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DS9 on blu ray?

You guys are eyerolling (and worse) all over the place about people expressing hope. Well...

They simply will not make back anywhere near enough money on the sales to make a profit, and likely make a significant loss. That is literally the final decision on this project to CBS and Paramount.

...here's an example of people posting erroneous facts AGAINST DS9 on bluray. CBS have made no such official statement and likely never will. One can certainly argue the likelyhood of that based on everything, but all of this "literally" and "final decision" stuff is bunk.

a series that performed much more poorly than a far better series
TNG had better numbers than DS9, but DS9 still did well enough to stay on for 7 seasons. And TNG being "a far better series" is most definitely arguable, regardless of the numbers.
True. And I think the recent release of SeaQuest on Blu-ray – a series contemporary to Deep Space Nine with lower ratings and a smaller fanbase – makes a similar treatment of Deep Space Nine at least somewhat more likely.

I'm not saying they will definitely do it, but a HD release – even with upscaled effects – is certainly a possibility. An admittedly tiny one, but still a possibility.

Also, the fact that they were actively looking into redoing the effects for a HD release roughly a year ago – as per Gep Malakai here – shows that at the very least they did consider it something worth doing. I'm sure a year ago they were already aware of how TNG-R was faring profit-wise.
 
Which just happen to have major alterations?

What major alterations do you speak of?

It doesn't matter if they have the original files, the time taken to make it work would be prohibitive alone when these projects cost a lot of money in short time.

It does matter if they have the original files though. It means they don't have to start from scratch. They used lightwave for DS9, and from my experience in game development, Lightwave is more than capable of importing .lwo files created in previous versions of the software. We've imported files up to ten years old in the latest version with no major issues, just minor tweaks or in some cases higher resolution textures.
 
And the fact that TNG performed well below expectations for Bluray means a series with far less ability to move merchanise is going to do better?

If this was at all feasible, they'd be working on it already. The fact that there are no plans to touch DS9 or Voyager based on the poor performance of TNG says it all.
 
And TNG being "a far better series" is most definitely arguable, regardless of the numbers.

Arguable ? I'd say utter rubbish !

Then again, I'm a niner...

+1 :hugegrin:

And I think the recent release of SeaQuest on Blu-ray – a series contemporary to Deep Space Nine with lower ratings and a smaller fanbase – makes a similar treatment of Deep Space Nine at least somewhat more likely.

Hey, I didn't know about SeaQuest! I'll have to check that out. I'd consider seasons 1, and 3 of that series if/when it comes out. Did it have a huge following down under? Odd that they're being released in Austrailia, but cool that they're region-free and available on amazon! :techman:
 
It is a little ironic that the editing/cutting technology during the late 80s, 90s, more modern than the one in the 70s and early 80s, is actually hurting these shows for a transfer to HD (same with "Frasier"). 60s, 70s, early 80s shows are already in HD due to their cutting on film, but the modern 90s shows stay in SD. The 90s is going to be the SD decade, while everything else before and after is available in HD (or is going to be).
 
I'm sure there are people who frequent this board who could easily investigate the veracity of this...I saw someone post this in the comments section of a status on the Deep Space Nine in HD facebook group:

I just did some research and called a few of my friends that worked in high places. Here's the true rundown:

DS9 was apparently filmed in 70mm (Very high Def) and the DVD's were not ported from those copies. The original 70mm film was supposedly left in the vault under lock and key at Paramount/Viacom. The DVD version of DS9 was copied from the very good quality (but not quite film quality) BetaMax tapes that were used for original TV broadcast.

When it came time to pull the original prints from the vault... To their surprise, some jackass 5-finger-discounted many of the original prints back in the 90's (probably for collectors sake). So much of the original footage from DS9 is apparently missing that it would do no good to make a BluRay set out of the originals without taking the best quality BetaMax prints and hiring an entire crew of people to touch it up to make it appear High Def.

In other words... We all owe a big middle finger to the floor staff of Paramount for letting priceless original footage walk out their doors.
 
Wasn't it confirmed TNG was shot on 35mm film? I see no reason DS9 would have been produced any differently. Plus I would think the film masters would be in the same place as the TNG film, which was mostly reused for the TNG-R project.

Smells a little funky to me.
 
Yeah. It's just a strange and elaborate thing to just "make up." That's why I thought it was worth seeing if there are people in-the-know who could easily confirm/deny it.
 
I'm sure there are people who frequent this board who could easily investigate the veracity of this...I saw someone post this in the comments section of a status on the Deep Space Nine in HD facebook group:

I just did some research and called a few of my friends that worked in high places. Here's the true rundown:

DS9 was apparently filmed in 70mm (Very high Def) and the DVD's were not ported from those copies. The original 70mm film was supposedly left in the vault under lock and key at Paramount/Viacom. The DVD version of DS9 was copied from the very good quality (but not quite film quality) BetaMax tapes that were used for original TV broadcast.

When it came time to pull the original prints from the vault... To their surprise, some jackass 5-finger-discounted many of the original prints back in the 90's (probably for collectors sake). So much of the original footage from DS9 is apparently missing that it would do no good to make a BluRay set out of the originals without taking the best quality BetaMax prints and hiring an entire crew of people to touch it up to make it appear High Def.

In other words... We all owe a big middle finger to the floor staff of Paramount for letting priceless original footage walk out their doors.

Wasn't it confirmed TNG was shot on 35mm film? I see no reason DS9 would have been produced any differently. Plus I would think the film masters would be in the same place as the TNG film, which was mostly reused for the TNG-R project.

Smells a little funky to me.

Yeah. It's just a strange and elaborate thing to just "make up." That's why I thought it was worth seeing if there are people in-the-know who could easily confirm/deny it.


Basically every single detail is completely, hilariously wrong!

As BeatleJWOL already mentioned, DS9 was shot on 35mm film (primarily Eastman EXR 500T 5296 & 5298). The original camera negatives (certainly not prints, as none were made) aren't stored at Paramount in Hollywood, CA, but rather across the country at the Iron Mountain facility in Boyers, Pennsylvannia (a former limestone mine) where all the TNG footage was shipped from and transferred to HD tape at CBS Digital in Los Angeles. From what I understand, at the very least the DS9 pilot episode boxes were inspected and certain VFX elements were shipped over so they could reconstruct the necessary station and runabout shots needed for "Birthright, Part I" and "Timescape." Everything was returned to storage.

Betamax was an analog consumer videotape format developed in the mid-1970s that lost the videotape format war to VHS and wouldn't have been used on DS9, regardless. DS9 was edited on digital component (D1) master tapes for its entire run, just like TNG, which switched to that format in its 4th season (from the old 1" analog Type-C videotape).
 
Makes me wonder, has ANY series on TV ever been shot on 70mm? It is pretty rare in feature films as the cameras are difficult to use and it is hideously expensive to process (is my understanding) and the advantage of it for the small screen would be non-existent.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Re Betamax itself (not whether it was used on DS9), it was apparently superior to VHS in quality and continued in use by broadcasters and production companies for that reason. It may still be in use in some places...
 
Makes me wonder, has ANY series on TV ever been shot on 70mm? It is pretty rare in feature films as the cameras are difficult to use and it is hideously expensive to process (is my understanding) and the advantage of it for the small screen would be non-existent.

Anyone have any ideas?

I highly doubt it for the reasons you state. Even the proportion of 70mm-originated (as opposed to blow-up) cinema features to 35mm is tiny.
 
Re Betamax itself (not whether it was used on DS9), it was apparently superior to VHS in quality and continued in use by broadcasters and production companies for that reason. It may still be in use in some places...

Perhaps a handful of shops with no budget. But anyone that could updated to digital years ago.
 
Basically every single detail is completely, hilariously wrong!

As BeatleJWOL already mentioned, DS9 was shot on 35mm film (primarily Eastman EXR 500T 5296 & 5298). The original camera negatives (certainly not prints, as none were made) aren't stored at Paramount in Hollywood, CA, but rather across the country at the Iron Mountain facility in Boyers, Pennsylvannia (a former limestone mine) where all the TNG footage was shipped from and transferred to HD tape at CBS Digital in Los Angeles. From what I understand, at the very least the DS9 pilot episode boxes were inspected and certain VFX elements were shipped over so they could reconstruct the necessary station and runabout shots needed for "Birthright, Part I" and "Timescape." Everything was returned to storage.

Betamax was an analog consumer videotape format developed in the mid-1970s that lost the videotape format war to VHS and wouldn't have been used on DS9, regardless. DS9 was edited on digital component (D1) master tapes for its entire run, just like TNG, which switched to that format in its 4th season (from the old 1" analog Type-C videotape).

Thanks Maxwell Everett! The details about the type of media used are like technobabble to me. :) I was more curious about the idea that an employee possibly lifted it. But if the technical details are blatantly incorrect, then this was an obvious hoax post. Just not sure why someone would do that?!? Ah well. Thanks!
 
Because it's a good "excuse" as to why they wouldn't do it.

"Well, we really wanted to! But when we opened the vault we noticed we had been burgled. So sorry fans. We heard your pleas and were ready to not only deliver a remastered series but also a brand new movie but someone else made it impossible."
 
Because it's a good "excuse" as to why they wouldn't do it.

"Well, we really wanted to! But when we opened the vault we noticed we had been burgled. So sorry fans. We heard your pleas and were ready to not only deliver a remastered series but also a brand new movie but someone else made it impossible."

Nah, they know if they pulled something like that we'd still ask for upconverted versions of the alleged pilfered episodes. :) Admit it, Squiggy. You love us.
 
Re Betamax itself (not whether it was used on DS9), it was apparently superior to VHS in quality and continued in use by broadcasters and production companies for that reason. It may still be in use in some places...

Perhaps a handful of shops with no budget. But anyone that could updated to digital years ago.

It's news archives mostly. The quality is better and recordings last longer. I presume everything will eventually be digitlly converted or binned, but at the moment it's still in use.

They're stopping manufacturing tapes in March 2016.
 
Betamax was an analog consumer videotape format developed in the mid-1970s that lost the videotape format war to VHS and wouldn't have been used on DS9, regardless. DS9 was edited on digital component (D1) master tapes for its entire run, just like TNG, which switched to that format in its 4th season (from the old 1" analog Type-C videotape).

Yes, sounds like someone didn't know the difference between Betamax and Digibeta! I was roaring with laughter reading that post!

Re Betamax itself (not whether it was used on DS9), it was apparently superior to VHS in quality and continued in use by broadcasters and production companies for that reason. It may still be in use in some places...

IIRC broadcasters tended to use U-Matic rather than Betamax (though both were developed by Sony), which is better quality than VHS. Not sure how widespread that is these days, probably not very.
 
I'm sure there are people who frequent this board who could easily investigate the veracity of this...I saw someone post this in the comments section of a status on the Deep Space Nine in HD facebook group:

I just did some research and called a few of my friends that worked in high places. Here's the true rundown:

DS9 was apparently filmed in 70mm (Very high Def) and the DVD's were not ported from those copies. The original 70mm film was supposedly left in the vault under lock and key at Paramount/Viacom. The DVD version of DS9 was copied from the very good quality (but not quite film quality) BetaMax tapes that were used for original TV broadcast.

When it came time to pull the original prints from the vault... To their surprise, some jackass 5-finger-discounted many of the original prints back in the 90's (probably for collectors sake). So much of the original footage from DS9 is apparently missing that it would do no good to make a BluRay set out of the originals without taking the best quality BetaMax prints and hiring an entire crew of people to touch it up to make it appear High Def.

In other words... We all owe a big middle finger to the floor staff of Paramount for letting priceless original footage walk out their doors.
I got really pissed for a moment after reading this, then I thought "oh wait, how the heck would they manage to film all of a seven-season TV show in 70mm?"

Lol, very dumb rumour whoever came up with it. They should have put at least some effort into it :lol:
 
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