Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD's?

[Phoenicianknight]

Having a family amd all the regular expeneses (Mortgage, bills, ect...) plus I have to feed these guys once in a while, I don't have the disposable income I wish I had.

A while back, I started to buy the 2 episode dvd sets. (I'm old and waited a while to buy it) just before they switched formats. I shouldn't have, because them sum bitches said "We have no plans to release the original episodes in any other format" I knew they were lying through their green pointed teeth!

I also reasoned it out in my head that I could buy just the episodes I wanted (Well two at a time anyway), instead of a whole season.

Now believe me, it is a treat to put on the DVDs "City on the edge of Forever" and "Space Seed" ect.. and see them uninterupted, commercial free, and uncut. It's like watchng a 55 minute movie. The color looks great, and the sound is really clear. I always think as I'm seeing it "This is how Gene R. would have wanted us to see it."

I have picked up the last couple at $10 bucks a piece, which is a bargain at the 19.99 they first started at. I picked up most of them at $12.99.

I don't know if they are out yet, but when they do release the set of Classic Star Trek Remastered in season sets, should I pick them up?

Since things have been changed or "Improved" , I'm not quite sure I should drop the money.

 

[Dar70]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Having a family amd all the regular expeneses (Mortgage, bills, ect...) plus I have to feed these guys once in a while, I don't have the disposable income I wish I had.

A while back, I started to buy the 2 episode dvd sets. (I'm old and waited a while to buy it) just before they switched formats. I shouldn't have, because them sum bitches said "We have no plans to release the original episodes in any other format" I knew they were lying through their green pointed teeth!

I also reasoned it out in my head that I could buy just the episodes I wanted (Well two at a time anyway), instead of a whole season.

Now believe me, it is a treat to put on the DVDs "City on the edge of Forever" and "Space Seed" ect.. and see them uninterupted, commercial free, and uncut. It's like watchng a 55 minute movie. The color looks great, and the sound is really clear. I always think as I'm seeing it "This is how Gene R. would have wanted us to see it."

I have picked up the last couple at $10 bucks a piece, which is a bargain at the 19.99 they first started at. I picked up most of them at $12.99.

I don't know if they are out yet, but when they do release the set of Classic Star Trek Remastered in season sets, should I pick them up?

Since things have been changed or "Improved" , I'm not quite sure I should drop the money.

I have seen the quality differences in the remastered and the standard dvds. The differences are so small I dont think its worth getting them.(unless you want the new special effects) The color is a little richer, the darks are darker and the sharpness is slightly sharper. Better than what we saw on tv as youngsters. The standard dvds are probably closer to what we saw on tv so its good enough forme. I bought the season sets at $34 each so Im good.

 

[Ovation]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

The remastered versions look better than TOS has looked anywhere (broadcast or DVD) before. This is especially true of the HD DVD version (and will also be true of the upcoming Blu-ray version, probably out around the new movie). Even the SD DVD version of the remasters looks better than any DVD or broadcast I've ever seen. The alterations have not "ruined it" for me, though some are more easily "ignored" (in the sense they don't jar me) than others. The latter alterations are not necessarily bad, but they do require, for me, a bit of an adjustment. The changes were ABSOLUTELY necessary, however for a high definition presentation (whether the specific choices made for the alterations were the best ones remains a matter of opinion--the original effects shots, however, were not capable of making the transition).

Ignoring the alterations, though, the restoration looks stunning in HD (and impressive even in SD). So, if you're a "purist", stick with the DVDs you have as they give the original experience. If you want to see TOS look better than it ever has, get the remasters.

 

[Grant]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

^^^Agreed

I owned the 2 dics sets and then the regular season sets 1-3.

Then I got a HD TV and I bought the season 1 hDDVD/standardDVD 'remasters'.

The remasters look so good with the color correction and clean-up that it is stunning. I could never go back to watching the older copies.

I gave away the previous season sets to my young relatives who are just getting into TOS.

I will buy season 2 & 3 on Blu-ray as soon as they come out.
Also I agree that despite not being a perfect effort the new fx on the remasters were neccessary. The old repetitive degraded ship shots just would not fit with the new sparkling transfers. Also i find that every commercial break is just a little more interesting because I am drawn to the new shots where as i pretty much ignored the 'stock shots' of space scenes after seeing them so many times in so many episodes.

If you don't have an HD-TV and do not plan on getting one any time soon--I'd buy the standard version of the the remasters (the flip-side of the already released season one & the upcoming season 2--presumably followed soon after by season 3.
If you do have or plan to buy an HD-TV I'd just wait for the (likely 2009) releases.

Netflix also has in stock the standard/HD version of season 1 if you want to sample how the un-cut remasters look with out buying. (You'd have to rent from the 'HDDVD' section and when they come in simply flip them over and watch the standard side.)
HD-TV and Hi-def disc formats are very compelling and it's hard to go back to standard. If you have a decent upconverting DVD player you'll get a good idea just how brilliant the remasters look.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

While we're at it: Is there any difference between the two-episodes-per-disc-dvds and the standard season-box-sets? Different cuts or versions or anything?

 

[ScatmanRescueMe]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

The only differences between the two-disc and standard box sets are a couple of episodes of the 'two-disc' versions have a line of two missing from the episode. Tholian Web has one line missing and perhaps one other episode has a single line missing.

Some folks claim the 'two-disc sets are slightly better-wise because there are only two episodes per disc vs up to 4 on the box sets.
I think you'd have to have the eyes of a 18 year old to be able to notice any difference.
And as opposed to the remastered versions where the picture quality is a revalation the difference between the two previous versions would be as nothing.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Some folks claim the 'two-disc sets are slightly better-wise because there are only two episodes per disc vs up to 4 on the box sets.

Which is bunk, really, since the box sets use dual-layer discs, which provide more than enough space.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

The only differences between the two-disc and standard box sets are a couple of episodes of the 'two-disc' versions have a line of two missing from the episode. Tholian Web has one line missing and perhaps one other episode has a single line missing.

Good, so there is no need for me to get any of the old two-episode-discs.

 

[Doug Otte]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Someone did a comparison using matching screenshots between a 2-ep DVD & the box set equivalent. For some reason, there is a very slight difference in quality, but as Scatman noted, it's hardly noticable. There appeared to be slightly more detail in the 2-ep version.

Doug

 

[Shatmandu]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I'm waiting until the price of the sets and the HD-TVs comes down. Way down.

Joe, cheap

 

[Saxman1]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I'm waiting until the price of the sets and the HD-TVs comes down. Way down.

Joe, cheap

Amen, bro. Some of us have families to feed.

 

[Mallory]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Same here.

 

[S'kai]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

One thing I noticed watching the re-mastered series on TVLand: The resolution is so good you can see all the flaws on the sets - wood grain under the paint, crud in the seams and joints, stuff like that.

If you care one way or the other.

 

[Luke Lightsaber]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I had some of the old VHS episodes. I never bought the 2 disc DVD ones, so I was real happy when the complete seasons sets came out! I love them. I bought all 3 seasons.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I'm waiting until the price of the sets and the HD-TVs comes down. Way down.

And I'll wait until they release HD-Sets of TOS WITHOUT the new FX. Until then, I'm perfectly happy with my standard box sets.

 

[erastus25]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I'm waiting until the price of the sets and the HD-TVs comes down. Way down.

Joe, cheap

Amen, bro. Some of us have families to feed.

Agreed. I don't want to start up a debate or anything, but ST is about the stories, and I can enjoy them just fine on my 27" CRT TV with a standard DVD player.

 

[Ovation]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

I'm waiting until the price of the sets and the HD-TVs comes down. Way down.

And I'll wait until they release HD-Sets of TOS WITHOUT the new FX. Until then, I'm perfectly happy with my standard box sets.

Then you will wait....forever. It simply is NOT going to happen. NO amount of work will make the original effects shots look even mediocre in HD resolution. I understand the desire to have the originals, but your SD sets are it.

Ironically, the only other series likely to see an HD release is Enterprise. TOS was shot on film (which has a higher resolution than even "full HD") and Enterprise was shot with HD in mind, but the other series were not. When most TV went from film to videotape, in the seventies, it (unknowingly) condemned those programmes to SD. Only recently, when programmes went to HD cameras, has this trend reversed. Thus you will see Bonanza in HD but not the Cosby Show (relative merits of each aside, this is a technical issue). Of course, the improvement of HD over SD (on DVD--cable/sat is another matter as SD channels are heavily compressed and do not ever reach full potential) is only really apparent to most people (given the average person's eyesight, the average distance people sit from a display AND the level of concern about such things) on screens 50 or more inches (diag) and/or those who sit quite close to smaller sets. So for many, SD is quite fine.

Those with bigger screens, however, do benefit quite a bit from the remasters and it is to those people that I recommend the high definition versions.

 

[ST-One]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Ironically, the only other series likely to see an HD release is Enterprise.

As far as I know at least TNG (and DS9 perhaps also) was shot on film - and then converted to video for the post-processing (editing, VFX and so forth).

 

[Ovation]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Ironically, the only other series likely to see an HD release is Enterprise.

As far as I know at least TNG (and DS9 perhaps also) was shot on film - and then converted to video for the post-processing (editing, VFX and so forth).

The amount of post-processing in TNG and DS9 that happened at the video stage is far more than the effects shots of TOS and, as such, represent a much more complex and, more importantly, EXPENSIVE proposition to convert to HD. HD channels may broadcast TNG and DS9, but they are not using HD masters, so the quality is no better than an SD disc being rescaled to HD resolution. That can look ok, but it depends heavily on the video processing of either the cable/sat box or the display--the former is usually very mediocre (at best) at such processing while the quality of the latter varies widely and wildly within and across brands.

TOS and Enterprise, no matter what is done with the other three series, will look MUCH better in HD than the others. The same applies to a large segment of TV programmes from the early 70s to about 5-6 years ago.

 

[ST-One]

Re: Is the Star Trek Remastered that much better than the standard DVD

Ironically, the only other series likely to see an HD release is Enterprise.

As far as I know at least TNG (and DS9 perhaps also) was shot on film - and then converted to video for the post-processing (editing, VFX and so forth).

The amount of post-processing in TNG and DS9 that happened at the video stage is far more than the effects shots of TOS and, as such, represent a much more complex and, more importantly, EXPENSIVE proposition to convert to HD. HD channels may broadcast TNG and DS9, but they are not using HD masters, so the quality is no better than an SD disc being rescaled to HD resolution. That can look ok, but it depends heavily on the video processing of either the cable/sat box or the display--the former is usually very mediocre (at best) at such processing while the quality of the latter varies widely and wildly within and across brands.

TOS and Enterprise, no matter what is done with the other three series, will look MUCH better in HD than the others. The same applies to a large segment of TV programmes from the early 70s to about 5-6 years ago.

You are right.
IF there should be a true HD-release of TNG, DS9 and VOY we would get almost completely new shows, since there would be a need for new VFX and new editing/processing of the raw film-footage.