The Blu-Ray movie collection

[firehawk12]

I'm just wondering if anyone has picked this up or will pick this up?
I own all the DVDs, so I wouldn't mind some opinions on the set before upgrading to the new set.

 

[B.C.]

I picked it up after work today. I too own the SE DVDs, but I NEED to see these in HD. I'm watching the "Captain's Summit" bonus disc now. So, I'll post back with my thoughts of that along with the movies.

Any news on when Paramount intends to release the TNG movies on Blu-Ray?

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Blu-Ray movie collection & TNG remaster question

firehawk12 A thread is here:
Blu-ray 'Star Trek Motion Picture Collection'
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=90508

Any news on when Paramount intends to release the TNG movies on Blu-Ray?

http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=2924747&postcount=10
and
http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=2946055&postcount=20

Those are the relevant posts but to answer your question no 'news' since August 7, 2007 that

They further revealed that tests had been done for a possible future Star Trek: The Next Generation - Remastered effort.

 

[Falcor5]

Re: Blu-Ray movie collection & TNG remaster question

Any news on when Paramount intends to release the TNG movies on Blu-Ray?

http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=2924747&postcount=10
and
http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=2946055&postcount=20

Those are the relevant posts but to answer your question no 'news' since August 7, 2007 that

They further revealed that tests had been done for a possible future Star Trek: The Next Generation - Remastered effort.

I think B.C. was asking about the TNG movies on Blu-Ray not the show. I think its been said that the TNG movies are due out on Blu-ray later this year.

 

[Mr. B]

I'm going to wait for the High Def Digest reviews.

 

[Bertie]

I've watched TWOK and TUC start to finish and sampled scenes from each of the other four, comparing what I saw against both the (NTSC) DVDs and HDTV recordings. But I'm not a cinephile, so all I can manage are a few randoms in lieu of a review:

• TUC is in a class by itself with respect to picture sharpness; it is the only one of the six that comes within sniffing distance of what you'd get from the Blu-Ray release of a recent movie. You can easily, say, read all the text on the dedication plaque next to the Excelsior's view screen. Or, for that matter, trace all the wrinkles on the actors' faces (and all the makeup used to cover them up). The DVD isn't even close.
• Speaking very, very roughly, the quality of III through V is certainly north of their respective DVDs but not what you'd get from a Blu-Ray of a recent film. TWOK, which I gather is the only one of the set to get a full blown restoration, is a bit better.
• Colors in TWOK are different from DVD/HDTV. One example: when Carol interrupts the fist fight between Kirk and David, there's a cargo container behind them that has "United Federation of Planets" printed on it. On DVD/HDTV, that container is basically grey. On Blu-Ray it is taxicab yellow. Most of the other color changes are more subtle, but Trek fans who've seen this movie a zillion times will still notice them right off: highlights and trimming on the uniforms (they even lived up Khan's crew's uniforms a bit), computer consoles, lights on the ships, plant life in the Genesis cave, and more. I don't remember what this movie was like in the theaters, so I don't know whether this is the way it is "supposed to be".
• These are the theatrical cuts. For the two films I watched whole, that wasn't a problem—the Director's/Collector's cuts were just fluff that good Editors should have kept out (and did in the theaters). When I get to TMP, though, and maybe TSFS, I suspect I'll be missing the extended cuts.
• Speaking of cuts, these are Blu-Rays—we do have seamless branching, right? Would it have killed them to give us the choice? (Size of these things is 40-45 gigs, so there is room for the extra few minutes).
• Only had a few minutes to look at TMP, but got some bad early impressions—ships that are a lot more sharp than they used to be against a background of space (or of V'ger) that is still as "fuzzy" as ever, making it all look, I don't know, fake.

 

[firehawk12]

Ah, I missed the other thread. Still, I'll just say that I'm surprised that they only had the theatrical versions of the films in the set. It's slightly disappointing.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Blu-Ray movie collection TNG

I think B.C. was asking about the TNG movies on Blu-Ray not the show. I think its been said that the TNG movies are due out on Blu-ray later this year.

Sorry Falcor & B.C. it was late yesterday and I didn't realize it was the movies not the TV show.
Yes it was mentioned that later this year although 2009 will be a year that Paramount & CBS Home Video profits greatly from Star Trek. I would not be surprised if they delay the TNG movies until 2010 from Blu-ray release.
Since they don't have anything else in the hopper to release except TOS series remastered Blu-ray seasons 2 & 3 I figure they will spread out something into 2010.

 

[Brikar99]

• Colors in TWOK are different from DVD/HDTV. One example: when Carol interrupts the fist fight between Kirk and David, there's a cargo container behind them that has "United Federation of Planets" printed on it. On DVD/HDTV, that container is basically grey. On Blu-Ray it is taxicab yellow. Most of the other color changes are more subtle, but Trek fans who've seen this movie a zillion times will still notice them right off: highlights and trimming on the uniforms (they even lived up Khan's crew's uniforms a bit), computer consoles, lights on the ships, plant life in the Genesis cave, and more. I don't remember what this movie was like in the theaters, so I don't know whether this is the way it is "supposed to be".
• These are the theatrical cuts. For the two films I watched whole, that wasn't a problem—the Director's/Collector's cuts were just fluff that good Editors should have kept out (and did in the theaters). When I get to TMP, though, and maybe TSFS, I suspect I'll be missing the extended cuts.

I'll agree on the colors - the shots of the Enterprise leaving spacedock definitely have more of a blue tint to them than I've seen before.

On the second point, as I recall there was no extended cut of "Search for Spock", as Nimoy said he didn't want to do one.

 

[Grant]

The 'editors' didn't decide to make the final cuts to TWOK & TUC the long forgotten studio bosses did. They overruled Meyer on both those movies and forced him to make cuts he ddin't want to.
He says so in the brand new commentary for TWOK.

Finding out Preston is Scott's nephew isn't fluff. A McCoy/Spock debate isn't fluff. Kirk opening up to McCoy about how he just was beaten by Khan and the guilt he feels isn't fluff. Spock mentoring Saavik about the 'human ego' right up till his heroic death isn't fluff. It's what Trek is all about.



And yes, they could have & SHOULD HAVE used seamless branching for the meager less than 4 minutes of additions to those two movies.

They could have also done seamless branching on TMP between the theatrical and the 'special longer edition' first show on TV in 1983.

 

[Bertie]

Conceded—fluff was too strong a word. I still think the theatrical cuts of TWOK and TUC were the better movies taken as a whole—after all, you get the bad along with the good, like the "unmasking" at the end of TUC. But that's why they make seamless branching, so we don't have to argue this stuff

 

[Grant]

^^Very good point !!

But the version the Director prefers definately deserves to be seen.

Granted not every added line is perfect, but many lines and bits in the theatrical are disliked by some folks, so i think the director should have the say.

I think it's sad that some exec who fidgeted in his seat in 1982 and demanded that the director cut 3 or 4 minutes from TWOK---"maybe the part with the kid or the doctor and the pointy eared guy arguing'----gets HIS version of TWOK for all-time in all formats and the writer/director doesn't !!

For all we know they were the ones responsible for cutting out that Saavik was half-Romulan as well. Wow that saved 19 seconds of screen time.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Although the scene with Peter Preston and Kirk is over long, and I can understand why it was cut, knowing that Preston was Scotty's nephew adds so much more to the viewer's understanding of Scotty's grief at his death, and IMO also adds so much more emotional depth to the film.

I certainly don't want a Blu-ray copy of TWOK that doesn't have this scene it. I don't care if Paramount can't get the extra Director's Edition scenes up to full HD spec. I want them in the film.

 

[Grant]

^^Agreed.

They could have had seamless branching to the additional material in 480p with a note to the viewer that the material was not available in 1080P.

It has been done before when the studio wanted to include something but they only had inferior prints or even 16mm prints (as was done to restore the original King Kong)
If you look at the additional material from TWOK you can see it is in great shape, so it would have been only the resolution that was affected--not dust, dirt or scratches.

As for the first peter preston scene..........

Really if you watch that scene, it is only his final line, ".....and if the Admiral can't see the facts for himself--he's as blind as a Tiberian bat!"----that is really clunky.
They could easily cut off the line at the point where he says, "oh no, this is the finest engine room in the whole fleet.....!"

But Meyer was ordered to cut it completely and probably wasn't interested in doing a fine tuning when he did the TV version 3 years later.

 

[Similitude]

Will TNG Blu Ray be widescreen finally? I can't see the point of putting in HD if its going to be Full Screen.

Have they transfered all of the Special Features from the SE DVD's or are some of them lost?

 

[trevanian]

Will TNG Blu Ray be widescreen finally? I can't see the point of putting in HD if its going to be Full Screen.

Have they transfered all of the Special Features from the SE DVD's or are some of them lost?

TNG was SHOT for fullscreen. It wasn't till the 90s that TV shows BEGAN to frame with the notion of covering for a different aspect ratio.

Widescreen for TNG would be cutting off the top and bottom of the proper frame, just as it would be for TOS (though probably not as bad in result, since TNG wasn't usually framed in a particularly striking way, so you'd be hurting the image, but not hurting a great image.)

 

[trevanian]

I think it's sad that some exec who fidgeted in his seat in 1982 and demanded that the director cut 3 or 4 minutes from TWOK---"maybe the part with the kid or the doctor and the pointy eared guy arguing'----gets HIS version of TWOK for all-time in all formats and the writer/director doesn't !!

For all we know they were the ones responsible for cutting out that Saavik was half-Romulan as well. Wow that saved 19 seconds of screen time.

The only stuff that I know the Paramount guy was pissed over was the terrible Eden cave shot, and that wasn't even cut!

As far as I know, BENNETT is the guy who cut the movie down from 129 minutes to 113 (that's what MAKING OF ST 2 indicates), so put the blame where it is due.

And yeah, cutting the Rom thing is horrible, not just for itself, but for what it let Nimoy do to fuck up the Saavik character in the next one.

 

[Cheapjack]

Have they recoloured these movies? They looked a bit faded on the advert on UK TV. I hope that they have, it would be a bit of a swizz, if they haven't. The orange of Vulcan doesn't look as orange on the advert.

I don't know when I'll be able to afford to buy them.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

The Blu-Ray movie collection & framing for widescreen TV

The Digital Bits has a review up.
Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection 1979-91 (2009)

each film has 2-4 additional behind-the-scenes featurettes, most in full high-definition, on various aspects of the production or Trek history.

very cool.

trekweb.com review

TNG was SHOT for fullscreen. It wasn't till the 90s that TV shows BEGAN to frame with the notion of covering for a different aspect ratio.

ER was one of the first TV series to be broadcast in widescreen
ER - The Complete First Season (1994-95) review (2003 DVD)

Presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen, ER looks great on DVD. The show plays like it was framed with 16:9 format in mind

I've watched 9 seasons on DVD through Netflix and seasons 1-3 are a real treat watching them in widescreen. They feel like a modern day TV show or just more cinematic. The producers really planned ahead.
ER was a cut negative show like NYPD Blue and Star Trek TOS in that once the episode was edited and mastered to video the camera negative was conformed to the edit within a week or two and archived. (TOS was cut negative and an Interpositive print was made for the playout to broadcast TV most likely).
For ER in 2003 that cut negative was telecined to HD. You can see tiny white dust spots all over the DVD so you know it was telecined from the negative for HD widescreen. Doubtful that show will be released on Blu-ray but you never know. Maybe Warner Bros. would do a best of Blu-ray from all seasons of ER...


Similar to Trek putting 7 seasons of TNG or Voyager on DVD set but costing much less for 12 seasons you can get the
ER: Seasons 1-12 (73 DVD Box Set) $116.00
Warner Brothers knows people aren't paying $235. for 7 seasons like Trek fans do. So it is an incredible bargain considering each season cost $30-40. when released over the past 6 years.

 

[trevanian]

Re: The Blu-Ray movie collection & framing for widescreen TV

TNG was SHOT for fullscreen. It wasn't till the 90s that TV shows BEGAN to frame with the notion of covering for a different aspect ratio.

ER was one of the first TV series to be broadcast in widescreen
ER - The Complete First Season (1994-95) review (2003 DVD)

Presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen, ER looks great on DVD. The show plays like it was framed with 16:9 format in mind

I've watched 9 seasons on DVD through Netflix and seasons 1-3 are a real treat watching them in widescreen. They feel like a modern day TV show or just more cinematic. The producers really planned ahead.

American Cinematographer had a feature on QUANTUM LEAP that indicated they had started 'protecting' the frame via framing for future widescreen by the third season or so, and that is the first reference i saw anywhere to that happening.

I suppose it is like super 35 framing options in that you can cover for both 4x3 and 16X9 IF you take a little time, but clearly lots of folks weren't thinking ahead 20 years ago.