Without him we never would have had any of it. It was better and stronger because of those he trusted to work under him but it still all started with him. Though it did seem (maybe due to declining health/encroaching senility) he was a bit power-made as TNG's 1st season wound down. But everyone still had strong respect for the man.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

People are complaining about a missing phaser blast in Heart of Glory, the scene is editing slightly different, you see the shot from the gun, then it cuts to the security guy getting hit. The sequence looks better now, with the beams coming from the right place.

-Chris

So wait, you're saying that rather than forgetting to add an effect, they actually fixed a continuity error? I guess I have to watch the DVD and Blu-ray again.

Okay, so I just examined the DVD and Blu-ray again and the sequence is edited exactly the same. The phaser beam is genuinely missing and it's a full-on mistake -- there has been NO attempt at correcting beam placement (one isn't required).

Funny thing is, they went to all the trouble of erasing the security guard's pyrotechnic igniter squib from his uniform AND the wire coming out of his pant leg! Everything looks great... except for the missing beam.

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Yeah but from the angle the Klingon was shooting from (the hallway) the beam would have been coming from the center of the screen anyway. So we wouldn't really have seen much.

And the whole thing plays so fast you barely even notice it anyway. Unless of course you're actively looking for the beam.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Yeah but from the angle the Klingon was shooting from (the hallway) the beam would have been coming from the center of the screen anyway. So we wouldn't really have seen much.

The beam would only have come from the center of the screen if the shot was supposed to be Korris's POV -- which it isn't. It's filmed off to the right of the 180° axis (the imaginary line between the two characters). Take note of the guard's eyeline just before the charge goes off -- he's not looking directly at the screen, he's looking to screen left, and therefore the beam should be seen coming from screen left and make contact with his body.

And the whole thing plays so fast you barely even notice it anyway. Unless of course you're actively looking for the beam.

I have no argument with you there -- I didn't even catch it on my initial watch.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

"Too Short a Season" is a... tough episode to get through. I've never been a real big fan of it With all due respect to the makeup artists the "old age" makeup doesn't work in this episode. I don't think it really starts getting "good" until Jameson is aged to a young man (and then his "acting in pain" shtick gets to be a bit much) then parts of the episode almost begin feeling like a decent TOS episode.

In the Blu-Ray you can easily see the "seams" where the pyrotechnics are on the wall the away team will cut out for a pass-through.

Question: Has the "strobing" concentric circles/arcs always been there for a phaser hit? They seem more "obvious" now on the BD and sort-of hokey looking.

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Home Soil isn't so great either. I realize we're supposed to be caught up in the awe and wonder of this "amazing new form of life" they discovered... but it basically looks like they're just staring at a couple of flashing LEDs the entire time. Lol

 

[MrLethalWeapon]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

Question: Has the "strobing" concentric circles/arcs always been there for a phaser hit? They seem more "obvious" now on the BD and sort-of hokey looking.

In "The Last Outpost" the Ferengi whips had a similar effect. When Geordi was hit, the circles/waves took down Data and Riker too.

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I like Homesoil overall but, yeah, the depiction of the silicone entity doesn't translate well. Neither the blinking Christmas lights nor the giant novelty quartz crystal someone bought from their recent trip to a tourist cave.

Not sure how else they could have pulled it off, but...

I do like how it shows how overly concerned Federation and human scientists are with disturbing life on alien planets. The female terraforming scientist is touchingly upset that they may have disturbed a indigenous life and even the head of the operation seems bothered by the idea once it becomes clear the "Microbrain" is not only life but sentient and even intelligent life. (This in contrast to how Dr. Stubbs behaves in a similar situation in Season 3's "Evolution.")

It's interesting that this episode also suggests the terraforming techniques is a decades or century(ies)-long process when only 70-some years ago in Star Trek II techniques were developed to do it in minutes. (Genesis) Granted, Genesis was a flop due to use of protomatter but "realistically" you'd think the ideas would have been refined and better used in the intervening time to make a more stable device.

But I prefer the long, painstaking, terraforming method here as opposed to the magical McGuffin method suggested by TWK.

One buggy thing is how easily Dr. Crusher was able to, through the computer, determine that the unknown sample they had was a lifeform. Even with all of the computer's mad skillz you'd think determining something is life or not would be harder than asking the computer a few easy questions and getting IT to speculate and theorize on the sample.

I also enjoy Data's agreement with the Microbrain that "ugly bags of mostly water" is an apt description of humanoid life.

Also, everyone seems amazed at how the Microbrain is a non-organic (crystalline?) lifeform. Aren't the Tholians a non-organic, crystalline, lifeform?

 

[GNDN]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I don't know if this has already been mentioned but apparently another model shot of the Enterprise-D, which was still missing in "Encounter at Farpoint", has been found. The shot is seen in "11001001". Here's a comparison between the reconstructed CG version (from the teaser disk) and the original model shot (seen in "11001001":

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138777

Screenshots courtesy of trekcore.com.

Man, the 6 footer is so graceful and much nicer to look at especially when lit so well

 

[Trekker4747]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

I don't know if this has already been mentioned but apparently another model shot of the Enterprise-D, which was still missing in "Encounter at Farpoint", has been found. The shot is seen in "11001001". Here's a comparison between the reconstructed CG version (from the teaser disk) and the original model shot (seen in "11001001":

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/138777

Screenshots courtesy of trekcore.com.

Man, the 6 footer is so graceful and much nicer to look at especially when lit so well

The remastered image is using the CGI model of the ship. (You can tell because of the two black boxes on the thruster quads (the orange doohickeys at certain points of the ship.) But, agreed, the 6-footer is a great, great model and really they should (but likely won't) replace all shots using the clunky-looking 4-footer with the 6-foot model/CGI model.

 

[Sho]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

^ This is a comparison of two images from the remaster. The first pic is of the CGI replacement in EaF, the second pic is of the original model shot they later rediscovered (but did not insert into EaF for some reason).

 

[davejames]

Re: The OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Season 1 Discussion Thread

One buggy thing is how easily Dr. Crusher was able to, through the computer, determine that the unknown sample they had was a lifeform. Even with all of the computer's mad skillz you'd think determining something is life or not would be harder than asking the computer a few easy questions and getting IT to speculate and theorize on the sample.

Yeah I thought that was funny as well. All this talk about using the "scientific method", and all she really does is ask the computer to zoom in a few times and theorize about what they're looking at.

You also gotta love the scientist with the bad 80s mullet who looks like he should really be drinking some beers on a porch somewhere.