The Okudas talk DS9-R

[Warp Coil]

I think that DS9 would really benefit from a HD restoration. The sets on that series were particularly interesting and I think that the series just has more visual flair than TNG. I think that DS9 holds up better in standard-def than TNG (particularly the early seasons of TNG) but I would be really curious to see an HD restored version of "Emissary" and see the difference.

I fully support CBS and their remarkable investment with the TNG blu-ray release. I'm already planning to purchase the entire series in HD. So I'm voting with my wallet and doing what I can to make sure that they consider doing the same for DS9 down the road.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Fascinating!

So, that means...will we finally be able to hear the Quark's Bar conversations?

The one I'm particuarly interested in--I actually started a thread about it--was Bashir and Ezri's conversation in "Emperor's New Cloak". One can hear it faintly...but it's drowned out by Quark's whining to Odo.

I think most conversations of the extras in the bar were just "walla walla" conversations, nothing of real subsistence.

Getting to finally hear Morn's dialogue!

Well, FWIW, Judy and Gar noted in their book about DS9 that Morn actually does say something in the background at least once, in "Emmisary," when Sisko and Quark discuss the "local synthale".

It's Morn's notorious "funniest joke in the universe"--"Biblism finger fink" and so forth....

As for Ezri and Julian, you actually can make out Julian saying actual words, in "Emperor", while Ezri laughs in delight. It's what he's saying that's the question.

 

[BillJ]

For DS9 as a whole, or at least the later CGI shows, the obvious choice would be to hire Gary Hutzel's team from BSG In-House Effects, since approximately one out of every two episodes from those seasons was supervised by...well, Gary Hutzel. Even if he decides to change some aspects, the overall style would be consistent with the original and the shots would be better across the board, not like TOS-R.

Like the other two series, DS9 would be handled in-house by CBS Digital.

 

[bullethead]

For DS9 as a whole, or at least the later CGI shows, the obvious choice would be to hire Gary Hutzel's team from BSG In-House Effects, since approximately one out of every two episodes from those seasons was supervised by...well, Gary Hutzel. Even if he decides to change some aspects, the overall style would be consistent with the original and the shots would be better across the board, not like TOS-R.

Like the other two series, DS9 would be handled in-house by CBS Digital.

Actually, TNG-R S2's VFX was handled by a separate team:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPORTph12U&feature=player_embedded

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Yeah, I'm definitely setting aside dough for each season of TNG as much for its own worth as to help cover costs for DS9 and VOY. The power's in our hands for this one.

 

[BillJ]

For DS9 as a whole, or at least the later CGI shows, the obvious choice would be to hire Gary Hutzel's team from BSG In-House Effects, since approximately one out of every two episodes from those seasons was supervised by...well, Gary Hutzel. Even if he decides to change some aspects, the overall style would be consistent with the original and the shots would be better across the board, not like TOS-R.

Like the other two series, DS9 would be handled in-house by CBS Digital.

Actually, TNG-R S2's VFX was handled by a separate team:
[yt]v=tmPORTph12U[/yt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmPORTph12U&feature=player_embedded

Yeah, I commented on this in the TNG forum. I hope we don't see varying quality because we have too many hands involved.

 

[Angel4576]

Huh - never being a particular fan of the series I've never really considered getting VOY on BD if it ever came about.

Thinking on the subject right now though, absolutely yes, I would get it.

The whole Trek buzz that these TNG BD sets are giving me again is awesome. Feels like back in the day!

TOS, TNG and DS9 BDs were always a no-brainer for me.

 

[Anthony Sabre]

Along with DS9 hopefully getting the BD treatment, I hope they'd thrown in deleted scenes like they did on ENT DVD set. The episode To the Death was cut because TPTB thought it was too violent at the time. I'd really like to see what the uncut episode went like.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Also--supposedly, there were a lot of scenes in the Final Chapter that were cut at the last minute, or something--if the summaries of those episodes in the DS9 Companion are any indication.

If that book's to be believed:

-"Till Deat Do Us Part" had Miles confront Julian, warning him to treat Ezri right, as the chif had developed a feeling of protectiveness, or something, for her during "Prodigal Daughter.

-"The Changing Face Of Evil" showed the scene Julian refers to in the next ep, where he "flat-out" asks Ezri in Quark's why she's avoiding him.

"Tacking Into The Wind" had a scene at the end where Ezri toasts Worf's brief but honorable reign as chancellor.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Also--supposedly, there were a lot of scenes in the Final Chapter that were cut at the last minute, or something--if the summaries of those episodes in the DS9 Companion are any indication.

If that book's to be believed:

-"Till Deat Do Us Part" had Miles confront Julian, warning him to treat Ezri right, as the chif had developed a feeling of protectiveness, or something, for her during "Prodigal Daughter.

-"The Changing Face Of Evil" showed the scene Julian refers to in the next ep, where he "flat-out" asks Ezri in Quark's why she's avoiding him.

"Tacking Into The Wind" had a scene at the end where Ezri toasts Worf's brief but honorable reign as chancellor.

The Final Chapter is, overall, my favorite part of the series. So if any of those scenes can be restored, I'll be ecstatic.

 

[RandyS]

To be honest, I can't really say I see much of a need. I mean...I don't really recall that manny SFX--even in the early seasons--that need re-vamping. By the time of DS9, such tech had sufficiently advanced so that everything looked realistic.

Agreed. If this trend continues, they'll want to spent next week remastering stuff that won't be made for five years.

I'm all for the OCCASSIONAL "improvements" here and there, but I hear this more and more, and it's starting to get old.

Little things like not having the one BoP destroying another in Sacrifice of Angels?

Did that happen? It's been awhile since I saw that episode.

 

[Tomalak]

Maybe it was the one Dukat stole?

 

[trekker670]

I just got to thinking about this again and I'm sure Trials and Tribble-ations will present some interesting challenges as well.

 

[Hober Mallow]

I just got to thinking about this again and I'm sure Trials and Tribble-ations will present some interesting challenges as well.

I think this one will be pretty straightforward, actually. The TOS episode is already in HD and the rest of the original film elements of the episode, including the model shots of the Enterprise and K-7 station, should all exist.

 

[trekker670]

Very true, but it'll definitely be more work than your typical episode given all of the compositing required. It'll be a great episode to see in HD though!

 

[Ian Keldon]

Little things like not having the one BoP destroying another in Sacrifice of Angels?

Did that happen? It's been awhile since I saw that episode.

Yeah, it did. Right after Dax's line "I'd love to try" when the Defiant and some BoPs go up against the big battlecruiser, one of the Bops to the right of the screen get's fratricided by the other one.

 

[Paper Moon]

Well, this is the message that I just stayed up waaaaaayyy past my bedtime (well, not really, but I really should be asleep by now) to write to send to CBS, telling them why they should remaster DS9.

I will donate $10 to charity if I get an e-mail back from CBS saying "tl;dr". Seriously though, I know it's preachy, but I'm actually pretty happy with it. I think it touches on some really key things about DS9. Who knows how I'll feel when I look at it with clear eyes in the morning though...

***

Hello,

Recently, CBS engaged in the laborious, painstaking process of remastering Star Trek: The Next Generation from the original film up to high definition. CBS should be honored and congratulated for their efforts. Star Trek: TNG is a milestone in TV history and is a cultural icon.

There are rumors that CBS is considering remastering TNG's spin-off series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in a similar process.

I am writing to say that I, as a life-long Star Trek fan who owns every episode of Deep Space Nine on DVD, would purchase remastered DS9 episodes on Blu-Ray at any reasonable price.

Deep Space Nine was bold drama. Truly a 130-hour long saga, DS9 took its characters through a grueling and wonderful seven years. A thieving boy became chief engineer. A maligned brother became a head of state. A broken man became a people's savior. Viewers saw friends get married, start families, and they saw friends betraying each other for righteous causes and dying for the greater good.

Casting aside Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision of the future presented in TNG, DS9 did not shy away from humanity's shades of gray:
Was Kira Nerys a terrorist or a freedom fighter? (See season two, "Necessary Evil.")
Did the Federation have the right to curtail its citizens' civil rights during times of infiltration and war? (See season four, "Homefront.")
Should Starfleet officers hold themselves to admirable but potentially fatal moral standards, or should they do whatever it takes to safeguard the lives of those they have sworn to protect, ethics be damned? (See season five "Nor The Battle To The Strong," season six "In The Pale Moonlight," season seven "The Siege of AR-558," season seven "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" and season seven "Extreme Measures.")

These questions are yet more relevant today than they were twenty years ago. But, these questions were addressed in an era that lacked the bitter partisan bickering that characterizes our national conversation today. Both conservative activist Alan Keyes and liberal satirist Seth MacFarlane have publicly indicated high regard for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Deep Space Nine examined social issues, including job loss and poverty (for example, season three, "Past Tense"), equal rights for women (for example, season three, "Family Business"), and racism (see season six, "Far Beyond The Stars," a masterpiece of television).

Deep Space Nine portrayed real people dealing with realistic personal issues. Examples range from balancing a career with marriage (the entire series, but particularly season one, "A Man Alone") to unplanned surrogate pregnancy (several episodes, but particularly "Body Parts" and "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places") to being a single parent (again, the entire series, but particularly season one, "Emissary").

Especially relevant to the matter of HD remastering, until the release of J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" in 2009, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the most extraordinary special effects and computer generated images the Star Trek franchise had ever seen. The starship battles in the sixth season episode, "Sacrifice of Angels," for example, are marvels to behold, and deserve to be viewed in the highest definition possible.

But politics and CGI aside, Deep Space Nine built its foundation on stories that make you think and make you feel.

"The Wire" illustrates a character's painful withdrawal from an addicting painkilling. "It's Only A Paper Moon" depicts a veteran returning from war, but unable to return to his life. "The Visitor" tells the story of a son who spends his entire life trying to rescue his dad from an almost-but-not-quite death.

"You Are Cordially Invited" gives us a sense of the complexities of cross-cultural marriages and makes us laugh along the way. "Rejoined" will resonate with anyone who has felt forbidden for being themselves. And anyone who has lost a loved one will see a bit of themselves in numerous episodes of Deep Space Nine, including "Emissary," "Life Support," and "Shadows and Symbols."

And, of course, the producers of Deep Space Nine knew when to make us laugh. "Badda-Bing Badda-Bang" shows us how to knock over a casino (seriously). "Little Green Men" gives us a very good sense of what REALLY happened as Roswell. And "Trials And Tribble-ations" bring us back in time, literally, to the days of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

The episodes I have listed here provide a small sample of the quality that characterizes Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Simply put, this show is too good to pass up.

I realize it may seem like a gamble, but I strongly believe it is in CBS's best interests to go forward with a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine remastering project. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the best television I know. The public deserves to see it again, remastered for the 21st century.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.