Are the Blu-Rays Worth It?

[Doug Otte]

You can also choose to mix'n'match:
1) original effects w/ 2 channel audio; or
2) original effects w/ 5.1 audio; or
3) new effects w/ 2 channel audio; or
4) new effects w/ 5.1 audio.

And, it's fairly easy (depending upon where the Angle button is located on your player or remote), to switch back and forth to compare the original vs. new effects.

 

[Zulamay]

I got the 50th Anniversary for TOS blue ray last year and I cherish it. It has TAS, all of the movies, and extra features are great. There is a lot of extra information on these DVDs. It all comes in one convenient box, so easy to store. I have a 4K Smart tv that really shows off the special effects. I love this set.

 

[johnnybear]

Lucky you, Zulamay!
JB

 

[marlboro]

The blu-rays are fantastic, imo.

P.S. Bring on the DS9 and Voyager blu-rays already!

 

[BillJ]

P.S. Bring on the DS9 and Voyager blu-rays already!

Good luck with that. CBS doesn't seem to have any interest in upgrading them.

 

[CaptainMurdock]

Oh yes they are worth it, wholeheartedly. TOS has never looked better.

 

[Phaser Two]

The blu-rays are fantastic, imo.

P.S. Bring on the DS9 and Voyager blu-rays already!

Yeah, seriously.

 

[Qonundrum]

I've a feeling Universal will go back to their master films for "Sliders" and remaster those in blu-ray before VOY gets remastered.

I didn't see the DS9 documentary in the theater but am buying the disc on day one. If there's enough interest and sci-fi media has been mentioning the show surprisingly a lot for a noteworthy anniversary milestone. How does one get enough fans to buy into it? And, technically, putting out new shows does have the potential to rake in more viewers and profit than remastering old shows. Still, if each DSC episode cost $8 to $10 mil to make, less than half of season one would have paid for DS9 and then some - but whereas TNG had more casual viewers than hardcore ones both in the 90s and now, DS9 was pretty much for the hardcore viewers then and now, even gaining more. Meaning it might be easier to calculate a return on remastering the films before they rot away via the vinegar effect (which is roughly three decades or so, give or take, but also considering blu-ray is the HD streaming market and that would still recoup costs, even those just wanting to try out the series.)

 

[BillJ]

I've a feeling Universal will go back to their master films for "Sliders" and remaster those in blu-ray before VOY gets remastered.

I didn't see the DS9 documentary in the theater but am buying the disc on day one. If there's enough interest and sci-fi media has been mentioning the show surprisingly a lot for a noteworthy anniversary milestone. How does one get enough fans to buy into it? And, technically, putting out new shows does have the potential to rake in more viewers and profit than remastering old shows. Still, if each DSC episode cost $8 to $10 mil to make, less than half of season one would have paid for DS9 and then some - but whereas TNG had more casual viewers than hardcore ones both in the 90s and now, DS9 was pretty much for the hardcore viewers then and now, even gaining more. Meaning it might be easier to calculate a return on remastering the films before they rot away via the vinegar effect (which is roughly three decades or so, give or take, but also considering blu-ray is the HD streaming market and that would still recoup costs, even those just wanting to try out the series.)

I think if the numbers were working, they would have already remastered both DS9 and Voyager.

The huge question is: how much more are content distributors willing to pay for an HD version vs. the current SD versions? I imagine it isn't enough.

 

[Mytran]

After years of resisting I finally bought the BluRays a year or so ago and they really look good on a larger TV. My only gripe is with the LG BluRay Player I bought which constantly displays an icon over any and all "remastered" scenes. If anyone can suggest a brand which DOESN'T do this I would be most grateful!

Agree with @johnnybear that on a smaller TV there's probably not much benefit over DVDs so it largely depends on your viewing preferences

 

[Kor]

After years of resisting I finally bought the BluRays a year or so ago and they really look good on a larger TV. My only gripe is with the LG BluRay Player I bought which constantly displays an icon over any and all "remastered" scenes. If anyone can suggest a brand which DOESN'T do this I would be most grateful!

Agree with @johnnybear that on a smaller TV there's probably not much benefit over DVDs so it largely depends on your viewing preferences

The icon is probably giving you the option to switch back and forth between the remastered and original effects scenes.

Kor

 

[Mytran]

The icon is probably giving you the option to switch back and forth between the remastered and original effects scenes.

Yes, that is exactly what it is. What I lack is the option to stop it appearing. You'd think it would be an option in the player's settings, but apparently not

 

[Phaser Two]

Yes, that is exactly what it is. What I lack is the option to stop it appearing. You'd think it would be an option in the player's settings, but apparently not

Oof, how aggravating.

 

[johnnybear]

That would really antagonize me, Mytran! There must be an option! Have you spoken to the manufacturers?
JB

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Yes, that is exactly what it is. What I lack is the option to stop it appearing. You'd think it would be an option in the player's settings, but apparently not

Maybe there's an LG community forum you could post to, or a "contact us" button somewhere on an LG site.

 

[Mytran]

I did research it a bit when I got the player, but only found similarly miffed customers.
I normally like LG but at this point would swap in a heartbeat to another player that had that option

 

[BK613]

I think the answer depends on your screen size; on my 55" LED screen, HD is definitely a must and the Blu-rays are gorgeous.

I did research it a bit when I got the player, but only found similarly miffed customers.
I normally like LG but at this point would swap in a heartbeat to another player that had that option

Does your model have the capability to update the firmware? Sometimes the OEM corrects hiccups like that in a firmware update.

 

[Doug Otte]

After years of resisting I finally bought the BluRays a year or so ago and they really look good on a larger TV. My only gripe is with the LG BluRay Player I bought which constantly displays an icon over any and all "remastered" scenes. If anyone can suggest a brand which DOESN'T do this I would be most grateful!

Agree with @johnnybear that on a smaller TV there's probably not much benefit over DVDs so it largely depends on your viewing preferences

Sony players do not have that flaw.

 

[Mytran]

Sony players do not have that flaw.

Thanks, I will do some shopping around!

 

[Qonundrum]

Sony has the best quality and image processing hardware IMHO. Samsung was also top-tier but they are no longer making players, citing reduced sales via streaming.