I guess I'm buying the Star Trek HD-DVD set now

[Outpost4]

On the discs are the remastered episodes for the original Season One of Star Trek (1966-67, The Man Trap through Operation: Annihilate!). The Cage is not in the set, outside of the parts used in The Menagerie. There are both regular definition DVD and HD-DVD versions of the remastered episodes in the box presented in the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio.

If you have the previous Star Trek DVD box, it's the same thing that's in the yellow case, only the remastered episodes, and in both SD and HD.

 

[Elim]

Thanks a bunch!

I shall ascertain if Deepdiscount will ship to Europe, immediately *dancesaroundhappily*.

Edit: Yes, they do. $123 incl. shipping is okay - I just hope the tax won't be too much.

 

[Mallory]

Welcome to the board Elim! Don't be a stranger, OK?

 

[Elim]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Mallory.
I'll try and engage in Trek discussion. Glad I found a nice place to do that, I'm feeling too lonely in RL with my Trek obsession.

Also, I need you to cheer me up while I have to wait ten to TWENTY days for my TOS delivery.

 

[trevanian]

RAMA said:

Doug Otte said:

Turtletrekker said:

Doug Otte said:
Hear, hear, Jason. Your arguments are well done and point out the discrepancies in what Turtle is writing.

What discrepancies? BULLSHIT! He took what I said and twisted it to fit his arguement, and I called him on it straight away. I guessing that neither one of you really even bothered to actually read what I said.

Some people just believe what they want to believe, and let neither reality or the printed words that are right in front of their face affect their reasoning.

I'll just refer you to Jason's posts 8265968 and 8266066 in which he quoted your exact words and responded to them. I was congratulating him on his fine writing and agreed with him. I wasn't necessarily picking on you; you just happened to be the latest example of the kind of reasoning that Jason and I disagree with. I also disagree with Rossi for making the same kind of statements.

But, I'm hitting my head against a brick wall here. We won't get the original episodes in HD. I'm getting tired of whining about it and I'm sure everyone else here is tired of my whining, too.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the modified episodes in HD. In fact, I'm eager to read the reviews and see some screenshots. However, beyond the novelty of seeing a few episodes on TV, I'm not interested in the cartoonish new effects and thus won't waste my money on the HD sets.

Doug

The style of effects is meant to be a "60s look" so the detail and sharpness don't detract from the rest of the 60s footage. Its appropriate. Its still light years better than the original FX, and if you had SEEN it on a big screen, like I saw with Managerie, you'd see how superior they really are. When the old FX merged into the new Enteprise in the doc, people were awed.

RAMA

If by 60s look, you mean it looks like a 60s 2d cartoon, may-be. The detail and sharpness are completely at a remove from the original model shots in many cases, and more importantly, they don't mesh with the look of the live-action in terms of contrast -- to me, a lot of the added stuff seems almost like intercutting stuff shot on ntsc video with 16mm or 35mm filmstock.

All this stuff about making TOS accessible to new audiences via HD doesn't take into account the main thing that makes the old show look dated ... the insanely fake looking planetscape sets (which is true of TNG as well, up till maybe yr 6 or so.) Making the BOTANY BAY tumble or float differently doesn't register significantly with a lot of general viewers, it is a sop to diehards who will probably re-buy everything anytime something gets changed (which thank god doesn't include me anymore.)

I've seen a couple TOS eps projected on film -- not in ideal conditions, at conventions -- and thought they looked tremendous resolutionwise (probably because 35mm, and even 16mm prints, are higher rez than HD.) There is a clarity with DLP projection that I'll allow is ... let's say interesting looking, but only in IDEAL conditions (which I've seen in the ILM screening room.) And even in ideal conditions, it still hasn't rivalled excellent 35 mm projection in well-maintained cinemas.

 

[Outpost4]

My DVDs arrived today. I just watched Return to Tomorrow.

I played this one first because it was so butchered up by syndication cuts. I wanted to see it complete. I loved this episode back when. From the strange opening teaser - this is Star Trek? - through an involving story with many comic touches, this is quintessential Star Trek to me. Not as moving as say, City On The Edge of Forever or as deep as Devil In The Dark, it still is a fun adventure story.

But that's not why you are reading this. How did it look? In a word: outstanding. Star Trek has never looked better. The picture was terrific. The colors were vivid beyond my memory, especially the reds. Detail as you'd expect was phenomenal. I could clearly read "Starship Class" on the dedication plaque as Capt. Christopher enters the bridge for the first time. All of the small colored buttons and displays on the bridge stood out in crisp detail. Sometimes the definition was too good. You could tell the wear and tear already visible on the bridge set. Uhura's wardrobe malfunction, a screen cap used in a recent caption contest, was from this episode and was clearly visible. Spock's ear in one shot was obviously pasted on (all other applications were fine). Other things came out wonderfully. At one point Kirk is taking calls on his cabin monitor. We can't see the screen but we can see light reflecting off his shirt, varying in intensity. It was a totally unnecessary production touch but it makes it makes the scene believable. Certainly this was visible on the regular DVDs. I just never noticed it before. High definition can do that to you.

With some minor quibbles like the ship rocking too much during the opening scenes, the remastering looked excellent. It was much better than what I've seen over the air. The remastering was made for high definition. Too bad it isn't being broadcast that way. It exhibited none of the cartoonish quality I've seen on broadcasts. It will be interesting to watch The Galileo Seven. I thought some of the shuttlecraft shots were poor when I saw it off-air.

The audio was equally good. Strangely, Kirk's narration on the opening credits was muted, in the background and with too much echo. I haven't heard that before. The re-recorded opening music didn't seem strident like it does on the mono broadcasts from my local station.

A very good start. I am happy with my purchase.

I will do a more in depth review, comparing the HD-DVDs with the regular DVDs, in the future. Tonight was just for the fun of Star Trek.

 

[Mallory]

Thanks for the update. It made me seriously consider taking the plunge myself.

For the real reviews, I suggest a completely new thread though. Ala The Laughing Vulcan's TOS reviews.

 

[BillJ]

My DVDs arrived today. I just watched Return to Tomorrow.

'Tomorrow is Yesterday'.

 

[Outpost4]

How embarrassing. I always get those two episode titles mixed up. Add in All Our Yesterdays and I'm a blubbering idiot.

Mallory, I'd thought about starting a new thread for the reviews, too. Thank you for the encouragement.

 

[Elim]

Look, what you did, you made me all over my keyboard.

I still have to wait two or three weeks, it took Deepdiscount three days to finally ship it and they they say 10 to 20 days shipping time. It may be cheap, but veerrry slowlyy. The other week I ordered the new Sony reader from US and UPS delivered it within 50 hours!

I very much hope that the DVD versions are pretty good too, because I still don't have HD hardware. And after your tech discussion I tend to wait and see which format will prevail in the end.

The waiting is killing me. And I'm very much looking forward to your comparative reviews DVD vs. HD DVD.

 

[Ronald Held]

I was going to get it as a gift, but the giver changed her mind, so I will have to buy it myself when I get a HD-DVD drive

 

[Outpost4]

I guess I can forget the free phaser remote promotion with the purchase of the HD-DVD box set. That's bogus.

I looked this morning at the coupon that comes with the discs and you have to purchase both the discs and the player between 11/20/07 and 2/28/08. I bought my player a few weeks ago. Plus I sent in its UPC code to get the five free discs Toshiba was offering. I don't have it to send in for this promo.

I'd rather have the discs than a toy remote, anyway.

 

[TrekAlliance92]

I had cancelled my Amazon order for this set at first...and then pounced on the DeepDiscount...discount :P

I've watched the remastered episodes in local syndication and have really enjoyed them. My dad has the original DVD sets, so I can watch them at any time, but even though I don't own an HD-DVD, I decided to get the remeastered version for the DVD side (I paid $100 each for all 4 seasons of Enterprise, so it's not too bad). I'm looking forward to it (shipped last week).

The impressions sound very promising. My local station had poor picture and sound quality (and no HD feed) and often had technical difficulties cutting out entire parts of episodes. So, to see these clear--even if just in ED 480p on the DVD side--will be very nice.

 

[MANT!]