Star Trek on HD-DVD / Blu Ray? (1 Viewer)

[Douglas Monce]

Transformers is quite grainy particularly in the night time scenes. I never saw it in the theater so I don't have any idea how accurate it is.

Having been experimenting now for about 3 months with both AVC and VC-1 on my own material, it would not surprise me that VC-1 seemed to be a more accurate representation of the original footage. Also VC-1 can go to significantly lower bit rates and not exhibit artifacts when compared to AVC

Doug

 

[Dave Moritz]

I have not seen Transformers in the theater ether, but if the film had grain then I do not care if the HD transfer has grain. It part of the film and IMHO should not be filtered out if it exists. I am looking foward to Transformers coming out with a lossless audio track, this is going to be sweet.

I hope they keep what ever grain there is in the original Star Trek and release a top notch HD transfer. Instead of filtering out the grain and some of the detail in the process. I did have the first season on HD-DVD but I took it back and exchanged it for something else. I looked very good but I started having problems with discs 3 & 4 so it ended up being returned. For the first time however I would love to own the original Star Trek tv series on home video and HD makes owning it that much better.

Would love to own the following and it is going to be exspensive!

Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Next Gerneration
Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Motion Pictures 1-10
Star Trek: Fan Collective - Borg

 

[Douglas Monce]

I just watched Shore Leave on HD DVD a few nights ago and I noticed really nice grain structure. Of course it appeared very fine because this is an academy ratio film with no anamorphic lens stretching out the grain.

Of course you know the problems with bringing TNG, DS9 and Voyager to blu-ray. I seriously doubt it will happen.

Doug

 

[Dave Moritz]

Not aware of what problem that would be? Unless it was all done in 4:3 ratio video?

 

[PaulDA]

I believe it is because, unlike TOS, the other three were shot on video, rather than film, and it cannot be improved in the same manner--particularly the effects shots. I'm sure a more technically knowledgeable member will elaborate.

BTW, I just ordered this from Amazon.CA (not .com) for a touch under 50$ (down from a listed 222$ Canadian MSRP). I almost jumped in at 97$ last month at .com but something came up. At 50$, it was a no-brainer.

 

[Douglas Monce]

No the ratio isn't a problem, they were shot on film but all post production was done on standard definition video, including the compositing of the model shots and the creation of the phasers and transporter effects.

In order to do blu-ray versions of TNG, DS9 and Voyager, they would have to go back, re-scan all of the original film elements in HD, then re-edit the film to match the final episodes. This of course assumes that the editing notes still exist. If they don't then they would have to try to figure out by eye which takes were use, and in some cases more than one take may have been used to make up a scene.

The effects shots are also a problem. The models were shot on film, but composited into the backgrounds on video. This means that every model shot would have to be re comped again. Things like phasers and transporters were originally created in standard resolution animation software, and would have to be recreated for each episode from scratch in HD

This would have to be done for every single episode. In some cases this may take longer and cost more money than it cost to make the original episodes in the first place.

This is a problem that effects most TV shows made from about 1987 through about 2002 or 2003.

Doug

 

[Dave Moritz]

Sounds like I might be buying TNG, DS9 and Voyager on SD-DVD. :frowning: Will have to wait just a little longer to see what happens but I might have to start working these titles into my purchase schedule.

 

[Douglas Monce]

The SD sets aren't bad, but as I get a larger and larger TV I notice that they are VERY soft. Particularly the first 3 seasons of TNG when they were editing on D1 video I believe. The titles have jaggies and chroma noise. Anything that is red just shimmers like crazy. It's really quite a mess.

I think it was season 4 that they switched to editing on D3 and it starts to look a bit better, but its still not great.

Doug