STAR TREK TOS HD DVD

Holy shit. Is this necessary? I already have the supposedly "remastered" STAR TREK TOS on standard DVD format, the ones that come in the hard plastic cases and those are just fine for me. I haven't even got around to watching ANY of the extras and I'll probably never get around to watching them all. So here comes another cash grab from Paramount Home Entertainment, announcing the US HD DVD release of Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1 on 20th November 2007 priced at $217.99 SRP. Here's the description I lifted from another site:

"See The Original Series as never before when the legendary first season arrives for the first time ever in a 10-disc HD DVD/DVD combo disc set. Meticulously remastered from the original camera negative specifically for this high-definition release, each classic episode is presented in pristine condition with state-of-the-art digital visual effects. 1960s special effects have been replaced with 21st century computer-generated imagery to give new depth and atmosphere to various elements including the main title sequence, the galaxy shots frequently seen from the Enterprise's bridge, the battle scenes, planets and alien ships, some of the matte paintings used as backdrops for new worlds, as well as the Enterprise and other Starships, which have been replaced with state-of-the-art CGI-created ships. The new computer-generated Enterprise is based on the exact measurements of the original model, which now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

The refurbished episodes also feature higher quality sound for the famous opening theme. The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner's classic original recording of the 38-word "Space, the final frontier..." monologue continues to open each episode.

In addition, the extraordinary set features true HD audio and exclusive HD DVD interactive features produced by New Wave Entertainment. Interactive menus and a "Starfleet Access" interface will allow viewers to activate icons which provide such features as Picture in Picture video commentaries and an interactive tour of the Starship Enterprise. Both the standard definition and high definition presentations also include rare on-set home movie footage, an inside perspective on what it took to transport Trek into the 21st century and much more. Finally the set comes housed in a futuristic clear case."

OK. Great. But I'm quite happy watching the original ones. I like the crappy cheap special effects and I don't need to see any added digital enhancements, thank you very much. This brings up the issue that arises AGAIN and AGAIN about adding digital effects to old movies. IT SHOULDN'T BE MESSED WITH. They're not even giving fans the whole picture. If you take a look at the startrek.com website and click on the remasterd episodes links you'll see pictures of the remastered effects shown in 1:85 ratio. There is plenty of room to construct a 1:85 frame from the original 35mm negatives of these shows. So probably in a few years, you'll see another WIDESCREEN version released saying that IT is the DEFINITIVE STAR TREK release. So it goes on and on.

I'm no rocket scientist, but wouldn't it be physically impossible to high definition version of a 40 year old show? This set will not look much better than the regular edition, which is selling for about 60 bucks now. Studios are basically ripping off consumers if they're releasing HD versions of old films. Would you buy an HD version of the original Dracula? No, I don't think you would unless you're a complete clod. HD reproductions of older films and TV shows will look even grainier than before, due to the fact that the computers responsible for creating the higher resolution output will attempt to compensate for the initial low-res by adding more pixels in the empty spaces. This has been proven by many people who've complained that "Blu-Ray" versions of older films looked worse than the standard DVD editions. This whole current trend of Blu-Ray and HD DVD is good for people who only like films that have been made in the past few years, but for people like me, the majority of films I watch are pre-1980, so Blue Ray and HD are useless and I can't understand why people are shelling out big bucks for these old films that have been "meticulously" restored to look like crap.

The only plus point I can see is that the package design looks pretty awesome, however, it doesn't in any way merit spending over 200 bucks. Keep your originals.

http://www.filmjunk.com/2007/09/04/star-trek-the-original-series-hd-dvd-features-revealed/