Well I've found information that the network rights for TNG are still held by WGN and SyFy---whether those channels air them, the rights are still held by them, just like the network rights for Enterprise are still held by SyFy and HD Net, with DS9 and Voyager being held by Spike. Plus TNG's current syndication cycle started in 2009, and we are in the middle of that cycle right now. So CBS, in terms of America, might need to let time pass before more HD episodes are released into rotation in order to fulfill contract obligations.
It's definitely worth it at the right price. I think I got my collection for £100-£150 used, and in the meantime, the price of new boxsets continues to drop. I'd go for it, as the amount of work gone into the restoration is worth it alone. Re-added scenes, and new interviews are the icing really.
On the topic of which versions are being broadcast, here in Australia the local TV stations are all still using the old tapes. TNG is playing syndication runs on both free to air TV and also on cable, and neither of them is using the HD masters, despite all free to air being HD now (and the cable supplier Foxtel offering HD as an option.) I don't know if this is the normal state of affairs elsewhere in the world, but it's certainly the case here that the HD remasters are not receiving any air time at all. I don't regret buying the Blu Rays as the difference in quality is like a night-and-day comparison IMO. But I just wish they'd roll out the new versions for TV broadcast instead of the shitty originals/
Yes, the German TV station TELE5 also seems to broadcast the remastered versions. They are not in HD, but they are the remasters alright.
Completely worth it to me. How beautifully they remastered the Enterprise and the transporter effect is outstanding. The special features are quite good as well, I love that gag reels are part of the package. Sme of the interviews with the cast and writers are quite interesting.
CBS Digital did a great job with the Blu Rays. That clarity beautiful and really made the show shine better than it already did. I wish sales (And quantity released) was better so we could have gotten DS9, but I would say TNG is very worth it, if you love the series.
I absolutely love the TNG blu rays. The wealth of extras and special features along with the improved picture and audio quality make it well worth getting.
I was surprised no one mentioned audio quality, until I read your post. The blu-rays have lossless audio, which sounds better than Dolby Digital (used by TV stations and Netflix) to discerning ears.
Very much worth it. Just seeing the proper uniform colors, finally, made me happy. Previously, those colors were all over the place. Harry
I know that some countries, like South Africa did not receive the HD versions of TOS for airing until 2014, so the HD masters may not reach all countries until 2020 for TNG. But apparently from just the international sales alone, TNG-R was a success. (http://www.channel24.co.za/TV/News/Star-Trek-boldly-going-back-to-TV-20151103)
I have all 7 Seasons on DVD and Netflix. Are the improved HD Blu rays that much better than whats on Netflix and/or my DVDs?
Netflix is so compressed compared to Blu-Ray (watching 1080p is like watching 480p on DVD). But even the SD versions on Netflix should be the 480p ones sourced from the 1080p masters, as Netflix uploaded the 1080p versionsand removed the 480i sourced aepisodes in the summer of 2015.
I don't see anything in that link that indicates that TNG-R's sales were a success. Star Trek, as a franchise, has tended to struggle overseas (at least when looking at the box office for the movies). I somehow doubt that international sales alone could cover the cost of TNG-R. Perhaps you meant to say that additional future revenue streams from overseas would guarantee that CBS profits from TNG-R? Now, I personally hope that TNG-R was a success because, frankly, I loved the results and want everyone else to as well . However, there are enough indications that TNG-R was selling less than CBS was hoping for, from Burnett's tweets to the Okudas encouraging people to buy the sets as they came out if they wanted DS9-R to... well, the current lack of DS9-R. Of course, TNG's remastering wasn't cancelled midway, and CBS was asking around for quotes for the remastering of DS9 just a year or so ago, so it's not like TNG-R was a total disaster. At the same time, TNG-R cost over $20 million. I'm not sure how many Blu-ray sets and iTunes and Amazon purchases CBS needed to break even before relying on syndication and streaming services to start making a buck. As for whether the Blu-ray sets are worth it? I guess it depends on how important picture quality is. The Blu-rays are beautiful (vastly superior to the DVD's), and it's like seeing TNG through new eyes. On the other hand, in the end, Data still gets the right to choose, the crew of the Enterprise still save Picard from the Borg, Gowron still wins the Klingon Civil War, and Q still helps Picard and past, present, and future Enterprise deal with that pesky anti-time anomaly. In the end, I got them all, but it really is a matter of taste.
I think licensing the HD versions to channels and to streaming services might potentially be more lucrative. But, these days, most viewers could care less about the quality of the content, and I wonder if content providers are balking at paying more for HD versions than the old SD versions.