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DVD'S Vs. Blu Rays

DeepSpaceYorks

DeepSpaceYorks

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I've heard some bad things about the Star Trek movie blu rays, except for TMP and TWOK as they're new transfers. For the other films are the old DVD's actually a better watching experience? I have the old 2003 double disc versions of I-IV but I'm jonesing for V and VI at the moment. Am I better off getting second hand old DVD copies? Pros and cons welcomed.

I'm region 2 by the way, so I got the cool recap of TSFS on the front of my VOY DVD.:hugegrin:
 
DeepSpaceYorks said:
I've heard some bad things about the Star Trek movie blu rays, except for TMP and TWOK as they're new transfers. For the other films are the old DVD's actually a better watching experience? I have the old 2003 double disc versions of I-IV but I'm jonesing for V and VI at the moment. Am I better off getting second hand old DVD copies? Pros and cons welcomed.

I'm region 2 by the way, so I got the cool recap of TSFS on the front of my VOY DVD.:hugegrin:
Click to expand...

The Stardate Collection, 10 movies on Blu-ray is £23 at Zavvi right now. At that price, you might as well get it anyway. If you don't like the transfers, you're not too badly hurt in the wallet department and can chase down the DVD later. I double dipped last year at around £30, but to be honest, I haven't had the time to watch them yet, other than to quickly check the discs. I did notice a bit of DNR, but the improvement in resolution and detail was still worth it. Besides, I can't handle PAL speed-up anymore, I need my movies at the native 24fps frame rate.
 
The blu-ray of Star Trek VI is only the theatrical cut. If you want the extended cut, you need to get the two-disc DVD. Same with TMP of course.
 
That reminds me, Star Trek II in that collection is the Theatrical Cut as well, the Director's Cut commissioned from the new 4k scan was recently released separately with the comic book cover.
 
The new 50th Anniversary collection might be worth considering too, if you don't already have TOS on blu-ray.
 
Some fans have complained about picture quality. Honestly, I think they are compaing it too much with either new movies, shot with modern cameras and such or with high quality remasters, like done for TNG.

I liked them, so I guess ymmv.
 
Despite the relatively poor quality of the blu-rays, they are still much better, image-wise, than the DVDs. I once compared them before I got rid of the DVDs. I was shocked at how much better the blu-rays look in comparison.
 
Doug Otte said:
Despite the relatively poor quality of the blu-rays, they are still much better, image-wise, than the DVDs. I once compared them before I got rid of the DVDs. I was shocked at how much better the blu-rays look in comparison.
Click to expand...

This. I simply don't see the argument that the Blu-ray's are somehow inferior to the DVD's. The only movie DVD I currently have is the TMP DE, because that is a different cut of the film. But it is so soft and dark, it is an awful viewing experience.
 
Of course the Blu-rays are better.

A 1080p Blu-ray is always going to surpass a blurry interlaced 480/576i DVD. The Blu-rays bring out the full detail in the 1080i masters that were used for the DVDs (and most of the Blu-rays unfortunately) and even have to compensate by upconverting the picture to fit the screen's resolution.

I think there is an argument if you're looking at them in context though. The DVDs are great DVDs, while the Blu-rays are shitty Blu-rays. TMP is fairly alright, it does have a little too much DNR and scrubbed grain to my eyes, but I'm okay with it. At least it got a new transfer, 2K I'm guessing. TWOK is great (as it got a new 4K transfer), other than that awful blue and yellow tint that's added to make it look more like a modern film. The Director's Cut Blu-ray has even more detail and contrast with a newer 4K scan and is much more accurate to the original look of the film. Both are improvements over the DVDs in terms of picture/audio.

Everything else is a mess.

TUC looks abysmal. Everyone's faces look weirdly smooth and artificial (the closeups of Spock during the Starfleet Headquarters scene look like his face is melting with all the noise reduction added) and there's literally no natural grain to be seen. The DVD copy looks pretty great upscaled on my laptop, I haven't tried it on my TV, but I like it very much as it doesn't look like a video game unlike the Blu-ray. TFF looks meh for the first third or so, but once Sybok takes the Enterprise, it's as if the grain is completely turned off. It makes for a truly strange experience and really gives TUC a run for its money. TVH looks bad, TSFS looks bad, GEN looks bad, FC looks bad... you get the point.

The sad thing about it is that the Director's Cut Blu-ray of TWOK shows that Paramount can put out a good transfer if they put their mind to it. Unfortunately, they don't seem to want to do that.

I managed to grab HD TV caps of all nine films excluding NEM. They're essentially the Blu-rays, just with less detail and less digital enhancements. They're pretty great, but difficult to attain. There's also a 4K untouched 35mm LPP scan of TSFS on MySpleen, which, if you're into the analogue look, is pretty fucking great. It's the only way I watch it now, but it's not for everyone. After seeing it, the Blu-ray looks way too bright, artificial and vibrant.
 
Last edited:
Mage said:
Some fans have complained about picture quality. Honestly, I think they are compaing it too much with either new movies, shot with modern cameras and such or with high quality remasters, like done for TNG.

I liked them, so I guess ymmv.
Click to expand...
I think it's the exact opposite.

People want it to look more like a film of its day, rather than the tinkered, tampered overly-digital look they added to the movie to make it look more modern.

I want it to look like this:

7020_4_1080p.jpg


Not this:

1vfQqLw.jpg


Zoom in for full effect!
 
Shalashaska said:
I think it's the exact opposite.

People want it to look more like a film of its day, rather than the tinkered, tampered overly-digital look they added to the movie to make it look more modern.

I want it to look like this:

7020_4_1080p.jpg


Not this:

1vfQqLw.jpg


Zoom in for full effect!
Click to expand...

Have you had your Spock laminated? He looks like an Auton! Sit far enough away from the TV, and never press pause, and it won't look as shit as it really is.
 
Ideally, I'd love to have all ten movies with reference quality picture. But the above is what we have and is much better than the DVD's.

I wouldn't be holding my breath for any upgrades.
 
The good news is that 4K will help accentuate the need for film grain and the problems with DNR even more, just as HD did when it came onto the scene. I don't fully blame Paramount, the Star Trek Blu-rays were put out early in the Blu-ray format's lifespan which means most studios were still using methods from the DVD era such as the use of noise reduction and edge enhancement as it wasn't so noticeable in SD. You can see there's a major difference between the classic films put out seven years ago and the classic films put out in the last two years, just look at Patton.

4K will mean more film-like presentation, more proper restorations of old films and will probably be the best you'll see the majority of old films shot on 35mm. I'm very very eager to see how the eventual UHD HDR release of Wrath of Khan will look, and hopefully it'll stand the test of time in seven years just as the Blu-rays didn't.
 
Unless 4K unexpectedly breaks out as a mainstream format, I think it's unlikely Paramount will do anything with the older films. There just isn't money in it, or else they'd have remastered the whole lot for the 50th Anniversary.
 
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