TMP Directors Edition Bluray version vs DVD

[Pauln6]

The 2022 version has its issues of execution but it's a variation (including the shuttle) of the 2001 version that Wise signed off on. (And I don't believe the shuttle freezes in that version.)

The shuttle was a fanboy touch but the driving motivation was that Wise wanted the scene opened up and not so enclosed. If it were not for the wall visible behind Kirk's air tram they might have done more. But they had to at least leave that wall in place. I would say "with 2001 technology" but I'll say instead "with current technology and with their time and budget constraints". (Those folk working on Dune could have done whatever they wanted. )

Yes, I wish they had gone with more of the original concepts from 1979 as well.

But I love the original just as it is. It always reminded me of the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World.

I can see where Wise might have disagreed with the aesthetics. Especially with the response even at the time that the film was too colorless and claustrophobic. (The best version of the film will never exist because it would have been the film that Wise would have put together with an audience test screening and a few months more work. It's sitting on the dream shelf next to Donner's Superman II.)

Heck, I love the original matte painting of the Golden Gate, now relegated to its reuse in Voyager.

One day when I get around to my "Best Parts Version" of all of the cuts of TMP I will keep the original shots as is. (And good for me! Where is my cookie?)

I did my hybrid version throughout lockdown but all I ended up doing was reinserting the original office sequence to get rid of the looped footage. I never really noticed the frozen shuttle.

I mostly just added back the character moments from the SLV. I also went a bit nuts and gave Janice Rand a few extra lines. She now tells Kirk not to look so worried (a line cribbed from World Enough and Time) before McCoy beams on board, a damage report on comms after Sulu's, 'The new screens held,' (cribbed from Flashback) and she visits Kirk's quarters when he and McCoy are watching Decker and Ilia.

The biggest and most bonkers part was trying to do something with the Memory Wall using the limited rough footage available. I used my very limited skills with Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects to cobble together something but I would have loved to have a crack at the full scene with Kirk. I wish it had made it into the outtakes.

 

[Mage]

I've been insanely busy and completely forgotten about this, but I just ordered the new version, and decided to go for the newest version of TWOK as well. Not my favorite Star Trek movie, but there was an offer of both for 30 euro's, so why not right?

Thanks everyone for chiming in and giving your opinions.

 

[Jeyl]

The one thing that was (not surprisingly) untouched was the edit itself from 2001. Because it was done by Robert Wise himself.

They did technically add a new three-second long shot specifically for this new edition. Fein said it was created for visual consistency, but it was really done for the music. Its the new visual effect shot that occurs after Spock enters the V'Ger orifice with his thruster suit. The added three seconds allowed the score for this scene to be presented in full.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I preferred the 2001 version of the DE. It was the best match of effects footage. They didn't try to reinvent the wheel in some spots and it was really just a marvelous take. They didn't have the wonky new lounge background and the exteriors didn't look too sharp for the distance we were seeing things.

However the most recent sound mix is head and shoulders above all previous versions. Except for the "swissssh" added to the end of the transporter accident in both DE's. That was an unnecessary embellishment which blunts the impact of the moment.

 

[Procutus]

I have been following this thread with interest. Being that TMP is my favorite Trek film, and also because I'm a bit of a completionist, I made a point of buying the 4k DE shortly after it came out - and then never got around to watching it. It's sitting on the shelf right next to my blu-ray copy of the theatrical version.

Reading this thread has raised my interest level in seeing the visual differences, and especially in the improved sound of the 4k version. My goal now is to watch both, perhaps a week apart and decide which version I really like best. It'll probably wait until my wife is away on her business trip to Chicago, so she doesn't have to be subjected to my TMP geek-fest!

 

[Jeyl]

However the most recent sound mix is head and shoulders above all previous versions. Except for the "swissssh" added to the end of the transporter accident in both DE's. That was an unnecessary embellishment which blunts the impact of the moment.

I think "Oh my god" did more to blunt the moment's impact than the sound of a door closing. And since the "swisssh" occurs outside of the transporter room, we've already transitioned from the accident to Kirk being a bit lost on the Enterprise.

 

[Ssosmcin]

It wasn't a door sound. The sound I'm talking about is a "swishy" noise they added to the transporter as commander Sonak and the other person were pulled off the pad for the final time. That sound wasn't there originally. Before their fading screams hung in the air.

 

[Tallguy]

Fair enough. It doesn't bother me. But then I was livid that they added a "whoosh" to Superman when he takes off after saying goodbye to Lois at the end of the helicopter rescue. It used to be silent with a small camera shake that felt far more powerful (to me). As far as I know I am the only person who a) noticed and b) cares. So I feel your pain even if I don't share it.

I do think there are probably a few changes that really don't make as much sense (or even stand out) unless you have a Super Stupendous Atmos Setup. When I saw the Fathom presentation at the theater I was heartbroken at how bad the sound was. It didn't help that the sound was so low that I had to listen to whatever blockbuster was showing in the cinema next door. Never mind that it wouldn't have been in Atmos anyway.

Someday. Maybe. I hope.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Fair enough. It doesn't bother me. But then I was livid that they added a "whoosh" to Superman when he takes off after saying goodbye to Lois at the end of the helicopter rescue. It used to be silent with a small camera shake that felt far more powerful (to me). As far as I know I am the only person who a) noticed and b) cares. So I feel your pain even if I don't share it.

Oh man, don't get me started on the Superman sound mix. Thank Zod the 4K release gives you better options, but man the surround sound mix is awful. The new sounds drown out everything else. I remember when I got the first DVD and Superman took off after Lois died, the jet plane rocket ship sound they used overpowered his anguished cry.

At least TMP has three versions and I can pick and choose. As long as the choices remain, the changes don't bother me.

 

[Pauln6]

Oh man, don't get me started on the Superman sound mix. Thank Zod the 4K release gives you better options, but man the surround sound mix is awful. The new sounds drown out everything else. I remember when I got the first DVD and Superman took off after Lois died, the jet plane rocket ship sound they used overpowered his anguished cry.

At least TMP has three versions and I can pick and choose. As long as the choices remain, the changes don't bother me.

More like 5 official versions now I think, with the 4k SLV as well.

 

[Ssosmcin]

More like 5 official versions now I think, with the 4k SLV as well.

Well, I meant the three distinct edits, but I get whatcher saying.

 

[Doug Otte]

I'm going to post these comments in two threads. I actually upgraded to a 4k set about a year or so ago. It's a Sony A80k. But, I rarely watch discs anymore. Also, my Sony X800M (v1, not v2) player does HDR but not Dolby Vision.

I just realized that the Trek films and a couple of other 4k discs I bought last year came with digital codes. I thought: I'll never use them at home when I have the discs, but I'll keep them in case I'm traveling.

Then I realized that it would be fun to compare the picture and sound between the disc and streaming.

Tonight I did that w/ TMP Director's Edition. The differences technically are:
4k disc = Dolby Atmos sound
streaming via Apple TV 4k = Dolby Vision

When comparing a couple of scenes, I found that the DV gives a very slight enhancement to the contrast, but I actually preferred the HDR version on disc. And, the streaming version showed slightly fuzzier detail and slight smearing (e.g. in traveling star fields). The disc had much better sound (despite not having an Atmos setup, the AVR converted it and it still had a fuller, warmer sound with deeper bass).

 

[Tallguy]

My experience is that on the streaming versions (both my digital copy through Vudu and the version that was on Paramount+) the digital starfields chatter like crazy. (The photo starfields in the original scenes do not.) Especially the overture. When it moved to HBO Max (or just Max I suppose) the quality improved a little.

I don't watch my discs as much as I should. The downgrade in quality is just noticeable (to me) and the convenience is much greater with streaming.

(OTOH I finally watched Star Wars 4K77 off of a streaming stick with no lag on my 75" 4K TV. I'm in love all over again!)

 

[Ssosmcin]

I never have the same satisfaction with streaming as opposed to the physical discs. The 4K hardcopies of all the Trek films just crackle with detail. I'm not at the whim of my internet or whatever compression is going on.

However, because Paramount couldn't be bothered to match the player generated subtitles for the alien languages on the discs with the original films, I tend to go with the digital copies (TWOK is the sole exception).

Yes, that bothers me (and probably just me), but Star Trek III suffers the most as the subtitle placement and font was dependent on the scene. It was italicized a for emphasis ("Disengage Cloaking Device!") and offset ("Feed him!") depending on the need. The disc is just a bland font, centered throughout. Even the digital is centered but is closer in font. The original DVD was correct, but the opening credits were screwed up. For the life of me, I can never get Star Trek III 100% theatrically accurate on official disc.

Luckily, I have a digital file of a 35mm film print that preserves the look and sound of the film.

Treks 5 and 6 are actually perfect in the digital copies but the discs are still "meh" for the subs.

 

[Doug Otte]

The only advantage to streaming over disc for me is: you don't have to sit through several minutes of legal warnings, etc.!

Edit: That's an exaggeration. I just tested the 4k disc of TMP, and from closing the tray to when the main menu appeared was only 1 minute 15 seconds. It just seems longer because we have to go through it every time we insert a disc.

 

[Tosk]

And how long does it take to begin a streamed version, from device off to program start?

 

[Doug Otte]

And how long does it take to begin a streamed version, from device off to program start?

I don't need to test it. For my Apple TV 4k, it's around 10 seconds, assuming the movie is in my Up Next list. If I have to search for it first, maybe 25 seconds total.

Edit: OK, it's a boring Sunday morning. I just tested it.
Scenario 1 = 11 seconds
Scenario 2 = 36 seconds

 

[Tosk]

Forty extra seconds to have better sound and less "fuzzy detail" doesn't seem so bad to me.

 

[Procutus]

I'm a bit old-fashioned. I don't mind the few extra seconds needed to watch a disc. Plus I can still do that if we have Internet problems.

But I'm equally okay with streaming things as well, especially if we're binging something.

 

[trekfan_1]

Since I have a 4k 50 inch tv and Apple TV 4k ( but no 4k player) , I got it on itunes and it looks great in 4k!. I will eventually get it on HD or UHD disc because you never know if someday itunes pulls it. Plan to sell a bunch of old DVDs and blurays that I don't watch any more ( including some gift sets) and use that money towards buying and backing up some key movies and shows on 4k disc/bluray that I "own" via Apple downloads..

Hopefully the price of 4k players will eventually go down. Can't justify buying one right now as there isn't enough 4k content on disc that I want to purchase.

Something I have always wondered about is the difference betwen Apple TV 4k digital purchase quality vs standard Blu-ray. Theoretically I guess it should be the 4k digital version. All things being equal, disc usually beats digital.

Just wondering if I should back up my 4k itunes TMP DE in Blu-ray or wait until/if I get a 4k player and get it in 4k disc.