Scott Atwell Star Trek Discussion thread (Series and Films) (8 Viewers)

[Blimpoy06]

Is it silly to own the franchise in standard Def. DVD then purchase the fan collective sets on DVD only to purchase all Blu Ray parts of the original franchise series’ ? I have done so over time and find myself watching the time travel fan collective with particular attention to Time’s Arrow from TNG

I often watch those Fan Collective sets if I'm only in the mood to watch one episode. The blu-ray's take to long to load, have the forced previews and the animation before the menus is far too long and time consuming. The FC sets also have a lot of fun text commentaries.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’m much more likely to watch a random Trek episode (vs keeping to some kind of order) now that I have all the discs ripped to my home theater PC. It’s awesome to watch the Blu-ray quality versions without long menus and previews and all that jazz.

 

[John*Wells]

I doubt we will see Blu Ray versioning for the FC. especially when there’s no Blu Ray for Deep Space Nine and Voyager

 

[Nelson Au]

I posted this on the Picard thread, but everyone is talking about the free trial period to see Picard, so I’ll repost the section about The Offspring here.

My reviewing of Star Trek TNG led to The Offspring last night. It was never a favorite episode but it suddenly became very important viewing! I had forgotten how the episode unfolded, but I did remember how it ended.

The way Picard went from being very unsupportive of the project because he wasn’t informed of it, to becoming such a passionate advocate for Lal and to keep her on the ship with her father. He advocated that she is also a sentient being. In light of Picard, it’s become a very necessary episode to see and I ended up liking it a lot more on this viewing. I thought it was a very well done episode.

Though I thought the ending was kind of like Requiem for Methuselah. It was so different an episode and focus, I didn’t think it diminished the episode. It stands on its own. And is a companion to The Measure of a Man.

I also saw Yesterday’s Enterprise the day before. That was great to see again as I’d not seen it in a few years. That’s a really good episode. I really enjoyed the concept and look at an alternate present day that’s very dire for the Federation. But I realized the twist here is that the normal way these time travel stories go is that traveling to past or future could alter the events and alter the present. But in this case, it’s the altered present that they realize is wrong and they have to alter the events to make it right.

I don’t know if I can watch A Matter of Perspective. It seems like a strained concept the last time I saw it.

I did enjoy two episodes I rarely watch, The Hunted and The High Ground. Both were good stories about the issues of other societies. The Hunted was like another take on A Taste of Armageddon. I liked how the crew was able to see how unfair the situation was and left Cromwell’s character to resolve it. it was fun to see how quick Danar was able to elude the Enterprise and then onboard the ship. The High Ground was interesting as the Enterprise crew gets involved in a civil war on a non Federation planet. As Crusher is kidnapped by the terrorists where she finds that the terrorists are struggling for freedom and independence.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys, I wanted follow on my viewing with several favorite episodes, Sins of the Father, Captain’s Holiday, Tin Man and Hollow Pursuits. All great episodes. Tin Man is a favorite, I enjoy the concept of the space creature and the Elbrin character. Captain’s Holiday is a fun romp for the captain as he can get away from the ship and have an unexpected adventure. Sins of the Father sets up the Duras family and the later follow up to this story. It adds an interesting back story for Worf and I enjoy how he’s really the more Klingon in heart and honor then the Klingons on the Klingon Homeworld. Hollow Pursuits was also a really interesting episode and the intro to the introverted Barclay character. I liked that in the end, he was able to help solve the problem. His versions of the crew on the holodeck was fun. Muzzle it!

But I wanted to mention The Most Toys. It was not a favorite when it first aired. However, in my last few views, I’ve grown to really like it. It’s also got an interesting production story as the original actor to play Kivas Fajo died, David Rappaport in early production and they needed to get Saul Rubinek. I wonder if Rappaport would have elevated the episode. He seems a lot more menacing in the clips that are in the blu ray set. The aspect that I have grown to like is how Data was driven by Fajo to fight back in every way he could. And a Fajo I never liked, but I can appreciate that the actor is playing a really bad guy. Someone with no scruples. Does what he needs to do to get what he wants. But the ending was the strong part, when Data reasons that at that point, the only option left is to kill Fajo to end the situation, so no one else would suffer or get hurt by Fajo. But the part I never could figure out is why Data lied to Riker and O’Brian about the Varon T disruptor being discharged. The later when Data is talking to Fajo in the brig, did Data enjoy that Fajo lost everything? I like the two questions. Because Data is an Android, and has no emotions, he could coldly calculate that killing Fajo in this instance was a logical move. And did he get gratification when Fajo was locked up? I’d think on the face of it, he didn’t. But you never know.

 

[KPmusmag]

I did enjoy two episodes I rarely watch, The Hunted ...

I think The Hunted is a very thought provoking episode. The societal questions of rehabilitation and reintegration are complex.

But I also like the fact Jeff McCarthy is the guest star. He is one of my favorite Broadway actors/singers. His Javert in Les Mis was powerful and chilling. He also played the not-long-to-live doctor on the first episode of Voyager.

 

[Nelson Au]

That’s interesting Kevin, I was just watching the Voyager pilot. As the doctor, Jeff McCarthy didn’t have a very nice bedside manner. I totally did not make the connection it was the same actor.

 

[Wiseguy]

I am partial to episodes that take place on the Holodecks across the franchise. The Big goodbye, Elementary dear Data, Ship in a bottle etc. I am a big fan of the 7th season of DS 9 with Vic Fontaine in 1960s Las Vegas

What about "The Practical Joker"?

 

[KPmusmag]

That’s interesting Kevin, I was just watching the Voyager pilot. As the doctor, Jeff McCarthy didn’t have a very nice bedside manner. I totally did not make the connection it was the same actor.

He was playing Javert. LOL

 

[Sam Favate]

Hey guys, I wanted follow on my viewing with several favorite episodes,

Nelson, all of those season 3 episodes you mention are among my favorites. Tin Man is kinda where I came in. I came to TNG late, watching only a few episodes here and there, but Tin Man is where I started watching every week, and never missing any. I also went back and saw the rest as they aired in reruns.

I love The Most Toys. In some ways, that's the quintessential Data - always calm and reasoning. The episode was very smart, as Data confronts what to do when the only reasonable course of action left to him is to kill someone, even though he is programmed to think killing is wrong. I believed he did pull the trigger on Fajo at the end, although Data doesn't lie, so when he told Riker he hadn't, I have to believe that too.

But all of the ones you mention helped form my opinion of TNG. I don't think the show ever reached the consistency it had in the third season.

 

[Osato]

Inglorious treksperts posted a podcast about remastering tng. Roger Lay also guests to discuss his work on it, enterprise and the Roddenberry vault set.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/electric-surge-network/inglorious-treksperts/e/68191855

 

[Blimpoy06]

I love The Most Toys. In some ways, that's the quintessential Data - always calm and reasoning.

I felt like Data came the closest to achieving his goal of understanding human behavior by this point in the third season. It seemed like they started to cover the same topics in latter seasons. I never understood how they could have episodes where Data was in command and didn't know how to relate to the humans under his command. He was a Lt. Commander and third in command on the ship. You would think he had proven himself by that point in his career.
Once you have a character justifying murder, it's tough to go back to what to do on a first date.

 

[John*Wells]

I know paramount lost money on Blu Ray for Some of the Trek releases. Is there any chance whatsoever that they will release TOS in 4K ?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I can’t definitely say never, but it doesn’t seem likely. Physical media sales have declined dramatically. Television shows on Blu-ray was essentially dead on arrival as far as that category went when the format launched. If there was no market for shows in HD on disc back when disc watching was still the primary way people watched stuff at home, I don’t know what hope there is for it now.

I suppose digitally streaming in 4K is plausible, but I don’t see them doing the work necessary to make that happen. They’ve long disbanded the digital team that handled the HD mastering so they don’t have people there familiar with the assets to the extent necessary. Scanning and mastering in 4K would cost quite a bit of money. And the HD versions already reveal detail never meant to be seen by the audience, so a 4K version would either show even more seams or would necessitate a level of digital cleanup that would cost a lot.

I think it’s technically possible but I don’t think there’s really anything left on the negative that would make it worthwhile.

 

[Osato]

I know paramount lost money on Blu Ray for Some of the Trek releases. Is there any chance whatsoever that they will release TOS in 4K ?

This was discussed in inglorious treksperts. Great podcasts on remastered tos and now a tng one too.

anyway their thought is that perhaps a 4k exclusive could be done by one of the streaming services. Makes sense.

I don’t think it’s likely at this point. Paramount is really pushing digital 4k releases for catalog titles too.

I guess there’s some exceptions like Top Gun...

 

[Nelson Au]

I’ll be checking out the inglorious Treksperts podcasts, thanks!

I remember and I’m sure you guys do, back in 2006, the Paramount people were promoting the TOS remaster as future proofing. I can’t recall if they scanned the film at what level, 2K or 4K. Perhaps the documentaries on the blu ray set for TOS mentions it. I’ll have to rewatch those docs.

I agree with Josh that the quality of the blu rays of TOS is pretty amazing. The detail on the sets, costumes and Nimoy’s make-up is very clear. And I recall the justification for the CGI for the space shots and the Enterprise was due to the poor optical effects at the time. The labs were not able to produce good shots. But in the later half of the first season, the second season and third season, the miniature work and photography and optical work was really good and I can see a lot of detail on the models. I don’t have a 4K display yet, so I haven’t been able to see the difference between a regular blu ray and the same title in 4K, so I don’t know how much more improved it is. Would be cool to see TOS in 4K.

 

[Jeff*H]

If they created new negatives for each episode in 2k or 4k resolution for their HD disc transfers, then it seems like they easily could do a digital release in 4K. Or am I missing something?

 

[John*Wells]

I can’t definitely say never, but it doesn’t seem likely. Physical media sales have declined dramatically. Television shows on Blu-ray was essentially dead on arrival as far as that category went when the format launched. If there was no market for shows in HD on disc back when disc watching was still the primary way people watched stuff at home, I don’t know what hope there is for it now.

I suppose digitally streaming in 4K is plausible, but I don’t see them doing the work necessary to make that happen. They’ve long disbanded the digital team that handled the HD mastering so they don’t have people there familiar with the assets to the extent necessary. Scanning and mastering in 4K would cost quite a bit of money. And the HD versions already reveal detail never meant to be seen by the audience, so a 4K version would either show even more seams or would necessitate a level of digital cleanup that would cost a lot.

I think it’s technically possible but I don’t think there’s really anything left on the negative that would make it worthwhile.

I understand, I mainly asked since Disney has released A star Wars Set in 4k Ultra UHD. Star Trek is Paramount's Crown Jewel, I Was thinking Paramount may do so with the films and TOS at a minimum

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I understand, I mainly asked since Disney has released A star Wars Set in 4k Ultra UHD. Star Trek is Paramount's Crown Jewel, I Was thinking Paramount may do so with the films and TOS at a minimum

"Crown Jewel"?

More like "cash cow".

Generally, they milk it as dry as they can without outright killing it. They don't like it or respect it all that much, but as long as it keeps those fat stacks of nerd cash rolling in, they'll put up with it and maybe occasionally put a new ribbon on it.

 

[Osato]

Has anyone preordered this new Star Trek the motion picture book?

https://titanbooks.com/9950-star-trek-the-motion-picture-inside-the-art-and-visual-effects/

https://www.startrek.com/news/star-trek-motion-picture-art-visual-effects-book-cover-reveal

Id like to know more about it.....