Season TWO OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

[Tosk]

there are some photos in there where it looks like the DVD version is better than the Blu-Ray version, such as the first two sets of photos.

C'mon now, you have to be kidding. In what way is that blurry, pixelated shot of the Enterprise better than the new version? And what's wrong with the Dauphin shot?

I can totally understand some people being disappointed in the quality drop from season 1, but worse than the DVDs? Let's not get nuts here.


I really like that Samaritan Snare shot. The contrast/color settings are much more pleasing than the original.

 

[tomalak301]

there are some photos in there where it looks like the DVD version is better than the Blu-Ray version, such as the first two sets of photos.

C'mon now, you have to be kidding. In what way is that blurry, pixelated shot of the Enterprise better than the new version? And what's wrong with the Dauphin shot?

Both of them had more color, especially the one with the Dauphin shot. It was almost like on the blu-rays they cleared it up, but made it look a little more bland, with barely any color. Of course this might be different actually watching the sets (And maybe trekcore got them reversed) but under the DVD column, it looks like that has been made up while the one on the right looks blurry.

It's the first two sets of pictures I wonder if they reversed it by mistake. That would make some sense too, especially since the bottom pictures the blu-ray enhancements do look pretty good.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

I was trying not to believe it and thought a lot of the talk lately was people overreacting, but there are some photos in there where it looks like the DVD version is better than the Blu-Ray version, such as the first two sets of photos. That is concerning.

Better in what sense? Certainly not resolution. Are you looking at the thumbnails only, or did you look at the full resolution images and compare them? The DVD versions have composite dot crawl, chroma noise and rainbow effects, black horizontal blanking interval bars on the left or right, etc. They're a mess!

The criticism of HTV is getting a bit ridiculous if people are starting to proclaim the DVD versions as better or superior. I mean, let's keep some perspective here.

 

[tomalak301]

I was trying not to believe it and thought a lot of the talk lately was people overreacting, but there are some photos in there where it looks like the DVD version is better than the Blu-Ray version, such as the first two sets of photos. That is concerning.

Better in what sense? Certainly not resolution. Are you looking at the thumbnails only, or did you look at the full resolution images and compare them? The DVD versions have composite dot crawl, chroma noise and rainbow effects, black horizontal blanking interval bars on the left or right, etc. They're a mess!

The criticism of HTV is getting a bit ridiculous if people are starting to proclaim the DVD versions as better or superior. I mean, let's keep some perspective here.

I was looking at the thumbnails, but when I looked at the bigger image, it looked somewhat better. I still think there was more color on the DVD version but I don't represent many people comparing the DVDs to the Blu-Rays. It was just my first thought looking at them. I also believe I said that the images would be a lot better once we get the sets.

Also, I think I've been more than grateful for what CBS Digital is doing here so forgive me if I had a slight criticism.

 

[Maxwell Everett]

I was looking at the thumbnails, but when I looked at the bigger image, it looked somewhat better. I still think there was more color on the DVD version but I don't represent many people comparing the DVDs to the Blu-Rays. It was just my first thought looking at them. I also believe I said that the images would be a lot better once we get the sets.

Also, I think I've been more than grateful for what CBS Digital is doing here so forgive me if I had a slight criticism.

I didn't mean to disregard all of what you've said on the subject (frankly I'm not keeping score), just reacting to that exact post you made comparing the Blu-ray caps unfavorably to the DVD ones. And indeed -- just as I suspected -- you were basing your criticism on thumbnails.

The praise for CBS Digital has been pretty much universal. It's HTV (Illuminate Hollywood) whose work seems to not be quite as polished. I assume that's what you meant to write.

 

[NewHorizon]

Also, I think I've been more than grateful for what CBS Digital is doing here so forgive me if I had a slight criticism.

I think the majority of us are grateful for the work CBS-Digital did. We're just not so happy with what HTV-Illuminate has done with Season 2, or with the prospects of what they might do with Seasons 4 and 6 if CBS-Digital doesn't step in and do a Quality pass on them.

 

[davejames]

The only new shot that looks iffy to me is the Pen Pals planet. The others look perfectly fine.

Although I am starting to wish they had replaced some of these 2-footer shots. That model just doesn't hold up at all in HD.

 

[mswood]

Well so far, I have only disliked three stills, two of explosions that just seem off (and I hope thats just because its a still, after all we normally see those in quick motion), and one reused orbiting shot.

That shot just highlights the main over riding issue I have with so far all effects shots except for one (the vortex shots besides a matte line, I really like all of those), that all teh special fx seems like, like well Dan Curry did them.

Sorry, but its a lite in a way that just makes it looked washed out, and the fine detail looks like its been under a soft filter, which takes away some of the great detail that was originally there.

Now I freely admit that the motion control work (ie new filmed elements of season two) might have been done in a way that captured less detail then what ILM did (the lion share of model shots of the ship last season). As tehy did work to improve the speed they could complete the shots, and to increase the dynamic range of type of shots they cuold do (even with the 6 ft model, though it was clear that had to change).

But when we get footage that was used in the first season, with model work by ILM and new planet recreation from CBS digital that are clearly of a either.
1. A different style or
2. Higher quality.

As much as I gripe about Dan Curry (and only in regards to his style, not the design of his work, or his later teams on TNG, and DS9), it truly is a different style that he did then what LEgato did at the time. Just as you can tell the style between the later visual fx producers when they expanded the team.

I mean look at TOS (not the FX) but even cleaned up the style of the women having a softer focus (due to the filter used on those shots) is still there. That style wasn't messed with, even if they could (which I have no idea if they could on that). I know they wouldn't want to.

But since its not just a few shots, that seem lite in this manner (ie his original episodes), I do have an issue with it.

Will I buy it? Probably, but it for the live action, but it will be a purchase that I am not really happy with.

 

[Tosk]

I was just flicking through eps on DVD, and I'm dying to see how the recreated Nagilum effect will look. I'm assuming they still had the unwarped footage of Earl Boen in the archives, so I'm wondering if the effect will be 100% faithful or if it will noticeably benefit from newer effects technology.

Same goes for the low-rent morphing in The Dauphin. Will they smooth out the dissolves just a little bit more? (I'm guessing probably not, seeing as the stop motion in Conspiracy remained the same.) I prefer when they stick closely to the original effects, but I'm never against these kind of minor tweaks.

 

[FrontierTrek]

I was just flicking through eps on DVD, and I'm dying to see how the recreated Nagilum effect will look. I'm assuming they still had the unwarped footage of Earl Boen in the archives, so I'm wondering if the effect will be 100% faithful or if it will noticeably benefit from newer effects technology.

Same goes for the low-rent morphing in The Dauphin. Will they smooth out the dissolves just a little bit more? (I'm guessing probably not, seeing as the stop motion in Conspiracy remained the same.) I prefer when they stick closely to the original effects, but I'm never against these kind of minor tweaks.

Nagilum, from what I can see, has been re-done in CGI.

The Dauphin morphs are indeed smoothed out with CGI.

 

[Tosk]

Nagilum, from what I can see, has been re-done in CGI.

Totally CG? That surprises me. Maybe the original footage was lost.

The Dauphin morphs are indeed smoothed out with CGI.

That surprises me too, but in a good way.

 

[roliver]

but it will be a purchase that I am not really happy with.

You're already not happy with something you haven't bought and haven't seen?

 

[Scotty]

Some of the new shots on Trekcore are kind of adequate. But still, this is a jarringly different approach than the one CBS Digital took.

 

[TheSeeker]

The Dauphin morphs are indeed smoothed out with CGI.

Excellent. I've been very curious about that shot as well.

 

[Flake]

I'm not overly familiar with the curry vs legato argument, but...

I think tin man is a legato ep, the ship looks nice there.

So without looking I presume that makes 'the hunted' a Dan Curry ep because the ship looks like crap?

 

[davejames]

Some of the new shots on Trekcore are kind of adequate. But still, this is a jarringly different approach than the one CBS Digital took.

Maybe, but to me the switching back and forth between 4 and 6-foot ship models in later seasons is FAR more jarring than the difference between these FX shots.

 

[trekker670]

More screencaps available: http://tng.trekcore.com/bluray/15112012_ssn2stills3.html#nov21

On another note, I think this would be a great deleted scene / alternate ending they should have made available in the bluray for "Elementary, Dear Data:"

The original ending filmed was cut from the episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion 2nd ed., pp. 68-69) Hurley recalled, "In that ending, Picard knew how to defeat Moriarty. He tricked him. He knew all along that Moriarty could leave the holodeck whenever he wanted to, and he knew because when Data came out and showed him a drawing of the Enterprise, if that piece of paper could leave the holodeck, that means that the fail-safe had broken down. In turn, this means that the matter-energy converter which creates the holodeck, now allowed the matter to leave the holodeck, which was, up to that point, impossible. When he knew that paper had left the holodeck, he knew that Moriarty could as well, so he lied to him." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 174)

 

[Tosk]

Stuff leaves the holodeck often though*, which makes that ending a bit nonsensical.

*Heck, the very first time someone exits the holodeck on screen, replicated matter leaves with them.

Edited to add: That's not to say I wouldn't like to see the scene though of course.

 

[MikeS]

So they actually recognised and tried to explain that little blooper. Interesting.

 

[Salinga]

Is it me, or does the space station look upscaled from SD?